Trials riders (or anyone, really) input please

[bergerhag]

Stand up straigth, eyes forward and relax. Start with very little air in the tires. Engine running, the gyroscopic effects is gonna help.

[pscook]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/bik/3416531387.html

Getting it tonight. Then to search for the appropriate video with slow riding basics. I looked at some trials vids, but they seem geared toward actual trials riders. Think I'll go with the Wattsy vids as I took his class and understand the concepts and context.

Now to go let some air out of the tires.

[jgas]

My stepfather and uncle rode trials a little bit, they both regularly practiced balance by putting the bike on the kickstand, then slowly leaning to the right until balanced with the kickstand off the ground. They made me do it as well. I got in the habit and still remember to do it occasionally. If your kickstand allows the bike to lean too far over just ducttape a wooden block or something under it until the bike is almost upright when you are standing on the pegs with the stand down.

Either way, it's best to start this technique on some fairly soft dirt or sand. If using really soft dirt or sand you'll have to use the wood block to widen the kickstands bottom to prevent it sinking in.

With the bike on the stand, standing, feet on pegs, slowly lean right until you acheive balance. If you tip left, just let the bike settle back onto the stand then do it again. And again... If you lean right, you'll have to sit down and put a foot on the ground on the right side, then start over.

This drill helps alot because you can purposely lean right until the bike is just starting to tip right, but quickly lean back left until you acheive balance again. After about a years practice, it'll be easy.

If you are practicing moving forward and balancing, it's also good to do this in dirt that will allow your tires to sink in a little. It seems to help if the tires are pushing into the dirt, I guess it widens the tire's contact patch?

After awhile, you can practice locking the front brake until stopped, but don't put your feet down, just stop and acheive balance. Then begin doing small stoppies, then bigger ones, without putting your feet down once the back tire returns to the ground.

I also like to find a small,short incline, not very steep. Ride uphill as slowly as possible until the front tire is slightly headed uphill, pull in the clutch, then while still standing on the pegs reachieve balance as the bike slowly rolls backwards.

[pscook]

I am doing exactly that with my xr100. It's just the right height and angle to try and balance. I started doing that about an hour before writing my first post, but I haven't done it in a couple of days. I did buy a unicycle, that thing is the devil. I can make it two rotations before one of us flies across the garage.

I'll get there, thanks everyone for their inputs.

[jgas]

I forgot about Unicycles. I remember as a little kid reading about Roger DeCoster and other Euro MX guys training on Unicycles. I always intended to buy one when I could afford one, but just forgot. I haven't thought of using one since about age 15, but it still and always will apply that anything which helps balance will help us ride dirt bikes, especially Trials bikes. I used to practice balance on my ex wifes XR 100 as well. It's much easier on a little bike, but that way you can try more aggressive stuff that you might be afraid to do on a big bike.

Ever try standing up, turning the bars to full lock while slow-riding, and seeing how many tight circles you can make until you have to either turn away from lock or stop and put your feet down? It's so much easier for me doing it to the left than right. Not sure why that is? I can usually do quite a few left ones until I get dizzy and screw up, but only one or two to the right.

[mikeh]

try finding a Bosu ball and work out with it, you will be glad you did! you can do it any time it is probably one of the best workouts with low impact and you will gain balance you never thought you had No BS. i am 50 and use it all the time now and race enduros too!

[swazi_matt]

another good one for balance and core muscles is slack line

[jgas]

Slack line?

[2whlrcr]

I compete in trials regularly and here is my two cents worth. Some of it has been said before.

Air your tires down to 4 or 5 lbs.

Rotate your bars forward of perpendicular to the ground. Trials bike bars a considerably forward of most peoples regular dirt handlebar position. They may still be too low, if you're a big guy on XR100.

Engine on, roll to stop, with the wheel turned to one side or the other. Do not go to full lock. You want to have room to continue turning the wheel, if you have too. You will soon discover you have a dominate side. Practice both sides equally. Balancing is a combination of foot pressure, body movement and bar rotation. If you start losing your balance, turn your handlebars to the direction you're falling. I think it's also best to look ahead or around and not to stare at the front wheel or the ground. If you learn this way, it will be more natural. I know lots of people who balance well, but as soon as the look up, the lose it.

You can also try dead engine at a standstill. This will take a little more balance and you don't the ability to cheat and creep forward, if you need too. This is a lot like learning how to ride all over again. At first you will try and try and try and seem like you're never going to get it. Then one day, everything clicks and you're balancing.

Before long, you will be doing this...

[jgas]

2whlrcr, I went out and did what you said with the turn to lock and circle, which is what I mentioned in an earlier post but you explained it better. I am pretty good at this to the left, and working on to the right, getting better. But I never thought about looking up! I always look where I am going, which is in a little circle, so right at the ground. I can see where in a Trials event you would need to balance, make a tight turn, but still look ahead to plan your next move. When I look up, I lose it. It got dark before I had much time to practice, but I tried a few after dark with the headlight, and it was even harder. My headlight doesn't shine right in front of the bike due to the fender, so I was really going by feel. I kinda got ok at it after a few turns, but still not as good as daytime.

I have always wanted to try Trials, I really enjoy riding an Enduro bike on the technical terrain.

2whlrcr, where are you located? Those pics look like Ozark rocks.