Greetings Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 Bare with me on this one. I think there's a decline in popularity of this sport everywhere. In my opinion, the chief reason for this is that trials is becoming boring. Why? Because since day one, most of us strive to jump as high as possible. There's nothing wrong with that, after all we want to clear more and more obstacles which is what this sport is about. 8-9 years ago, high bb stock frames started appearing and many people realized that these frames make it a lot easier to achieve their main goal. Nothing wrong with that either. However, high bb frames make it much more difficult to perform other, more interesting moves from a viewer's (potential trials rider's) perspective. Hence, the sport becomes less attractive and fewer people will join in. Riders who prefer to take the oldschool route now have little choice when it comes to frames. Fast forward a couple of years from the release of high bb frames and Inspired comes along with Danny, offering pretty much the same riding experience as the sport of bike trials did 10-15 years ago. Except now it's called street-trials. The evolution of street-trials bikes is going in a funny direction, like a tape playing backrwards. The bb's are lower, wheelbase is shorter and head tube angle steeper. Sounds familiar? That's the evolution of bike trials in reverse. As a result of Inspired and heavy marketing from Danny and other top riders, bike trials has evolved into two different sports - the oldschool trials (now called street-trials) and modern trials, which seems to be losing supporters because it's all about going big (even in comps) and not much else. Not having a versatile bike anymore - a mix of the two - makes newcomers less likely to chose trials because of what this sport now stands for. I've spoken to a number of people over the past months who are not affiliated with trials and almost all of them think the sport is pretty boring. Would it not be, that trials was the most fun when it was actually a blend of the two disciplines that have spawned from the oldschool riding style? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 That's all well and good until you actually look at what geo really was back then, and realise that the geo of "street trials" bikes now isn't what it used to be on older frames. The BB heights are different, back ends are much shorter now and head angles are (for the most part) steeper. The actual ways people are riding are different too - a pretty apt case in point would be James Barton's new video. Most people who rode bikes like Zeros and so on didn't really do the same stuff that people are doing now (e.g. Ali/the miscellaneous French dudes who all do some really tech front wheel stuff that no-one did back in the day), hence most old school trials videos still being mainly just people doing 'proper' trials moves on the only bikes they really had available for it. Some people definitely added more manuals and stuff like that in than people would on a modern high BB bike now, but that's not a massive change when you consider all the other moves on offer. We just need the second coming of Rowan and Nicky G to show that there are more interesting ways of riding and using what's around you to do stuff on. There still hasn't really been any other riders to do the kinds of things they did/do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 That's all well and good until you actually look at what geo really was back then, and realise that the geo of "street trials" bikes now isn't what it used to be on older frames. The BB heights are different, back ends are much shorter now and head angles are (for the most part) steeper. The actual ways people are riding are different too - a pretty apt case in point would be James Barton's new video. Most people who rode bikes like Zeros and so on didn't really do the same stuff that people are doing now (e.g. Ali/the miscellaneous French dudes who all do some really tech front wheel stuff that no-one did back in the day), hence most old school trials videos still being mainly just people doing 'proper' trials moves on the only bikes they really had available for it. Some people definitely added more manuals and stuff like that in than people would on a modern high BB bike now, but that's not a massive change when you consider all the other moves on offer. We just need the second coming of Rowan and Nicky G to show that there are more interesting ways of riding and using what's around you to do stuff on. There still hasn't really been any other riders to do the kinds of things they did/do. Rowan johns is king!!! Can you please share who nicky g is marky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 Nick Goddard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valk Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 (edited) I like to try to go as big as I can, that being said, a higher bb bike is better for me. However, I do not (and I think noone else does) rides with the idea in mind of attracting someone to the sport. We all ride to have our own fun, being big gaps and sidehops or manual-ing all over the parks. Each one of us does what us personally consider as fun. I know that old videos (really old not 2007) look really fun in what they do and the whole vibe of the video is pretty cool, but that doesn't mean I want to imitate it, like watching a bmx video, I think it's cool but it's not something I really want to do (not saying I never will either). IF someone looks at what WE do and thinks it looks amazing then great, it'd be amazing to get that person into the sport; but getting that person into the sport isn't really any rider's main goal. Edited August 22, 2014 by valk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waybe2014 Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 Having just got into trials I remember watching someone riding at the nec motorcycle show many years ago, but it was Danny mac videos that made me finally start. However now I actually prefer more traditional trials but these videos just don't get much media attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bing Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Ride with adam wilson. Trials would no longer be boring 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clerictgm mk2 Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Bare with me on this one. I think there's a decline in popularity of this sport everywhere. In my opinion, the chief reason for this is that trials is becoming boring. Why? Because since day one, most of us strive to jump as high as possible. There's nothing wrong with that, after all we want to clear more and more obstacles which is what this sport is about. 