Choosing a bike

From TrialsWiki

Firstly, you need a bike, it's always a good start because running about with just a helmet on will raise peoples eyebrows.

There are 3 main types of trials bikes these days…

• Mod - A 20" wheeled trials bike.
• Stock - A 26" wheeled trials bike.
• 24" - A 24" wheeled trials bike.

Deciding on which one you want to ride isn't an easy choice.

If you've been riding cross country / mountain biking, down hilling or free riding, which 99% of the time is done on 26" wheeled bike. You're probably better off sticking with 26" wheeled bikes as you'll be used to the larger wheels and the general feel of a 26" wheeled bike.

However, if you've been riding BMXs you'll probably want to stick with 20" wheeled bike for the same reason mentioned above.

24" is relatively new, more and more people are riding 24" trials bikes, and they are becoming more and more widely available. However, 24" is still developing, and at the moment, 24" trials bikes are mostly used by people who ride street. I personally wouldn't suggest a beginner starting with a 24" bike because there are less bikes / parts available, and there are less people who've had experience with 24" bikes, therefore there's less general knowledge about them. Although, these aren’t really good reasons to not ride 24" bikes, so if you really think 24" is the way to go, go for it.

The main difference between the wheel sizes is that having smaller wheels means that the bike is much easier to throw about, much more maneuverable. Where as having larger wheels better for transferring power to the ground, as the larger the wheels the more leverage you get, the more leverage you get the more 'kick' you get. Also, having larger wheels gives you more room for error when gapping onto thin things, such as rails.

There are always exceptions to everything. Finding out which type of bike will suit you best could take you a year of riding and trying different types of bikes.

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