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Future of trials...


onzatpro09

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Sorry if there is already a thread on this topic but I was sat doing nothing earlier and just started thinking about the future of trials. Although i haven't been doing it for long and don't really know about it's evolution up to now i couldn't help thinking about where it might be in 5, 10 maybe even 50 years. Please correct me if I'm wrong (i'm sure yo would anyway :P) but from what i gather, trials started on modded BMXs, hence the name "mod," then it spread to 26"s, and then 24"s came in at some point recently.

Manufacturers are already producing super light weight parts out of carbon fiber, and are experimenting with frames too, but what about the idea of parts being 3D printed with internal honeycomb-like structures inside? It would be super strong and light weight and you might end up with a bike lighter than your helmet nearly :P. Will the entry level bikes (like the onza rip/bird etc...) be full carbon in the future? What about "brakeless revolution mk2" where people are riding trials on fixed gear bikes? Nobody thought brakeless would work until someone gave it a proper go, now BANG! It's a legit sector of trials. What will trialsy world records be like in the future, for example highest sidehop, hook, bunny hop or up to front? It's the same with the motos (although the majority of you chaps won't care :) ) Will they have all carbon frames and be electric? Like big Osets? Will a bike go from weighing 80-odd kilos to half the weight of the rider?

A link to something that made me think about fixie trials:

All i can say is that i really don't know what'll happen in the future. What do you guys think?

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i reckon through axles will start to appear for more bikes than skye's... who knows... there super strong, and if there's a way to keep them strong and the weight down, it could be a possibility... :)

I can't remember where but i remember seeing an MTB with one fork leg and chain/seatstays on one side... I don't think it ws just an old apollo yhat had been butchered or anything, i think it was a legit thing. Could that be a thing in the future?

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I can't remember where but i remember seeing an MTB with one fork leg and chain/seatstays on one side... I don't think it ws just an old apollo yhat had been butchered or anything, i think it was a legit thing. Could that be a thing in the future?

nope, you can buy high carbon steel forks with 1 fork arm, there just not that common i guess :)

Edited by JJ Leigh
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nope, you can buy high carbon steel forks with 1 fork arm, there just not that common i guess :)

I suppose to make it beefy enough for trials use you'd need to have the same weight in gussets and strength increasing features that you saved by hacking off a leg :)

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Will the entry level bikes (like the onza rip/bird etc...) be full carbon in the future?

it's not hard to imagine all bikes being carbon once they can recycle it efficiently. maybe there will be a time that all you can get is carbon unless you pay through the nose for a metal frame as a special thing... i was reading that trek and specialized are starting plan to recycle their frames.

i can't see one sided bikes ever taking off for trials, theres to much twisting and stuff, if it was viable surely there would be road bikes doing it? or at least companies experiementing with it?

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I can't remember where but i remember seeing an MTB with one fork leg and chain/seatstays on one side... I don't think it ws just an old apollo yhat had been butchered or anything, i think it was a legit thing. Could that be a thing in the future?

Not seen a MTB version before but it's been done on a road setup a few times.

right21.jpg

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But what about literally making a trials fixie... popping a fixed sprocket in place of your freewheel on an actual trials bike? I'd try it myself but i don't have the resources nor skill to properly test it :P

I tried it (very briefly) on my old Inspired but very quickly found that the gearing is just too low on a trials bike to realistically use. I'm sure someone like Ackrigg could give it a good go but it's not for mortals.

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Hmmm,through axles on the forks yes but trials riding has a major factor which is angles and measurements. We are completely anal about every single degree or mm. If you ran a through-axle on the rear there's really only 2 ways of tensioning the chain. A tensioner which adds weight or something like a eccentric bottom bracket which can essentially raise,lower or even move the BB further back. Essentially this also adds more weight as you have to have a shell in shell. Trials is a fickle thing! The oldest methods seem to be the easiest and reliable. I've seen some mental designs,angles and massive BB heights and trials always comes full circle!

Take for example Fontenoys elephant bike or the Vinco. Crazy bikes! Then everything goes tame and low then boom...back up to +100 again and hydro formed to oblivion!

The markets always kept so fresh this way!

Sorry it's a rant....just finished nightshift and I've a terrible case of exhaustion mouth!

