The Essential Trials Stickie

[onto1wheel]

That looks like an awesome place to ride!

But I think you guys are doing it wrong, I mean, everyone knows the saying "keep the rubber side up" I've been trying to follow that golden rule forever:
:laughing

 

[elemetal]

Looks about right to me! Cased it and didn't get over; fall back onto uneven ground as bike follows suit. Done it a bunch and will continue to!

Just went out and rode the new springs again for an hour, totally convinced that was the right move. Steering is better, tracking is more predictable and it seems to drive up faces better. Been holding pressure off stuff that I was slipping on before!?

Feels really good flat landing from 4+ ft and not making as much noise. Only thing that is harder is holding pressure/balance. Without as much fork compression it feels more twitchy but I still seem to get enough stored energy in 'em to go up. More practice needed

 

[The Toe Cutter]

Sounds like you are getting it dialed in Luke! You'll be ready whenever we can start the season up again

 

[elemetal]

At the creek last weekend


youtu.be/IfuWS53yi5M

In my yard yesterday eve after riding for an hour. Found a new way into the new section (I do it more towards the middle/end). You can basically just ride over the logs but it makes you want to plate it, the log is at a downhill angle so if you do you go over to the downhill side..into the fence. You can't see much slope in the vid but it's enough that hopping through the turn uphill is OK, hopping downhill gives me fits (as you'll see). Working on rear hops too, all of 'em need help.


youtu.be/qCoU4_cR7cA

Got pretty tired at the end, video cuts out the very last bit but I made it over the log, cleaned it on the hard parts.

 

[undertheoaks]

Wow great clips ! Gopher ridge looks crazy cool and your back yard setup is ideal Oakland trials. Love to hear the frustration at certain times, we all know this feeling. Great angle options and different line selection possibilities, cool vids thanks for sharing. Bike is back together but haven't ridden in a while. Rented a brush mower for this weekend up at bear mtn, hopefully ride soon.

 

[onto1wheel]

nice vid's, thx for sharing!
That copper creek looks amazing!
And awesome to see a yard being used the way a yard should be used! Looks like fun :thumbup

 

[elemetal]

Goofed around in the backyard with Toe cutter today. Had a pretty good time making up routes over stuff then connecting them into a section or two. Pushed ourselves to do tight turns and lots of hops.


youtu.be/BWdB7Bo4a3g

Kept our distance and still had a challenging day of riding; On any Sunday.

 

[The Toe Cutter]

Had a blast today! You're right the camera makes the stuff look so flat and doesn't capture the angle of the logs. The stuff you have is perfect for the technical riding our club throws at us. Get good at those sections we setup and you want be dropping many points in the ADV sections.

Nice editing on the vids

 

[undertheoaks]

That is awesome great video, and great view of your technical playground. You guys both look good with all your hops and nose wheelie turns. That little double log looks tuff and I can see how it wants to throw you off balance. Good stuff and thanks for sharing.

 

[onto1wheel]

what an awesome looking backyard session!
Unlimited practice possibility with all those great logs
Nice riding!

Hoping to figure out my video problems so I can post something, too

 

[elemetal]

Just trying to stay sane in all this madness; trials helps with that!

Not that it's a surprise but Nationals at Schaad were cancelled as are all other NATC events this year. Did quite a bit of work getting Schaad all ready, hopefully it will pay off in the next couple of years for club events there.

This was pulled from the NATC website.

Dear MotoTrials Enthusiast,

After careful consideration and consultation with the council regarding the current and future issues facing our country, communities, and individuals the North American Trials Council has made the difficult decision to cancel all currently published MotoTrials National events, East/West Youth Nationals, and our TDN efforts for 2020.

The NATC will look to alternatives for scheduling an abbreviated series in the fall if possible. A decision on future competitions for 2020 will be made by or before August 1, when more is known about our nations recovery, availability of having mass gatherings, available venues and dates.

We felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global crisis because of increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus. We are very disappointed that we are unable to execute our published series for our riders, sponsors, volunteers, supporters, organizers, and fans. However, we feel it is the right decision based on the information currently available.

Our team will be reaching out directly to riders, teams, sponsors, and organizers with information about the impact of the published season cancellation and possible abbreviated fall schedule..

We thank everyone in advance for your support of this difficult decision. And no matter what happens through the rest of the year we look forward to producing a successful complete series in 2021.

