Shenlong

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The thing with Singlespeed Trials bikes is that we're stuck with one spinny gear. Even though Comp rules no longer require gears, for the everyday Trials rider having gears could be a huge benefit? Some benefits OTOH: Be able to pedal at higher speeds Ride to places more efficiently - less reliance on cars and trains Open up more possibilities like being better & safer for Dirt Jumps, Skateparks, Street BMX style riding due to having harder gears to choose from when you need that bit of extra speed for a run up or between jumps. Be good for riding in the woods like Moto Trials or Moto Hard Enduro style Have an ultra-light 1st gear that's even lighter than the normal SS ratio so you can ride up super steep muddy banks and other technical uphill lines in the woods. All of the above contributing to making Trials bikes good for stuff outside of just Trials riding. Attract more newcomers to the sport. Thinking MTB converts would be more open to the idea of getting a Trials bike if it has gears and resembles a normal bike a bit more, kinda like a modern version of what old school 90s Trials bikes were like Short cage derailleurs with tiny cassettes look sick Would help Trials bikes be taken more seriously and be more respected, because right now no-one outside of Trials can relate to a spinny-geared Singlespeed Pogo Stick. Current SS Trials bikes look like toys The only downsides I can think of atm are: Bit more weight Bit more expensive Slightly more complex to set up & maintain than Singlespeed Derailleur & mech hanger are vulnerable to Sidehop damage & crashes in general (though this downside could be lessened just by keeping a spare mech hanger or two in your backpack)

Reach from the BB to Handlebar grips could be kept the same. Instead of having short frames and relying on long stems, wouldn't it be better to lengthen the front of the frame and use a mega short stem, along with a taller headtube, to achieve a similar BB-to-Handlebar Reach? Some thoughts: More toe clearance relative to the front wheel Significantly reduced chance of bashing knees on stems. Longer wheelbases across the board: Can do bigger wedges and also be more stable overall. Also will allow bigger Up-To-Fronts, Taps, Hooks, etc. Shorter stems = hands closer to the steering axis Even High BB frames will be able to bunnyhop and manual better than they currently do. Long stems/Cantilever stems are pretty horrible to do Bunnyhops & Manuals with, and also are more prone to jackknifing: Imagine rolling at a slow pace, then suddenly the stem jolts sideways 90 degrees without warning and you go OTB and get tangled up with the bike - has happened to me, and I know it wouldn't have happened with a shorter stem. Long stems place too much weight on the hands too, so your hands/wrists/arms are more likely to go numb than if you were using a stubby stem with hands super close to the steering axis.

Am curious, what's the appeal of still using HS33s these days? It's no secret that the backwards holding power isn't ideal. Screechy brakes, rims that need re-grinding every so often, poor modulation, only good for on-off braking. With how good disc brakes are all-round these days, I'm kinda baffled as to why it still hasn't really taken off for 26" Trials bikes outside of Street Trials models. The Hoffmann design reminds me of the seatstay yoke on the '06 Czar Ivan frames. The Czar Ivan's yoke/booster/integrated mounts looks better than the Hoffmann, imo. Though maybe the Hoffmann design enables superior backwards holding abilities? What if the Czar Ivan's yoke was flipped upside down so HS33s mount onto the underside, kinda like that T-Rex prototype that Ali Clarkson won not too long ago.

Yes. E-Bike Trials is most likely going to become a thing. Martyn Ashton did talk about it in The Shin Dig podcast. Though I'm not a fan of E-Bikes in general, this could help Bike Trials re-connect with its Moto Trials roots. Less hoppy hoppy pogo & wannabe BMX, and instead more rolling dynamic Trials riding like how Chris Akrigg rides. Like in the the woods riding up muddy banks and up rocky streams. Can definitely imagine something similar to Moto Hard Enduro too. Maybe a hybrid style of riding between technical XC/MTB and some challenging Trials obstacles along the route. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evUP2bDDmNM There is also the Bi-Motal. Would be interesting to see how well it'd work for Trials if someone got one and put it on their Hex! https://bimotal.com/ https://www.trials-forum.co.uk/topic/206203-removable-e-bike-motor/

Imagine you're starting a new Trials company. You get to decide the direction that Trials bikes evolve. Or at the very least you will have a say in the direction that future Trials bike designs go. What are some features that people want to see on Trials bikes of the future? Some thoughts: Dual Disc 26" Comp/TGS frames Longer Wheelbase Street Trials bikes (e.g. Ashton Justice black/red MkII geo) + shorter stems (e.g. 55mm x 45* or 0mm x 0*) + taller headtubes (140mm, 150mm, 160mm), with low BB rise (0mm to +20mm) 142x12mm rear spacing with 1x6 gears One Piece BB Chainstay Yokes in 73mm width Full Suspension Trials bikes & Short Travel Hardtail Trials bikes Short travel suspension forks tuned for Trials Reba-A2 at 80mm travel = 460mm length-on-axis, 40mm offset (without sag) Lowered Pike DJ-A4 at 40mm travel = 422mm length-on-axis, 40mm offset (without sag) What are your thoughts? What would you do? Thanks for any feedback. Any feedback and opinions welcomed!

What is the ideal BB Rise for a true all-rounder 26" Trials frame? In your opinion. As an "all-rounder", the bike must be comfortable riding at high speeds, doing Bunnyhops, Manuals, 180 Bunnyhops, etc. How low is too low? +0mm/+10mm? How high is too high? +30mm/+35mm/+40mm? Is +20mm the actual sweet spot or do you think it's higher or lower than +20mm? +20mm vs +30mm BB Rise comparison? What previous 26" Trials frames do you really enjoy as all-rounder bikes? Bonus question: Imagine you get to decide all the geo numbers for the ideal all-rounder Trials bike - what numbers would you choose? Any feedback welcomed!