Chris Akriggs Bars And Going Brakeless Riding

[Rusevelt]

Huh! i was under the impression that UCI cancelled bmx racing and only bmx freestyle events would feature. the freestyle industry has a far bigger dedicated fan base than racing, just doesnt make sense to feature bmx racing only. i guess we will find out soon enough. bmx racing is definately not an event at london 2012. i only asked about akriggs bmx history as i never saw him feature in any of the mainstream magazines ie; Ride & Dig unlike Lance McDermott. as for mongoose i figured they would want to make an impact on the uk bmx scene via getting their top riders riding their bikes in big events.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Rusevelt

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

and 75% of the replies in this topic have proven why trials has not gotten more interesting since edd tongue and the trialskings.

[Gavyn.]

Trials IS about hopping over things. It was originally it's taken from mototrials, and when do you see them pull a bar spin or 360 mid-section. As far as I understand trials always was about hopping over things then someone decided they could mix it up with a bit of bmx, which is where this streety style has come from. As for using rocks as kickers and things. I'd love to see anyone do that on the sections at the uci worlds not long ago. The size of the obstacles on the sections in the car park were massive, and the upstream sections were very, very, technical. Right now your probably thinking well akrigg could have easily tricked over them. Then why wasn't he there? I have great respect for him I'm sure what he does with no brakes will be insanely good but right now the streety guys are just like a huge bunch apple fan boys, you can't accept that another mans way of doing things may just be as interesting and exciting as yours.

I've ridden with danny mac and i've got alot of respect for him, infact the first night I met him he gapped between the two platforms over a train line must have been getting on for 13ft. He was also amazed by the height that we could sidehop in exactly the same way we were amazed by him. Mutual respect surely thats what trials is all about?

Gav

As for mbuk I don't see why anyone buys it the last one I bought was the uci world championsip edition one and there was basically nothing about trials in it even the dh, xc and 4cross was lacking a bit, and if you buy it for the reviews then there are much better more detailed reveiws on the net and in other magazines

Edited December 4, 2007 by Gavyn L

[boon racoon]

you can't accept that another mans way of doing things may just be as interesting and exciting as yours.

Go and tell that to braintreetrials spitting the dummy at the top of the page...

Edited December 4, 2007 by the boon

[Waynio]

dont you just ha....!!! PERFECT! nail on the head with hammer.

braintree trials you will learn to respect others ideas and how others choose to ride their bike, for you to critisize someone far superior of you (Chriss Akrigg) i think is absolutly appauling, ok yes that may be your opinion, but Chris has ridden for at least 15years. You have really put written something that you (ok you may think it is ok to do) think is ok to do, but havent re-read it.

Wayne.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Waynio

[Jonny Jones]

Tuhhhh-da!

Nice! Interesting colours haha! ...I thought my Orange Wellgo's were a bit miss-placed!

braintree trials you will learn to respect others ideas and how others choose to ride their bike, for you to critisize someone far superior of you (Chriss Akrigg) i think is absolutly appauling, ok yes that may be your opinion, but Chris has ridden for at least 15years. You have really put written something that you (ok you may think it is ok to do) think is ok to do, but havent re-read it.

- I agree. Edited December 4, 2007 by Jonny Jones

[Waynio]

iv found something AWESOME to put up.......

from an article in MBUK a good 5/6 years ago, when the contact vid and stuff was about. il write it up and post it in here at dinner time.

Wayne.

[streetjibs]

geez... get on msn for a bit??

Edited December 4, 2007 by streetjibs

[Tony Harrison]

Somewhere I have a photo of me doing a 2ft drop-off on the back wheel, on an 18" Raleigh Ascender, circa 1998 and I'm not covering the back brake! Wheelie and hope for the best!!

For me, that's as far as brakeless will ever go. I wish Akrigg luck though... things could get mighty nasty...

[Waynio]

this is a quote out of a mag we have on the "odd job board at work" which is a board full of mag cut-outs, posters, pictures:

Martyn's thoughts: For comps i think sections will get bigger and more gnarly. As for general trials - i rekon we will see more individual styles, with the sport becoming faster and smoother.

