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peter_t

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Posts posted by peter_t

  3. Trials Study - What got you into bike trials and what keeps you interested still today?

    in Trials Chat

    Posted

    I started to get into trials about five years ago, im now 27. I had been riding mountain bikes for a couple of years, mostly xc and trails in the woods. I'd seen Danny Mac and initially it didn't have much effect. Most mountain bikers see him as some kind of super human or god like figure, whos skills are not obtainable to mere mortals. I saw what he was doing and didn't even consider trying it. I then discovered Martyn Ashton through his road bike party video and from that found his older stuff on youtube. Tricks and stunts was what showed me that anyone can try trials. I then found trials forum and Trashzen, Trashzen was great. I leant how to track stand and get my mountain bike up and down kerbs but soon got a trials bike as i didnt want to scratch it. I didn't want to spend much as i had no idea if trials was for me or not. i found an origenal onza t pro for £5,50 on ebay. It was missing cranks and brakes so got some from trials forum. The bike was total shit but i leant quite a lot of the basics on it. Slowly i got a better frame and parts and i progressed faster.

    None of my mountain biking mates gave a shit about trials and still don't. Finding local riders has always been a problem, some came back to the sport after many years and soon left again once they found that they weren't as good as they used to be or struggled to find time because of other commitments. Others were at the age when they leant to drive then vanished or moved away to uni.

    Group rides like DJ memorial were good but they always seem to be 2 hour plus drives from me. I live near eastbourne and its a trials black spot, despite there being good riding here or in nearby towns nobody wants to travel here. I know of riders in sussex but everybody including myself is busy and we just havn't made it happen yet.

    I've entered 4 comps. First was at radical bikes, i think it was the last of the essex bike trials club and it was awesome but i think the club shut soon after. Next was Hook woods in surrey and it was savage, despite entering novice like the first comp it was far more technically dificult and i fived every section. I didn't conside any of it to be suitable for a novice like myself. 3rd was at the bike trials academy and the running of the comp and their facility was great. I didn't do very well and it was mostly down to the time limits. On many sections i was on a 1 or a clean but failed on the last gate due to time. I don't understand why the rules were harsher than world cup timing systems where you get a point for every ten seconds over time. Instead as soon as 2 minutes is up its an instant five??? Ok so maybe i should have dabbed by way through but thats not my style. Since then i heard that that round was actually a national round where the sections are more dificult, im hoping to go to their comp this weekend which isnt national standard so can compare.

    I went to Mick's ride out a couple of weeks back and i thought it was great fun and far more aproachable for a begginer. The format worked really well but it catered more for a 'its the taking part that counts' rather than something competative. I would deffinately go to another of these.

    I think the new UCI points system is the way forward. Even if you only score points on one or two gates you score something oposed to the ultimate failure of a five because of time or two feet down in a crash despite previous efforts.

    Im fairly self motivated (need to be as i almost never ride with others) but i to take inspiration from videos, anything from pro riders to someone like myself. I follow Ali C and have enjoyed his videos, especially the more trials orientated ones. I like to watch world cups, Andrei burtons commentry is good but other official uci coverage has just been embarrasing. Kevin liu and his Vancity trials is great. Charlie Rolls just made a video of the last Bike Trials Academy comp, i think more stuff like this is needed as it shows you what comps are actually like and that anybody can enter.

     

    • Like 1

  4. Alton, Basingstoke, Borden

    in Member Organised Rides

    Posted

    On 06/05/2019 at 11:00 AM, TheChai said:

    Hey man, get in touch with Antonio Claret on facebook, he is based in Basingstoke, there also used to be a couple of riders that would come to London from Farnham, but i am not sure if they are still about!

    Damn i wish i thought to ask, i was working in basingstoke for 8 weeks before christmas. I rode most evenings, some pretty good spots around town.

  6. 24" Pure - Who is still riding it?

    in Trials Chat

    Posted

    I have an Echo 24 and it rides really nice but tyre choice stopped me as im riding more natural these days. Stocks feel too big for me (im 5'6) but i like the way the wheels still roll like a stock. I managed to get lucky and find a brand new maxxis swamp thing in 40a compound on ebay but even this doesn't come close to how good mod tyres are. Front tyre choice is a bit shit too.

    I am hoping that Jitsie will produce some proper tyres to go with their new bike. Over all i still prefer a mod but if they do i can see 24" bikes making a big comeback and i would consider trying it again.

    On 17/04/2019 at 10:34 AM, Ross McArthur said:

    The other thing I didn't like about the echo 24 was how far apart the wheels felt. Wafty I called it. As in, the distance between the front of the back tyre and the back of the front tyre. Just felt like two halves instead of the one bike.

    New Jitsie has a 1045 wheelbase, could be good?

  8. New style bars

    in Trials Chat

    Posted

    17 minutes ago, PeanuckleJive said:

    I’ve just put some of the Jitsie super high risers onto the Ashton I’m building, I pretty much have them upright and they feel pretty sweet to me. Might roll them forward a smidge but I don’t think they’ll be comfortable all the way forward

    These ones?

    aluminium-handlebar-318mm-730mm.jpg

  9. New style bars

    in Trials Chat

    Posted

    16 hours ago, cwtrials said:

    I use arcade bars for pure trials. Never could get used to the weird wrist angle on the comp bars. I'm sure someone else has more to say about it.

    Did you have them rolled forward or upright?

    I usually have mine somewhere between Carthy forward and upright.

  10. New style bars

    in Trials Chat

    Posted

    I've noticed a lot of comp riders are using high rise bars but with less up and back sweep. The new Comas bars have an 8 degree upsweep and 6 degree backsweep, Jitsie have the new 'hybred bars' which only have 4 degree up and backsweep. These new style bars all have a total rise of around 100mm, the same as some bonz bars i was using. They have a lot more upsweep (12 i think) putting my wrists and hands in unnatural angles which tends to cause me grief.

    I saw Andrew Chai is even using inspired arcade bars?

    Are these types of bars with melower angles the way forward for comfort?

    Thoughts?

  11. Street/urban riders in West Yorkshire

    in Trials Chat

    Posted

    34 minutes ago, aener said:

    P.S. I'm not on Facebook so if you know anyone on there that's not on here I'd appreciate being put in touch. 

    I don't like facebook in general but it is worth it just for the sake of finding people to ride with.

    Tartybikes have a page just for this perpose in fact and there are groups for local areas too.

     

    Im from the wrong end of the country from you unfortunately but have been to shipley glen a few times at weekends and have always bumped into other riders there.

    good luck.

  19. Creating obstacles

    in Trials Chat

    Posted · Edited by peter_t

    Boxes are easy to make and don't shift around like pallets. Definitely recommend making a balance beam. Teaches you a lot of techniques. I also made a box with a half round/ barrel shape on top which is fun. Some pics below, somehow I don't have a pic of it finished but you get the idea! Haha. Everything is made from scrap wood and sheets of plywood and chipboard flooring I pinched from work.

     

    IMG_20171231_160828501.jpg

    IMG_20171231_153443298.jpg

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