Jump to content

The Inevitable Question... Where is everyone?


dann2707

Recommended Posts

15 hours ago, isitafox said:

Normally this is the busiest time of the year for the forum, all the old members and lurkers come out of the closet as the weather is usually too bad to ride in and with Christmas just been there's usually a mass of parts for sale.

Doesn't seem to have worked like that this year though.

Plus I was talking about the non riders I'm chit chat where it wouldn't matter if it's cold or not outside haha 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Mark W said:

Have you heard of a thing called 'the internet'? :P  Trials is more accessible/visible than it's ever been if you think about it.  When I got into trials there was a tiny bit in MBUK and whatever was on offer in the VHS section at Halfords.  Now, you can find out about trials incredibly easily, there are a range of bikes available, loads of information to help you out, etc.  To use a couple of examples, Flipp got into trials by happening to see a video on Youtube.  We had a customer order a bike through us after seeing Danny's Cascadia video.  We frequently get people saying they've seen trials on Youtube which is why they're getting into it.  There's still going to be random trials videos popping up online and that helps get more people involved, so even if there's a drop off in the periphery there's going to be that back catalogue there that keeps it in the spotlight.  Other shit like scooters and 'hoverboards' (that aren't f**king hoverboards) might distract people a bit but there are still routes into trials that people can take.

I think it's fair more impacting to have friends getting into trials, and word of mount the old fashioned way. Sure seeing a youtube video etc is going to make people want to get into riding trials. But having a group of friends in the area who are riding trials is far more important for riders to get past 'learning the basics' and getting good enough to actually have a laugh with the sport and getting other people into it.

I agree trials is more accessible than ever before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still lurk but rarely post.

I can't remember the last time I went out on my trials bike and it's been hidden away in the loft for close to 2 years. The Salisbury trials scene died years ago, most of the locals I used to ride with have moved away and/or don't ride bikes and I haven't spotted newbies riding trials. I still cycle regularly but it's now all about 'real' bikes, I own a DH Bike, Trail Bike and Road Bike. Recently I have mostly been getting out on the road bike however until a few months ago I had been living in Whistler for about 15 months so I was riding a lot of DH and Trail.

Trials has been a massive part of my life and it influenced the way I am and the way I handle a bike. I'm still in contact with lots of people I met through trials, I have made and lost some of the best friends because of bikes and various forums however I'm the same as others and don't have the spark for riding bikes without seats. I would rather be out in the country covering some miles than sessioning a wall in a busy city centre.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is mean't as a joke but you can hardly be surprised that with the amount of people who ride in joggers and geek out about bike weight and performance that when they become old enough to drive they get attracted to max power magazine's and such.

Edited by uk24
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread seems like an appropriate place to post this quote from the end credits of The Collective MTB film.

"There are so many kids who get to a certain level and stop.You know? They see Car, Beer, Girls. What are you doing? There's Car, Beer, Girls and Bike. Not just the three, you can have four."

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 15/01/2016 at 2:11 PM, Mark W said:

Have you heard of a thing called 'the internet'? :P  Trials is more accessible/visible than it's ever been if you think about it.  When I got into trials there was a tiny bit in MBUK and whatever was on offer in the VHS section at Halfords.  Now, you can find out about trials incredibly easily, there are a range of bikes available, loads of information to help you out, etc.  To use a couple of examples, Flipp got into trials by happening to see a video on Youtube.  We had a customer order a bike through us after seeing Danny's Cascadia video.  We frequently get people saying they've seen trials on Youtube which is why they're getting into it.  There's still going to be random trials videos popping up online and that helps get more people involved, so even if there's a drop off in the periphery there's going to be that back catalogue there that keeps it in the spotlight.  Other shit like scooters and 'hoverboards' (that aren't f**king hoverboards) might distract people a bit but there are still routes into trials that people can take.

And 'You've Been Framed'....always YBF.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I haven't touched a trials bike for about 5 or 6 years now, maybe even longer than that. Occasionally I look at the tartybikes catalogue and think about giving the plastic a good hammering on something nice, but then again it would probably sit around because I just don't get much time these days between work, missus, travelling and other things.

