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How physically demanding is it?
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Posted by: Monkey Butt---------------------
How does the wear and tear on the body from trials riding compare to a good old enduro or aggressive trail riding? I'm tired of abusing the body. I'm recovering from a broken scapula right now and I'm getting too old to keep abusing myself like this. I still want to trail ride and get in an occassional enduro, but I've found that I enjoy technical riding much more than seeing how fast I can go before crashing my brains out. I've came too close to finding that limit one too many times. Thank God for health insurance. I get a little too competitive at times. My latest crash took place in a harescramble. I just had to try to pass one more person and ended up taking an ambulance ride to the hospital instead.
It will be another 8 weeks or more before I'm able to ride again, but I've found a good deal on a nice trials bike for my budget and I just can't make up my mind. I'm trying to look at all of the pros and cons. One big down fall to a trials bike is that I don't know anyone else that owns one. I know there is a trials organization within about 1.5 hours from where I live, but it is still an issue. I have 12 acres with a creek and some hills at my house to play on, but I don't want to trials ride by myself all the time.
Help, I just can't make up my mind. Setting around with a busted up shoulder is driving me crazy. It gives me too much time to think about it, but I can't try it out and make up my mind.
Sorry for the rambling. These pain killers seem to do that to me.
Thanks,
Neal
Posted by: Patman---------------------
It's only as bad as you make it. While some of the more advanced stuff could get ugly there is soooo much to work on that is just basic falling over at low speed stuff that a box of bandaids should keep ya covered for a while. I sometimes try things I shouldn't and then learn why the hard way.
As far as other people to ride with, I'm sure if word gets around you have a place to ride you'll have plenty of visitors to ride with. Getting some big rocks, concrete drainage pipe, logs, cable spools, etc... won't hurt either.
Posted by: LoriKTM---------------------
You're in Illinois, aren't you MB? Look up the guys in NITRO. (I think that's it). They have a bunch of D17 rides every year.
It's as difficult as you want to make it--like Patman said. But think of it as re-learning to ride a bike again. You're using 1st or 2nd gear mostly, and doing a lot of balancing, cornering, and throttle/brake control. Speed is not a factor, but momentum is.
It can still be tiring after a trials event, especially if they are very muddy (just ask my husband after this past weekend!) But it sure is easy just to take out the ole trials bike for 15-20 minutes after work to get in some practice. And 12 acres is more than enough!
Posted by: Jonala---------------------
Neal,
I've been involved with Trials for 3 months now. So my opinion is from a beginners viewpoint.
Physically taxing = YES! in a good way. I'm still muscling my bike around, even though I know better. I took a Trials riding class last month. We were shown how to ride properly, which at the beginners level shouldn't require a lot of muscle.
As you progress, you'll start using more muscle. I think.
As far as getting hurt, well like everything else in life it depends on how much you push yourself. Lack of self confidence is your biggest enemy. Example: trying to ride over a 36" concrete pipe, just before lifting the front wheel you decide "I can't do this"! :scream:
I've ridden 3 AHMRA trials events, and there are a bunch of 50 + year olds. I figure, if these guys are riding and NOT limping around at the end of the day, this is the sport for me.
Like you, I don't find being hurt cool anymore. 
After riding a 91' vintage trials bike, I've enjoyed myself enough that I'm now in the market for a 2000 or newer bike. Plus these are great short distance trails bikes. I wish my XR250 weighed 180lbs. I've been having a great time learning to ride with a new attitude. 
The advise that is submitted by the more seasoned riders in this forum, is first rate, compared to what you get in the other forums. :thumb:
Posted by: MCMAN56---------------------
Trials is tiring but not as physically demanding as an enduro. Total calories burned is much less. As for safety.....At least in this area, there are multiple classes to compete in so you can choose the hazard factor you feel comfortable with. The best advice I have heard is that you ride the in the class where you can handle your mistakes (without getting hurt).
As for the fun factor....I first bought a trials bike because I saw a real easy line so thought my daughter might compete with me. I figured it would be fun to learn some of the tight turn stuff. My enduro bike was parked almost immediately and is now long gone. Trial is reall fun. Plus you can ride at your limits all the time so your skill level can go up quickly.
