Why The Obsession With Inches?

[DeeZee]

I keep seeing posts regarding a technique or a move, and its associated height or distance in inches.

Such as "I went out and side hopped 40" tonight"

Why is everyone so obsessed with measuring what goes on? How come no one brags that they rode a 1" beam for 8ft? Or that they picked a line accross 5 huge obstacles and nailed it with out loosing balance?

I suppose its differcult to quantify how well you can balance, or how many obstacles you can cross. But is this all trials means to people, raw height and distance?

To me its similar to drag racing versus a rally race. Sure a drag car can produce raw accelaration, but its crap compared to the technique, skill, flair and dedication of a rally driver on a course.

[Smo™]

Does it matter?

[DeeZee]

Does it matter?

Thats why I asked the question isn't it? Next question please....

[Smo™]

Thats why I asked the question isn't it? Next question please....

Is it?

[gilly]

The only time i measure walls is so i get a rough idea of how hard it's going to be to get up and if its possible for me...and then i do it against my bike not with a tape measure!

I agree with you DeeZee, i think its better when people concentrate on how smoothly and stylishly they can do a trick, not always just how big the trick is.

[Will Arnold]

its just a way to measure certain aspects of their riding, really. much like in golf, people go to the driving range and record their longest hit on the driving range etc... but their real skill lies in their golf playing...

and Smo, whats with the short but sharp unhelpfull comments? it does nobody any good

cheers

Will

[rich4130]

I do it all the time, I know the height of everything almost before I do it, dunno why, just do, carry a tape measure sometimes, people I ride with do too, just the done thing, gives you more satisfaction I'd say knowing that its bigger than your previous best rather than, 'oh thats rather large' etc...

Oh and no-one really cares about balance stuff, apart from Nick G maybe because its boring

[matthewholdsworth]

i thought women were the only people obsessed with inches

funny topic

[rathergoodpie]

Does it matter?

what a f**king pointless reply.

I agree with you DeeZee, i think its better when people concentrate on how smoothly and stylishly they can do a trick, not always just how big the trick is.

Completely agree with you there. I'm impressed with someone tapping 50 inches, but im far more impressed with someone tapping smaller but tweaking into it (a la phil williams), it just makes it far more interesting.

[TheCircus]

You have a very valid point, yes Trials is about style, quality and creation.

But to quantify your backwheeling (for example) it lets you benchmark your riding.

- Eg : I can backwheel 40" - lets try 42" today. Then 44" the next day.

This will give you a numerical target to improve your riding. Whats to say people who can backwheel 56" have no style?

[Jacko.]

I agree with you DeeZee, i think its better when people concentrate on how smoothly and stylishly they can do a trick, not always just how big the trick is.

I agree too, but the main reason people i know measure is to see how far you have progressed, and just out of curiosity to see how high you can go, also you can have a little fun competing with friends.

Jacko

Edited January 29, 2006 by Jacko.

[Mark W]

Unless someone specifically asks how high something is, I just usually measure it compared to either bar-height, how many ribs high it is on me or whatever, just so I can get an idea of what I can do. By that, I just mean that when I'm away riding somewhere else, if I see a big wall I might think "Hmm, maybe a bit too big", but if I go up to it and it's level with my 2nd rib up, I can go "Hmm, I've done a 2nd-rib-high backwheel before, that'll be piss". Just builds you up a bit and lets you know what you're capable of, so you can then push yourself more

[Walleee]

Unless someone specifically asks how high something is, I just usually measure it compared to either bar-height, how many ribs high it is on me or whatever, just so I can get an idea of what I can do. By that, I just mean that when I'm away riding somewhere else, if I see a big wall I might think "Hmm, maybe a bit too big", but if I go up to it and it's level with my 2nd rib up, I can go "Hmm, I've done a 2nd-rib-high backwheel before, that'll be piss". Just builds you up a bit and lets you know what you're capable of, so you can then push yourself more

When I first read the topic title I thought this was a rant about people not using Milimeteres when talking about height's and stuff......

I dont measure anything I do, mainly because its all tiny..... I'm one of those people who would rather to something well, than do something big.

Quality, not quantity????

[Burton]

I did used to measure sidehops all the time, to see if i could better meself, but i jus measure up no my arm. Tend to measure static flat-to-flat gaps more though, but only when they look big, or if i struggle.

I prefare to go for big stuff rather than balance, spin or (boring) combo lines, because it is what i prefare. I cant really feel myself progreesing on that type of stuff. Where as on gaps/taps/sidehops you can see your self progressing and feel it.

[TheMunn]

It's just a way for people to measure progression, if we weren't using inches we would be using centimeters or something and you would be asking why we use centimeters instead ?

[downhill_rob2@hotmail.com]

I like to go big, but try to be smooth when going big, once i get the capability to go big, i work on my smoothness and technique.

Then once, say, i sidehope 42", i try to do it using a diffrent techinique, or being really smooth. whats the point in going small and being smooth? everyone wants to be the best out there.

