Have you noticed......

[section swept]

Have you noticed that more and more youngsters/school children are pulling wheelies on expensive bicycles and even younger children are bouncing about and spinning their scooters (push type) and jumping with both wheels clear of the ground. More impressive to me is the fact that nearly all of them are trying to keep the bike/scooter upright and using body lean to counter act  the forces of gravity. Is this down to YouTube and face book or has a new subject been included in the curriculum. Generally popping wheelies riding in traffic is not to be condoned but some have a talent for ‘keeping the front up’ for a long time including cornering while wheelieing, which although damned dangerous and reprehensible, I find to be encouraging.

Don’t please get me wrong, these Children should be riding safely and sensibly, but it’s encouraging that the skills that they are developing (knowingly or not) could well be producing the raw material for a whole new nucleus of trials and other Motorcycle sport competitors.

Never mind the ACU trying to infer or change their rules to make youth trials more difficult (see other post by smudger984), they instead should be approaching schools and other young people’s organisations to promote Motorcycle Sport and encourage greater emphasis on joining local clubs and describing the benefits of getting involved with other like minded youngsters and adults. 

The other side of the coin, so to speak could also open up the wider aspects of potential employment within the various aspects of Motorcycle Sport and more.

Do any clubs actively undertake promoting the sport that you know of? 

Heres a question. What do they teach at school now? My neighbour is a head teacher and he seems to be home more than at work, half terms and Baker days excepted. The Shool Children go off to school ? around 08.30 and by 15.00 they’re coming back home?. Now add up the breaks and time walking from classroom to classroom and lunch break and there appears to be less and less time for teaching. I suppose a teacher might counter by saying they need rid of the kids so that they can lesson plan, prepare for inspections, mark homework, have meetings etc etc. The Japanese schools start at 06.00 and go on until late in the day 19.00 if I remember. 

Opinions appreciated, my post might be judged by some to be off topic but it is all about a sport that helped me in my career choice.?

 

Edited October 27, 2018 by section swept

[heffergm]

Western school hours haven't changed in decades. Them getting to school at 8:30 means up at 7. They get back late afternoon, plus an hour of homework, plus whatever other activities (sports, music, etc). Trust me, it's a full day. The Japanese system is all the same stuff just under watch of the state rather than the state plus parents. Pick your poison. 

[trapezeartist]

Those kids bouncing around on bikes and scooters should be the next generation of trials riders (and motocross, enduro and circuit racing). Clubs and governing bodies are really missing a major trick if they let them slip through their fingers. I've done extracurricular talks at primary schools (about coastal safety, not motorbikes) and the interest and enthusiasm is awesome. It just needs channelling.

[on it]

Yes these kids should be the next generation but  the big difference is  kids with push bikes get the bike and off they go ride  around  street / park or were they want   BUT if the kid wants to ride a motor bike they need dad or mum to take him to were he can ride it ,so parents  have to first  invest into the sport just to see if the kid is interested in doing the sport so is the cost of bike /clothing /parts /transport /time/finding some were to ride  putting parents off ? mostly the kids i see coming into the sport are from familys all ready in the sport

[nhuskys]

2 hours ago, heffergm said:

Western school hours haven't changed in decades. Them getting to school at 8:30 means up at 7. They get back late afternoon, plus an hour of homework, plus whatever other activities (sports, music, etc). Trust me, it's a full day. The Japanese system is all the same stuff just under watch of the state rather than the state plus parents. Pick your poison. 

If you live in a rural area it's a even longer day with the bus ride. My daughter was on the bus at 6:45AM K-12.

[lineaway]

Kids have always ridden the crap out of bikes. We did have more than a decade where fewer kids actually rode bikes for fun. Could be the push for more bike paths and watching the extreme sports more. The only kids that have ever progressed from bicycles to trials were son`s and daughters of trials riders. Reality still is the money for the bikes come from men older than 30. And most trials riders are older than forty. The latest trend is more grand father`s are still riding and footing the bill for the grand kids to join them. In our club the problem was so many riders never had kids. The one`s that did have kids are the people who keep the club going for the next generation of life time riders.

 PS You do not want to see what they teach now. Barely anything the correct way. Try to find a kid that can tell time or do any math.

Edited October 27, 2018 by lineaway

[stpauls]

High costs and low wages certainly have an impact on trials.    In Britain we also have a lack of waste land and other suitable places to ride a trials bike.  Official/commercial places are often few and far between.  You can combine all this with a negative public and media view of motorcycling in general.

[turbofurball]

On 27/10/2018 at 8:18 PM, stpauls said:

High costs and low wages certainly have an impact on trials.    In Britain we also have a lack of waste land and other suitable places to ride a trials bike.  Official/commercial places are often few and far between.  You can combine all this with a negative public and media view of motorcycling in general.

Indeed, can't use any place for anything without it being insured etc.  A local industrial park now has security guards to make sure nobody learns to drive there on the weekends, just finding a quiet spot is nigh on impossible

[b40rt]

On 10/27/2018 at 8:18 PM, stpauls said:

High costs and low wages certainly have an impact on trials.    

Got to any mountain bike area and check out how much is being spent, not sure this is as much of a problem as access and image.

[2stroke4stroke]

3 hours ago, b40rt said:

Got to any mountain bike area and check out how much is being spent, not sure this is as much of a problem as access and image.

Indeed, and have you seen the entry fees for a mountain bike event?  I'd like to see what they're spent on. The insurance can't be more than for a motor sport event surely.