chris4stars

so is the fourplay now, not really geared to bridge the gap between 'street' and 'trials'? (convential terms if there is such a thing) i know mark mentioned that it is a tad more responsive and better on the rear for manuals etc...but (sorry to ask again) how does the change affect 'trials' type moves? gapping/sidehops/up to fronts etc etc (when set up with brakes suitable for 'trials')

will the lower bb and tweaked geometry make the new fourplay any better/worse than the old for tgs style moves? (predominantly gaps an sidehops - not interested in taps!) i know its a matter of opinion, but i mean generally....

im down every now and then, would probably make the odd ride depending

haha, i love how theres been a number of recent topics on the 'rear disk for stock'....most of which suggesting its not the best idea to go with it low and behold!

with regards to getting boots and bindings...try and get as good as you can afford (model wise). for boots though, if you have an eye on a pair, go to the shop and try on the same brands equivalent model...they can vary a fair amount in stiffness/shape/comfort etc for the bindings, though its not a must...it is handy to get the same brand as the boot for obvious reasons for the board...its a tad strange, you should really go for a board that is gauged to your ability rather than as good as you can afford. if you feel like you could pick it up relatively quickly then a mid range board will be ideal and give you plenty of scope to improve. though you could in theory ride a high end board, it is far less forgiving and will not be as enjoyable to ride as something lower down im a pretty big burton fan, after riding k2, salomon and ride boards...depends on your buget really. ebay is one of the best places to pick up packages (as oppose to online forums) with regualr folk buying it all...trying it and finding its not for them. also, i bought this for my now ex gf/bf advert seems to pop up quite abit!

surely you can still have fun at the same time as being curious about how you measure up?! if anything, a small insight like this is good for a beginner whos curious about where their comparative weak points are....and perhaps which techniques to work on if they are keen to improve in an all round way

average height of a pallet please?! being a city centre dweller...i never ride them! quite an interesting topic, as a beginner its nice to know what sorts of heights/distances are considered pretty respectable of course i agree that pushing them is still needed, but obviously the improvement when you get towards that level is going to be in smaller increments

im wondering why you dont like maggies? at a guess...its probably the most popular option on the rear (?!).....it may be worth a little bit of effort to teach yourself how to set them up etc as for rear disc...im not too sure, its not often you see people using them for 'trials' type moves on a 24/26....i could be wrong though? to the members in the know, can they offer the same sort of bite/hold as a rim brake of sorts?

i think i get what you mean....as in these guys can perform moves without really needing a powerful brake - sidehops for example being one that ive seen brakeless. other gaps, and moves that require landing on the rear are often landed in a smoother and controlled/balanced way needing less power to stop the wheel personally, im not to sure what is hard about setting up a good brake...id like to think most monkeys on here could do it given enough time and patience to ensure its square to the rim and balanced (ie left and right same distance away/touch the rim at the same time). edit* was it rob warner who i saw do some pedal hops on a rink rigid old school bike with cantis?! very old video of a few of them mucking about....

pretty much identical to what i have now but with the new fourplay frame with middleburns and a few things in different colours! hope team green....im so vain

Before anyone pulls you up on it...theres no buying/selling in the new members chat...i know it seems harsh, but thems the rules and keeping within them keeps everyone sweet http://www.tartybikes.co.uk/search.php?category_id=507 im guessing youve checked out the tartybikes site? i cant imagine theyd sell anything they didnt think was half worthwhile buying other brands wise....there is a new kids neon bike coming out for 2011 at some point, its just in its early stages though and will be pricier than i imagine youre hoping for for trial bikes in general, the best place to buy second hand is almost certainly on here...im not sure what the kids bike market is like though. hunt around ebay too, everyone here will be happy to give advice on whether a deal is good or not

my grind was very fine, done about half a year ago at least....now completely dead and the brake works amazingly, so not strictly true

read this recent thread, also on page 1 http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=157765 as you can see...other peoples reviews on here can at times mean nothing. setup / ability to set up and god knows how many other factors come into play when you have tools on here saying dont get belaeys they are awful, then me (and others) saying they are the best pad ive used and im going to stick with indefinately...go figure

just got your last validation vote so you can now properly use the forum i am that guy yes...your balance is obviously pretty good so i reckon youd pick up alot of the basics pretty quickly i can see where youre coming from regarding being unsure even after riding them....but im sure it will help a bit, even if its just to feel the difference between different frames, brake setups, bar/stem combinations etc etc probably the best thing to do is start watching some of the trials vids on here and see which style of riding you aspire to.....all sizes obviously have thier pros and cons, its possible to hop ridiculous heights/distances on either as for whether the unicycle skills help...your balance and kinesthetic sense/propreoception with be pretty good. either bike you choose will benefit from this. the progression curve may well be faster on a mod, but after no time at all, getting used to it will balance out the (perhaps) initial benefits.

