japslap

There's guy does trials near where I'm from, he managed to get a free ride to the hospital in an ambulance after his foot slipped off his pedal and split his shin bone, now he sports quite a large scar down his shin but I guess that's OK because chicks dig scars apparently! In saying that, you do slip less as you progress, I don't really where them any more and the guy who's shin spilt still doesn't.

Their used to be a down tube protector on the market called an "armadillo" its was only about 6-8 inches long, it was thick material that attached with Velcro at the top of the tube which has 4 or 5 plastic rods down the centre of it to cover the bottom part of the down tube. You could position it anywhere on you down tube and the idea was that when you hit something the plastic rod broke and absorbed the impact, haven't seen them for a while, I try not to worry about my frames in that way any more, life's to short the first chip is the worst and all that and frames look so much better when they've not got things attached to them but I know how you feel. Just remembered there's a company called toxsin that make some pretty sweet things for trials they've got a tube protector I think try - http://www.toxsin.co.uk/?cat=12 for there trials gear or there Wackstick at link - http://www.toxsin.co.uk/?cat=31

Yea man I've seen it done with the normal ECHO cnc haven't seen many using the SL or TR lever personally but I'd say it should be fine, I've seen a couple of guys (in MBUK's pitifully small trials section (no offence Martin its just the space they give you)) I'm trying to find a link of a pic now to clarify, but I'm sure if you dropped Tarty bikes an email they give you a heads up but I'd agree with Josh barker!

I changed to echo because I used to get a bit of flex in the hs33 lever - when I had fully pulled the lever down to lock the brake the whole master cylinder body would seem to flex, but with the cnc echo lever body its solid, think the cable they put on as standard is kevlar and a bit better than standard magura hose, the extra length in the lever is meant to give more power in braking. I've a couple of sets the first one needed returned to tarty after a couple of months because there was oil seeping from behind the brake blocks, but returned to tarty they replaced callipers and re-bled the system and had it back the next day, I did ask about a spare lever pin at the same time and they didn't have one specificity for the echo brake at the time but suggested that I just used a magura one (which was a bit longer but I found the extra length give me a preferred biting point) tarty have reduced the price again to £99 although a mate picked one up from select bikes on there ebay shop over a year ago for a cracking £75 inc. P+P (just after I bought one from tarty) although I haven't seen them at that price since. I've seen a few running the echo levers with magura callipers, on the tarty page for them it states "Designed for use with wide trials rims (42mm and over) if you have a 100mm brake mount spaced frame - the cylinders offer less inwards adjustment than Magura HS33s in order to give them more heel clearance." sorry for the long post hope it sheds some light on things

I was under the impression that steel is more springy , it is a bit heaver but the plus side is that a tube can be made thinner when its made from steel making little difference in weight, an added bonus I've found was that aluminium will snap when it fails but steel will tend to bend first giving you a warning at least. but hey I could be wrong

Hi, try this link - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...=sidebarContext Its a DVD, It's cheap and its done by Martin Ashton and Martin Hawyes both pretty good trials in there day, but at that price probably worth a go!

I'm not worried about weight on my base bike, I use it for an a to b bike, but it has the added bonus of being able to make do as a good urban trials/street bike at the same time, I've a bash ring/guard on a set of profile cranks, this also stops my jeans getting eaten and dragging my leg in by the chain on the sprocket. Can't say witch one protects better, I never really use them that much but its nice to have the plate just in case a wall connects with the non drive side/centre of my bottom bracket shell. Like I said I'm not worried to much about weight on this bike, lets just say its like running with weights strapped to your feet - when I get on my Ashton Justice which is a nice light bike with no seat etc, moves are so much easier because your used to pulling them on a heavier bike.

couple of points, *get good techniques and confidence by practising- start small and work up to bigger and bigger drops. *If your going to go off something -do it- don't think about what could go wrong or what might happen, that's where the confidence comes in-knowing you'll be able to do it because you've done it time and time before, if you did you be wasting concentration which could lead to a mistake you've enough to think about subconsciously to do a drop without thinking about that. *the bottom line from my view is, If your going to drop don't lose your bottle and just do it don't think about it, provided you've practised and got good technique for landings dialled you should have the confidence and you can just let instinct take over. It might be easier to find a drop off that slopes up, so that each time you drop you can go bigger.

