Is Trials Coming To An End For Me?

[Ash-Kennard]

the trick is buy one really UCI bike and one super street bike, once my leeson gets fixed ill be out on group rides on the echo and just f**king about on the leeson, hopefully making everything more interesting and giving me a new perspective on the sport

[Lukeee]

Its called the Winter blues.

I work 6 days a week. I spend most nights doing more legwork for my company. Trying to give enough time to my Mrs.

People get like this every Winter. Trust me on this one , Don't bother selling your bike to get a car. Its really not worth it.

Edited February 17, 2006 by Lukeee

[F-Stop Junkie]

I've been riding on and off for over ten years. During that time, my interest in riding and gone up and down. Some days I couldn't get enough, others I really didn't want to ride. Throughout this time though, my interest and love of the sport has never deminished.

Recently though I've struggled to ride. A certain amount of frustration at my lack of ability, and not having insurance for my bikes has really made me very concerned about having them around.

Now the insurance issue is cleared up and I'm living in a great area for cycling. On top of that, having a street MTB has kept my interest in riding, and given me a different outlook on things, as has my Inbred.

I've been lucky that I've been able to keep all my bike and kit during this time. It's good having them around as it reminds you that you are a rider, and that you should be going out and having fun in the mud. I can't wait now to get out riding, go up into the hills, hit the trails, and perhaps sign up for a few YMSA comps during the year.

We'll see.

If you have to sell your bike, for whatever reason, then you have to. If you can keep hold of it, do. You'll be thankful in the future.

[TrashZen]

Its called the Winter blues.

People get like this every Winter. Trust me on this one , Don't bother selling your bike to get a car. Its really not worth it.

Totally agree

Every winter, I am tempted to take that "wise decision" before I injure myself beyond repair, and then, summer is on and I can't ride enough... it's not about going bigger or being the best, but simply the instant feelgood factor being on the bike that keeps me going...

Plus, a car will suck all your energy, money, and time for getting roadrage and stuck in traffic jams ... is that worth the miserable bling factor? OK if you leave completely out of town, it can be practical, but else... don't bother.

But yeah, as stated before, if you want to ride, you'll find the time (just ignore TV or your playstation)

Edited February 17, 2006 by TrashZen

[Brian Bleech]

tut tut tut all these 16 year olds complaining they don't have time to ride, try like us old bastards having a full time job, girlfriend and having to actually budget and shit for rent,food,etc

its all about priorities and organisation really, i am lucky and have a gf that supports me riding , so try to sort stuff out like i go riding when she wants to see her friends! But now i rather ride than go out on piss (which i still do occassionally, because its fun) and i have go out riding for a few hours and then met up with mates in pub/club at 11ish, so its true if you want to ride, you will find time.

Sometimes riding less is good too - i hadn't ridden in a week or so and first time i had ridden uni for a coplue of weeks and i did so much new lines and stuff, because i really wanted to ride and i was determined not to the same old stuff

[squince]

lol yeah 6 foot 4 wide haha Did i ever tell you about when the drunk bloke accused me of talkin 2 kids about cocks? And poked me in the eye.... Was funny times....Tried to smack em aswell...b*****d

LOL

[HargrovesToby]

im deffinetely selling my 26 and i think i will be buying a 20 then. thanks people, you have all relighted my spark.

toby

[Trials Dave]

Ha i was hook when I was doing GCSE's hardly revised !!! i blame trials for my turddy grades of C's oh well lol, am in 6th form still find time to ride plus learning to drive aswell. And heading to uni end of this year....

haha. yeah same here. we had a thing called home study where you stay at home and go in just for exams. me and my unemployed mate (at the time) went out riding all the time. he ven dropped me off at the exam after riding. so i got crappy grades aswell.

you will love 6th form if you can put up with the pretty boys!!!!

you will love it because you will get like 1 lesson per day then you can go out riding all the rest of the time. lmao

thats what i do everyday!

[petit_pablo]

Trials stopped for me when i got a full time job and was driving as well.