hey...you wouldnt happen to be the guy at bristo square would you?! welcome to the forum either way... at the weekend theres hopefully a few of us going for a ride (all stocks apart from my 24) - come along and see how the other bikes feel if you like also, on the 7th there is a trials comp at haddington just a matter of miles from edinburgh....ive no doubt that everyone will be happy to offer advice and give you a shot at their steeds...mods, stocks and 24"

to those in the " i hate the belaeys" camp.... after reading through all of this, what are your mature and rational thoughts on the pad?! im sure im not the only person who has seen rave reviews, and im sure im not the only one who wouldnt use another from now on... are we wrong? is our idea of a good brake incorrect? if the answer to the above is no to both...do you really think telling people "they ARE awful" or words to that effect is helpful?

edit* misread post!

if youve bought them, just try them yourself!? if youve read through any topics related to brake pads...you'll have seen that experiences vary huge amounts giving no real indicator to you of what to expect

to me, it looks like you are leaning forward far to much at the point you are doing the pedal kick. this then causes you to land off balance and go straight down onto your front wheel. have faith in your rear brake!! you can land the hop leaning back a fair amount - the forward momentum will then bring you back to your balance point.

exactly this...im still relatively new to the scene though and on my bike have only used rockman blues and now the belays (on essentially a dead grind). biggest point to note for both in my opinion is the effect of contaminants. with the rockmans, cleaning just the pad (it was pretty dirty) turned the brake from a 3/10 to easily 8+/10.....similar with the belays, but when they are clean, they are much better than the blues, personally - im sticking with belays from now on

if you can imagine the object/line in your mind anyway, you can use the same technique literally anytime! at work during a quiet spell is always a favourite...it really does make all the difference

best advice given by far in my opinion...not only to get past any confidence issues, but to learn any move in pretty much any physical activity out there! its so easy to watch videos and picture yourself performing the same move in '3rd person', but trying to imagine how it would look/feel when youre on the bike is a whole other matter.

Where as the above replies may well be, and hopefully are correct re core strength...id still recommend you see a doctor anyway (thats the advice from a good few doctors i have chatted with about any sort of back pain/pain full stop related to trials riding) Core work does help a huge amount, but the pain can often be misleading and feel like something its not. One guy i know inparticular completely disregarded his lower back pain for months and only went to see a doctor when he experienced other sensations elsewhere. The result is an operation and little to no sensation below the waist. Yes its an extreme scenario, but considering the nature of what we do - sudden shocks/jerks/twists to all parts of the body, at times in a hunched position (let alone the crashes) it does raise our chances. As for specific ab/back workouts. its each to thier own...repeated sit-ups very quickly start to become very in efficient. The basic situp only works the muscle to around 30-40% of its potential and reps of 50+ cease to become productive for building core strength. (they will help a small amount but the time vs benefits its really not worth it). With the core muscles inparticular, anything from 12 - 50 reps depending on the exercise is ideal. Many variations allow you to increase the resistance without loosing form (inclined/weights/plyometric work), its just a case of finding what works best for you. Try static exercises like 'the plank' too. As well as working your abs, you must work your lower back...not doing so will create more (sometimes painful) problems in future. Ab workouts will NOT work your back if performed correctly. If you feel your back is being worked during an exercise this is due to poor posture during the exercise and could lead to further back problems down the line. As well as that, you are not working the ab properly and effectively which is the whole point of all of this!

REST and see a doctor! - that sounds serious, and at 16 you really dont want to mess up your back anything spinal related and 'manning up' and ride anyway is the last thing you should do, it could be a multitude of things. if youre experiencing any sensations/tingling/numbness aswell, be sure to pass that info on.