Help me spread my mental wings

[Gronk]

Hey guys, long time no post for me... I was right into the idea of trials a while back but like Bart Simpson and his guitar, I wasn't good at it right away so I quit Now my bike sits in the garage gathering dust.

I WANT to ride it, but when I did I just felt constantly frustrated at my rediculously slow learning curve and total lack of grace. Plus a 34 year old guy riding around a school yard in the afternoons just never sat right with me for some reason

So I know the answer to the first part... practice, practice, practice and maybe one day I will develope past sucking monsterously. But what about the general feeling foolish, trying to bounce around like a teenager, thing? Do I find somewhere utterly unpopulated to practice, or just shut out the images of people walking by and laughing at me?? Or maybe just go into the bush and become a natural rider??

 

[TheBofh]

Hey guys, long time no post for me... I was right into the idea of trials a while back but like Bart Simpson and his guitar, I wasn't good at it right away so I quit Now my bike sits in the garage gathering dust.

I WANT to ride it, but when I did I just felt constantly frustrated at my rediculously slow learning curve and total lack of grace. Plus a 34 year old guy riding around a school yard in the afternoons just never sat right with me for some reason

So I know the answer to the first part... practice, practice, practice and maybe one day I will develope past sucking monsterously. But what about the general feeling foolish, trying to bounce around like a teenager, thing? Do I find somewhere utterly unpopulated to practice, or just shut out the images of people walking by and laughing at me?? Or maybe just go into the bush and become a natural rider??

I'm 36 & just starting out too. I've retreated to my back garden & obtained some pallets. Luckily with Trials you don't need a lot of space & also you don't need a lot of light so early mornings just before the sun comes up is a good time for us old & silly looking types to practise. Of course it helps a LOT if you actually get up at 5:50am when the alarm goes off & don't roll over for another 45 minutes & then have to start growing a beard because you never have enough time to shave before you have to get the kids up.....

 

[coops22]

The League Of Extraordinary Geriatrics squeaking there way on their trusty steeds under the cloak of darkness of the night sky.

Long live the League.

 

[TheBofh]

The League Of Extraordinary Geriatrics squeaking there way on their trusty steeds under the cloak of darkness of the night sky.

Long live the League.

I'd demand satisfaction if I wasn't scared of young people, & breaking my hip & if there wasn't a sale on of zip up corduroy shoes!!!

 

[Ba55]

I WANT to ride it, but when I did I just felt constantly frustrated at my rediculously slow learning curve and total lack of grace. Plus a 34 year old guy riding around a school yard in the afternoons just never sat right with me for some reason

Ha ha ha, this is like a mid-life crisis trials post, I'm 38 and have been riding about a year and a half.

Yep patience is the key and also not giving a stuff what other people think. You will be the one laughing when you can clean a section or do a massive gap or drop.

I do some riding at the local school as they have some of those big earthmover tyres that are a bit over a metre high, nice to hop up on and drop off.

A week ago I was riding the tyres and some balance lines after work and this school teacher comes out and calls me over. I thought she was going to give me a serve, but it turned out they were having a P&C meeting and everyone was watching me and not paying attention to the guest speaker who was very annoyed. The teacher said "we are all very impressed" but the speaker a little cheesed off so would you mind practicing out of view for a bit".

I've started riding more natural stuff which is a great challenge. Plus less people are around.

James

 

[Rush]

Hey guys, im 29. Started when I was 22 or so.

I understand the feeling foolish thing, but remember, you think you look foolish. Other people are going "Wtf!? How did he roll over that rock/log/bench? How does he stand still like that?"

Admittedly, regardless of what they are thinking you can still feel a bit silly. Go out and ride some natural, it will improve your riding 10x, but remember to have fun with it. You dont need to ride up and over big rocks for it to be trials.

The most fun I have is when im riding steep banks in creeks, logs, and roots and things like that.

Coops, we have the other guy in Gisborne riding now, so we should organise a ride over the next 2 weeks or so.

 

[coops22]

I'm 31 now and definitely feel more unco and embarrassed compared to when I first tried trials in my early 20s. I'm trying to reclaim my youth . Sort of a midlife crisis, I guess. But really, who cares what people think when I don't even know them. Screw it, just have fun.
Sounds good rush. Let me know when your up for a ride.

 

[Gronk]

Ah thanks guys, you made this unco clod feel so much better Yeah I just gotta say screw it and get out there eh. Well as soon as this damn rain stops I'm gonna get on the old stead again, and this time try to learn to embrace the constant sutff ups over tiny, tiny obstacles... damn those tricky curbs!

 

[morto1980]

I know it's hard when you care about what other people are thinking but anyone riding trials gets my respect.

I can just barely pop a wheelie on my XC bike and freak out when getting a foot of air so I can't believe the balance and skill it takes to ride trials....

