Jump to content

New Ryan Leech


Ross McArthur

Recommended Posts

For someone who is a certified Yoga Instructor, you would expect Ryan Leech's body movement and control on a bike, to be way smoother than Stan Shaw.

Personally i think the bike is limiting Ryan's range of movement which is why his style looks kinda cramped and sometimes out of control when performing certain moves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

See that does nothing for me either. Again landing like a sack of spuds doing nothing all that impressive. He's got excellent control and manual skills but overall I just don't rate him.

to be honest

as soon as I saw ryan leech in the title of the thread, I knew I would soon see a post from you about how bad his riding is

You do this in EVERY ryan leech thread.

I guess you just can't stand his riding style

It's ok for me, there's a lot a dude's style I can't stand either

but IMO there's a reason why he is a legend

and when I see these old vids that I saw years ago

I m still 100% sure he was the best at that time(in his league)

and he pushed trials riding forward

specially in street riding and big power moves

anyone from that era knows what I m talking about ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

See I'd agree with Jeff Lenosky, Martyn Ashton, Hans Rey etc. but Ryan's always been an 'also ran' in my book, much like Martin Hawyes. Good riders but just nothing special. In the days of Revolution etc. I'd much rather watch Lenosky, Gregorowicz or Martin Kelivard than Ryan. I know he's contributed a lot to the bigger picture of trials but I still dislike his style!!

I only do it in every thread because I've forgotten how much he makes me cringe when I watch his vids!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



For someone who is a certified Yoga Instructor, you would expect Ryan Leech's body movement and control on a bike, to be way smoother than Stan Shaw.

Personally i think the bike is limiting Ryan's range of movement which is why his style looks kinda cramped and sometimes out of control when performing certain moves.

Stan's bike will be top of the range tgs bike with all the lightest parts, big fat soft tyres & a tensioned singlespeed drivetrain, Ryan rides essentially a small mountain bike with sus forks, hard tyres, a rear mech slapping about between 8 or 9 gears and a long flappy chain, you try making that sound smooth.

He's old school, I don't mean "trials forum" old school, where you owned a T-rex or a Zebdi, I mean old school where 20+ engagement point hubs were just a dream and there was a 2" gap between your back tyre & bashguard. It's pretty hard to change your style if it's what you've grown up doing.

His style is what's made his career, a long bike & a 10" stem is not for everyone, I'm sure he's ridden plenty of people's bikes over the last 15-20 years and knows what he likes, he sticks with what he likes, and gets Norco to make him just that. I wish there were more riders like him who do things differently.

Edited by LEON
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

See I'd agree with Jeff Lenosky, Martyn Ashton, Hans Rey etc. but Ryan's always been an 'also ran' in my book, much like Martin Hawyes. Good riders but just nothing special. In the days of Revolution etc. I'd much rather watch Lenosky, Gregorowicz or Martin Kelivard than Ryan. I know he's contributed a lot to the bigger picture of trials but I still dislike his style!!

I only do it in every thread because I've forgotten how much he makes me cringe when I watch his vids!

I just think the direction he took waay back then to go down a slightly different route was pretty awesome. Sure the likes of big jeff and Martyn will always be a notch above but one of his sections in crux is for me level with the akrigg trial noir beginning on the big cubes in Barcelona. Sheer perfection.

I liked this because it was well made, and there are certain things that leech does, just a body movement, hey just a style about him that I just like - he has something, that I just love to watch. It's not that nobody else could have done this stuff it's just something about the way he did it.

It's like in the hope factory tour vid the other day - I recognised Martyn within a second from a long shot doing a skid - just something about the way he rides I just can't help but love. The top guys from back then all had something about the way they just ride a bike that you don't really get as much now.

I've not made much of a point here - I love lamp. (And Ryan leech)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The top guys from back then all had something about the way they just ride a bike that you don't really get as much now.

Bike handling skills from riding a bike like it's actually a bike, I guess.

I always find watching Ryan's riding weird though because it's smooth in the 'no hops' sense, but there's something about his movement on his bike that makes it not smooth as a 'style', for want of a better word. I think it just lacks a certain fluidity or something... I dunno. I get what you're saying about his decision to take his riding in that direction though.

Either way, it's cool that this video showed more of his riding side. I know he said that he's "got nothing left to prove" and doesn't "push himself to progress" or whatever, but it's still cool to get an honest riding video out of him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to contextualise this shit:

NSMB: How about filming a trials video? No talking, no message, just riding.

Ryan: I haven’t done that in a long time. I’ve got nothing to prove. I don’t have the urge or need to progress or push my limits anymore.
NSMB: How about just showing you going out for a fun trials ride. Do you still do that?
Ryan: Oh yeah, for sure. I love riding at the beach, and hitting up some creative urban lines. It’s pretty casual though.
NSMB: Well lets do that then. Let’s show you just hitting up some fun trials riding lines. Nothing more, nothing less
Ryan: Okay, actually, that sounds really great. I’m excited!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to contextualise this shit:

not sure if that is a direct / actual quote, but if it is...if I were Norco / (insert any of ryans big name sponsors here), thats not the kind of stuff I'd want to see the guys I pay big bucks to saying on the internet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not sure if that is a direct / actual quote, but if it is...if I were Norco / (insert any of ryans big name sponsors here), thats not the kind of stuff I'd want to see the guys I pay big bucks to saying on the internet

He's more of an ambassador though, not an inch pinching TGS rider.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried to do trials on a mountain bike like Ryan leech and it is just so different and fun, and I don't mind the extra weight of sus forks or heavy rims it just proves that you can have just as much fun on a regular bike, what some people would say isnt a trials bike doesn't mean you cant do the same stuff as a modern trials bike.

This probably wont make any sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anybody know what ryan is landing on at 1:18 in Kranked??! Ive never noticed this! :blink: Did he really drop that? Thats pretty wild. There has got to be a 20ft ball pit under there or something? Or maybe his front sus soaked up the impact? :D

Someone please shed some light?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha i agree! Like you said.. why would they? Dont think thatd tie in with his philosophy.. :P

I don't have a pinkbike account but i'll set one up and find out..

Leon, do you still ride mate? I remember your stuff from way back, didnt you have a white norco yourself for a time? Or am i getting confused?

Anyway, What a legend. Hes given so much to the sport.. everyone who rode trials was inspired by manifesto i rekon. i certainly was.

:o Seriously though.. that drop!

Edited by sharn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...