If anything, I think I'll buy a motorbike (trials) as its where I started and I still love and follow the sport closely, so I'm likely to dedicate the time to this.

As for the forum, I come here as a stop gap between Amazon purchases and hardcore pornography.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started re posting here after a 5? Year gap of posting here because the American forum is so incredibly slow.

I was a bit sad to see this forum is almost as slow :(

At least there are strange culture differences that take more time to read into, and that car thread is hilarious with all of your tiny weak plastic toy cars.

I guess people just sit and look at Facebook / Instagram / whatever other bullshit  and the forum is too old school for most of the groms.

Edited by AndyT
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, isitafox said:

Facebook is where every goes to bitch and moan when they get called out for being a dick on here. The amount of posts I've read that people must think don't go back to the person they're about is hilarious! 

I haven't had Facebook for a good 5? or more years. It's a happy life not seeing all the bullshit that is written. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, dann2707 said:

Never understood that comment. You choose who you are friends with, delete or hide them. 

Yeah sure.

 

Can you choose who you are family with?

 

Can you choose how many gross ads are forced into your face? Or suggested friends / other creepy bullshit Facebook does to you?

 

I for one find myself in the world never looking at my phone. Everyone else is staring at their $600 Chinese piece of glass like a f**king lemming walking to their death. The modern life, "social media" life isn't for me.

 

I do Instagram however. And electronic mail people.  The rest :ermm:

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started in 2008 when i was around 12/13 purely through seeing a trials bike hanging on the wall in my local bike shop, ran into a few others about town of a similar age who were also riding and just had a laugh with it, nothing too serious. The forum brought the opportunity to branch out a bit and find local rides going on, which unfortunately seems to no longer be done. Each weekend there would be a Leicester ride with 5+ riders easily. Plus the likes of people taking it reasonably seriously such as Flipp, Mr Livesey and Bigman really gave me the inspiration and drive to take it more seriously myself. Unfortunately due to people moving away, injuries and people just generally getting into other hobbies the scene there is pretty much gone and since 2014 its been much more difficult to ride thanks to most of the decent spots being demolished and a lack of other riders. 

Luckily down here in Devon trials is seemingly still holding on reasonably well in comparison, but from what the locals say it has considerably diminished here also.

Edited by p_ruskin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

LURKER ALERT: I haven't ridden a trials bike in...... god knows how long - still got the BMX in the shed all bent and rusted!

Interesting to see no one in the thread mentioning the change in bikes being an influencing factor. When I started out riding in..... 2003'ish the most important asset with your bike would be how strong it was. Build a tank with good reliable parts as cheaply as possible - load up your back pocket with tar - if you were a real pro wear Ribos and go out and ride. 

Fast forward to 2010ish bikes were light, unreliable and massevly expensive. The lighter bikes were far easier to ride so it became a competition between riders to have the best possible bike. I got on the hype wagon and got a Rockman Malade which I snapped first ride out. 60-70% of the bikes out on rides were suddenly £1k+ and it pretty much killed it off for me. Since quitting I have been interested in getting back into the sport but the cost is far too much to justify. 

Also the number of bellends coming on rides stopped people posting rides on here and made the whole scene far more click'y.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally joined again last year due to nostalgia from the days of 05/06, when coming home after school and riding and watching videos on here was life, been busy and cold enough recently to ween my self off the force of habit of coming on here when I've don't have an interest in trials anymore. Bike for sale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel like I should post in here too...

Not ridden a trials bike in a very long time now but visiting this forum is something I've grown up with and have  so many emotional attachments to. Trials has had a massive impact on my life; my health, the music I listen to, work, friends I've made and sadly the friends I've lost. 

I have a large collection of old trials vids on a hardrive somewhere. Watching them is very nostalgic. I have to say, the difference in riding compared to nowadays is massive. I miss the days of Danny holroyd!

  • Like 4
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...