Trials riding

If speed isn’t high on your list of priorities but you still love the buzz of an adrenaline surge, trials riding might be a sport to have a look at. It may not be fast but it will certainly make your heart pump faster.

The actual danger element of trials riding is pretty low because the aim of the game is to control your bike around, up and over a series of frightening looking obstacles. Superb slow speed machine control, faultless balance, a high level of fitness and natural balance are all important attributes for a trials rider. Competition riders have to complete a section with the least amount of faults; a fault is picked up by putting your feet down or failing to negotiate one of the seemingly impossible looking obstacles that litter the track. The terrain will vary from flat sections between natural or man made obstacles, riders will negotiate some scary climbs, jumps and turns which can cover a fair old distance. Almost vertical rock faces, waterfalls, giant tyres and huge rocks are all common sights on a trials course. The riders need to get through the course without putting their feet down if at all possible.

Trials bikes are very lightweight machines, usually made by the likes of Gas Gas, Montesa, Honda, Beta or Sherco. The grippy tyres are run with at lower than normal pressure to aid traction over the slippery and rough terrain and the engine has plenty of low down grunt to provide a quick blast of power when the rider needs it. You may notice that trials bikes don’t generally have a seat, that’s because the riders don’t need to sit down, imagine trying to climb a waterfall whilst sitting comfortably!

Dedicated trials bikes can be picked up quite cheaply, try getting a copy of Trials and Motocross News for a secondhand bike. There are a few trials track days around the country and they’re an ideal place to begin, the experienced tutors will start you off on the right footing (or no footing as the case may be) and try to get rid of any bad habits before they cause problems. Once you’ve mastered your new found skills (or realised your apparent lack of them) you can enter one of the many trials competitions which are usually outdoor events but can also be on specially built indoor sections. Most competitions will have a simpler section for novices to wobble around on so don’t be too daunted by the experience, give it a go, you might even be our next world Champion!

Talking of World Champions, the UK may not have many sportsmen to be proud of but Yorkshire man, Dougie Lampkin is one name you may have heard of, he’s an absolute legend. Dougie holds no less than 12 World Trials Championships, and he’s still hungry for more. The 31 year old currently lives as a tax exile on the Isle of Man so if you get practicing there’s a chance for you to make your fame and fortune before your feet can even touch the floor!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                   Dougie Lampkin in action !