Chris's predictions: I can see trials being less of the stop 'n' hop stuff, with sections being more suited to riders who can roll easily. As Martyn says, the emphasis will shift to speed and fluidity.

i do accept that i do feel 26" trials is abit orientated around 20", maybe its because im a bit "older" in the over 23's category. haha

Wayne.

[TOBY-E]

keighley loading bay ***

why does it change f.t.w to *** ?

Edited December 6, 2007 by T Eastbury

[Gavyn.]

"Martyn's thoughts: As for general trials - i rekon we will see more individual styles, with the sport becoming faster and smoother."

"Chris's predictions: I can see trials being less of the stop 'n' hop stuff, with sections being more suited to riders who can roll easily. As Martyn says, the emphasis will shift to speed and fluidity."

How wrong they were???

[RobinJI]

Trials IS about hopping over things. It was originally it's taken from mototrials, and when do you see them pull a bar spin or 360 mid-section. As far as I understand trials always was about hopping over things then someone decided they could mix it up with a bit of bmx, which is where this streety style has come from. As for using rocks as kickers and things. I'd love to see anyone do that on the sections at the uci worlds not long ago. The size of the obstacles on the sections in the car park were massive, and the upstream sections were very, very, technical. Right now your probably thinking well akrigg could have easily tricked over them. Then why wasn't he there? I have great respect for him I'm sure what he does with no brakes will be insanely good but right now the streety guys are just like a huge bunch apple fan boys, you can't accept that another mans way of doing things may just be as interesting and exciting as yours.

I've ridden with danny mac and i've got alot of respect for him, infact the first night I met him he gapped between the two platforms over a train line must have been getting on for 13ft. He was also amazed by the height that we could sidehop in exactly the same way we were amazed by him. Mutual respect surely thats what trials is all about?

Gav

As for mbuk I don't see why anyone buys it the last one I bought was the uci world championsip edition one and there was basically nothing about trials in it even the dh, xc and 4cross was lacking a bit, and if you buy it for the reviews then there are much better more detailed reveiws on the net and in other magazines

Fair enough, but again I want to point out the difference in style akrigg has from people like phil feeney. Look at chris's section in earthed 3, Here, this video. Its not all bar spins, crank flips and 360's, its him, on a bike, going up and over things. Which after all is what trials is. And no it hasn't always been hopping everywhere. It has always encorperated hopping, but in the beginning of trials it was alot more flowing. Mod trials started out as a way of younger riders practicing skills for moto trails, stock trials began as guys on mountain bikes wanting a go at the same thing. I remember reading an artical in MBUK about 3 or 4 years ago where martyn ashton described competing in his first competition and rolling most of the section using skills from mountian biking. Its not something you can argue with, hopping a lot is something that has slowly taken over trials, it wasnt there in the beginning, not in any real amount anyway. You can't argue with that, thats a fact.

The question is, should we be considering this change as progresion or a step away from trials? And more to the point, why have a go at someone like akrigg for changing his bike set-up to develop skills he can use to go back to the origins of trials?

Its no different from the way downhillers oftern ride hardtails when training to develop there flow and get a smooth style without relying on the bikes technology. Akkers is just doing the same, he's learning not to relly on his breaks, in the same way alot of japanese riders use smooth rims and black maggie pads, they don't relly on the break, its just there as a helping hand.

Oh, and wayne, its not because you're an old man I agree with everything you've said in this thread, and I'm 18 and have only been riding trials about a year, haha, but I've been mountian biking since I was about 13.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Dont you Just Hate it When...

[basher]

Dont read MBUK and probs won't ever do really, the trials sections i have never thought much of and i think they dont feature enough of the riders who arnt going out there doing demos and people like martin ashton. Yeah we all love the icons of the sport but people wont to no about the up and comeing riders and riders that have acheieved but arnt in the public eye so much and i dont feel MBUK have a clue of trials really at all and how it is today. Someone said about they should go take photos on a big ride and then was told people wouldnt want to read about that i dont think thats true. People will want to read about how trials riders meet in sometimes pritty huge numbers to ride together and couple that with some shots of riders doing huge moves from may be a seperate shoot with a rider i think people will find it interesting and be amazed. And know what the true trials scene is like. I feel aswell as that showing people like akrigg is good as it shows how there is diversity but they need to do it with other riders such as boon on here or some one like that.

