Brettoll

So after some deliberation, and only a few rides this is going up for sale... I just don't have the time to give it the riding it deserves. Watch for sale for the ad!

I think you need to get out and try some different bikes to get a feel for what suits. A lot of your decision will be driven by the type of riding you want to do. As Danny says, if you want something intermediate go 24", that way if you go street style you can get an Inspired or similar to do the spins and bunny hops on. If you want to try TGS then 20" / 26" are more suitable but will take more time to practise and learn on. Don't be put off by 26" being big and long, if you want to ride a bike like that and put in the time you will learn. I started on a mod and it was great for basics, but as my riding progressed I felt it too small and limited. I moved to stock, got riding with a bunch of lads who helped me with technique and it felt much better and my gaps etc became a lot bigger.

Ahh just go and invite yourself over, I am sure they will be happy to chat

Welcome to the forum! Another useful resource if you are starting out is this website http://trashzen.com/ It has step by step guides on areas to practice. Make sure you practice the simple stuff first, trials is so balance based I found working on kick hops and gaps were my biggest first achievements. Being able to handle the bike on one wheel and move it around and in different directions enabled me to progress to understanding where I needed to be on the bike for sidehops, bigger gaps and generally controlling the bike on an obstacle. Also, get into a group of established riders as well who you can learn from, be seeing someone do it and offer advice on how you can progress. I have been back on a proper trials bike now for 2 months after a while off and the guys I ride with are awesome at just pointing out ways of doing moves better and advancing my riding. Hope that helps

Women.... I mean they go wetter than an otters pocket for a sidehop! But really, it was in the late 90's saw some local lads doing it and thought I would get rid of the BMX and see what it was all about.

That is awesome! My kind of bike. Glad your enjoying it again

Diamondback T20?? Edit: Cancel that, different back end..

Do you have to wear tye and denim shorts with this?? Jokes aside, I like it!

What a watch!! Your brakeless skill is immense

Dude you just need to ride it more, you were making plenty of decent progress on the 24" and it suited you better than the mod did... Though if you do sell it... let me know how much first ha ha

Is on the cards, as are wider bars. Then when I can, frame etc will eventually get changed

Actually sticking at it, got used to it being very long! It is nice on the back wheel and is fine for gaps and sidehops.. its just a bit weighty. It will do until I can afford something a bit lighter in the frame/fork/crank department. Honestly, I am pleasantly surprised by this frame as I always considered everything they did without Thiabult Marriaux or Martyn Ashton could be a bit ropey. But this actually performs ok!

Chatting to a few of the lads there seems to be rumbles of a Bristol trip... just nothing set in stone

Deaf Havana - Nicotine and Alcohol Saved My Life

Hi all, I have a 4 day weekend and I am wondering what rides are taking place around London and Bristol over the bank holiday weekend? Many people out? Brett

That is a sound idea! I am trying to sort out something for my birthday like a bike ride and some surfing (again something I have done even less of), but the plan is just get a load of people and make a day or two of it somewhere different... If I warn the GF now and get it in the calendar for July I reckon I can pull it off

You need to weigh it up as £800 is a heafty investment! Buying 2nd hand you can get a couple of bikes, see what you prefer and sell the other / keep it as a fun bike. If you are willing to put in the time and effort to learn, go stock out the gate I reckon. Personally I found mod's were good for learning technique, but you can feel like you hit a wall with how far you can go with them (though its not always the case as there are some amazing mod riders out there) A Comp 24" is a good idea as a comprimise as its not as unweildly as a stock can be, but gives you the bigger wheels for rolling moves and a smaller frame for learning the control. A couple of the guys I ride with have done all three and find it an excellent middle ground (And a full build Echo 24 is £875 on trials addict so not far off your budget). Your best bet is to get on a ride, borrow peoples bikes and see what feels best for you before forking out the cash

Shorter stem, high rise bars and practice practice. The Zoot stem seems quite long for a streety feel 24", maybe as its luring you into trying not to move too far away from proper trials moves. Have a look at some of the street riders set up in videos and bike pictures on here see if you can grab some inspiration. For me though I ended up with a 90mm stem and 3 inch rise bars (like the ones below) http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69197 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=67681

I know i'm not that old, only 30. But with a kid and a responsible job etc I do find it hard to be able to getting a hall pass from the mrs to go ride my bike and have a few beers ha ha. I think it just sneaks up on people

Need a vid of you and this tearing up the street! Looks short and sweet as

That is a case of over-exposure to such top end graphics etc in the latest consoles that the old ones which were jaw dropping for their day just suck in comparison now... I dug out my old GameCube to play on, managed about 30 mins then got annoyed and turned on the ps3

That was sick, some ballsy lines coming out in that video. Great post!

But the mixing was brilliant, pushing each other and road trips.. I get the solo thing, it's fine tuning an art. But I've tried it and I get bored quicker.

Being a fan of beer, moustaches, checked shirts and old school bikes, this video is amazing! http://player.vimeo.com/video/51119615 However watching it at my desk in work, I realised that I haven't had a good session out riding with some mates in a long long time!! I remember the days of heading out with tinnies on a summer, having a session, a few beers, riding home, dropping the bikes off, hitting a few bars then repeating most weekends and some evenings. Now I muster a few hours a week on the bike around work and family, bills swallow up my every penny that I am down to one bike and for a while I have had that feeling of losing all interest in bikes for a year now which is nuts as I have always loved riding as long as I could pedal. This sucks! Have many of you encountered this...?

Well it's not too bad after a couple of rides.. It is getting used to riding a long frame, not being able to bunnyhop and re-learning TGS again. Frustrating but I will keep plugging until I either get good at it again, or sell it and replace it with a street bike ha ha