Posted by: Monkey Butt---------------------
Thanks for all of the feedback. I woke up this morning in a lot of pain thinking I'm stupid for even considering getting another bike now. Then I read all of the feedback in this thread and looked at the pictures on the website that Patman posted a link to as well as Ixion and thought man that is just too cool. I need one of those bikes. I would have a lot to learn! The ideal situation would be to have a trials and an enduro bike like my 450exc. If it wasn't for wanting to trail ride with buddies, I would consider selling my 450exc and just get a good trials bike and all of the gear. Judging from what I've read so far, it sounds like there are a lot good people to trials ride with not TOO far away.
Neal
Posted by: Patman---------------------
OR you can get a decent newer bike like I did AND keep your trail ride as well. Then again you could be like Tex and have a bike for every day of the week then pick up others for those special occasions 
This really is all his fault you know! He sucked me in to it, then I made Dave & Lori ride my Monty, then....., then.... and then I bothered Okie until he gave us our own room. So see just keep your 450 and get a trials bike, then blame it on Tex, it works for me even when the BMW 1150GS glossy showed up in the mail this week :scream: (I may have to work on that one some more though).
It really is a good time and a great way to get some riding in without having to make a big event out of it if you don't want to. Trials folks are just as nice as any other dirt biker group and you'll be suprised how easy it is to find others that share your new found fun.
:thumb:
But honey, Tex has one......... 
Posted by: wayneg---------------------
I have been riding trials for about 4 years now, and I am still really enjoying it. I find its constantly challenging because there is always some new obstacle to try out or a new skill to learn. Its amazing how the difficulty level of an obstacle can be made much harder by adding a tighter turn before it, or a couple of brick sized rocks on the approach. I feel that I have improved my control over the motorcycle a huge amount over that time, and while I have moved up a couple of grades I've still not quite got to where I want to be yet (I guess I'm a slow learner :confused: )
About the most energy I use is on the first loop where we walk each section (a typical trial over here is 4 loops of 10 sections), the second, third and fourth loops are a lot easier as you already know where you are going. At a trial it is usually a pretty constant day of riding from 10.30am till about 4.00pm.
I would really recommend joining a club if you do get into it as you will learn a lot more by watching other riders and getting advice etc, and you will also be riding on properly set out sections. I personally found that its difficult to set up your own sections with any realism without having some experience of what you will typically find in a trial. You will also gain riding buddies especially if you let is slip out that you have some tasty terrain to practice on.
As far as injuries go the only major injury I've had in that time is a couple of broken bones in my foot - which was caused by a freak accident outside of the sections at our national champs a couple of years ago. I have had the occasional bruise however I don't seem to get too many of them lately as I think I'm getting better at saving the bike rather than having it chase me down and then land on top of me
If you do decide to get into the sport then obviously you will have to stick to your budget when buying the bike etc. When I started my first trials bike was an older '94 Beta Techno, and although I spent huge amounts of money on it to try and get it to a good standard, it was a waste of time (over two years basically the purchase price of the bike in parts 
). Given the chance to go back and start again I think I would have been better off buying a much newer bike that was in better condition (and ended spending roughly the same amount of money). So be careful when shopping around for a bike as their owners will each treat them differently. I wouldn't recommend buying a bike that has belonged to an expert level rider, because while some experts are easy on their bikes, others tend to bash into things a bit too regularly, and all experts tend to ride at the extremes which wears things out prematurely even if they have an exceptional maintainence regime.
Good luck :thumb:
Posted by: Green Horn---------------------
Trials? Demanding? Oh God Yeah!! Don't let the slow speeds and lack of "air time" lead you astray. 
Everyone else here has pretty much covered it.
Posted by: JTT---------------------
Most everything has been covered already, but I can say that I have only been doing trials for a couple of years now, but wish I had started 20yrs ago. I would be a much better "all round" rider..and probably much less "crippled" than I am today.
Posted by: TexKDX---------------------
I feel like for every 1 trail ride I have 10 trials rides in this 39 YE old body. trials riding makes me a much better trail rider, and as JTT said I am much easier on my body now trail riding than I was before.
Patman, when it comes to trials you are about right, but I am a bike short - only 6 trials or trials-based trail bikes at this point. Took the top end off the '74 TY250 tonight to decarb it and dry out the motor. Leaky petcock and seepy float needle = bottom end full of fuel. Should have it running tomorrow. Need to log some time on it before the VMD national in a few weeks.
Leo.
Posted by: TVRider---------------------
MB,
Where are you located? I ride all over the midwest including Illinois. I could probably hook you up with some great guys through my connections. If you are looking for safer, consider AHRMA vintage trials. The sections are more technical compared to modern events. I do both and enjoy both, but there are a lot fewer opportunities to get hurt in the vintage stuff. Plus the entry cost for a good vintage bike can be less than $1000 if you look around. You can get a real peach for $1500!
