atomant Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 Having seen all the rhetoric from the man on these forums, how good was he as a rider? is their any video footage about we could see as I really have no idea if he was/is any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabney footsmore Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 He is and forever will be a legend in his own mind. Also likes to live and take credit vicariously for Debbie Evans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyp884 Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 I seem to remember a trials how to book written by Mich Lin and either Carl Shipman or Len Weed?? I'd LOVE to have an autographed copy if such a thing exsists! Tony P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 I can't tell you about the good old days since I have only been in trials for six years, and as much as everybody doesn't want to hear it he is still a very good rider. On his vintage Bultaco he easily won our Intermediate class(Sportsman for some of you or the class just below Advanced)and he looked very smooth doing it. The one time I saw him compete on a modern bike in the Advanced class he easily beat me and I am a lower to mid level ADV. rider. I didn't feel too bad though he has been doing it since before I was born. If as he said in one of the other places that you had to beat him to ride a national they would be pretty small, I also think he could be one of those senior "works riders" but then there would just be even less money for the pros Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofasttim Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Several times American champ. Mentor for both Bernie Schrieber ('79 world champ) and Marland Whaley. Not in the same league as Mart, Malc etc but not far off. Co-authored a really good "how-to" manual which is still relevant today. Respect! (You owe me Lane ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Tim, your the man! SirHC you are no slouch either. To be honest, I was an OK rider who never really lived up to his full potentual. I had some natural talent, some great luck of being in the right place at the right time to get amazing support from Sr. Bulto and Bultaco America. What I lacked was an mentor! Being a big fish in a small pond, I had to figure out how to ride for myself. I had nobody to teach me! So I practiced endlessly and spent long hours in the study of techniques and training. Some good some not so good, so I tended practice my bad habits a lot, which a mentor would have stopped. I was lucky enough to be the first rider to ever travel accross the USA and then into Europe to ride trials. Over there, I saw and learned a ton but hated the lifestyle of being alone living in Europe without my own automobile and by myself. So I got really homesick, which effected my overseas performance. Because I had no mentor, it did allow me to put together the book! Simply Len Weed took my ideas and discoveries and put them into print. If I had a mentor, I believe that I'd never have been forced to think though the process which created the book. So in retrospect having to figure out the techniques by myself did lead to the concepts going into print revealing the principles of championship riding for the first time to the general public. I was also blessed to have some really talented riders around to push me! Look at the list of talent that we rode with on that other tred. Plus most of those top 13 were paid to ride. Bernie and Marland both collected a salery to ride trials while they were still in high school. The depth of the talent we rode against was simply amazing, Comer, Sweet, Egger, Gugalamelli, Darrow, Hopkins, Stites, Delaney, Griffits, Belair and on and on. If you screwed up, you found yourself WAY down the results at a local trial or national. What I'm most proud of was how we gave the Europeans a run for their money when they came over for a world round. Coming to the USA was no cherry pick for the world's best in those days. In retrospcet I never regret riding trials! It tought me what I needed to know to be a success with the rest of my life. I also met my wife riding trials, the best thing that ever happened to me. Where is the sport going? Heck I don't know! Will we see another American world champ? Can't answer that question either but I do know what it takes, because I saw it done once before. How good do I ride today? I suck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc holiday Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 (edited) Tim, your the man! SirHC you are no slouch either. Dam Lane now nobody is going to like those two Have you seen Ringo?If you have tell him I'm looking for him Edited June 7, 2006 by Doc Holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lineaway Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 I met his bike before I ever saw him ride. Knew he had to be crazy. I believe it was the `74 Ute cup. I started to walk up to a section. Here was this Bul that had every part on the bike drilled to save weight! Looked to me at the time that it might not finish the trial. But just maybe he had more sense than the rest of us riding those overweight old bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted June 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Tim, your the man! SirHC you are no slouch either. To be honest, I was an OK rider who never really lived up to his full potentual. I had some natural talent, some great luck of being in the right place at the right time to get amazing support from Sr. Bulto and Bultaco America. What I lacked was an mentor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabnabit Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 On his vintage Bultaco he easily won our Intermediate class(Sportsman for some of you or the class just below Advanced)and he looked very smooth doing it. View HERE 3.8MB Right click and save to your desktop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted June 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 On his vintage Bultaco he easily won our Intermediate class(Sportsman for some of you or the class just below Advanced)and he looked very smooth doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Atom, your right you guys are much better than we are! Your ladies champion just proved that by beating everyone in the USA but two of our best men, Cody and Geoff! That sort of puts US riding standards into perspective don't you think? To really answer the question of this tred, somebody should ask Don Sweet! He's well respected, is liked by everyone, still rides today and used to compete with me. Hey, good video by the way dab, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Stop bringing in crap from your other postings, cause we already read it 14 times before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 dman, please, please explain what your talking about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabnabit Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 (edited) Stop bringing in crap from your other postings, cause we already read it 14 times before. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Please, please explain what your talking about! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Trials Tourette Syndrome Edited June 7, 2006 by Dabnabit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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