Hello fellow trials riders!

 

Decided to expand my small world at advrider in the Trials (where does my ass go?) section to do more than read posts on this excellent Trials Central forum.  So hello, all. 

 

I love trials bikes and riding and especially the technical/engineering side.

 

I reside in Oklahoma, USA on our Buffalo Dream Ranch.  I've retired from design engineering and manufacturing, and now do cows, chickens, vacation rentals, wilderness property hiking tours, trials, and rider training.  I am very fortunate to have many acres of fantastic trials terrain right out my back door, and fertilized by Belted Galloway cow pies.

 

 

Getting humbled trying to ride Expert in the local events on a beat up 59-year-old body.  That works much of the time, and sometimes I just get me a*** handed to me, which is good for the humility gland

 

Anyway, if ever you are in Southwest Oklahoma please come by for a visit, and bring your bike!

Edited September 7, 201510 yr by motobene

Glad you are here bene, always a wealth of knowledge on the ADV rider forums, I am sure your posts will be well read on here as well

Can we have a photo of you riding up that rock? I can see the tyre marks you've left on it.

A photo of that rock?  Don't have it, and it may be a long time coming.  Above my pay grade, as there is a jumble of rocks tight up on the approach just out of view in the photo.

 

These days those bigger obstacles are becoming more theory than practice.  That one would be 2 spotters and a pre dosing with a pint of Belgian Quad!

 

As for fancier pix, I'm usually behind the camera, not in front of it.  A couple of pix I snapped at a National at Rock Creek near Tishomingo, OK in, 2006 I think.  Bruce LeRiche and Geoff Aaron:

 

 

In front of the lens?  not much in the last three decades, as I'm just the average Joe rider, and who wants to point a camera at the average Joe?

 

From the Michigan days (Yeegads that was 14 years ago!):

Yup, that's a bicycle helmet!  Nice and cool.  I wore them until the safetycrats said 'no more.'

 

On my very custom Fantic 305 riding the 'air cooled modern' class A line at a vintage event at the Stephens Ranch in Northeast Oklahoma, 2013 I think:

 

 

Farting around on the 280 Econo at the ranch, 2013:

 

With Doc Joe after some 'English-style' riding on the ranch:

 

Sweating in steamy Missouri before the start of the MATT trial last year:

 

Messing around on the ranch, Christmas time:

 

In New Mexico at a Sipapu event in 2014:

 

A rather forced looking 90-degree rear-end floater off the rock just behind...'Lake Fork' in the Jemez Mountains, NM, 2015:

 

Playing on volcanic ash rocks at the same place:

 

Fun fun!

 

And something more exciting and far prettier than me, the latest bike in the stable to wrap brain and body around:

The mouth is watering....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 201510 yr by motobene

Great stuff, thanks for posting. Nice to see some historical shots. Guess you do it all without the benefit of a rear brake? Good on you.

Edited September 8, 201510 yr by cleanorbust

Great stuff, thanks for posting. Nice to see some historical shots. Guess you do it all without the benefit of a rear brake? Good on you.

 

Oh gosh no!  I've been custom fabricating left-side brakes on my trials bikes since `87.  On dual sports I just heel the rear brake, but competing in trials requires fast access and fine control of the rear brake, so I put it on the left, on the 'live side.' 

 

A few pix of the last iteration:

 

The Econo iteration:

 

And later application to an `11 Raga round-tube frame which required moving the master cylinder down.

 

Same frame but painted red.  You an see the left-side pivot and the master cylinder mount:

Edited September 8, 201510 yr by motobene

I see, thanks for explaining, just didn't spot the brake on your Gas Gas - still to be fabricated? Precision work indeed from the look of your workshop notes!

I see, thanks for explaining, just didn't spot the brake on your Gas Gas - still to be fabricated? Precision work indeed from the look of your workshop notes!

 

Yes the new bike is not set up for me yet, and it will be a lot of work to fit the left brake setup.  Some parts will transfer over, but I'll need to make a new brake lever as the current one is well used.