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Tapered head tubes to be come the norm.

Splined freewheels + sprockets to be used by everyone - its soooooo much better than threading

More carbon in top end bikes. Carbon cranksets?

Oh, and fixie trials will NEVER be adopted - ever ridden a fixie?

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Tapered head tubes to be come the norm.

Splined freewheels + sprockets to be used by everyone - its soooooo much better than threading

More carbon in top end bikes. Carbon cranksets?

Oh, and fixie trials will NEVER be adopted - ever ridden a fixie?

I do it every day

My beard is just flying in the air and it is so fast that the wind hurts my eyes through my glasses with no lenses

My Iphone 5S plays the beautiful music but probably you never heard them, they are underground bands only

My iMac is on my back as well

Apart from the joke, I cannot see, why fixie would be a good way to ride trials. Maybe for the ultra high end segment (I am going to drill 5 1mm diameter holes in my frame so I can spare 4 gram, racing riders) where every gram matters, but for us, who just have fun and try not to be killed when riding.. It would be too much to pay attention

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Tapered head tubes to be come the norm.

Splined freewheels + sprockets to be used by everyone - its soooooo much better than threading

More carbon in top end bikes. Carbon cranksets?

Oh, and fixie trials will NEVER be adopted - ever ridden a fixie?

Hope this doesn't happen, so ugly

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Hmmm,through axles on the forks yes but trials riding has a major factor which is angles and measurements. We are completely anal about every single degree or mm. If you ran a through-axle on the rear there's really only 2 ways of tensioning the chain. A tensioner which adds weight or something like a eccentric bottom bracket which can essentially raise,lower or even move the BB further back. Essentially this also adds more weight as you have to have a shell in shell. Trials is a fickle thing! The oldest methods seem to be the easiest and reliable. I've seen some mental designs,angles and massive BB heights and trials always comes full circle!

i'd quite happily go to a through axle, front and rear if i could have the chain tensioner from that ozonys with the 3 dropout positions. it would be super stiff, my rear wheel wouldn't wiggle if i land funny and my disc brake would always be lined up perfectly. plus chain tension and chain wrap are never a bad thing. weight penalty be damned.

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Trials progression is slow.

Brakeless isn't a progression, just a side turning. There are no brakeless riders in the big comps because it's a big disadvantage at something that is about winning. Street trials isn't about winning.

I have no idea who is leading the fads of trials atm with Koxx going/ gone/ coming back or whatever. They seemed to influence the market somewhat. 24" will never rival stocks or mods for true trials, tricks and trials just don't work together to be amazing at both.

The future will be riders hooking 10 foot walls. The skill progression is slow. But i think 40" sidehops are the norm by everyone now. Eventually it'll be 50".

I imagen we'll see some technology to help wheel drive, and 10 foot gaps will become the norm to.

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Maybe, but there are genuine performance benefits to be had. Stiffer forks, less chance of snapping at the base of the steerer

Looks f**king minging though, removes the sleekness of the front end. Also means another standard with headsets.

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Looks f**king minging though, removes the sleekness of the front end. Also means another standard with headsets.

I think that tapered headtubes look fine, they certainly look strong...

The standard has already been set as 1 1/8 and 1.5. there may be a period where it's hard to get an after market fork but you can get headsets that downsize the lower to accept a 1 1/8 steerer... my king has developed a creak, i imagine having a larger headset might help reduce creaks and such so it probably is quite beneficial.

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I think that tapered headtubes look fine, they certainly look strong...

The standard has already been set as 1 1/8 and 1.5. there may be a period where it's hard to get an after market fork but you can get headsets that downsize the lower to accept a 1 1/8 steerer... my king has developed a creak, i imagine having a larger headset might help reduce creaks and such so it probably is quite beneficial.

Normal 1 1/8th headsets where strong enough though, people only had issues with the really lightweight stuff. That rockman frame that had the tapered headtube seemed pretty retarded, no one is ripping the bottom part of headtubes open are they? Damon watson wasn't smashing headsets apart so I don't really feel the need.

Is it lighter? If you're buying decent forks anyway they aren't going to be particularly flexy. I see the need on mountain bikes but not trials.

Where is your king headset creaking?

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