 

[onto1wheel]

Figure i'll show that my fun didn't come just from building new sections, but riding them too. I absolutely love riding this bike.

Kind of my progression from 1st day in the dirt which was kinda muddy, to the 3rd day where it dried a little in spots, and my timing was improving (sorry, way too much of the one section. Most people won't notice how moving 3" to the right makes the log waaaay more harder).

Also playing with some different camera mounts, too.



Anybody have good ideas for a section made of railroad ties? I've got a few of those laying around


(I can never figure out the youtube linky business)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ykalBOhAo8

 

[elemetal]

youtu.be/8ykalBOhAo8

Great vid, looks like you're getting back into it, got some good obstacles there. Kinda cheating with that 2x on the log : ); you need to zap that rather than try to blip it. With that undercut and slick surface you need more juice to get over I think.

Got some good hops going on for sure, I'll get there one of these days.

 

[onto1wheel]

haha, I knew i'd get called out on the 2x4 addition! (but it did make the obstacle taller!) That double crown on top of the log just kept making me slide back off. I think I need to maybe get my weight way farther forward when I get up there? There's just no resting up there w/o the 2x.

I'm not too hip to the techniques; i thought I was zapping it (?) Maybe I was somewhere between a double blip and a zap? For sure I just need to give it more umph! I don't think i'll ever get straight up to rear on that log

 

[elemetal]

Reason I mention double blip is I heard the throttle go up and down as you were launching up it. That slight let off kills some of the lift/drive and you really need that to get up something with big undercut like your log. My big log in back is similar in height with a little less undercut, I've spent a huge amount of time getting over it in different ways and can now get the rear up on top. When I started working on it I could barely get over it with the plate; it takes a bunch of body English, timing and power delivery to get it right but when you do you almost float up to the top. Practicing a static zap on something just a few inches lower will show you a lot about what you're doing right and wrong, at least it did for me.

Throttle should be at about 1/3; clutch slipping at about 1/3 engaged; squat way down as you drive the front into the log. Drive into the log and compress the front while still slipping the clutch at about 1/3 engaged and ramping up the throttle then release the clutch as you jump up. You have to have a load on the rear as you release the clutch or you'll spin some so weight is more back than you might think but you immediately have to get over/ahead of the bike or you'll go over backwards.

I've probably hit my log 1,000 times working on this over the last two years...finally I'm starting to get it to all work together. The difference between 36" and 44" is huge. Once you get to bigger stuff with little traction you can't blip to get over, not enough drive.

 

[onto1wheel]

Lots of good feedback, thanks. I will have to experiment a bit (it's going to take awhile longer for my body to remember how to do what my mind already knows what to do, for starters)

I've been pretty surprised how well the rear has lifted off the ground on that log so far, even with very little rear suspension loading. (i'm secretly believing with the right conditions and practice, I will get up to rear on that one. Wishful thinking)
I've been trying to not force my front wheel into that log too hard, as I can see the log lift on the video (of course, maybe if I hit it harder with my front tire, my skid plate won't hit so hard!).
Trials; always such a fine balance of everything!

 

[The Toe Cutter]

Looking good in the videos 1 wheel! The hill looks pretty steep in the video so I imagine it is much steeper in person. So cool to have some obstacles right in your backyard.

I thought about trying to put a small log or rock in my backyard but it's just too tight and neighbors probably wouldn't like it since I'm in suburbia. Having fun with my trials bicycle though

 

[onto1wheel]

Thanks TC, I consider most of it to be a pretty mild slope actually, not very steep. The ramp up to the double log section has a bunch of pitch changes that complicate the run up though, along with having to turn into it at the last second.

Even hoping around in the garage with engine off is good practice, but yeah, I would rather ride biketrial than engine-off mototrial.
Hmmm, maybe biketrial should be my SIP ride... haven't ridden that bike in a while...

 

[elemetal]

Watch out on those trials bicycles, I'm selling mine. Don't do it near enough and it is so different than moto trials I just about kill myself every time I ride it. I need to wear more protection (knee/shin) for bikes than for motos.

 

[undertheoaks]

Damn all this riding and all I've been doing is yard work. OK great vids, inspired me to go out and just hop into a taped shape box and hop out both directions. Need to ride !