F-Stop Junkie

Way, way, waaaaaay back when in the days of Rock Shox RS1s and original Pace forks, people used to sell sets of fork legs to fit the crowns, but those were bolt up crowns, not pressed... Was popular for a time, and reasonably strong. Not Ali C tested though...

The record speeds are all about averages. The speed itself is usually the average speed over a flying quarter, half or full mile. You have to do a second run in the opposite direction to cancel out any effects of weather, otherwise the record would be whoever waited for the strongest winds!

Eh? No he didn't... He wasn't making an attempt at it either, just driving the car that did...

There was a guy who replaced the steerer in his, replaced with some plain gauge steel tubing, pressed and pinned by a local engineering company.

Until they are validated...

Strobe is an American term which I just find confusing... Anyway, Jon, fill-flash. It's not a dirty word, and could balance the overly harsh off-camera _look_at_me_ lighting...

With the greatest of respect, forums are terrible resources for passing traffic to find out more about the sport. I couldn't care less if NMC members can't see attached files (which are pretty rarely used anyway) because it's just a further incentive to stop posting rubbish and get validated - a comment not aimed at any one person! If someone is keen enough to search for biketrials, and pick up bits here and there, they'll join and be validated.

Do you mean strobes in the sense of quickly flashing lights? I've noticed some forum monkeys have started saying strobes instead of studio lights because that's what our American cousins do... to be honest, I'm not too concerned about the what gear everyone has. What matters more is the photos you take with it. I've got a couple of cameras, few different lenses, and a heap of photos I'm pretty happy with

Hey Mart, will there be any engineering changes to the new frames? New CNC pieces? Still the Ashton seat I hope? Will this be an inital offering before the 'completely new design' comes on stream? Oh, and rear disc mounts? Questions, questions, questions. Force of habit I guess If you need any shots for the website from last year, The Bike Show, or of Gav or Ali, give me a shout.

Pete is still on the forum in NMC. Despite what Pete may, or may not, have done in the past, slagging him off in a forum which he can't respond in is a bit harsh!

Personally I've tested an Orange Zero frame, Planet-X forks, Geax tyres, Qranc gloves, Salomon shoes and all sorts in MBUK. On top of that, there was a group test of trials bikes that was done for MBUK too.

I think there's also a big gap between what the beginner sees CLS doing, and what they can expect to do themselves. I think I could get a bike down a world class DH course, not quickly, but I could do it. Could I walk - let alone get a bike - across an Elite trials section? Probably not. Mind you, kids on skateboards dream of doing 900s out a 30ft half pipe, doesn't stop them learning to olly. At least they are using the same equipment as Tony Hawk...

If you go to a motorcycle event, it's amazing to me how many bikers attend, because it's a way of life. Plus bikers seem interested in all things motorcycle. They'll watch MotoGP, attend the world Trials champs, meet up at biker pubs and so on. If it has a motorcycle in it, then they're interested, they don't (generally) ignore one bit, and only like others... What I'd like in cycling is more general acceptance of different disciplines by everyone. I'm not a roadie, but I enjoy watching the Tour de France, and can appreciate the effort. Plus I enjoy XC rides in the hills, and trials. It's all cycling, and I'm a cyclist.

Isn't trials very similar to freerunning in terms of being impressive, astounding, and heavily technique based?

This isn't a nostalgia thread, it's asking why there isn't more trials coverage in the mainstream. Has trials moved so far away from normal people that don't see themselves as being able to do it, or even see any relevance to their riding? Why isn't trials featured as the sport it is throughout all cycling, instead of brushed aside by most of the media? Is it a lack of cheerleaders, of marketing people - except Animal really - moving it forward? Perhaps the only motivated people in trials focus on their own area, because it's their livelyhood and it doesn't give them time - or it's outside their expertise - to do other marketing work which helps trials as a whole, not just their interest?

Hehehe, everyone was or has been Dave, don't worry about it. Heck, I've even had the same coversation with MBUK.... Speaking of Reed Merschat films, at Bike 2000 - the one with the Speed Trials - he started selling Evolve on the Chilli stand a few months after the release in the US. Suffice to say, anticipation was high. They sold out after a day and a half, went back to get more stock, and over three days sold twice what they had in about six months in the US. Didn't help I was hyping it in HipHop after Reed sent me a copy after the US launch. I think I even sent it to the show organiser to convince them to get Ryan Leech over. I know it's come up once, but it's sad Section7 doesn't get more mentions. That said, it's also sad that it's shuffled off the Internet and no-one has really come along doing good event reports, news items, and interviews...