AS for trials itself i think trials is what you make it. Everyone makes it there own with there own styles and how they go about things and i think thats what makes it such a good sport. But feel instead of making it a great sport with so many influences its just dividing up riders.

Edited December 4, 2007 by basher

[Phil H]

dont you just ha....!!! PERFECT! nail on the head with hammer.

braintree trials you will learn to respect others ideas and how others choose to ride their bike, for you to critisize someone far superior of you (Chriss Akrigg) i think is absolutly appauling, ok yes that may be your opinion, but Chris has ridden for at least 15years. You have really put written something that you (ok you may think it is ok to do) think is ok to do, but havent re-read it.

Wayne.

Jees, you guys are right no doubt, I agree with you: brakes, no brakes its all good fun and braintree is talking some rubbish. But I think your getting abit over excited finding it 'appauling to critisize someone far superior to him', we are talking about who can ride a bicycle better, this isn't the army!

Just my thoughts.

Phil

P.S can't wait to see some new vids from him!

[boon racoon]

Just had a thought as far as "getting big" goes - yes, I know a lot of people want trials to stay underground and small but.

Look at Slopestyle and where it came from:

DH - not exciting enough to the public to be massively publicised

Dirt - not hugely accessible

Combine the two and you get a spectacle which is big business and exciting! And doing very well for itself.

Can you see a similar thing in Trials?

Competitions - not exciting enough to the public to be massively publicised

When you get a cross-over you add speed and excitement and get events like the Bike Battle.

And we're back to this old chestnut again haha.

[F-Stop Junkie]

iv found something AWESOME to put up.......

from an article in MBUK a good 5/6 years ago, when the contact vid and stuff was about. il write it up and post it in here at dinner time.

Five year old MBUK trials article? I'm intreuiged to see where this is going!

Nick Larsen has pretty strong views on trials, and I think it's a valuable perspective as someone with an outsiders view. He was the guy who, in a fit of genius, reckoned that trials-forum was one of the best things to happen to trials, and one of the worst...

[Rusevelt]

Matt (The Boon) has got a point there. events like Redbull Bike Battle is the way forward for promoting trials to public, seeking out new trials talent for bike sponsors, and potentially more business for the bike industry (as the industry cannot simply sustain itself on the current market of dedicated trialsters ie; us). Since we know unofficially that there are more numbers of casual urban trialsters, and street riders, than comp riders. UCI should welcome this with open arms and introduce urban and natural comps. the main problem would be insurance for riders who get hurt or injured. competing non-sponsored riders would have to insure themselfs or sign some clause if they hurt attempting something beyond their experienced bike skill level. look at Aaron Chase who broke his arm from riding a 15ft high skinny wooden beam at the recent Nissan urban challenge. chris akrigg also got hurt attempting that insane jump gap to wallride.

[Pashley26]

Well, I love how I ride trials (Not much XD) and thats more than enough for me.

I don't need people to say they like my style, or they like my bike. It's nice, but i'm more than happy with how and what i ride.

It's kinda obvious trials isn't one specific style of riding that every one must stick to. Hence the need for 20" and 26" styles and comps !

Be it natural, street, or comp....We're all just trying to get over something, jump higher and push ourselves further !

For all you know Akriggs bike might be the way forwards ? And it's not for us to judge his bike, or his motives for riding it....becouse he's obviously happy with what he's riding and he's having a bit of fun...And hey, one more page on MBUK with Trials written on it's got to be good news ?

How the f**k do you think people felt when 20"s came out !!!

Jarrod

[poopipe]

How the f**k do you think people felt when 20"s came out !!!

wonderful - cos there weren't any wankers on 26 inchers claiming they were kids bikes in 1977

anyway,

(IMO etc etc)

Most cyclists (from whichever discipline) use brakes as a crutch.

To put it in a trials perspective - You don't need brakes if you're sidehopping from two wheels, you dont need them when you land an up or gap (unless you're massively extended obviously), you dont need them when stationary (trackstand anyone?), you don't need them to manual, and you absolutely do not need them when reverting from fakie.

