The Essential Trials Stickie

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micahpearlman

Well-known member
The Toe Cutter said:
Thanks for the tips Michah! I've been trying both actually and glad you feel holding the manual is tough because I thought it was just me :)

Would love to have a bicycle trials meet up. I joined the FB group for SF trials riders but no one really posts on that group. Ultimately my goal is to be able to ride natural terrain versus street trials but I need to get basics down before spend time out in regional parks playing on rocks. There is a nice natural rock place in a city park right by my work so that will be where I'll go first.

I too switched my levers to motostyle as well. I'm pretty stoked on getting into it as well since I don't have a backyard to play around in on the moto. Plus it's great exercise!
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Natural terrain is pretty tricky relative to street -- at least for me. I don't have a lot of experience yet in the natural -- though I've started bringing the bicycle with me to Metcalf to practice there.

I ride pretty much everyday during lunch and dropped 25lbs.
 
onto1wheel

onto1wheel

Riding All The Time
The Toe Cutter said:
I will probably take you up on that offer at some point but need to get the basics down first. ...
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I'd highly suggest getting hooked up with some other riders, ASAP!
You will learn sooooo much faster riding with others. Hopefully we can get a group ride going very soon!
Sounds like you guys have the more "street" oriented trials bikes (like the hex), but those will still work in the natural stuff, (and FYI the santa cruz harbor has plenty of flat ground, and Fredrick street park is a short ride from there with some urban stuff)
We used to do lots of rides at Stanford, which is great (lots of good stuff all over the south bay that I know of). Might be a while before I can get over there though.

And Micah, I'm also interested in those bikes you have! Feel free to PM me or post here with details!
thx
 
onto1wheel

onto1wheel

Riding All The Time
Just re-read and see that you guys set up your brakes moto-style; sweet! I also switched my bicycles that way, many years ago
 
M

micahpearlman

Well-known member
onto1wheel said:
I'd highly suggest getting hooked up with some other riders, ASAP!
You will learn sooooo much faster riding with others. Hopefully we can get a group ride going very soon!
Sounds like you guys have the more "street" oriented trials bikes (like the hex), but those will still work in the natural stuff, (and FYI the santa cruz harbor has plenty of flat ground, and Fredrick street park is a short ride from there with some urban stuff)
We used to do lots of rides at Stanford, which is great (lots of good stuff all over the south bay that I know of). Might be a while before I can get over there though.

And Micah, I'm also interested in those bikes you have! Feel free to PM me or post here with details!
thx
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A couple of guys here have already PM'd me (or like Sid called out me-me) and I'll give them first right of refusal. Not at all in a hurry to get rid of them. If anyone here just wants to borrow a bike for a week to just try out I'm more then happy (you break it you own it). The bikes I have that I want to get rid of:

Inspired Arcade 24": Ridden for just a few months and then switched over to my 26" Czar Neuron. The Arcade is very highly rated and recommended but I never really got comfortable with it -- while my 26" street bike I became instantly comfortable with. Hope front brake & Czar/Echo rear brake (same pads as Hope and works nice). Upgraded freewheel to 120 engagement. Has Maxxis Holy Roler (very good street tire) and have a brand new set of Continental MacAskill tires ($150) Sadly I scratched the shit out of the frame by letting it just bounce around in my truck -- I've now discovered rear gate pads :(. Paid $1500+ from Tartybikes and asking $950.

ECHO Mk. 6 26" (see: https://www.webcyclery.com/product/echo-mark-6-26-bike-7962.htm): Again barely ridden. Did a light rear rim grind otherwise completely stock. Comp bikes are just super super weird to ride -- crazy high bottom bracket and very long stem. If I did more natural stuff I would keep this, but switching from the street bike to this is unpleasant -- and the street bike should be fairly capable in natural terrain (at least for awhile) -- and this bike is absolutely useless in skateparks, doing bunnyhops, manuals or jumps or anything other then hopping around on the rear wheel (it's insanely awesome for that). Also, comp bikes seem a bit fragile if you don't know what your are doing (single walled rims, everything built for lightness, need to constantly check wheel trueness and everything is tight). Paid $1200 shipped from China asking $850.
 
onto1wheel

onto1wheel

Riding All The Time
Yeah no worries, I hope somebody gets em and rides em.

Maybe a group ride will happen and I get to test them out...
(more interested in the freaky comp bike. I'm okay with that style. Hoping it's weirder that my 10+ year old Echo Control. Not sure about 24" street trials though. I never rode any BMX, so smaller than 26" just feels weird to me, but hey you never know. Kinda bummed I didn't jump on the Hex Surj was selling about a year ago. Especially since just after I missed the hex I went and tried Cunningham park in san jose. Place was great on the dirt jumper, but the bowls and all the concrete they have there would be even sweeter on a hex I imagine.)
 
M

micahpearlman

Well-known member
onto1wheel said:
Yeah no worries, I hope somebody gets em and rides em.

Maybe a group ride will happen and I get to test them out...
(more interested in the freaky comp bike. I'm okay with that style. Hoping it's weirder that my 10+ year old Echo Control. Not sure about 24" street trials though. I never rode any BMX, so smaller than 26" just feels weird to me, but hey you never know. Kinda bummed I didn't jump on the Hex Surj was selling about a year ago. Especially since just after I missed the hex I went and tried Cunningham park in san jose. Place was great on the dirt jumper, but the bowls and all the concrete they have there would be even sweeter on a hex I imagine.)
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Lake Cunningham is awesome! I have a dirt jumper as well -- haven't tried out the trials bike there though -- but I know there is a ton of stuff. That is probably a good place for us to have a meet up!