Its taken me nearly 6 years to get back into riding but im back now, enjoying it again and am better in 4 months back riding than i was after 2 years

[ramps]

Riding for me is also getting very boring. I am 16 and unlike most of you I have too much time to ride, this is what i think is making me not enjoy it as much,its beggining to get repetitive. Also after two years of riding I am only at the level of people that have been riding 6 months, and to add to it, getting progressivly worse . As for the group rides, the idea of riding with more than 5 or 6 people doesn't sound too great as there is more people to please and no doubt more people that will piss you off by criticising you, your bike or their 'poor' performance, when they take the piss out of my under developed skill with their expertise.

Edit : I haven't quit and don't plan to, just having a complain.

Edited February 17, 2006 by ramps

[Lawnmowerman]

I've quit aswell, tore my knee ligaments in july last year and havent really ridden since. Rincing my bmx though

[Dan Clark]

Trials has got far too competitive recently in my opinion, it's not about having a laugh anymore, it's about getting precious inches on your taps, or having a perfectly colour co-ordinated bike.

That thing Ash said earlier sums it up perfect.

[OD404]

If you want time pressure, try doing a masters in mechanical engineering....

If I'm not in lectures I'm working till late in the evening. The only times I get to ride are in the holidays when I go back home. I rode far more when I was doing my placement and had a 9-5 than I do now. Nevertheless, even though I may not ride as much, I still keep hold of my bike, knowing that when I do get the chance, I actually enjoy riding, especially as the people I ride with are a good laugh to be around. As some have already said, competition is not always a good thing, I for one prefer a more relaxed atmosphere to ride in than one where I feel I have to prove myself to those around me, but then this is very much an individual taste.

A few people here seem to think that getting a car will be the end of their riding, for me, it actually re-kindled trials as I could visit more places, meet more people. In fact, I got more out of trials having bought a car than I ever did without one.

Everyone is different, so if you feel this is the end then so be it, all I'll say is make sure that whatever decision you make, it's what YOU want, a you may regret it later on if you don't.

[HargrovesToby]

hiya people,

thank you all very much for your replies and i have devised a plan of action as follows.

i am selling my 26 inch now no matter what.i am going to save the money untill after my GCSE are over and then buy my 20" but keep riding my other bike here and there to keep the skill up.

i totally agree with the whole competitiveness, it is way out of hand. I have 2 very funny guys i ride with which are the best people in the world in my eyes to ever ride with but there is the group rides which is taken way to seriously.

trials is a sport people do to enjoy, not to get criticised and put off.

toby

[T-Limburn]

i'm 16 and also feeling the same pressures. i want more time now to socialise with mates, go to partays and stuff. i also need to make time for exams and things that are coming up.

i'm trying to get back into riding again, and the bristol ride tomorrow should really kick this off, but things always break and die and stuff which kinda pi55es you off as you never seem to have any money! i am definantly going to try and keep going for as long as possible, but feel it's pretty much all down hill from here unfortunately.

well i'll have to see what the bristol ride is like tomorrow, should boost some spirits and make me want to carry on forever!

Tom

just watching some of porters vids has made me want to keep riding!! have to see what happens...

Edited February 19, 2006 by T-Limburn

[Olly C]

I see alot of posts in this thread about how Trials is too competetive and not as fun anymore, people dont talk to each other on group rides etc.

Whenever theres a group ride in Cambs I always try and make sure everyone just has a laugh doing what were doing, we'll try some big stuff and some small stuff and some stupid stuff to follow suit aswell but the main importance on a ride is to have fun and meet up with the people who enjoy the same stuff as you.

I agree with Andy P saying if your wanting to ride Trials then you will find time for it, I've got no-one within 10 miles of me so I ride alone all the time, I sometimes get back from my 9-6 work, have dinner chillout on the net then at like 10:30-11:30 I get a huge urge to go out and ride in the pitch black freezing cold So I hop on my bike and go for a 45min session just on my own, trying new things or improving on other moves.