I'm not necessarily saying you should take them off altogether - I don't think you'd get far riding comps with no brakes regardless of what ashton says about the future - but I do think your riding improves if you keep their use to a minimum and do your best to flow through moves without stoppoing and starting.

[26inch]

whatever he does i wouldnt call it trials, firstly hes on a mongoose thats more of a jump bike. then hes obviosly going to be doing bunny hops and manuals and shit. which i see as a more bmx/street bike kinda thing

whoever wrote that article is a tard and shud go and watch dani comas rather than a guy on a green bike with no brakes and calling it trials

personally i cant see how you call it trials. competition trials is "real trials" if you like, and id love to see him do that with no brakes on a mongoose. i mean wtf!

GET A REAL BIKE (preferably with brakes)

edit: btw, MBUK are f**k tards aswell. why the hell even make that article

thats the reason i even posted in this topic lmao.

mbuk suck!

I know as it may come as a shock to some of you guys with pink rims and yellow xc hats but trials isnt just sidehops and taps,

How would you define trials. I reckon getting over obstacles without putting your feet down is the most basic description. thus if thats what he can do he is riding trials. just because its a different style dont mean it isnt trials. I bet when street riding started alot of people shunned that but now look at it.

and finally mbuk are not f**k tards, they do their job very well, which is attracting young kids into mountain biking. I dont like reading it but it doesnt mean it sucks. I know if it werent for them i probably wouldnt be mountain biking.

I reckon you need to stop being so narrow minded and look at the bigger picture

[Mark W]

competition trials is "real trials"

I think the biggest question to ask of this is:

And?

By that, I mean so what if that's what "real trials" is - who's to say he's going for that? He's just going out and riding his bike, he's one of 6 billion people on the planet just doing his own thing. It's not like it really matters in any real sense, so why confine his riding/what he's doing to certain words or disciplines? He's just doing his own thing, and in the process, is actually donig what we all should be doing - just doing what we enjoy (riding-wise), regardless of what people think is 'right'.

[nmt_oli]

This is one of the most interesting topics (about bikes!) ive seen on this forum in a long while.

I think its really a question of perspective. Things would be boring and things would never go anywhere without people trying new things, crossing over styles and disciplines.

Anyone who's ridden with me will know that im not a great rider by any means- i wouldn't even put myself in the good category, a lot of people fresh to the sport overtake my level pretty quickly. Ive been riding properly for 7 or so years, but thats a bit of everything. I tried my hand at dirt/street jumping, i had a go at DH, i went out for random long rides in the country side XC style, and i had a go at hopping around trials style with my mates locally.

The bottom line is, i never got properly good at any of them, but i had a damn good time trying! That is why i ride. I enjoy it. I don't ride trials anywhere near enough to improve to a significant level, going out for a couple of hours once every week or so does that. Ive never ridden a comp, but i want to have a go. Infact, the most fun ive had on a bike for a damn long time was going out on my XC rig a couple of weekends ago and doing a small loop which i used to do regularly. I nearly passed out up the hill as im much less fit that i used to be, and i hadnt had any breakfast, but coming down, i went faster than i ever had before, because my confidence has grown to some degree, and the feeling was unbeatable, it was a proper high. Ride to enjoy it, not to "fit in".

Ive stuck with trials, even though im never going to be great at it, as i have friends who still ride, the social scene is great, and whenever i go out on a ride, i don't get laughed at for not being able to do something, i get praised when i make something (however easy for 95% of the group) and encouraged to do new things, so i really do still enjoy it.

We should be praising Akrigg for having a go, and coming out with some truely amazing riding, not criticising him cause hes "too flowy for trials" or because he took a spray can to his bike.

[Revolver]

funnily enough

i can pedal kick without using my brake

doing it makes you realise the connection between tricks like abubacas and fufanus and pedal kicks

YEAH

1st post for...

4 months? lol

[Rusevelt]

Just wonder if anyone has has tried to run a fixed front and rear sprocket so it rides like a uni-cycle? at least that way you can control your forward, backwards momentum. obviously it will be hard to get use to without the feel of a regular freewheel, but it will be the best way to attempt brakeless proper trials riding. backwheel hopping deathgrip style has been done before.