I realise this is something that I bang on about quite a bit, but I've just looked though the new MBUK, and I'm really worrying where trials is going wrong in terms of getting coverage. Ok, going on memory here, the most recent bits of press trials has received are the Beleay/Hermance feature, the indoor ride stuff from the Doneys, and then the Animal stuff and HipHop every month. Even Chris Akrigg's appearances through Nick Larsen have been for his non-trials riding rather than hopping through rocks and street stuff. I appreciate that Nick Larsen and Animal have good relationships with MBUK, and it's great that they - with Chris and Martyn - get some coverage for trials. Without them, and without Martyn being heavily involved with MBUK we probably wouldn't have anything. What interest and infuriates me in equal measures, is why trials is given so little coverage as a sport in it's own right. Take this month's MBUK - The slopestyle article could be a discussion amongst Martyn, Ben Savage, Chris Akrigg and Chris Doney about the future of trials. Have a review of a new bike - say the Koxxboxx. Training for trials. Reviews of new trials bits. Grouptest of trials bikes. Profile of new, upcoming rider(s). A review of riding areas (instead of the trail guide)... Even this month's HipHop is a quarter street moves (which have been in the mag in the last few months anyway). I appreciate there's a trials/street crossover involved, but at what point is it/isn't it trials? Having spoken with a number of other magazine editors over the years, including one indepth quite recently, a lot see trials as too derivative. It bears so little relation to mountain biking at large that it's ignored, where as anyone doing a decent on an XC ride can then identify with DHers and free riders. They see themselves when they watch Kranked or Roam, just as we identify with CLS or Danny Holroyd when we watch a trials video. We seem to have reached a point where trials bikes and riding is so extreme, so specialised, that it's barely cycling, and magazine editors worry about why they'd include trials when their readers won't down their OS maps or full face lids to try backwheeling a gap. When I started (1994) riders like Libor Karas and Hans Rey - as well as Jez Avery and Paul Hudson - got so much coverage because it was different and special. Rob Warner used to do features on how to get over logs on a rigid bike with a Girvin Rockring, and wheelies and endos were common place in MBUK. Then after the MBUK trials boom of 2001, new staff came to MBUK and the focus moved onto other things. Until Martyn got more involved recently, I was worried trials would leave MBUK completely and move just into the novelty realm to a point where only Internet Geeks would discuss it. Just kidding. So what can be done? Do we need more people promoting themselves and the sport, rather than waiting for the media to pick up on what we're doing? I know a lot of people will say "I don't want more coverage, I get everything I need from TF and I like it being small", but with more coverage comes more riders, more parts, more bike development, more sponsors, more money, bigger events and so on... Imagine having a Bike Battle every year! Thoughts??

I know this sounds flippant, but what's really at risk here? If things go wrong, then you don't see her again, and you move on. However, the concern about getting hurt is a very real fear. It's the same as trials though, doing a gap just after you've broken your chain. It's about confidence, and trust, and building that up. Relationships are just that, a back and forth relationship between two people, and they need time to build, time to gain trust in each other. It's a risk and reward situation. If things go well, you have happy times together and maybe it does end down the line, but you don't know until you get there. You can't tell, until you've spent at least some time together, and if you're lucky you might never break up...

Shop labour is one thing that too many shops charge too little for. Also a lot of customers are unwilling to pay for work to be done properly by qualified mechanics with the proper tools for the job. What we as enthusiasts forget is that a bicycle is a toy for a lot of people. Why spend £100 on a bike for their kid when you can get a halfords special for £70? And if the bike is only £70, then why spend half that again in servicing? If I can't do the work myself for whatever reason, I'm happy to pay decent rates for someone who knows what they're doing (Such as TF Tuned for suspension servicing, Tarty for wheelbuilds...). Same with car servicing, I'd rather pay more for a good mechanic so I don't have to worry about my car. BTW, some BMW and Landrover garages are now upto £100 an hour for labour. Can you imagine having a major engine component replaced that takes 5 hours to do, plus parts, plus VAT...

I'd say it's not illegal to fix a bike to a poor standard, though it could be argued that a bike sold with defective brakes doesn't meet British Standards, but that's a different matter and still - I think - not illegal. If it ain't right, take it back. Maintenance charges are high, £20-£30 an hour or more depending where you are, and it may not be worth it for cheap bikes, but then what price do you put on safety? Plus some kids bikes have appalling brakes even when they're set up as well as can be. Why parents buy them in the first place I don't know...

A quick post from me to say that Matt Scriven has had his Koxx Monsterboy stolen in the West Midlands. Spec is basically: Yellow wheels and grips, Red bars, Hope Trial discs front and rear Somewhat distinctive Monsterboy 20" frame. If anyone sees it around, on eBay or whatever, PM Rugbyman with the details. Thanks!

Let punctuation into your life... No info yet released, hence no replies.

So is anyone riding in Sheffield tomorrow? If so, where? When?

So you're reminding people of something that doesn't happen for the best part of two weeks, that they've seen before on the internet anyway? Good topic.

I think my record was 7 bikes and 2 people in a Vauxhall Cavalier. I spent the whole trip praying we wouldn't crash, as the bikes were worth more than the car, and I think we'd struggle to get the claim through...