TrashZen

I had been lurking over this one before... But was glad to give it a go

Actually, the digger bit is in front of the box, not under.. there is a fake perspective there... still massive bunny hop though...

that's Urge... went to a good shop in Paris who had them in stock. Very snug fit and light, with a hard shell

Was at the world cup to take a few pics... Here are some favourites... the sun was scorching...

Just got some passersby interested in trials riding during a training session... they got back in touch to do a photo shoot.. I must say the photos are crispier than what I've ever achieved with my G12 camera.

Not the first comment I get about being old school... I like to move up, high on the pedals... gives more view and control than being on the rear... but maybe I am missing something, or maybe that's just the flow Curious to see if the Slate 3 is going to change that... eager to ride a modern geo

I am an old dog...

100% urban trials in Paris... on my good old and beaten up Atomz AKTII I know I'll feel nostalgic about this bike and it was about time I would record something of the beast before upgrading to a lighter bike... since I so much prefer natural spots...I named it TGS Urban Agony. Check it out! http://www.trashzen....aster-lines.php

Yep.... a nice little interview of Frank Chastel, the guy behind Trial Inside (remember the magazine, and the website) This was after catching up in Aalter... interesting chap Enjoy the read.

OK, so for participants, should the video be sent out exclusively to you for submission (with no public release prior to the end of this competition), or could it also be publicly released before the 31st August deadline?

Hey, cool, I was just thinking about fiddling with video this summer... is there a category for senior riders?

Hey Chimpanzyyyy, it was nice to catch up as always. Thanks for your feedback JMCD. I've tried to answer pretty much all the questions that I have come across while running TrashZen (from visitors and from when I was a beginner ), and explain the different contexts that make riders choose one technique over an another. So you end up with a complete tool box, and you can have the right ammunitions for the monster obstacle in front of you.

Thanks Tom, I wasn't sure about the Netiquette for the link, but yes, I would have been very happy to find this type of material from the beginning when I started Trials. This was a true labour of love, and honestly, I don't think I would have started if I had known how much work and time I was going to spend on the elaboration of this book. But I am confident this will be very useful material for many (as well as being a nice book of its own with many interesting photos) Now I can ride without carrying a tripod around

Tadaaaa!!!!... The baby is out Endorsed by the Union Cycliste Internationale, with an introduction by UCI President, Pat McQuaid and foreword by multiple Trials World champion Kenny Belaey for good measure. Available now... through a rather popular bike shop in the UK to start with... Ready to move on to other projects

Nice and warm sunny riding session... ending up with a chunky drop gap... somewhere in France ;-)

Sorry I should have said, different page layouts (the design and look is consistent across all the book, but there is some flexibility in the page layout) Thanks for your genuine concern, I'll double check, but honestly, I think you can see too little from this teaser to extrapolate and judge correctly.

Hi JD, I'll take it constructively. There are many other page variants and I understand that your aesthetical judgement lacks of the full project's visibility. That photo of uncropped pages and displays is not meant to represent all the design variants. The design is rather classical "even a little bit vintage ", but I want to stay away from too fancy designs that distract from the content more than they add to it. I have seen a lot of book designs and I know exactly what I don't want for this guide. Take it with philosophy, it is one realisation among an infinite number of possibilities... time is finite.

Why bother with paper in this age of digital and free online information? As a mature sport, I reckon that trials riding deserves a solid book of its own. So far, the closest reference manuals I came across are all about general mountain biking skills, which in my opinion, are as inadequate for trials riders as a tennis handbook would be for someone willing to learn ping pong (you could also say the same of skate board versus surf). Of course, you could argue that everything is already there somewhere on the web, accessible for free (I should know, silly me). Right, but you rarely get everything all nicely tied-up into one place, and the internet is mostly helpful when you seek just one answer, one bit of information. What's more, skipping through hundreds of web pages is not as convenient or as comfortable as holding a real book, especially in the case of a very technical sport, practiced outdoors where internet access is not always practical. A print edition is something you can refer to, that is always “on”, battery-free, open it and it's ready. Over the years, I had received several requests for such a book (from visitors on TrashZen), but only recently I started to think this could be an interesting project. At least something I could learn from while adding another milestone to the promotion of bike trials. Because I had already written quite a bit on TrashZen, I thought the time was right to edit this knowledge into something more tangible than html code, something nice and easy to carry around. That’s what I have been working on over the last two years, in stealth mode (mostly after-hours and late nights) and I am really excited to make it official today, I named it “Your Complete Guide to Trials Riding”. A mock up of the cover on what my desktop looks like these days. That's 240 full-colour A5 pages entirely dedicated to our sport. Over 40 techniques thoroughly detailed from basic bike maneuvering to expert-level moves, plus extra pages on choosing and tuning your bike. You'll also find out what geometry means to your riding, some observations on bike trials' evolution, as well as competition and preparation tips. Since I wanted this book to represent today's trials scene as observed at competitions (on a technical level), many of the pictures used to illustrate the text where taken at UCI competitions, featuring riders from the top ten performing at their best. This will also be my small tribute to them and to this sport in general, which brought me so many good friends and memories. The step-by-step sections are illustrated by myself, on the Atomz AKII, courtesy of Christian Gugliotta. Coming very soon… so stay tuned. I’ll give you more details on pricing, distribution etc... when I receive my first proof copies from the printers.

