Importance of Trials skills?
01-09-09, 09:49 AM
#1
StumbleUpon Addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 71
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Importance of Trials skills?
What are the importance of trials skills (front and rear wheel pivots, sidehops, trackstands, etc) when you're out on the trail? Obviously the wheelie and bunny hop are important, but what about the other trials skills? The reason I ask is because that's all I have been able to practice lately due to the snow.
-Jack
-Jack
01-09-09, 11:32 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lenexa KS
Posts: 3,268
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Bike handing skills are always important, like you said bunny hops and manuals and trackstands give you the ability to scope your line before you drop in.
01-09-09, 11:47 AM
#3
Fourth Degree Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: American Gardens Building
Posts: 3,826
Bikes: 2005 Kona Cinder Cone & 2010 Cannondale SuperSix
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The level of importance is directly related to how often you plan on using those skills in your own riding. It is up to you, really.
01-09-09, 12:18 PM
#4
Moar cowbell
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: The 509
Posts: 12,481
Bikes: Bike list is not a resume. Nobody cares.
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 29 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
IMO, anything that would hone your sense of balance and tune you to the subtle weighting/center of gravity nuances of your particular bike are valuable to practice, whether you actually use those moves on a trail or not.
__________________
RST Suspension | Canfield Bikes | 7iDP Protection | Maxxis | Renthal | Hayes | VonZipper Optics | GoPro
Originally Posted by Mark Twain
"Don't argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."
01-09-09, 01:15 PM
#5
one less horse
I agree 100% but was unable to state same so eloquently.
01-09-09, 05:40 PM
#6
Generic Title
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,927
Bikes: 2008 Trek Fuel EX7, 2007 Trek 1600, 2007 Eastern Warthog
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I don't know about you guys, but I spent a lot of time trying trials. I got far enough to learn rear wheel hops and lurches but I haven't noticed any improvement on the trails beyond bunny hopping.
__________________
Generic Joke
Generic Joke
01-10-09, 08:04 AM
#7
Old School Rad
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The old Mountains
Posts: 8,206
Bikes: Blur LT
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
.......huh**********?
01-17-09, 03:38 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 169
Bikes: 1997 Trek Multitrack 730, 2003 Gary Fisher Tassajara, 2003 KHS Flite 800, 2005 Santa Cruz Chameleon, 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker, 2011 Santa Cruz Butcher
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
trackstands and bunnyhops seem to be the most valuable. trackstands carry over well onto the trail and even on the road during commutes, at stoplights, etc. Pedal ups and pedal hops might do well on the trails, but the normally raised seat position combined with the bike geometry and weight usually make it more difficult....and possibly more painful!