At the end of the day Trials is what you make it, progression is a part of Trials but its not the most important part, the most important thing is to have fun riding progressing obviously add's to the fun along with having a group of riders who are up for a ride with you in a great local spot any time of the day but not all of us have that, if it wasn't for this forum Im not sure what my state of mind would be but knowing this place exsists with the community it has keeps my spirit up when riding alone and stuff, it would be a massive chunk of my life gone without all this..

Olly.

[THE trials commentator]

im gonna agree with dan and ash,i prefer those times when everyone messed around and had a laugh.anyways,i've just started riding again,after having a year of working on and off,fightin drug addiction etc but im sober now(apart from a bit of drink) and thoroughly enjoyin the little rides near my house.loads of the people in abingdon that quit have started again and were all lovin it again! I start a new job tomo so iim gonna work for a few weeks and then i'll have money to go on group rides again.

i think its just last year that seemed to kill trials for alot of people,dont know why,it was just a shit year in some aspects.

ttfn

Carl

[petit_pablo]

people in abingdon that quit have started again and were all lovin it again!

ttfn

Carl

Damn right!

There was the massive number of 4 out last week!! lol

[gilly]

Whenever i feel myself getting a bit fed up with the same old tricks, i just try and invent or come up with a few new more streety lines, say can i 360 over that object etc... Then i get really into it again and all is well with the world

[Olly C]

im gonna agree with dan and ash,i prefer those times when everyone messed around and had a laugh.anyways,i've just started riding again,after having a year of working on and off,fightin drug addiction etc but im sober now(apart from a bit of drink) and thoroughly enjoyin the little rides near my house.loads of the people in abingdon that quit have started again and were all lovin it again! I start a new job tomo so iim gonna work for a few weeks and then i'll have money to go on group rides again.

i think its just last year that seemed to kill trials for alot of people,dont know why,it was just a shit year in some aspects.

ttfn

Carl

Nice to hear your back on track Carl

[Nick Garland]

I felt the same i broke my wrist riding in september. Decided to sell some of my bike, but when my wrist was ok i found i missed trials riding and regretted selling stuff. 5months later i've just got my bike working again, and i'm loving riding again. You will really regret selling your bike. Went down to portsmouth on saturday, could pretty much do all the same stuff but was a lot more sketchy had a laugh with my mate who's getting back into it to. This last week i've ridden every day and getting back into like 40" taps not highest but it's still fun.

I'm 17 at college and all that, and i still have loads of time to ride. At GCSE rode a lot to, helped me clear my head a lot of like all the pressures of getting good grades and getting into college and all that stuff. Still managed to get straight B's with fitting riding in.

Haven't been on a big group ride yet so i can't say i know about all this competiveness. I know riding with one or two people is still a great laugh though

seriously don't sell you'll miss it, i went to BMX and yea was alright at it but got bored after a while wanted trials bike back

Hmmmm i've seemed to have rambled....

Alex

This guy doesnt lie, when he broke his wrist I sold up, and I regretted it, bought a bike back the other week and I agree its alot more fun to be riding. I dont have as much time to ride in winter as its cold and with collge dont finish till 4:15 and weathers abit shitty at the moment. As soon as summers here though the rides will be back on, good weather and late nights.

Dont give up you will regret it, I sold my toxsin with kings everywhere, pimped out to the max, havent seen many bikes as pimped to be honest and I miss it, but getting an adamant tomorrow and sorting that out soon enough.

Nick

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

Nice to hear your back on track Carl

ditto

Edited February 22, 2006 by Charel

[ellingtj]

With reference to the original poster:

I've been riding trials since 1996 (first comp in 97) and I still love it but only get out once a month really - but that's the secret right there. I only ride when the urge has really built up so I enjoy it. Don't force yourself to ride. Many people lose interest when they leave school (my first comp was during the first year of uni so I had settled a bit after college) as they're exposed to new past times. Don't feel bad about giving up riding, it's just one of those things - people lose interest in things, that's life. I've seen many people give up over the years and many stay that way but some come back. If you're injuring yourself at such a young age it should be viewed as a good thing giving up - there will be more important things to consider in the future than whether or not you should give up trials.

Bye.

Tim.