When i first got into trials, i would never have even thought about getting a mod. For a start, do we realy need gears on a trials bike? Trials orginaly came from MTBing, thats the only reason stocks were used. If trials was created from a bmx oriented sport i think mods would have been the first trials bikes used, and stock wouldnt realy exsits.
It wouldnt suprise me in, a few decades, that stocks were only ridden by riders who practiced more specific areas of trials, like full on street trials. Trials is a new sport, and products and methods still being developed. The people who are the best at this sport now, will only been seen as second best when the next generation of riders comes along, because theres no current trials rider, who has ridden trials since a very young age, as it wasn't a sport back then. I belive these people will be riding mods, and doing things we wouldnt even dream of, and stocks will be a thing of the past.
I think that more and more people are getting into mods as it is easier to learn on. They're much more chuckable, and easier all around to get started. The main advantage of stocks is the wheel sise, which much more leverage to go bigger. Maybe in the future we will 24" bikes, designed on mods beening more popular, having the same feel as a mod, but with bigger wheels.
>_<