Nick Manning

It's all about the practice and commitment to gradually push your limits to improve. The only downside, is that most people get to a certain point and just stop improving. But give it time, and you start improving again. Sometimes it helps to give a trick a break for a day or week, just so you get a chance to think about it in your mind, then when you try it again you may find it easier and be able to do it.

Well it depends on your ability. When I kick harder, its because i'm pushing my limits. I gap static just under 9ft, I use the pinch technique and I lift my bike. but for that distance I do tend to kick a bit harder. It's practice really. You'll gradually improve more, and you'll find things will become easier, so you try bigger things, and so on.

Riding 8 yrs, can static hop up about 47"

I think the rider's with the power to use the pinch technique, just don't lift so much. I'm thinking of rider's like Tunni, Stan Shaw those sort of rider's. I lift when I pinch gap. Otherwise I too hit my thighs on my bars, smae when I'm tapping. If hit my thighs on my bars, I know my technique isn't right. Kinda makes sense, lol.

nice pics Tom, yeah shame about the weather. Never mind eh.

You kick off the edge, but you don't just kick, you use your upper body to lift the bike up, thus causing you to drop down to your gap instead of just kicking across, which allows you to gap further. The only rider's that don't lift when gap, are the one's that have exceptional power in their kick/drive, so they don't need ot lift. Hope that helps Ryan.

He's after ISIS not taper. To be honest I think there are quite a few manufacturers that make 122x68 ISIS BB's especially if you have £40 to spend. Does have to be 122, or could you go smaller? Try looking for DH bb's in 68 shell, they'll certainly be robust.

I'm sorry but wathcing a Tunni vid isn't really gonna help. Yes you can see his technique, but he is gapping huge and sidehopping huge. Everyone has a different technique, and you have to find your's. Watching other people and listening to toher peoples input helps, but only if its using your current technique and improving it. As for not enough hub engagements, thats a load of crap. You don't need a chris king or eno to sidehop/gap high or far. If running a shimano hub or something with a small amount engagements then all it takes is a bit of rtime to find your engagement before you kick. I'm the same, I find it hard going to two wheels at times. Its more comfortable and easier for me to go to front that two, but if you stick at it you'll finally get it, sometimes it does just take time. That sucks about being the only rider. I dunno where your from, But I know that there are rider along the souith coast, Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester, Worthing, Reading, Woking. If you don't already, you should go to some of the rides you'll see in Rides/Locations. It's amazing how much you actually pick up from other rider's from just riding with them.

Hi buddy, it looks like for your gapping, it would benefit you to hop to the edge and take off from the corner, that will give you more distance. As for the sidehopping, I cant'e really see that your doing anything wrong. If you could go more to both wheels, than front, then that would help you get more height. Hope these can help. If you still want further help, then when your next out on a ride, ask other rider's if they can help you.

Gotta miss this one

Nathan, there really isn't alot you can do. If you want to keep your performance then you need the pads to be biting exceptionally well, particularly in comps. A grind and the right set of pads will give you that. If you want to remove the sound your only real option is to get an anodized rim with magura std black pads. you'll have hardly any grip but you'll have no sound. As for the booster reducing vibrations, this is true, but your brake will continue to be noisy, because the vibrations will travel through the metal. I'm running a 4 bolt booster on my 2007 echo pure with a magura hs33 with cnc red heatsinks, this is always noisy, even with a worn grind. To sum it up Nathan, for your requirements you have a choice of a disc or disc. The sounds are annoying worse for me now, as i've currently given up on front disc's, as mine keep playing up, so I'm now running a front maggie, and of course for guranteed bite I have a grind too. I hate the sound, but it's small price to pay for your brakes to stop you on a pin head.

That does look rather inviting. Shall definatly be travelling up for a play once it's open. Well done to Julian for a good design

i've been using my Heatsionk red cnc's since christmas and have not had any problems. As for people trying to get heatsink pads, try Dan @ trials-uk he seems to have stock of them, as I ordered a pair of red replacement pads recently.

