Can I have a trials update?

[eskimo]

Hello new and old, mostly old, and some of those are f**king old, are there even new users here? 

What happened trials? Can I have the last 10yrs squished into a paragraph or two? 

I was on the look out to buy a new mod or a 2nd hand one last year or two, but never could find anything. How many brands are left, or is no one just bringing anything in to the country?

I did ride my Triton last year a few times, and I rode a modest bit of trials around those covid times, but no furlough for me. I have been riding more in the past few years than other times, but it's mostly been solo. Life got more overwhelming as each year went on so I disconnected from everyone, so apologies if I've just kinda avoided anyone on here.

Did the IMGUR issue affect the TF locals? It's a sad state of affairs and has affected many forums. I generally don't social media anything and haven't for years, but I do miss that era and sense of community. FB has always been shit for me, and yet there seems to be some community there, though I haven't followed it.  

 

[aener]

Numbers of riders really dropped off - especially in the north.
Reduced numbers and social media made a fragmented scene even more so. People are still about, but in their own friend groups. More like it was before mass internet adoption.
Now, if you're not in some horrendous, giagantic group chat you may as well not exist.
The number of brands reduced, and even ones that stuck around produce less stock. From what I gather, not by choice. Increasing costs and decreasing market, and those that remain have less to spend.
Some companies started selling direct to customers instead of through shops.
Comp riders went off-the-charts absolutely bat-shit f**king nuts.

I'm down and out now and I was in your position before anyway so not a reliable source, but yeah - it seems like it's still around but you have to have an "in". It's not as public as it once was.