Tom
Posted by: Green Horn---------------------
Quote:
Originally posted by TexKDX
only 6 trials or trials-based trail bikes at this point.
|
ONLY?!?! I don't even have that many of those toy finger bikes let along real ones.
Posted by: TexKDX---------------------
TV Rider said:
<snip>
"The sections are more technical compared to modern events. "
<snip>
This has not been my experience at all. By and large vintage sections I've seen are way more open and easy. This is for several reasons I believe.
One, vintage trials is a tag-along to vintage MX for most AHRMA events. Therefore, the sections are often set the day before and made easier for MX guys dabbling in trials rather than real trials riders.
Two, the organizers are making them easy for entry level riders as there are lots of non-technical riders making their way into the sport. Yes I know there are 4 lines, but the two items above generally make for easier trials.
Of course there are exceptions. My friend James Wipff was the trialsmaster for the Jefferson TX national event. He set it like a "real" trial and spent 4 days ahead of time working with a group to set the thing. It got lots of comments for being tough.
Another is the 2 day national Ginder puts on. It is a toughie, no doubt. High point count for sure.
The Texas series has run the vintage guys on the Novice sections generally. If there are enough better riders then for the championship they will run these guys on the Amateur line. In both cases they run identical lines to the modern bikes.
So, it may be that way in IL or where you ride, but from what I have seen in TX, CO, and OH, your comments don't track with my experience.
As for a beginner, I also disagree with putting them on a vintage bike AT FIRST. The modern trials bikes are like appliances - low maintenance, work well, very rarely replacing parts. This lets the rider concentrate on learning to ride. Also a vintage bike can turn into a rollercoaster if you pull the clutch in at the wrong time, what with the drum brakes. Yammies and Suzys with well maintained brakes are an exception, but the Monties and Ossas turn into a lead sled on a downhill if you pull in the clutch.
After 6 months of modern bike trials with some good coaching, a vintage bike is an EXCELLENT tool to insert into the training/teaching regimen IMO. Here you will learn how leanient the modern bike is. On the vintage bike you will see quickly if you are relying too much on the clutch, have poor throttle control, not using the engine for braking, not opening your legs, etc. Once I got on the vintage bike my modern bike got much, much better.
The Yammies are pretty close to being a vintage appliance. Parts are available, they are pretty easy to work on, lots of them out there, primary kickstarting, good brakes. The 175 is nice and light with usable power. The 250 is "preferred", but heavier with lots more motor. I've gone to the 250 for just one hill on one section of the 1 line at mid-ohio, otherwise I'd stick with the 175.
The techniques you learn on the modern bike transfer over to the vintage bike, however the modern bike makes them easier to learn. The vintage bike lets you refine them. For example, unloading the rear end is way easier on the modern bike. You can do it on the vintage bike. The vintage bike will help you refine your unload - timing of it, applying pressure with the rear tire, not banging the front end into the other side and unloading the rear a second time, etc.
I know we are a bit off the original post here. Novice and Amateur lines are not all that demanding physically nor easy to get hurt on. Step up to the Int line and things get different in a hurry. Lots of places to fall down and go BOOM hard. Mess up the basics in a novice or amateur line and you may take a 3, 5, or drive out of bounds. Do so on an Int line and you may fall off a 6-10 foot dropoff.
Posted by: TVRider---------------------
TexKDX,
Sorry for the misunderstanding, when I said technical, what I meant was more turning oriented rather than obstacle oriented. That's just the way people talk about it around here.
When I mentioned Vintage as an option I was thinking more along the 3 line and as a cost consideration, vintage is definately cheaper. Your right, riding modern trials events has definitely made me a better vintage rider and the modern bikes are much easier to ride. But MB sounds like an experienced rider bombing around in HS on a 450EXC. I don't think operating either bike would be too tough for him. Vintage has a low cost of entry and would give him a chance to try trials to see if he likes it.
The vintage series I ride is pretty much vintage only. They will let modern bikes ride, but everything is geared toward the vintage rider. Ginder has made it to most of the events in our series this year and says he likes it better than AHRMA stuff. We have support classes for bikes like the Honda Reflex and we have a Champion's class for former line 2 winners that don't want to move up to line 1.
Anyway, I think we are saying similar stuff. I just like seeing new people join in the trials game. The more the merrier, come on in the water's fine. :thumb:
Tom
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