Daan Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 Wondering if any of you guys ride both a 20" mod and a street trials (26") bike regularly? I've been riding street trials for a decade, and recently got this mod bike to mess around on, thinking it'd be fun and might improve my riding. First impression, I don't much like the way the mod rides. It's draggy as hell and the long stem with the tiny wheel makes for a very sketchy floppy feeling frontend. After about 5 rides I sort of started to get the hang of it, could manual and bunny hop it a bit, felt less weird. Still, only thing I feel is easier is just standing on your rear wheel and moving around a bit. But trials moves like static gaps, side hops even, I can't get the distance I get on my 26". Anyway, today I tried my 26" again, and that now felt super weird. Took me an hour to get the feel back somewhat. So that's why I was wondering, anyone else do this? Do you get used to the change quicker? Does your riding actually improve doing this (on both bikes)? Or am I just wasting my time? 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jere_h Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 It's all about experience and riding both bikes frequently. Eventually you'll get a muscle memory to both geometries and learn to remember their differences right away, until it's not a problem anymore. I ride full sus 29er and a 26 trials bike, which is a massive difference. But they're like different modes in my brain, programmed to switch on and off depending on which bike I ride. Yes I think you can improve your riding on both bikes together. It's pretty evident that many former comp riders can ride street trials often technically much better than pure street riders. There can be drawbacks too, usually trials riders tend to look very static on an MTB for example. But I think it's mostly about deeply understanding every bike and its purpose. I personally feel like riding different bikes has made me a better rider overall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canardweb Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 I have started strials on 26" and rode it for 12 years, then changed for 20" for 8 years, then back on 26" for a year and 20" for a year again. I still get that horrible feeling of not feeling at home on both wheel sizes after swapping between the two. Now I am back on 26 and loving it a lot more than ever. Don't know why but I just love rolling up things, which 20" is not that easy for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Bourde Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Agree with of you. Just want to add my own experience: I had several bikes (currently street trial 26", comp trial 20" and 26", 26 and 27.5 MTB) for many many years. From my experience: - if you switch a lot, you will feel comfortable to a new bike faster. - once you are used to a bike, it takes less time to feel well again on this specific bike - but even after many years, you will still need many hours to ride best with the bike. - with experience, you understand better how to use a geometry best. Overall switching to a new bike helps a lot: it is a source of motivation, it forces you to adapt your position, maybe even to force you to execute moves you won't use else. I currently ride a lot my 20", it was quite weird first but now I enjoy it a lot and it forces to pedal up more obstacles and to be more precise. I think people tend naturally to execute over and over moves they already can. Learning new moves seems to me to be more effective to progress faster. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted February 24 Author Report Share Posted February 24 Thanks for the input guys! I never had this feeling when switching between my regular MTBs (trail hardtail 29er, 27.5 DH and enduro) and my street trials bike, even when I was still riding a 24". I guess a street trials and MTB are more similar than a street trials and 20" comp bike. Funny thing, as I was convinced before I got it everything would be easier on such a low, small and tiny wheeled bike. I'd just throw it wherever I wanted. Not the case haha. But you've definitely convinced me to just keep on trying on the 20". I'll just be sure to switch regularly, keep it fresh and force my mind and body to learn and adapt more quickly. New moves are good too, working on gaps to front now, something I've never even tried to do in all the time I've been riding. And yeah, doing a pedal up feels more natural on the 20" than doing a bunny hop, but mainly because it is so f'ing draggy with that front freewheel 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Bourde Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 I forgot one thing: I have the impression it is more difficult when the bike and application are too close. For example I had more difficulties with a 24" race BMX than with a 20" on a pump track or race track where I used to ride a 26" bike. I had a similar feeling when I tried the different 24" street/trial bikes of my friends. I have a similar problem with the different keyboard layouts I have to deal with (en, dr, fr). I noticed that I don't map a location (home, at work, etc.) or a device (laptop, workstation, private computer) with a layout but more what specific application I am using (what mail program exactly). But maybe that is just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted February 26 Author Report Share Posted February 26 I feel application the same, but bike very different makes it more difficult Yesterday again on the 20", major frustration, went from bad to worse of course, little fun. Maybe I just don't gel with tiny wheels, my friend's 26" comp bike feels a lot more natural to me. On the other hand, for now, always good to have a spare bike, as I broke the rear cog on the street bike (expensive aluminium cog, no good, back to steel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelistic Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 I ride both an Alias 20.1 for natural/trials and an Alias 20.2 for street. Both similar setups with the main differences being: longer stem, FFW & trials tires on the 20.1, shorter stem (but with more headset spacers to give more rise), freehub and BMX rims/tires on the 20.2. When I ride both regularly I find I can swap between them with minimal problems (still takes 20 mins or so to get used to each one). If I don't ride one for a while though it feels very odd when going back to it. It helps to ride both regularly (once a week or more). It's probably not a lot of help as you ride a 26" street bike but I thought I'd add my experience just in case. I specifically got two Alias frames so I could do this as I wanted the two setups to be as easy to swap between as possible, and to a degree it works (eg pedal ups to rear are near identical, up to fronts not so much due to the stems). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted March 6 Author Report Share Posted March 6 Thanks @Rebelistic! How do you feel about the difference in drag? When I hop onto the 26" after a few sessions on the 20", it rides so incredibly light that it's almost scary. I do feel I'm getting used to the 20" a bit more now. Still, timing is super different from the 26", plus I can't pedal up for shit anymore, after having exclusively bunny hopped everything for years. But I think it's good to try different moves on both bikes, focusing on pedal ups and more static hoppy stuff on the 20", rolling and speedy stuff on the 26". A bit less frustrating that way, as I'm not comparing the two directly (except for gaps to back, where I can't seem to generate the power I need on the 20", but slowly milimetering my way forward there too). Actually had some fun last time out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelistic Posted March 6 Report Share Posted March 6 I remember perhaps when my FFW was new it did seem a bit draggy compared with the freehub. Now it's pretty good (although my rear disc is rubbing and driving me nuts but that's not the bike's fault). Now I'd say the drag I feel on the 20.1 (trialsy set up) is more from the tires. I do definitely recall thinking in the past how draggy it felt with the FFW though compared with the freehub so maybe I've just got used to it. I also remember thinking my mod tires sometimes felt more like big saggy sacks of wind rather than wheels. It's possible both my FFW and tires have improved in terms of rolling resistance due to the wear (FFW spins pretty freely and the tires are pretty bald, need replacing really). Having said that, the 20.2 streety set up does roll much better. I should also say that I never ride very far, usually take the car and put the bike in the back even to go to a local park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Dark Posted March 8 Report Share Posted March 8 I’ve never ridden a seated bike for any period of time… but i switch from mod to stock fairly regularly now. Main thing I’ve found is trying to make sure the contact points are as similar as possible, bar tape against foam grips, caged and flat pedals plus bar angle / geo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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