Raggo Posted January 28, 2023 Report Share Posted January 28, 2023 Hey everyone, so I'm thinking of getting back into trials. I used to ride in my teens but now I'm 35 and with a young family I want to have another go for a bit of fun and fitness. Seeing as I've been out of trials for so long, I don't know what's what anymore. My favourite/best suited bike was an orange zero. I also had a diamondback Ashton justice after probably 5 years off that was OK and then a 20 inch onza (genesis I think) probably another 5 years later. What would people suggest to look for as a bike to get back into trials? I used to ride street trials and some natural comps on the zero but that's not the same as what I see now in recent videos. I could never get on with the old comp/uci style bikes that were mega long. Any advice would be great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Bourde Posted January 29, 2023 Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 Hello and welcome (back), Modern comp bikes (stocks and mods) are now so extreme, that no one wants to cruise with this kind of bikes. They are really loooong with the weight shifted forward. I own one (a Crewkerz Cleep 2) and I really to "ride" with. But it is completely different type of "riding". It is better for natural, sidehops, front moves. Street/trials bikes suit you better. They are short and their geometry is closer to the Orange Zero's one. I owned one and I love how short and maneuverable they are. It was a dream in manual. The 24" bikes are easier to rotate and for riders who prefers BMX tricks. 26" street trials bikes (Inspired Hex, TMS Silex 26, Extension Drax) are slightly better for trial moves. They roll better on uneven surface and they are longer than the 24". They are quite difficult to find used and the market is so small, that there is sometime no dedicated parts. For example, there is no specific tubeless tires. I built a 26" street trials based on an Octane One Spark frame. It is a street/park frame, but the geometry is close to an Inspired Hex. It is quite close to my old Orange Zero, but heavier. Aluminum frames are much lighter and more responsive. Another possibility is to get a 10-15 years old comp bike. An Echo, Ozonys, Atomz, Koxx (XTP short?) for example. The bottom brackets were lower than now (+30/40mm instead of +65/80mm) and they were shorter. But maybe already too high and too long for your taste. Your style and your budget are the keys. If you really want to ride a lot of natural, go for an old comp bike (or a modern one and try to adapt) if you think than +30mm will be OK. Else try to get a 26" street/trials. If you want to try BMX tricks, go for a 24", but it will be much more difficult on natural surface. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggo Posted January 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 Thanks very much for all the info. The older comp bikes didn't suit me too well. My mate had a few and it didn't suit my riding back then but I loved to manual everywhere, rolling gaps etc and his bikes always seemed perfect when on the back wheel but no good for rolling stuff. Maybe it was the bikes or maybe it was me, I'm not too sure. I'm tempted to buy a zero frame and get all the parts from another bike and put them on a zero frame but I can't seem to find a good bike to strip or a zero at a decent price. The bike that looks closest to a zero (with my very limited knowledge) looks like a jitsie 24 1065? I think unless on comes up local for me to check out I'll keep an eye out for the older stuff like your suggesting. Bmx style is a no go now I'm older so maybe an old echo or similar might be the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Bourde Posted January 30, 2023 Report Share Posted January 30, 2023 The Jitsie is a strange piece of bike. It is like a comp bike bike with 24" wheels and a seat. Not sure this is what you are looking for. You can look for something like a giant team trial (version 3, which is more modern), or a Planet X, Koxx Code, or a 26" alloy street/trial: Inspired Hex, Element or Extension Drax if it fits your budget. Maybe a Monty 230 Urban fits too. Have a look at Ali C's vlogs, he rode different kinds of bikes and you will see how he adapts his riding style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggo Posted January 31, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2023 Cheers, I'll look up Ali c and start checking out for sale pages and see what I can get hold of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DYAKOV Posted February 14, 2023 Report Share Posted February 14, 2023 A guy on Facebook is selling a decent adamant 24” which would be the bridge between street and comp (similar to the 24” jitsie mentioned above) and is going quite cheap at £250 Ono… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiddy86 Posted March 11, 2023 Report Share Posted March 11, 2023 Message me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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