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Where is the seat ?
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Posted by: miko---------------------
When did trial bikes do away with the seat altogether ?
The last time I watched a trial competition was late 70's in the south of France. Back then you not only had to perform in the "no foot down zones", but you also had a time limit for the entire loop. So competitors would actually have to ride pretty fast
between zones.
Bikes looked like the Yamaha TY250. Kind of cramped for long
distance, but still ridable on the trail.
Do you guys just seat on the rear fender, or did the nature of trial competition change so that you don't need to complete a loop to go from one zone to the next ?
Thanks,
bruno.
Posted by: JTT---------------------
Miko, Things are actually about the same today. There is a time limit that must be maintained, or penalty points are awarded. You'd be amazed at how fast some of the top guys will run on the final loop trying to stay under the time limit 
No need to sit. Perhaps if it were 50 miles between section, but rarely is this the case. The lack of a seat permits much more manuverablilty and allows the bike to be leaned much farther while maintaining a "centered" and balanced position.
The big downside of no seat is that many would buy these bikes as playbikes, or trailbikes if they did have a seat. Beginner riders, in particular, could really benifit from learning to ride on these bikes, but the lack of a seat usually discourages them very quickly.
Posted by: Patman---------------------
I always thought I stood more than average when riding until I got in to trials. YIKES! You learn pretty quick how to distribute your weight (some of us have more to distribute than others) so that you can stand longer without getting your arms or legs overly tired. I really like the no seat design but when just putting around I can see the need for one. That is why I think we'll see some growth in the trials market with the seated bikes/kits that Scorpa currently has and the Montesa that should be coming pretty soon.
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