Ali C

it's people like you that made me leave the comp scene in the first place. you just seem completely unable too see outside your own little world, you make assumptions about my riding at demos, take the piss out of people who like to ride and do fun stuff outside comps, I have absolutely no time for people like you. maybe you should practice stoppies as they are pretty useful you know?

Dave, saying I don't put 100% into my demos without even watching one is pretty outrageous! Since doing shows I have pushed myself, I'll do stuff in shows I am scared of doing and wouldn't do normally (backflips off the 1ft kicker ramp, 11ft drops, balance beams, 360 drops and tyre taps off some of the higher boxes) You know riders were styling things up back in the 90s? Back when they had bikes that were more than just expensive pogosticks, back when Akkers used to win the british champs on a bike that these days would be considered a pure street bike. He won comps AND made it look good. If I now entered a comp and manualed in sections, did x-ups and spins, would I then be a "real" trials rider?

i know a forging tool is different to casting, but hey ho

so I am assuming you think you are a "real" trials rider then?

Ok, so people who ride comps are "real" riders, comps happen a few times a year, what are they 95% of the time when there isn't a comp? What about 95% of the riders in the country who don't ride comps, are they not "real" riders? Are you saying Demo riders and street riders are putting in less effort? I make a living by riding my trials bike, I did not when I was riding comps.

Middleburn have been asked to do screw on cranks (and even made a one-off set for Adam) but they say it's not worth making a new mould and can't/won't modify the existing one.

it's true they did make the bash ring stuff, but thats just a fairly "simple" thing to produce compared with forged crank arms

it makes me happy that you still use front disk. awesome riding too!

Middleburn would have to be pretty insane to change the mould they use just so trials riders can use screw on cogs/freewheels.

actually looks very nice!

my job description is "Trials rider", so I guess that.

take your blinkers off would you?

I am 27, started when I was 14

don't go and get this one preggers too!

hype

Dave, bragging about shit like this is annoying, please stop.

wow, some pretty "special" comments going on here. If you don't know the facts or havn't tried something don't let your brain tell your hands to type such utter bullshit.

I agree. We need to go back and ride it more! Nice pics Mark! If only there was a way of making pictures move and putting that on the internet.....

no trials companies would pay a wage, so you would need to outsource a sponsor that has money. You can only make a living from comps if you are in the top three in the world, but even then some of them will do demos to get topped up. I am lucky in that I make a living from riding my bike and I do that by riding shows with The Clan. I do roughly 60-70 shows a year plus other things to help get money (last year I did an advert for Gatorade and did some coaching abroad). To get enough money to live you will probably have to have a different style to most people, I ride very streety and do flips and stuff in shows, this is quite family friendly and gets interest from people outside trials.

spank rims forthewin

I would say stick with the same size front and rear for streety riding, having a narrower front tyre makes the bike feel weird when carving corners and stuff. The Holy Rollers are very good, good grip, good feel etc, can't go wrong really, HOWEVER, the best tyres I have tried are the Odyssey Mike Aitken P-Lyte tyres My link They are a bit narrower than the Holy Rollers, but nothing ridiculous and they are fairly heavy (over 900g I think) but the "feel" is the best I have ever felt, it's like they have lots of damping and stability, you can run them softer but they feel harder. It's hard to explain. With normal tyres running at 40psi, they feel like they will rim out and have a lot of vibrations though them which reduces grip and makes them feel like they will wash out. The P-Lytes don't have re-enforced sidewalls as such, but they don't feel like they will pinch as easily, at 40 psi they feel more like 50-60 with the "thumb" test but once on the bike they feel like all the vibrations are damped and it feels totally confident in the corners and more forgiving on the body. shame they don't do a 26" version.

yeah, 4.05 and 4.20 are both vertical with the 4.20 hook being the biggest I have ever done(around eye level).

nice Power Ranger pose by the winner He wasn't my fave to win, not by a long way. Good stuff by Danny as per usual

but the bolts are it's eyes, IT'S EYES!!!!!!!!!!!

he is badass! Makes trials look like the most lame boring shit ever lol