Yep... just building up my gallery as a collateral of another TrashZen project...

Yep, just wanted to share these recent shots... Just playing around with a timer and a flash... on a 0.4" exposure so the my LED lights give off a nice trailer... in a secret location somewhere in France. I don't know what to do to avoid the yellowish background... any idea how to correct this? I need to play with my camera colour and white balance settings

I was being a bit ironical, but all your comments are pretty true. Personally I tend to wait for parts either to snap or to whinge badly with visual cues...

Interesting view... I must be super lucky then, have had the same fork for years... Though, I understand the point made by Adam, I guess it is never enough... and not a winning game for manufacturers/resellers but I thought the form in the way it was handled was a bit harsh that's all. Do any of you guys change your gear by the "recommended use time"? Or what's your bet on safety? for forks? for handlebars? for cranks? There is a lot of subjectivity in this...

I know what warranty is, but there can be a commercial gesture, like a small discount on the replacement... Also, being nice in the way you handle things is not a luxury (considering brand reputation)... if you read through the emails, they just take the piss (or maybe their coarse English doesn't convey their good manners ) Lost in translation

One of my mates in Paris recently got an inpulse, fitted with a VIZ fork... which snapped after 8-month... Although he is not doing hooks neither taps... He wrote several emails to Viz but according to Vizbike, this particular or maybe all of their forks have only a 3 months warranty.. still tried to complain about it, but hey, those guys are not into Charity! Check it out: His initial email: Hello there, Sure, I was not to sure if a French team was behind that email... I was actually detailing below what happened to my Vizbikes fork lately. Last October (8months ago), I bought a Viz fork (Alu Viz pivot) which was set up on a new Inpulse bike (which I bought in Oct). I have many vizbikes components on my bike since Cedric Fontenoy (managing Inpulse bike) made this choice for my bike range. To the point : Although I am very satisfied with my bike and the whole package, I've just noticed a nice crack on one of the fork leg (please see attached pictures). I am pretty surprised as I am a young trial biker, I don’t do violent tricks or anything dangerous. I've inquired Cedric Fontenoy about my warranty. He said Vizbikes forks are covered for 3 months. Arghh, that's a bit harsh, but let's say so. Still, my fork didn't last for long in comparison of the longevity one could expect. I clearly point out to a manufacturing defect or weakness. Again, I am not a big rider, my friends are as surprised as I am. In short, I would like to inquire if you could offer a fork in replacement of the crackled one. Indeed, I can post the fork to your attention if you require it. Thanks for your answer. -----Original Message----- VIZbikes' answer Hi. Thanks for your email in English! VIZ super light fork have 3 months warranty, we had mention to Inpulse bike and they knew it, and they had done for testing by themself , before they bought from us! Just like a TRYALL NO WAR!! Therefore Inpulse bike is acceptable VIZ super light fork have 3 months warranty! Regards VIZ -----Original message----- Hello again, I am not trying to dispute the 3 months warranty agreed by Inpulse bike. Of course, this is my issue and I guess it’s no big deal for Inpulse bike. But I am asking from the end customer point of view : considering the circumstances , would you make any offer? Thanks again, -----Original message----- Answer from VIZbikes (in copy to Nicolas, but directly to Inpulse, throwing the ball at him) Hi Cedric Would you follow your cilents in France! Regards VIZ -----NOT A HAPPY ENDING-----

Today in Paris, in between the drizzle... I liked this poster...