8-9 years ago, high bb stock frames started appearing and many people realized that these frames make it a lot easier to achieve their main goal. Nothing wrong with that either. However, high bb frames make it much more difficult to perform other, more interesting moves from a viewer's (potential trials rider's) perspective. Hence, the sport becomes less attractive and fewer people will join in. Riders who prefer to take the oldschool route now have little choice when it comes to frames. Fast forward a couple of years from the release of high bb frames and Inspired comes along with Danny, offering pretty much the same riding experience as the sport of bike trials did 10-15 years ago. Except now it's called street-trials. The evolution of street-trials bikes is going in a funny direction, like a tape playing backrwards. The bb's are lower, wheelbase is shorter and head tube angle steeper. Sounds familiar? That's the evolution of bike trials in reverse. As a result of Inspired and heavy marketing from Danny and other top riders, bike trials has evolved into two different sports - the oldschool trials (now called street-trials) and modern trials, which seems to be losing supporters because it's all about going big (even in comps) and not much else. Not having a versatile bike anymore - a mix of the two - makes newcomers less likely to chose trials because of what this sport now stands for. I've spoken to a number of people over the past months who are not affiliated with trials and almost all of them think the sport is pretty boring. Would it not be, that trials was the most fun when it was actually a blend of the two disciplines that have spawned from the oldschool riding style? You're mostly right. Street-trials bike give you so much opportunities to ride everything in so many ways. I started to ride pogostick and be bored in just 8 months (but when I just started motivation was unbelievable, rain, shower, snow, -20 -30 -36°C, I don't give a single f**k, I just ride-ride-ride). Brakeless helped alot not to leave trials at all (I thought about it). But now I have this beautiful fourplay with more trialsy stem (90x35) and feel awesome. I ride every day until I hurt myself or exhausted. 90% of time by myself, alone, and see no problem in this. I can do trials and street on one bike and this is amazing. Yes it's hard to do some huge static gaps and sidehops because it weights a ton and geo is not pogostick like but I don't care, the main reason I ride is for fun and joy, and with street-trials bike I get the MAX of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross McArthur Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Jumping up the same wall over and over again will get boring quick, no matter what bike you're on. I always seem to regain my love for trials after riding a new spot or riding with new people. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Harrison Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Ultimately all I did on my bike was what I enjoyed doing, and a long bike I never found fun because the better geometry for higher hops came at the expense of manuals and front wheel stuff etc. The 'sweet spot' seemed to be around 1030. As Mark says, geometry is now quite different, but I disagree about what people were doing. I see far more videos now of pure trials moves, but 'back then' I remember seeing plenty of bmx type moves, certainly around 2003/4 with ET riding, the advent of the 24" bike and long bikes really getting popular. Inevitably the street trials geo will have evolved (look how BMX geometry has changed in 10 years), but if I was riding with a bunch of 24" riders today, I think it would feel pretty similar to how it was riding trials in 2004. I see some of the fest videos, and it's just queues of shirtless people doing the same tap or hop, and it just does nothing for me. Remember the displays at the old Bike shows, when you had Akrigg and co doing crazy lines? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
315r Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 IMO jump the same flat wall with the same movement over and over again is boring. Like "old TGS". But practice natural trial, with infinite possibilities, grips, angles....is not boring. Obviously, actual street trial or brakeless are funny too just because, again, U have infinite movements to do. Creativity is not boring.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*gentlydoesit Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 As long as riding isn't confined to one obstical and has a flowing line it can't be boring no matter what bike its on. I do cringe when I see pallets! It looks too much like practice, I'd rather watch the riding that the practice makes possible. But no, over all trials is, for me at least, still visually impressive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.KYDD Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I only ride 'trialsy' trials, but it's really only ever proper natural. I hate riding street as it's soooo boring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 There's nothing natural about those metal bars of the demo rig Mr Kydd!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelistic Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I do think lack of versatilty on a bike would put people off buying one, at least initially. My first proper trials bike was an old skool T-Rex (the old blue one, very short, zero bb rise) and even then I was put off for quite a while as I didn't like the idea of a bike being so limited. I did trials on a jump bike for a year or so before committing to the T-Rex because I liked the idea that I could still do some general mtbing on it, ride the odd jump etc. A personal thing i don't like about trials bikes is that they don't really help you get from A to B and don't help you get over obsticles either (easier to climb over without a bike). Bikes from any other disipline do seem to help, even a downhill bike can be ridden along the road without too much trouble. I find a streety bike adresses this to an extent as you can ride along a bit better and they generally seem more versatile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.KYDD Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 (edited) There's nothing natural about those metal bars of the demo rig Mr Kydd!! Ha, fair comment. Demo's be different though - wouldn't class shows as a typical days riding. On a related note though, riding Demo's defiantly helps keep riding trials interesting, though when you've got a string of then in a row it can get a bit tedious. This weekend I'll be just 'riding' for the first time in about 6 weeks! Edited August 22, 2014 by J.KYDD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Bleech Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I see some of the fest videos, and it's just queues of shirtless people doing the same tap or hop, and it just does nothing for me. Remember the displays at the old Bike shows, when you had Akrigg and co doing crazy lines? There was a cool video of Akrigg messing about at The Bike Show on his old Onza, not seen it in years... Can't find it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamKidney Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I only ever properly enjoyed trials when riding new spots and natural really. I'd love another bike, but it would have to be something streety and different to what Ive already tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I'd like to see you on a brakeless mod similar to Flipps, bet you'd do well on that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamKidney Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I'd like to see you on a brakeless mod similar to Flipps, bet you'd do well on that! Me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Yup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamKidney Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I had a quick stint at brakeless on one of my Ice2s, enjoyed it. Could be a cheap way back into it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Not when you go through frames every week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bing Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 (edited) And bend forks Edited August 22, 2014 by bing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamKidney Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I had the shittest time before I stopped haha. 2 Echo 24"s and two mod frames within 7 months, and four sets of 24" forks. Never had manyyyy issues with mods though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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