Phatmike

Could well be less distraction (if that's an issue) as ooo pointed out, or perhaps the lower light levels make it more difficult to naturally balance (just seeing the horizon is a big help), meaning you have to try harder to balance - more than you normally do..

Are you talking trials here? Or more general day-to-day balance? In trials, I discovered my ability to concentrate is highest when the risk/reward (ie challenge) are highest, meaning I've damn well got to be completely focussed to not come up short. That'd explain my love for big down gaps, bollards and rail rides! The more you push your boundaries and confidence in more risky moves, the more you learn to focus and remain calm in even the most extreme situation. This practise helps with the not-so-scary parts of riding (and life I guess), such that you can apply your learned focus to something as simple as a backhop, and then you can choose to operate at your best. After having done so many MAD shows, I'd learned that I could ride the show and the routine almost autonomously. (Having to really concentrate after the odd heavy night ensured that!) I could then focus on the other parts of the show such as developing rapor with the crowd/commentator, putting in that extra stylish flick, or even just on my backhopping technique), which gives the show an extra element, and also the chance for me to improve my own riding in new ways. There are endless things you can do to help increase your concentration, focus and balance. The best being meditation and yoga, but remembering to catch yourself and notice when you drift off mentally is a big thing you can do all the time. A full body stretch helps open you up too. It's been said that trials riding is 80% mental and 20% physical, whilst I'd agree that the mental side of trials is huge, it's more about what is the limiting factor holding you from progressing (or just having more fun). A move might present itself that you feel confident in doing, however there gets a point where physical limitations outweigh mental ones. Sometimes you might, for example, not have enough physical strength in your arms and hands to hold on to the bars after a certain downgap (Bristol, *cough*), despite being fully committed mentally. Of course you could argue that with enough concentration and focus you can achieve super-human hand strength and it would be OK, but that's another area. One rider example is comparing Matt Awkright and Damon Watson sidehop. Damon's got good technique, but a few digger-loads of power to boot, whereas Matt has less power, but is far more flexible and utilises his muscles better. This increase efficiency is actually hard-wired into our brains to be more beautiful to watch, and it is.

The pads will certainly make a difference; aluminium backings alone mean there's less flex and instantly more power/hold in the brake. A better compound will also mean plenty more bite and power too.

No, that's just riders with bad posture! I've been speaking with a company called Forcefield who produce the best body armour in the world. I've tried some of their kit on and it feels amazing - just like you're wearing a soft long-sleeved tee, with full range of motion. The Sport Lite 1 back protector is perfect for what we do (http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/sport-lite-1-back-protector/2345), but check out their SL1 combo, that's what I'll be wearing! http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/action-sl1-combo/2383

Luke, that is slightly worrying.. All we can do is skule some n00bs right? I'd hope that the type of people that would buy it would choose to do so because they care about what the buy and can condition a relationship with whatever that is to make it last! The points Ali raised are pretty valid on both accounts. Alignment was definitely an issue assembling it out of the jig, but no more than say - aligning your stem with your front wheel.. This would be solved right away by adding in stops (as someone mentioned) and also splines on the tube/clamp interfaces, also helping out with the potential issues with torque between the tubes and clamps, reducing the amount of clamping force needed. It would have been nice to include those in this prototype (some cnc lathe work on the tubes and an extrusion die for the clamps would mean this wouldn't be hard in production), but my tutor laughed when he saw the CAD model as it was ("Hah! good luck.."), so maybe next time.. Have an arse shot

Hey Lloyd, I've got back to you and everyone else that's awaiting orders. Danny Brady & I have just moved house, so it's been pretty mental back here.. Now that university is over (which certainly caused some 'distractions' in the past), and I'm settled, it's all back to normal here, so excellent service can resume! Will have an announcement on the pads tonight, too.

Gonna try and get some bikes built up for Danny & I this week, may well be about! Post ride halloween party?... Only 10 miles away

Aye, as soon as the backing is there to do it

Aye, things like bb30, bolt through rear end, 1.5 taper headtube (which this has) can all be worked either into the original purchase, or available as after-market accessories. The intention is to make it open-sourced, so DIY enthusiasts, or companies can all provide accessories to go with it. (How about a downtube/bb junction with a battery and motor in it? Ad, yeah this was the one I called up for parts for! Managed to borrow everything else I needed to make it look alriight. The Carbon looking tubes are Alu, as is the rest of it. S'all 6082/6061 T6. Yeah, jigging it up took quite a while. We had the dropouts/bb shell/headtube aligned in a jig that Josh made, then held the various pieces and built it all up with the tubes in place. Will get a weight up when I find some scales, although I believe it's in the 4.5lb area. That's something that can easily brought down (to any level..), but I was happy with that with the first proto! The BB yolk:

Answers to some Q's in this thread: www.trials-forum.co.uk/topic/169343-phrame-by-phatworks/

As I said, it's still at the functional prototype stage - the rest is intention! It's also a rare opportunity in the sport to have such an innovation developed openly rather than behind closed doors. Each of the components would easily, readily available, for a fair cost. This isn't a money making venture (it's trials...) more an exercise of communal technical development. As for colours, any colour under the sun at this stage! Here's a pic: Only proper one I got before it was submitted and subsequently de-built. Once I can afford spokes for my own bike, I'll get this one built up for further refinement.