I only became a "bicycle guy" about 18 months ago, so coming from a moto anything less then 26" definitely feels weird. But my research has a ton of people loving 24", even moto peeps, so the 24" Inspired Arcade was the first bicycle I bought. Then I built my 26" dirt jumper (Octane One Void steel frame) and immediately could do a bunch of stuff I was struggling with on the 24" -- then I got my Czar Neuron 26" street trial and tricked it out with carbon wheels and Industry 9 Hydra Hubs (690 points of engagement yo) and that's the only bike I wanna ride.

Anyways, probably should talk moto, FYI anyone who is interested at least a couple of the Metcalf regular trials riders are bringing out the big bikes to Metcalf Saturday morning around 8:30AM -- probably do a little trail riding but also planning on setting some tape for a big bike trials section.
 
E

elemetal

3 pings and a zing
Was up at Schaad yesterday helping prep for the nationals in April. Good to hang out and work with folks, the owner Rick and I cleared a bunch of brush with his backhoe at the top of the drive. There's little gully we've run sections in that Bryce wants to turn into a stadium for the exhibition round. You can stand on the road and look down into the gully so lots can view (it was tough to see at Boreal), big log about 4 ft off the ground is one of the obstacles.

We also went and cleared that section your did your shoulder on Sid. Raked out debris down the whole hillside and uncovered a large set of rock over on the East edge (ahead and downhill as you were entering the section). We made a nice entry to a large rock that is maybe 10 degress less than vertical and about 8 ft up. It is on a slope that is about 50 degrees so if you stand 6 ft from the rock the base is about head level. It will be fun to see them run that, it looked impossible at first but now that it is clean it looks like a challenge. All about getting the run up to it, that's the hard part.

Plan to ride one day and check one day at nationals; may try support but I need to talk to some club folks about it. Missed the last one with that broken wrist but am excited about this one. Only two West coast events next year for the national season and we are one of 'em, pretty cool.

Any of you going down to that event Scott H is doing in SoCal? Dec 7/8 I think near Lake Isabella? I'm planning to go but likely solo and just sleep in the truck. I bet there's really good, grippy, big granite rocks down there.
 
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The Toe Cutter

The Toe Cutter

Well-known member
Was up at Schaad today for the work day. Spent entire time down by the creek where Rick Wolf's section was this year. We uncovered a lot of good rocks up on the hill which should make for 2 good sections right next to each other.

Lots of poison oak but showered with dish washing soap when I got home so fingers crossed I don't start itching in a few days :)

Can't wait for the next work day, after some good rain, to actually ride in some of the terrain. Not sure about the trial in early December, would like to check it out though. Probably some nice big granite rocks like you said Luke!
 
onto1wheel

onto1wheel

Riding All The Time
elemetal said:
...
Any of you going down to that event Scott H is doing in SoCal? Dec 7/8 I think near Lake Isabella? I'm planning to go but likely solo and just sleep in the truck. I bet there's really good, grippy, big granite rocks down there.
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Indeed there are some big grippy granite rocks down there!
It's at Keyesville. I've never been down for mototrials, but I went a couple times for biketrial. An incredible place, get down there for that!

Not sure if photobucket will still let me share my photos if I don't pay them, but this link should show what keyesville has to offer from my trip 10 years ago, if it works:
http://s128.photobucket.com/user/onto1wheel/library/2009 Keyesville BikeTrial
 
onto1wheel

onto1wheel

Riding All The Time
(not sure if that link worked for others, doesn't work for me, but I think they just want my money)

So here's one showing big keyesville rocks (big enough for you? :teeth).
Not sure who this rider was


2009_March_Keyesville_IMG_3848.jpg
 
E

elemetal

3 pings and a zing
Thanks for the pics O1W, always helps to see a place before you go. Those are indeed some big rocks, above my paygrade for some of them.
 
undertheoaks

undertheoaks

When in doubt gas it!
Wow crazy insane bicycle trials pic, hell of a drop ! Well didnt make the work party as I had planned on making but rented a mini excavator and did some good work up here at the property. Reason I did t make it was I found the water line from the well to the pressure tank and not intentionally......lol. spent all day Sat trying to find some solid 8 gauge copper wire for ground use. So then spent Sun repairing and reburied the the pipe. Then built four burn piles and cleared a ton of poison oak, regarded the roads and cut in a carport pad. Then late Sun night was play time and got to move some rocks around and set up some fun stuff and a dry waterfall to ride up. I too elemetal am thinking of doing the trial in keseyville I'll swing by the shop this week and we will talk, as I'd be solo too...road trip !!!!
 
onto1wheel

onto1wheel

Riding All The Time
Hope this is ok to drop a bunch more pic's in here (the photobucket stuff sucks as far as I can tell).
I like to get people motivated for trials! of any kind!
A few more pic's to show that keyesville has it all (not just Tony Bou sized walls)
If you have a good eye, you might even spot Scott H out there scoping sections... 10 years ago


2010Keyesville_047.jpg

2010Keyesville_046.jpg

2010Keyesville_043.jpg

2010Keyesville_020.jpg

2010Keyesville_013.jpg
 
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