TheChai Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Right, I have been riding for nearly 6 years now.. a long time.. but days when i started riding are still clear in my mind!anyway! i am curious! and abit tired and bored, When would a rider consider oneself professional? Obviously being a street rider i get to met alot of interested people who ask me about what i do etc.. and when i tell them i am sponsored by etc etc, they say so ur professional then, but i am like.. well not really.. Its so easy to get sponsored these days i dont think being sponsored is good enough to be professional, what would you say you would have to have done or be invovled in before u consider yourself a professional trials rider? and actually feel like you have accomplished something Opinions please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantham Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 hmmm to me a proffesional is somone who gets paid for what they are doing and just rides,no other job to support them, but there are very few full proffesionals in trials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbra Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 What i think pro is, is someone who can make a living from riding, with no other job to support them, so lets face it there are hardly any pro's in trials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mafu26 Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 all of the above defo.. but to do something for the sport i think people would look to someone like that, maybe not as much as a pro but certainly alot of respect which goes along way.... urg i dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChai Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 i guess there arent then.. what does trials need at the moment? to get itself out there and hold professional riders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simpson Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Is trials even a professional sport? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greetings Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 (edited) Compare it to different sports where all the "action" is down to one person, say Golf. You need lots of publicity, public attention, investors, sponsors, media coverage, etc. which trials will never get. The only way you can earn money on this sport is to set up a business. I've earned about 1,40 pounds on riding so far, a bit more on selling parts.Edit: It's all down to popularity, I think it's in Korea where one of their national sports is a computer game. People earn money and fame by sitting in front of a computer killing goblins... Edited February 26, 2007 by Inur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lankyri Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 well ok bike trials may not have any but you can say that motorbike trials you could live on being sponsored couldnt you like dougie lampkin maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChai Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 i refuse to agree. trials will get big one day.. there just arent enough peopel doing it becos bikes are too expenisve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greetings Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Yeah but we've got such people in bicycle trials as well. For instance Ashton, I'm sure Hermance is fully pro, Bealey and the Coustellier brothers probably as well. And what about guys like Lenosky? I bet he earns loads on doing shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Jones Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 If you wanted to become a professional rider it might be an idea to start doing demo's seriously.Works for the M.A.D. team in this country?If it kicks off well then maybe you will be able to attract some sponsors for extra support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChai Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 so why arent there people like htat in the uk? i know some riders get paid. mainly deng riders.. but people dont know this.. and the riders dont do enogh either.. its not good enough to make videos for trials... u have to do something more and i am not tlaking competitions either..i have a job in a club.. and on thursday we had a deal that i would ride the night club, the actual dance floor.. so now thats in play and was well appreciated.. in the next couple of weeks i hope to get a professional photographer down to get some pics of us in the club, and then these would go on to leaflets and hand outs and on the clubs windows..and it wont be regular but liek every once a month or so.. increase publicity for the sport and also for the club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 trials will get big one day.. there just arent enough peopel doing it becos bikes are too expenisveTo be honest I hope it doesn't get big, and kinda doubt it ever will. Look at motorcycle trials. It's been going for a lot longer than biketrials and is still a seriously minority sport. One thing that makes a sport explode is that it's good for spectators to watch... Trials really isn't that spectator friendly. Anyone who doesn't ride has no idea how difficult it is and so tend to be fairly unimpressed by what we do. Motocross is more likely to draw a crowd because of the huge airs and speed involved but I'd still call it a minority sport.Do you really want trials to be a mainstream sport like football?!!Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChai Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 it do0esn thave to be like football at all.. guys at the club absolutely loved it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryallmaster Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 so why arent there people like htat in the uk? i know some riders get paid. mainly deng riders.. but people dont know this.. and the riders dont do enogh either.. its not good enough to make videos for trials... u have to do something more and i am not tlaking competitions either..i have a job in a club.. and on thursday we had a deal that i would ride the night club, the actual dance floor.. so now thats in play and was well appreciated.. in the next couple of weeks i hope to get a professional photographer down to get some pics of us in the club, and then these would go on to leaflets and hand outs and on the clubs windows..and it wont be regular but liek every once a month or so.. increase publicity for the sport and also for the club I have already rode in clubs in Leeds and to be honest there is only a limited amount of things you can do. I even had a car in play. I got paid quite a bit but once people have seen it their not too bothered about seeing it again.I also work for my local council. They run a company called 'street sports' i basically ride my bike on stupid ramps and obsticalsinfront of kids and also give them learning tips. This job gives me regular income. Maybe get in touch with your councils and see if their running a similar scheme.Lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeCottTrials Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Basically i think of pro as people like stan shaw who compete in competitions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.E.A.U Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 why do people say your pro if your paid. What if there was someone paid that makes them pro but someone who isnt paid is alot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Token Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 pro·fes·sion·al4. Having or showing great skill; expert: a professional repair job. < Dictionary.comGuess you're professional if you have great skill then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t33zr Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 hmmm to me a proffesional is somone who gets paid for what they are doing and just rides,no other job to support them, but there are very few full proffesionals in trials.So Vincent is not a pro? he work for koxx.fr.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Jones Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 I think this is a good related article from the Hans Rey website. http://www.hansrey.com/become_a_pro.htm from hansrey.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 This is the dictionary definition I've got:Professional(of a person) engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastimeSo you can make your own mind up whether Vince (or anyone else) is a 'pro'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisboats Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Personally i would consider someone like martin ashton or ryan leech as a pro. They both get free bikes (martin with his own company) and both get paid to travel around doing demo's all over the place. Both have also won a load of titles and prizes, wasn't martin world champion for a couple of years? Either way, for me, those riders are pro... and everyone else who just gets the odd free part and stick tarty/selectbikes advertising at the beginning of a video aren't remotely pro.... good riders maybe, but nowhere near the same leagues as real pro's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt rushton Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 well ok bike trials may not have any but you can say that motorbike trials you could live on being sponsored couldnt you like dougie lampkin maybeDougie Get a batch of around 10 bikes to sell to the public, for his pay. Then if he wins compations, he gets prize money for them. Just as the top class of the world biketrial championship does.I think there will be many biketrial 'pros'. I don't think anyone will be able to make a living out of it.Matt Rushton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 (edited) I'd say a pro is someone who makes a living out of his sport. So the only comp riders I'd consider being pros are Kenny, Vincent, Canas, Comas, Ot Pi and Ros. Beside riding comps and shows, they're Koxx/Monty/Maxxis distributors/dealers.Kenny does lots of promo shows for Red Bull, worldwide (such as Canas and Ot Pi). And Red Bull pays him for doing that. Beside that, he gets a monthly salary from his Jacques & Topsport Vlaanderen cyling team. Seeing that, I'd say he's the most professional trials rider at the moment.As for Vinco and Caisso - they are multiple trials world champions and especially Vinco does lots of shows (e.g at the Tour de France). Once you've made yourself a name, like both of them, you can make a good living out of your sport, just by doing shows and promotion for the sponsors. And believe me, they get a lot more than just a few 100 quid for their shows! Edited February 26, 2007 by Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaRtZ Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 (edited) A pro rider is someone who gets paid to ride their bike for a company. Does vincent even do that? Trials is too small to have (dictionary definition) pro riders. But pro riders can also mean someone who is just REALLY good, and to me thats everyone from tunni upwards EDIT: Thats not saying neil's crap before anyone says.... Edited February 26, 2007 by PaRtZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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