hi, I used tar a few years back, used to have great difficulty getting it, tried roads etc. but it was rarely thick enough to pull off the road with a great deal of success, then I realised that it is used all the time in big quantities along coastal/beach paths next to my home town, picture a foot path along the side of a beach, one which is not made from paving stones but more poured concrete (its got a sort rippled bumpy effect)! After each section of concrete is poured there is a small gap, this is where you will find your black gold, poured in the gap usually about an inch deep by an inch wide, running right along the length of the path (4 feet roughly). An added bonus is that because your next to the beach that sometimes the tar is unable to grip the concrete properly because of the sand that got around the gap before they poured it in, so if you start at the end of the path and grab the end of the poured tar and pull it often comes off in huge quantities. The same can be said for certain types of roads which are poured concrete although because there is no sand the tar can be more difficult to get off because it binds better with the surface of the concrete. Depending on the weather it can sometimes be soft, just leave it in the cold garage or shed it may also have sand on it on the out side but that's OK, once it feels more solid you can use it. I always found applying it easier by braking (or snapping) a block off and using the new revealed side which should be a shiny jet black colour instead of the sides that may still have sand or dirt on.

Well, if you've not much money and need protection from pedals, I've used football shin guards in the past under my jeans, you get added bonus of ankle protectors and they're less bulky and more manoeuvrable than normal bicycle shin/knee protectors that are on the market for alot more money!

so how often do you find you would need to lube the seals and re-bleed you brakes again just out of interest? Yea Aaron and the twins are still going strong-as far as I know Aaron came first in his category at fort William last June, the twins live down the road from me and I see them from time to time on the trials bikes.

yea I'd agree you don't seem to get that much but 50ml should be enough to bleed at least two brakes according to tarty bikes - http://www.tartybikes.co.uk/product.php?pr...p;category_id=5 But I gotta say I went for the Monty oil from tarty which is 250ml for £5.87 which seemed a bit more reasonable - http://www.tartybikes.co.uk/product.php?pr...p;category_id=5

Thanks good to hear from someone who's been using water for a few years, was kinda thinking about the last ability factor, I put Belfast down as a sort generalisation as I live in Bangor but end up going anywhere the train can take me on my travels, when I've a baby sitter for my son that is, tough getting time when your a single parent! where in Belfast you from?

hi, happy new year, I only got one new years resolution this year......and that's to get out on my bike/s more, being addicted to trials is not an easy habit/hobby when your a single parent of a 4 and half year old, but I'm making an effort to grab the baby sitter (not literally) and get out more in the good weather this year has got to be must at least until the little dude can grab his trials bike and come out for a session as well

OK, big thank-you, now we're getting to the real pro and con reasons why people would prefer it over the magura royal blood, cool man cheers helps get a better idea of why people would, I think I have to try the lever feel of someone's before I changed though

hi, yea I figured that was the case about the warranty, was just curious about it as I've never really heard about the water getting used other than on this site but just wanted to get people thoughts on why they did, cheers for the top tip on royal blood replacement from halfords

hi, never worry about age,(unless it comes to dating) I'm 28 and started in 2006, I started because I was recovering from an injury and couldn't undertake my other biking passions, so wanted to stay familiar with a bike and gain control and handling of a bicycle in any situation be it in downhill or cross county, so I came across a copy of tricks and stunts, an excellent little DVD by any standards, funny and informative and surprisingly made in 1997, to watch when it was raining and I couldn't practice, fair enough things in trials have come along way since 1997 but it is the basics or foundation that I found helpful, an added bonus was the fact that Martin Ashton, Martin Hawyes and not forgetting hans rey used what by today's standards are cross country bikes with a seat and geometry to match. Don't forget like any hobby you do it because you enjoy it, people don't go swimming or running every morning because there an Olympian. I'm hooked on trials and have no intention of letting my age get in the way, other DVD's are available from Ryan Leech called mastering the art of trials, but if you want an old skool giggle while learning try this one -http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350220977018&rvr_id=&mfe=sidebarContext Hope this helps a bit

Hi, just wondering the pros and cons for bleeding brakes with water? I've always followed magura's recommendations but I've noticed some people are using water

Hi all, first of all happy new year, I'm Mark this forum is all new to me, but I guess trials isn't I've been practising Trials for a few years, no and off since 2006, had a few different 26" bikes from old school Pashely's to stock bikes, kind of prefer a seat on an old school type bike these days for a more street feel and getting down by incorporating the old sit down wheelies etc into a line or sit down manuals, I started trials back in 2006 just for fun and messing about trying to increase control and handling of a bike for use in other areas like cross country, but quickly got hooked. I've trashed a fair few bikes in the few years and learnt from mistakes but the reason I'm here is you never know when another problem is around the corner that someone else can offer advise on. So I guess I need the five votes to get me into the forums were I can get help or give help if I can.