That's just the concept on that part at the mo Mark! The main idea and concept has been built and proven at the moment, which is the big thing. The rest is just a case of filling in the gaps (like performing testing and development on the disk mount for example) and it can get there. As for how long it'll be until it's in production? As quick as possible with the right help!

Hey guys, It's been 2 years now since the idea was conceived, and with much head scratching, sweat and blood over my final year at Loughborough Uni I built the first prototype. 6 months of concept and rigid design, 3 weeks lathing, plus another month of fabrication and one late night rush of assembly, the ridable proto was made following the dimensions of the CAD model: There was a topic with a few people talking here; And I wanted to answer a few questions about it. Exactly, the whole system is modular. The tubes are easy to replace with an allen key (though changing the downtube does mean disassembling most of Phrame), meaning not only can you replace parts and change geometry, you can also upgrade components. Want disk mounts? No problem: Just buy a single replacement dropout. I spent a couple of months researching tube joining methods, and settled on the pinch bolt clamp. There's one other clamping method I want to try, but Phrame is incredibly stiff - it was designed to maximise lateral stiffness (or twisting when you pedal), with a delicious amount of spring and pop vertically. Thanks to all the pro riders that helped in discussion with that! Yeah. Hoffmann bikes released a frame with that system a few years back - always liked it and was glad for the chance to include it in a design. The result: It's awesome. No other brake feels quite like it. That's kinda the point. And this is why.. Phrame is also a way of breaking that throwaway cycle. Cheaper than getting a new frame every time a crack appears! All the tubes on Phrame are readily available diameters, meaning you could replace them with Steel, Alu, CF, Bamboo.. alsorts. Straight gauge tubes are pretty cheap too. As Krisboats said in the previous topic, varying geometries would require bent tubes. Each geometry and tube bend is calculated via a CAD model and then the tubes can be precisely bent before being verified in a jig. There's a lot of interest around the concept (especially to those who said it wouldn't work ), and as part of a commitment to open-source info, I'd be glad to share my research and info with interested individuals and organisations. I'll keep the thread updated with more images.. I am looking to partner up with help to see the project to light. Be it by way of pre-sales, or assistance in the development and commercialisation phase. It'll be a fun project nonetheless. M.

They certainly work best on a proper grind, that's for sure. They give the best hold that way (including in wet and muddy conditions - more so than any other pad), and if it's bite you're after then these may not be the pads for you. If it's confidence, hold and an amazing wear life you're after, then a booster, a long lever blade, and a decent grind - then I believe you'd be pushed to find better.

Sorry I couldn't help in answering any of the poll questions Flip, but I'd quite happily sit through a 10 second video or a 3-hour video, but the key factor is how awesome it is! Your videos are already really good, plus your riding these days in on another level. Keep on making videos of any length, and keep finding new ways to make them more awesome! I'd rather you did make money out of doing it, at least then there's the incentive to go out and get some proper equipment, travelling and production value thrown into the mix.

That aside - cool pics. The fisheye shot from underneath is pretty rockin'! A lot of them could be tighter; don't be a afraid to really fill every last inch of the frame

There's not been much about PhatPads on the forum much this year, on account of not having them stocked at TB, and with me being out the scene at Uni, but they've been around and popular for over 5 years now. There's still many riders using them all over the world on grinds or smooth and in the wet & dry. PhatPads are also only £20 via the website too, so with the CNC PhatMag backings and the best all-round pad material, seems a winning combo in my eyes!

I'm loving the calculated risk - awesome pics. However I believe you may look back on those posts in some time and see another perspective on what you've just written.

Magura Red on one side, Magura Black with Tar the other. The shiz!

I'm sorry to hear about the crash! Back on it now I hope? Phatpads are harder than a lot of pads, and deliver maximum hold when used with a booster and a long lever blade. The benefit of this set up is how reliable it is! (I've been using it since 2005!) - on a fresh or very dull grind and in the dry or wet, they always just seem to work. This'll be the first public announcement of some news; they're available now for only £20 from our online store. Happy days!

Cool to see the wheels rolling! Wicked rider

Very cool video. Certainly the first time I ever felt I was a trials bike. The price isn't anything to be shocked at, it just is what it is. Consider only 5 years ago £300 would buy you a small hand-held digicam (firewire could be a right pain, ey?!), to get to a HD, waterproof, bash proof camera just this short time later is pretty sweet in my eyes. I'd also agree the GoPro cams are the best around, I've had the opportunity to use quite a few different ones at several shows this year (interesting to see so many jump on the bandwagon as always ), and the GP's just seems to win all round. There's a reason so many people use them (as well as an aggressive marketing strategy!), and it's always worth buying the most reputable product in any case, especially when the price differences are pretty marginal. Hows the carbon holding out, Stan?

Step right up! The Phatmag backings are the thinnest around. At a proud 6mm phat.

Aright all, Is anyone free tomorrow? I'm off to Bristol tomorrow to bosh out some lines. Anyone else game?

I thought this would be good to post in here; A review of Phatpads & Phluid on Tribalzine: http://www.tribalzine.com/?New-Phat-WORKS-website-and-product