I’ve always debated the idea of getting a trials bike. Partially to muck about on, but also with the hope that it could help my skills a bit.

Self confessed big clown wheel lover and have sold all my 26 inch bits so am thinking just go to little 20 inch wheels. Also, they look funny 🙂

Anyone with any experience who could point me in the direction of picking up something? Or what to avoid?
Anyone even want to take me out and give me a taster?

Much obliged folks.

I rode trials for years and only stopped about 18 months ago and if you are used to riding 26″ go for a 26″ trials bike is the bestvadvice i can give you. I started of in trials before switching to mtbs’ and the skills i transfered over has really helped me out, not so much in outright speed but more the balance and low speed control.
Visit http://www.trials-forum.co.uk there are alot of kids on there but generally know what they are talking about.
For new bikes visit tarty bikes.
If you need any other advice on parts or bikes send me an email

I’ve got a completion stock (26er) you’re welcome to borrow for a spin (or buy, it’s for sale!) I have ridden a bit of mod (20inch) but struggled as I’m quite tall. If you’re close to a beach/sea front they’re always good for a bit of trials, sea walls and the like. I used to ride a lot of street where you’re linking up moves and generally ‘flowing’ for want of a better word, compared with competition trials which is more around static hops and such. Street is more fun but I found myself always getting injured. Much less risk at the competition stuff unless you’re hitting the big stuff

Trials bikes are curious things. Absolutely useless at everything other than trials. 20″ wheel even more so. If you haven’t ridden one before, they feel very nervous and the riding position will make absolutely no sense at all! I would get a 26″ as they roll better over bumps. Not so flickable for pure trials, but will allow you to roll through sections without too much technique. It’ll be a lot easier to learn the techniques on a bike that feels closer to what you know. You could probably pick up an onza for a few hundred. Frames are pretty solid, and the geometry is pretty modern. Even the 26″ wheel bikes will feel very very different to your mtb, but will at least allow you to develop what you do know from mountain biking.
If you have a club local to you, you could always pop along to an event. The sections will be marked for all levels of ability. The most basic route will usually just weave around all the obstacles and you will normally be more than able to ride the basic route on your current bike. If you’re in the south east, the Crowthorne club is your most local. They are very beginner friendly and have venues in surrey, kent, Essex and Hampshire. If you’re in the north, the Yorkshire tykes (tyke trials) will be a better bet.

I’ll echo what has already been said. I foolishly bought a 20″ as my first trial bike as I thought it would be easier to man handle. It was horrible and I could never get to grips with it. I was simply convinced that I had hopeless balance and general riding skills so sold it with the intention of never letting a trials bike darken my doorstep ever again.

A year later a friend of mine got into trials and let me have a blast on his 26″ bike. Within 20 minutes I was bouncing on the back wheel (albeit for just a few seconds) and bunny hopping onto a bench. I felt so much more comfortable on a 26″ bike as that is all I’d ever previously ridden. Stick with 26 is my advice.

All good advise above. Especially trials forum, tyke trials and Tarty Bikes. If you can’t decide between 20″ and 26″ (mod & stock) have a look at the 24″ bikes on Tarty. These are popular with those riding street trials, but 24″ have started to make their mark on the natural/comp circuit.

What ever you decide don’t make the beginners mistake of trying to hop on the spot, on the back wheel. You will to begin with but thats not the aim. You will spend quite a bit of time on your back wheel, especially if you decide to ride natural, but it is more about balancing on the rear wheel, in-between moves, with as little hopping as possible. Having said that, get your balance on two wheels dialled first. You should be aiming to balance without turning the front wheel too much.

There is loads of stuff online. Trashzen is good. The chap behind it also has a book which is also good. I have a copy stuffed into my rucksack when I take the trials bike out.

I’m lots of info here 🙂

Aware the bike will be useless at anything else and that’s ok, I just want to try something different. I figure it’ll help my normal riding as I suck a bit at slow speed stuff.

Price difference between 20 & 26 is quite a bit (rrp) and there appears to be more 20inch things going cheap on Fleabay … I’m assuming this is as they are so hard to get used to??

Will take a look at the forums and see what I can find cheaply. Am based in Manchester so will have a look see what clubs are nearby, I figure I’m going to get my ads kicked by 10 year olds so may as well do it in public 😉

Any other suggestions people have?

I appear to be the owner of a ‘new’ 20inch bike…by new read – ebay and <£100.

Had a look around for 26inch bikes but they were all outside my budget. So figured I’d give a 20 a go and see what happens. If anything, I don’t feel too bad passing it on to someone else afterwards if it’s not for me.

Now, where to start when it arrives? Local park will do until I can manage the basics I suppose 🙂

Congrats GregMay.. welcome to the world of trials 🙂

First up check the bike over, the usual stuff, cranks, headset, wheel bearings etc etc.

Make sure the chain is in good nick. You will be preloading it a lot and it’s painful when they snap.

Your going to need good brakes, without them your not going to be able to do much on a mod (20″). What does it have on, V’s, Maguras or disks?

Stur – thanks for the welcome, I’ll be stripping the bike in the shop workshop when it arrives and giving it a once over. Probably put a new chain on just to be sure.

Front brake is a Hope disc, rear a standard Tektro v-brake. I’m going to order a HS33 in for the rear.

So where to star and what to do?

it`s never too late..

Good stuff mate, I went through this about 18 months ago. I ride on the road, XC etc, and just wanted to try something a bit different.

I’d agree with everything that’s been written on here. Not very useful for trail riding at all, unless you get really very good. It’s pretty much a different sport. However, it does open your eyes as to what you might be capable of doing on a bicycle. Stuff that wouldn’t occur to you normally – like going sideways for example. And you’d be surprised at the work out you get from it

I spent a lot of time by myself.

I’d suggest starting with the foundation skills on 2 wheels – it starts with the track stand, then rocking, hopping, pivots. But you also start to learn your rear wheel hop (it took me about 3 months), then pedal kick, and eventually pedal up.

beginner trials 1

beginner trials 2

And here’s the little bike I got second hand …

Thanks for the links to the videos, Ill take a peak at them later today. Bike should be arriving today at some stage so will put it together, take a few photos, and try not to smash myself too much.

I’ll be interested to see what I can transfer from my MTB ‘skills’. I used to muck about on my old Planet X jack Flash frame years ago in a semi trials setup, so this should be interesting to see what I can remember.

Probably not going to bounce as well as I did in my 20s though 🙂 Already told the boss that I may need a new pair of shins later this week!

Bigger wheels seems to be more popular than 20″

Bike arrived this afternoon, had to resist heading out for a play straight away…I failed miserably 🙂

So first things first – as a long time SPD user I need to re-learn a lot. Even small turns on the front wheel with the back in the air now take 100% concentration. Bunny hops have lost a lot of height as well!

Spent a bit of time working on trackstands and realise I’ve to learn to do them differently with the smaller wheels.

I haven’t even contemplated trying to do more than kick the front in the air a bit yet!

Day two…didn’t happen. Came off my road bike and tweaked my wrist, thankfully not broken. But at least it gave me an excuse to strip the bike down, and take the wheels into the LBS to have them checked out as they have a bit of a wobble. Noticed how pants the pickup on the freewheel is…so going to order a new one 🙂

Brake wise. Are the new HS11s any good? Thinking for the rear as the V-brake as stock…is also pants!

Two weeks off the bike now bar commute duties….getting bored now.