Look at Tunni, he isnt smooth, but hes f**king awsome, he can backwheel higher than most people, with barly any techinique, apart from the techinique he needs to get up. And look where he is now, hes sponcered and gets payed n shit, so why for the post?

Rant over

Edited January 29, 2006 by terror-error

[Mark W]

When I first read the topic title I thought this was a rant about people not using Milimeteres when talking about height's and stuff......

Haha

I dont measure anything I do, mainly because its all tiny..... I'm one of those people who would rather to something well, than do something big.

Quality, not quantity????

Yep, I like doing spins into and out of stuff, dicking around and stuff like that, but everyone goes big whichever way you look at it. You're always trying to do moves bigger and better, even if it's a 'street' line. e.g. getting abubacas, then trying to get them on bigger walls/rails, etc. Even spins and manuals and shit you always try and get better, just so you can apply them to more scenarios. If you can 180 up curbs, you progress to walls, and that opens up loads more stuff, so what's wrong with pushing yourself as well as just doing style lines or whatever? By that I don't mean trials is all about bigness, but it's a large part of it.

[N.Wood]

whats the point in going small and being smooth? everyone wants to be the best out there.

Look at Tunni, he isnt smooth, but hes f**king awsome, he can backwheel higher than most people, with barly any techinique, apart from the techinique he needs to get up. And look where he is now, hes sponcered and gets payed n shit, so why for the post?

Rant over

Personally, i'm against everything you've pointed out in your thread.

Hence my disliking for Craig Lee Scott's/Neil Tunnicliffe's riding.

From my point of view your post has highlighted everything i hate about trials.

Not everyone is trying to be the best, no matter what you think.

Being 'the best' is subjective anyways. Stick either of the aforementioned riders in a technical situation that requires skill, technique and smoothness and they're royally f**ked because thats not what they've learnt.

They've bypassed the skills trials needs and replaced them with hight and distance.

Personally i think they're about the least awesome riders i've seen.

Yes, they're sponsored and thats probably because they're great tools for getting people into biketrials.

The avarage Joe wouldn't care about a sweet little technical move that takes a hell of a lot more skill to do than a huge gap drop landed like a sack of shit.

But yeh...

Back on topic, i don't carry a tape measure but know roughly ho high i can go. I generally measure stuff the Mark way (bars/hips/ribs whatever) but i know i can sidehop ~40", which helps me know what other people mean when they're talking about a 50" wall.

Just gives a handy reference point and a universal way of telling where everyone else is at.

[Watson©]

I take a measuring tap about with me sometimes... I think it really helps, cause if you see a wall you want to tap, sidehop etc you can measure it see how high it is and if you nail it your like yeah I've just done such and such height or you can use it to compare other walls that may look bigger but if you have a measuring tap you can measure it! And say it was 43", and that you've done that before or close too then you know if you keep at it you can do it aswell, cause all walls seem different even if they are the same size etc etc! Think that makes sence! lol

Watson

[dave85]

Being 'the best' is subjective anyways. Stick either of the aforementioned riders in a technical situation that requires skill, technique and smoothness and they're royally f**ked because thats not what they've learnt.

Thats doing them a great dis-service, Craig was YMSA champion at one point.

[Tom Booth]

I never measure stuff by tape........Just go against wheel height/bar height, And then gaps are measurde by bikes length, Because there all relevant measurements of where my riding is at at the miniute, Backwheel about bar height, gap about bike length. I know my bike is 6 foot 1 from tyre edge to tyre edge, and my bar height is 36" And my front wheel is 28" tall All i need to help me measure

Tom

[downhill_rob2@hotmail.com]

I never measure stuff by tape........Just go against wheel height/bar height, And then gaps are measurde by bikes length, Because there all relevant measurements of where my riding is at at the miniute, Backwheel about bar height, gap about bike length. I know my bike is 6 foot 1 from tyre edge to tyre edge, and my bar height is 36" And my front wheel is 28" tall All i need to help me measure

Tom

Thats one hell of a long bike

[Tomm]

Thats one hell of a long bike

That's about average I would say. My 1065 Koxx was about 5'11" or something.

[Swize]

Thats one hell of a long bike mellow.gif

Naa my t-pro is 5ft and thats a mod ime sure a stock would easly be 6.

Just so people have a reccord of what they can do?

Edited January 29, 2006 by samthebiker

[Mark W]

Not particularly? If his front wheel is 28" tall, that'd make it a stock. Most wheelbases float around the 1065mm mark, which is 42.6". 14" for the radius of the front wheel, and then say 14" for the radius of the rear. 42.6 + 14 + 14 = 70.6", which is a smidgeon under 6ft. That's all guesstimated too, so it's not hard to see it'll be pretty close.

Also, as Edd said, Craig started off in comps, so saying he lacks technical skill seems a bit harsh. In that Zoo vid he did riding natural as well, he demonstrated that he can ride tech stuff too - either way though, it's his choice? It's all trials, so why is their choice to go as big as possible a problem? It's just how they enjoy riding, so where's the harm in that.