Team Autovogue on the I.O.W did a deal, power pro cranks, dmr ring thing and 22th chainring for £50, what a bargain, lol. They also sold the old Fatty R forks and X-lite Phatso rims, classic parts.

I assume were all meeting at Guildhall at 11am? If so, then I think at around 11:30 everyone that is there should get together on the steps for a 2008 photo, if not then, then defintaely later on in the day. It'll be good to see the how many more there are this year.

I had a ring in my eyebrow and never had a problem. Your all just paranoid. Here's mine now:

I can't comment on the control tech as I've not used them, but I did use some allen bolt skewers years ago, they were cheap and showed it. I had problems with the rear one clamping tight enough. I'd tighten it up, and when I would back wheel a wall, the wheel would fall out But these were cheap, so it's not really surprising. In all fairness, I rate Shimano quick release over anything

10p says its 'The nutty TIM STEADMAN' Bout time you got out and about Matt, will be good to see you and so many other rider's from the north. Tomorrow is gonna be a quality day!

Longest wheelbase I've known, was my 26" Czar Ivan first vesion (when they were silver). I had a long which was 1100 wheelbase, with Viz curve forks it was 1120 and with some random forks I got from a shop in Newcastle it would vary from 1120-1145, as the forks would bend, dpending on a tap or hook, lol.

Dan suggested going for the UK 12 Euro 46 as I'm a UK 10/11. Dan is similar and he said that he had found these to be the best fit. Which is great for me, but I guess unfortunate for those that are UK 11/12 as the 12 may be slightly too small.

I've got my left eyebrow pierced twice. I've got a bar in each hole. I've also got my left ear pierced and my tongue pierced. I'l get a pic up tonight. I've had one piercing in my eyebrow for a gd 4 years and the other for about 3 yrs. I got my ear pierced when i was about 8/10 yrs old. I've not had anything in them until 2 months ago, and none of mine had closed up, but they wernt noticeable. So there shouldn't be any long term marks if you decide it's not what you want. The legal age for piercings is 16 and it doesn't make you gay. If you wanna get your eyebrow pierced then go for it, ignore what anyone else. End of the day, if you don't like it then you can take it out. Hope this has helped mate.

I may be wrong but I'm pretty certain Martyn, Martin and Hans all had 16" xc frames at some point way back before Tricks and Stunts was made. I for one remember when myself and some friends had xc frames, with fsa power pro cranks and dmr bashring's and v-brakes. That was trials, before what we have now came along. Unless you started out with a trials bike converted from an xc bike, I don't think you can say you have really enjoyed trials to the maximum. People like Steve and I, have grown up with the change of technology within the mountain bike industry. Alot of rider's have had it easy, with their first bikes being specifically designed for trials including parts. I'm glad I learnt on a 17.5" Haro Vector V1 with RST 156 front suspension. Steve how about we get a ride together with the theme, Old school trials bikes, lol.

There are all these amazing rider's across the globe, but the rider's that inspire me are the one's that aren't trying to better someone's record. Their just going out on theire bikes and thinking of the technical lines, the lines that take balance, concentration, skill, commitment, bottle, an open mind that allows the rider to believe that anything is possible. Rider's that I feel ride like this are: Ryan Leech, Martyn Ashton, Danny Macaskil, Rowan Johns, Nick Goddard, Jeff Lenosky, Hans Rey, Jack Meek, Dan Jones and Lance Trappe. There are probably other's, but can't think of them right now. I've got no disrespect for other rider's. These are just the one's that stand out for me and inspire me to push myself and go out and ride more.

I've just bought a pair of the North Wave Avalanche. These are my first pair of trials shoes, so I have nothing to compare them to. I got mine from trials-uk. They are retailing at £68. They felt really comfortable as soon as I put them on. I've heard of lots peoples opinions on other shoes, either they don't last long or fall apart, so it will be good to see how these last. I use VP double cage pedals, and ride comps, street and demo's. So these will get used in all different aspects of trials terrain. Will give a further update on the performance of them in a month or so. Nick

Shall be good to see you again, been along time since coventry, lol.