Is this the death of trials?

pixelpuppet

Likes Dirt
Ok, i'm kinda old for trials ...but I grew up on trials riding, and years of it.
Having started in BMX racing at a very young age I quickly moved over to trials back in the UK, in the days of Martin Ashton, Martyn Hawes and Hans Rey.
Moving to Aus in the late 90's there was no trials riding to be found, not a murmur. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places but the internet wasn't really a thing back then so I just went my own way and fell into dirt jumping and DH.

I spent a few years riding trials alone through the streets of Wollongong and Sydney only to then find a group of riders on rotorburn (or Farkin as it was back then) that rode the Sydney streets on a thursday nights out of the CBD (City Bike Depot) but that group seems to have disbanded and am now wondering if there's people in the Sydney area that are keen to pedal around sometimes on a weeknight? Just looking to fool around and session a few gaps, benches, or whatever takes our fancy as that was the kind of riding I used to love, what I lived for.

I would have thought the whole Danny MacAskill phenomenon would have brought things into the limelight on the trials front but not seen any signs of life in Sydney just now... anyone keen for a pedal, even if it's just basic balance and skills riding I'm happy to go for a roll.

Anyone keen?
 

Travis22

Likes Dirt
Shame your not in Melbourne.

You must have been in the wrong state in the 90's, I rode and hung out daily/ weekly from the mid 90's to early 2000's with Bruce Hamley and co and there seemed to be a reasonable group of us back then into Trials and dh riding, brings back memories of holding demonstrations at the local high schools and playing in the Melb CBD etc.

As i struggle to find the speed / confidence these days i think a lot of the good ol days and think need to get back into trials now... tho i think i really need some prescription glasses first so i can see whats coming up!

Travis.
 
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pixelpuppet

Likes Dirt
...but trials riding is so hard. It takes too long to get good at it and stuff. I just want a nice wide smooth trail that doesnt challenge me so I can ride really fast. How do you even measure your success with strava in trials?
Ha, yeah would be pretty hard to measure trials in strava... although trials abilities and bike control skills translate directly to technical trail speed, so if you're thinking trials is too hard then maybe you should move your thinking outside the box ;)
 

pixelpuppet

Likes Dirt
Shame your not in Melbourne.

You must have been in the wrong state in the 90's, I rode and hung out daily/ weekly from the mid 90's to early 2000's with Bruce Hamley and co and there seemed to be a reasonable group of us back then into Trials and dh riding, brings back memories of holding demonstrations at the local high schools and playing in the Melb CBD etc.

As i struggle to find the speed / confidence these days i think a lot of the good ol days and think need to get back into trials now... tho i think i really need some prescription glasses first so i can see whats coming up!

Travis.
Yeah I heard Melbourne had a bit more of a trials scene going, same in QLD. There was a good crew going in Sydney for a couple of years with the Thursday night rides but then people just started dropping away, perils of responsibilities I suppose.
I have so many fond memories of trials riding through the CBD, kids laying down and asking us to hop them, gapping on the fountains at darling harbour, sessioning Cook & Philip park and the Domain, Martin Place, Wharf 2 in Pyrmont... there were so many good spots.
Trials riding back in the early 2000's was always a crowd stopper, I can't even count the number of people that used to stop us and ask about the bikes and why they had no seat.
I've been wanting to get back out there for a while now, just haven't made the time before now...
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Yeah the dj, street and bmx scene has sorta died in the arse abit in sydney. And trials has always been small compared to those. There isnt as many kids getting into it these days.
 

pixelpuppet

Likes Dirt
Yeah the dj, street and bmx scene has sorta died in the arse abit in sydney. And trials has always been small compared to those. There isnt as many kids getting into it these days.
Sadly it seems that way, time to bring it back... i'm still a 'kid' in my mind ;)
 

stewyh

Likes Dirt
Seems to be a reasonable trials scene in vic. I've only been at it a couple of months (I'm already the wrong side of 40 btw) but heading for my first trials event up at Baw Baw on the 25th. :thumb:
https://www.facebook.com/events/266367270457982/?ti=cl

It is surprising it's not more popular given the viral-ness of those Danny Mac clips though.
 
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Swangin

Cannon Fodder
Ok, i'm kinda old for trials ...but I grew up on trials riding, and years of it.
Having started in BMX racing at a very young age I quickly moved over to trials back in the UK, in the days of Martin Ashton, Martyn Hawes and Hans Rey.
Moving to Aus in the late 90's there was no trials riding to be found, not a murmur. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places but the internet wasn't really a thing back then so I just went my own way and fell into dirt jumping and DH.

I spent a few years riding trials alone through the streets of Wollongong and Sydney only to then find a group of riders on rotorburn (or Farkin as it was back then) that rode the Sydney streets on a thursday nights out of the CBD (City Bike Depot) but that group seems to have disbanded and am now wondering if there's people in the Sydney area that are keen to pedal around sometimes on a weeknight? Just looking to fool around and session a few gaps, benches, or whatever takes our fancy as that was the kind of riding I used to love, what I lived for.

I would have thought the whole Danny MacAskill phenomenon would have brought things into the limelight on the trials front but not seen any signs of life in Sydney just now... anyone keen for a pedal, even if it's just basic balance and skills riding I'm happy to go for a roll.

Anyone keen?

Hey Pixelpuppet!

I'm in Rockdale - just started trials, I'm about to sell my downhill bike because I'm addicted to the trials challenge - I'd love to have a pedal, you could probably teach me a thing or three!
 

haulrs

Likes Bikes
Yes Melbourne was it... I moved here in 1994 from Grafton nsw ... I was quite regular think I missed about 30 Tuesday nights in 16 years... I miss trials the skills and smile of shit I just rode over that!.. soon my precious children/Centrelink benefit will be less trouble and I might get back out on Tuesdays again... probably less big gaps and tricky shit but back!
Good luck grab the bull by the horns and maybe we will meet at the next nationals!
Darren old bloke who rode



Sent from my 3geesus using Tapatalk( it's ifail)
 

stinkytodamax

Likes Dirt
Might be worth checking in with Adam from Summit Cycles I think hes a former/current trials rider who might know of a group.

Its part of this sport that I'd dearly love to have the time and energy for. All my original inspiration for riding came from Hans Rey bustin sick moves on a Zaskar.
 
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