 

[TheBofh]

Ah thanks guys, you made this unco clod feel so much better Yeah I just gotta say screw it and get out there eh. Well as soon as this damn rain stops I'm gonna get on the old stead again, and this time try to learn to embrace the constant sutff ups over tiny, tiny obstacles... damn those tricky curbs!

I'm not too self conscious about Trials but I'm very aware of my advancing years when out on my BMX

 

[tba]

I understand the feeling foolish thing, but remember, you think you look foolish. Other people are going "Wtf!? How did he roll over that rock/log/bench? How does he stand still like that?"

That's so true, yet very easy to forget. It's amazing how many 'mountainbikers' couldn't pop a wheelie for more than 2 pedal strokes and land hard enough to buckle the front wheel... let alone the average joe blow who has ridden a bike 10 times in his life - To be able to trackstand is a marvel.
While we're unhappy with ourselves for not being able to pedal-up a 3ft wall, turn around 180 deg whilst hopping on the back wheel and gap 6ft to a nearby bench, most people can't believe that you can hop on the back wheel at all

 

[gbowen444]

I don't really like being watched by people when I am out riding, so usually find somewhere quiet. People watching usually makes me nervous and I ride like shit. Riding with other people is good though as you don't feel like such a weirdo.

One thing i have found about trials though, is that the longer you do it the more you improve. By that I mean that everyone seems to get better over time but the learning curve is so slow that sometimes you don't notice it. Keep at it and eventually you will get better.

 

[?-uoſ-¿]

I get a kick out of people watching, but only if i'm doing moves I know I can nail nearly every time, I don't like to keep attempting a move that I have never made, I would prefer to do that with no-one around for fear of looking retarded.

Riding with other people is good though as you don't feel like such a weirdo.

One thing i have found about trials though, is that the longer you do it the more you improve. By that I mean that everyone seems to get better over time but the learning curve is so slow that sometimes you don't notice it. Keep at it and eventually you will get better.

Riding with other people of similar or better skill level can speed up the learning curve alot as you see them do the move and imitate them, and generally learn moves and technique of eachother I think.

 

[Josh Seksy]

im a youngen and i get inspiration from you oldies
love watching you jump and hop
just a question are you riding trials specific bikes?
josh

 

[Bretty.]

One solution might be to just whip some earbuds on, play some good beats you like, throw on some sunnies and just block out the rest of the world. Works for me, might for you too. Don't bother about what other people think, see it as just you, your bike and the obstacle ahead of head, helps heaps.

I so wish I had a trials bike, love to just hop around and around like a pogo stick. hoppity hop hoppity hop hoppity hoppity hoppity hop!

 

[tba]

im a youngen and i get inspiration from you oldies
love watching you jump and hop
just a question are you riding trials specific bikes?
josh

Yep. They are trials specific bikes (known as Trials Bikes funnily enough)
E.g. http://www.observedtrials.net/vb/showthread.php?t=34178

You can do it on any bike if you want... but it is SOOOOOO much easier on a bike that's setup for it. But don't ever let not having a 'trials bike' stop you from trying and getting into it

For me it started as bunnyhopping up small walls, and grew and grew until i knew i wanted to get into trials.... haven't looked back since. not once

 

[torsk45]

So you think trials is weird? What about running around a paddock with 40 other guys, all wearing tight shorts, grabbing each other whist trying to chase a bit of a cow with air in it and having an old guy who used to play slap you on the arse when you do a good job and feed you a quarter of an orange? It's our national sport that's fucked up.

Scott.

 

[tba]

So you think trials is weird? What about running around a paddock with 40 other guys, all wearing tight shorts, grabbing each other whist trying to chase a bit of a cow with air in it and having an old guy who used to play slap you on the arse when you do a good job and feed you a quarter of an orange? It's our national sport that's fucked up.

Scott.

I'm guessing you're from Vic or Sa... but i'm hearing ya.... GayFL isn't worthy of being called a sport anyhow.
As for Rugby (Union - the real one. The one that is actually played by more than one country in the world), it is good. Soccer is also good... can't deny the level of skill that the top players have in that sport. It's unreal.

However, why everone likes to sit around watching a bunch of half-witted boofhead drugos run at eachother, hit-up (rather than actually tackling properly), spasm on the ground like an epileptic worm on speed, run another 15metres, do the same thing 5 times, and then kick it....i will never know.

I think we should take the hint from the rest of the world as to why, despite our efforts to get them involved in the "world cup", they really couldn't give a rat's ovary about the pathetic 'sport' that is rugby league.

 

[Rush]

Ah Scott, you make me laugh. We should start a footy team and forfeit every match in favour of drinking beer.

 

[TheBofh]

I'm guessing you're from Vic or Sa... but i'm hearing ya.... GayFL isn't worthy of being called a sport anyhow.

What??? A children's game played to Gaelic rules with a rugby ball on a cricket pitch & you don't take it seriously? Hurling and Soccer the only real field sports.

EDIT: New signature, new philosophy, now excuse me while I return to my blanket fort to complete the plans for my treehouse.