Great video Tommy T. Remember when we worked on this in the Ryan Young class and I smashed my foot into the ground??😂 I was leaned over to the left and the bike fell that just like you described. 😂
I'm struggling my friend. Struggling is probably an understatement. I still can't balance on the bike. There's absolutely no way I can stand on the bike without putting a foot down. What could I be doing wrong? I want to progress but I'm not sure I will ever pick this up. Been around dirt bikes since the 70s and owned a Montesa 250 back in the early 2000s but I never rode trials. I just rode it on tight trails in the central Pennsylvania woods and it was awesome for climbing the coal piles that surrounded us here at that time. Had to do a lot of maintenance though riding on coal it has an acidic effect on wheel bearings and such. But do you think I will be able to pick this up? What am I doing wrong trying to stand on the bike without putting a leg down? I see guys standing on a trials bike for a long time and even manage to kick start it standing still? I imagine you can do that. I probably never will as much as I want to learn. And do you have any knowledge of a Gas Gas TXT 300? I'm having a very difficult time starting this bike. I'm 5'8" and weigh 145 pounds and I swear I put every pound of my weight on it and can't kick it over. Do you think an S2 low compression head would help? Thanks
Sorry to hear it. Email me for more since replys can get lost on RUclips tom@trialsprogression.com But here's my thoughts. Don't worry as much about static balance right now. Do slow figure eights and then slow it down even more. Most riders never even static balance in a section and so that's not a great barometer of skill. I used to take about half the tire pressure out and work on static balance and that helped a lot because the contact patch is bigger and that makes it easier to balance. Then slowly add more tire pressure back in.. It'll come with time. And if it doesn't - who cares? It's all about having fun on the bike and if you're not having fun then I would do something else like ride Hills or obstacles. Sure you might want to be well-rounded but static balance is actually not as important as rolling low speed balance. No I cannot kickstart the bike while static balancing. Gas gases can be pretty hard to start. The key is to kick back and not just down. I usually do 2 slow slow compression kicks, then a hard one. Seems to help a bunch. A buddy of mine Just got a low compression head for his GG and said that really changed things for him being able to start it. Prior to he had to have a friend start it most often because his legs were short and he was tired. Another option is to get an electric start like a TRS. 🤷🏼♂️ Hang in there and shoot me an email. I may have some other ideas for fun things to do to get your mojo back.
Put the whole active balance out of your mind. Try not to think about balance. Your thoughts are with the bike. The more you actively think about balance; you are going to start trying to correct, causing dabs. Flow like the water. Dont be aggressive, dont fight it. Just flow. Don't think. Balance also takes a lot of practice. Once you get it, it will never go away.
I found the eights at slow speed with stops very helpful, as recommended by Tommy above. Balance training is best done with fresh strength. If after 10-15 minutes you feel tired and unwilling to continue, it is better to take a rest or stop the workout. It’s better to train your balance a little bit every day. And progress is inevitable :)
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Hello Tom, this is an excellent video as always, thank you for your time, your involvement and your work, good luck to you
Thank you. I appreciate your kind words
That cricket 😆 Awesome videos, nonetheless
Great video Tommy T. Remember when we worked on this in the Ryan Young class and I smashed my foot into the ground??😂 I was leaned over to the left and the bike fell that just like you described. 😂
I do remember that. 🤣 rough way to go
I'm struggling my friend. Struggling is probably an understatement. I still can't balance on the bike. There's absolutely no way I can stand on the bike without putting a foot down. What could I be doing wrong? I want to progress but I'm not sure I will ever pick this up. Been around dirt bikes since the 70s and owned a Montesa 250 back in the early 2000s but I never rode trials. I just rode it on tight trails in the central Pennsylvania woods and it was awesome for climbing the coal piles that surrounded us here at that time. Had to do a lot of maintenance though riding on coal it has an acidic effect on wheel bearings and such. But do you think I will be able to pick this up? What am I doing wrong trying to stand on the bike without putting a leg down? I see guys standing on a trials bike for a long time and even manage to kick start it standing still? I imagine you can do that. I probably never will as much as I want to learn. And do you have any knowledge of a Gas Gas TXT 300? I'm having a very difficult time starting this bike. I'm 5'8" and weigh 145 pounds and I swear I put every pound of my weight on it and can't kick it over. Do you think an S2 low compression head would help? Thanks
Sorry to hear it. Email me for more since replys can get lost on RUclips tom@trialsprogression.com
But here's my thoughts. Don't worry as much about static balance right now. Do slow figure eights and then slow it down even more. Most riders never even static balance in a section and so that's not a great barometer of skill. I used to take about half the tire pressure out and work on static balance and that helped a lot because the contact patch is bigger and that makes it easier to balance. Then slowly add more tire pressure back in.. It'll come with time. And if it doesn't - who cares? It's all about having fun on the bike and if you're not having fun then I would do something else like ride Hills or obstacles. Sure you might want to be well-rounded but static balance is actually not as important as rolling low speed balance.
No I cannot kickstart the bike while static balancing.
Gas gases can be pretty hard to start. The key is to kick back and not just down. I usually do 2 slow slow compression kicks, then a hard one. Seems to help a bunch. A buddy of mine Just got a low compression head for his GG and said that really changed things for him being able to start it. Prior to he had to have a friend start it most often because his legs were short and he was tired. Another option is to get an electric start like a TRS. 🤷🏼♂️
Hang in there and shoot me an email. I may have some other ideas for fun things to do to get your mojo back.
Put the whole active balance out of your mind. Try not to think about balance. Your thoughts are with the bike. The more you actively think about balance; you are going to start trying to correct, causing dabs. Flow like the water. Dont be aggressive, dont fight it. Just flow. Don't think. Balance also takes a lot of practice. Once you get it, it will never go away.
I found the eights at slow speed with stops very helpful, as recommended by Tommy above.
Balance training is best done with fresh strength. If after 10-15 minutes you feel tired and unwilling to continue, it is better to take a rest or stop the workout. It’s better to train your balance a little bit every day. And progress is inevitable :)