Little victories

[Gronk]

So I'm finally back-wheel hopping! For a total noob spaz like me this is pretty cool, I was grinning like an idiot when I landed after kind of accidently doing a series of 10 hops today... I dabbed on that first attempt of the day, but now I can pretty much hit 5-10 hops and land in control when I am done. Considering I got into trials a month ago, I'm pretty happy. :D

[disappearin]

i know exactly what you mean. the first time you clean a section or pull something decent always brings a smile. you get pretty impressed with yourself at times as skills progress.

[Gronk]

Disappearin, I have you to thank really... you got the ball rolling to get my bike :) For some reason I find hops much easier to do on grass than concrete, dunno why that is though.

Anyways I really had no point to this thread, I was just all chuffed with myself and wanted to tell someone hehe.

[tba]

I'm hearing you on this one Gronk.

I've been slowly getting into trials over the last little while. However progress is often hampered by uni and other stuff.

Just this last week i got the japslap (or whatever else it's called.. i'm not a fan of that name, but that's what it seems to get called a bit).
I couldn't stop grinning either!

There's an enormous sense of achievement when you've just learnt how to do something on a bike that most people would never. Even if it's nothing compared to what the good trials riders do, you know they got there the same way ;)

Keep it up.

By the way, what kinda bike you riding?
Trials bike, or just whatever?
I've been learning on my everyday street/jump/trials/commuting bike.. not the easiest thing in the world to throw round, but i can sit down and pedal up a hill to get home.

As for your grass vs. concrete query... I would suspect it would be related to the fact that when you're hopping on grass, the surface you are on deforms slightly thus providing slightly more stability. Imagine the ground squishing up and round like a hand that kind of 'holds' your tire. The force it provides (a counter-acting 'moment' as referred to in the engineering world) would be very small, but perhaps not negligable ;)
Similar concept applies if you've ever tried spinning on your back wheel on grass.

Anyhow, i'll shutup :)

[Disturbed.Rider]

Fucking props man, once you can hop on the back wheel the sky truely is the limit.


Today I did my smoothest ever 90degree backhop to presision (20cm wide) and I was fucking stoked. I remember my first wheel hops, best feeling ever.




Gotta love the little victorys, like the other day when I was riding to the shops and theres this patch of lighter bitchumen that I've never been able to manuel the whole way across, and I did.....straight across.


Love it. :D

[Gronk]

Thanks guys... I guess this is something we can all relate to on one level or another.

tba: I'm riding a rhino mod, I picked it up cheap ($300) from another farkineer. It's been a great starter bike for me and not too expensive, so I don't stress when I scratch it up. Just looks a bit funny seeing a 6' guy riding a tiny, tiny bike around the place. I'm also kinda thinking of looking for a stock frame with a seat option and putting parts of my commuter on it, then slowly adding specialist parts as needed... I'm just not sure I need two trials bikes at this early stage.

I went down to the local school to practice some more, and while I was getting up on the rear again, it seemed harder to simply get up there (concrete and grass thing again)... could have just been that I was riding for about 2 hours that day and was drained.

It was funny tho, while I was at the school I was hopping up some stairs (two wheels), just in a straight line, and getting on and off a little bench seat and I had passers by stopping to watch, some girl even complimented my skills... if only she knew what real trials riders did heheh

Anyway I'm sure the whole riding surface dilemma will work out with a few more sessions. But just quickly, when I'm rear wheel hopping I seem to be really upright, is this good or am I s'posed to be able to change the bike angle from front wheel higher or lower to the ground and hence counter balance with my body weight? Or is that a little too advanced for now?

[gbowen444]

... when I'm rear wheel hopping I seem to be really upright, is this good or am I s'posed to be able to change the bike angle from front wheel higher or lower to the ground and hence counter balance with my body weight? Or is that a little too advanced for now?

Well done. It is a nice feeling when you learn something new or ride a line that you previously couldn't for the first time. Keep it up....

As for the rear wheel hops, the best position to be in is the most comfortable/relaxed one. If you are upright the pivots on the rear should be easier, but just do what ever feels right. Practice in all positions and you will work out which is best.

[Trialsguy]

haha you will be hooked!

I guess it can be said for most styles of riding. Progression is addictive and gives you such a buz when you get a new move dialed.

But honestly, I think that trials is by far the most satisfying form of riding.
Its very easy to measure your progression and gives you that sense of acheivement after every ride.

I have been getting out on my trials bike a bit lately which makes a nice change from street/park riding. But it took those few rides to make me realise what I miss so much! Its that satisfying feeling that only trials can deliver!


Keep it up and post some pics!

[Gronk]

Trialsguy, you are so right mate... I haven't touched my other bikes since getting the trials rig a month ago. Addictive is right, you just wanna go work on stuff or show off a little hehe. It is definitely one style of riding where you can say 'right, today I'm gonna work on this' and just session certain individual moves, then go back and watch some instructional vids to make sure you're doing it right. All the technical assistance available definitely makes things easier.

I was riding at the local school the other afternoon and some kids were watching as I pulled off a series of 20 straight rear wheel hops, then just landed and kept riding like it was nothing... I was cheering on the inside tho!

[Hüp]

Damn... it took me almost a year (albeit only riding intermittently, and with a big gap at one point) to learn back wheel hops. How disheartening...

Damnit Gronk if you learn lurches before me I'm gonna... I dunno... curse at you over the internet :mad: Cause I've only just started learning them.

[Gronk]

Hup: don't worry man you're quite safe. For some reason I need to have a very slight incline to really competently get up on the rear wheel. Don't know what that is, but it seems to help... I can do it on flat but not as consistently.

I'm gonna start toying around with drivetrain moves now, or "phase 2" of the art of trials dvd. I think lurches and stuff in that section somewhere, but it'll be a looong way off for me i'm sure.

[LLuLukLuke]

I do a little bit of trials "like" riding on my Cowan. It took me about 3 days in total to learn how to hop on the back wheel, however, 6 months past, and I still can't lurch more than 1 foot, and half a foot high:(

Combo rear wheel hops with manuals, 180's and out of bowls etc. Looks pretty good.

I'm currently learning to hop on the front wheel:D
Max number of hops on front is 7, and none when my Dirt Jumper 3's have no air in the stanions:p. That's the problem with shocks...

[Hüp]

Hup: don't worry man you're quite safe. For some reason I need to have a very slight incline to really competently get up on the rear wheel. Don't know what that is, but it seems to help... I can do it on flat but not as consistently.

I'm gonna start toying around with drivetrain moves now, or "phase 2" of the art of trials dvd. I think lurches and stuff in that section somewhere, but it'll be a looong way off for me i'm sure.

I should get that DVD sometime :/

From what I've heard it's incredibly helpful. Yea? Nay?

[gbowen444]

I should get that DVD sometime :/

From what I've heard it's incredibly helpful. Yea? Nay?

I found this DVD very useful when starting, so I would say get it. It covers everything from really basic stuff to quite advanced.

[disappearin]

its always good to ride with others who are better then you as well. they can always give you pointers and help your skills progress, not too mention the peer presure to push yourself a little more then you normally would.

[Gronk]

Unfortunately there really isn't anyone better than me around here that I know of... not that I actually possess any skill, but I am also pretty much the trials community of Wollongong :)

There is apparently one other rider around that I know of, but I don't think he rides much anymore or something. So I'm pretty much it, although I could make the trek to Sydney sometime I guess.