hewlejr

Daviesdt's list is really good and I really don't have much to add. Practice trackstands, hops, and pivots with your bad foot forward too. It is awkward at first, but in a matter of days you'll find yourself pivoting and trackstanding with your bad foot forward and you won't even notice. Definitely do not rush the pedal kick. It is an iconic technique and it looks cool, but you'll be a better trials rider if you have a solid grasp of the basics. Also, one of the mistakes that I made early on was focusing too much on static techniques like trackstands, corrective and progression hops, and pedal kicks. Any time I encountered an obstacle that required any sort of speed and coordination to climb, I just chickened out and didn't know how to tackle it. You need to spend as much time actually pedaling the bike and trying to ride (not hop) up and over obstacles as you do trackstanding and bouncing around. This will make techniques like the pedal-up and roll-up easier to learn and you'll be a much smoother rider as a result.

A trials freewheel should engage almost instantly. Chain slack can produce a little bit of delay and backlash, but not to the degree that you describe. You should probably go ahead and order a spare freewheel to have on hand and definitely tension the chain. Regarding trackstands, the easiest version (if done properly) is to roll along the side of a mild incline (1 or 2 degrees) and then turn your handlebars as if to begin going up hill as you come to a stop. It doesn't really matter which side your front foot is on, what is important is that you turn your wheel in the uphill direction. The sharper you turn the bars, the easier it is to balance. Don't apply your brakes except to bring the bicycle to a stop. Once stopped, use pressure on your front pedal to hold the bike in place. If you begin to fall toward the incline, apply pressure to the front pedal. This will shift the bike uphill slightly and get it back underneath you. If you begin to fall downhill, ease off of the front pedal slightly, allowing the bike to shift slightly down hill. Practice with your bad foot forward too. The more you do it, the easier it gets and you'll find that you can do it without the incline, with the brakes locked, and without turning your front wheel as much. I still practice it all the time. And it is one of those things you can do indoors when the weather is not suitable for riding (e.g. winter.)

ooo said it. Most of us, myself included, had trouble committing when we first began trying to pull up onto the back wheel. Your brain and central nervous system have a natural (and healthy) fear of falling backwards. This is because our arms and legs lack the strength and mobility to break a backwards fall the way that they do for a front fall. The way to ease that fear is to get comfortable balancing on the rear wheel. Only then will your mind and body be comfortable and confident launching up into that position. The obvious problem is that you have to get up onto the rear wheel before you can practice balancing there. The way I got around this was to rest my front wheel up on a bench, stack of palettes, stump, etc., step up onto my pedals with both brakes locked, and then begin hopping backwards away from the bench on my back wheel. Once I was comfortable with keeping my balance over the rear hub, I knew exactly where I needed to be and how it should feel when I began kicking/pulling up onto my back wheel from flat ground. Hope that makes sense.

The Five-Tens tend to run small. The beefier models (Impact, SamHill, etc.) are pretty wide and heavy, but they hold up well and the grip is incredible. The soles are thick and inflexible, which can be a good thing depending on the condition of your feet.

Going back the strength and flexibility subject. I'm getting back into trials at 37 years old after 20 years away from the sport. In anticipation of the physical stress, I began engaging in daily core workouts and calisthenics a month in advance of riding. The foot, back, and knee pain that set in when I started riding (just 5 minutes per day) were excruciating and I was confused. Trips to the chiropractor were not helping with the back pain. I was convinced that I just need to strengthen my core more. Then one morning I had the bright idea to stretch my hamstrings. My wife laughed out loud when I could barely touch the tops of my ankles. After spending 2 minutes stretching my hamstrings while seated on the floor, my back pain was gone! I've been stretching morning and evening ever since and it has alleviated knee a much of the foot pain as well. Stretching is way underrated.