May 31, 2021: Back to Basics – Balance and Motion
Ever have one of those days where you’re just not ‘feeling it’? Yeah, I have them too. On weekends when I plan to ride my trials bike I usually convert those ‘off’ days into opportunities to practice trials basics instead of pushing myself and getting injured.
For most of this session I focused on balance and precision on a ‘skinny’ beam, which is a 2×4 with the skinny side up (i.e., 1.5 inches wide, which is narrower than my tires). I spent about 1/2 hour trying to just ride all the way across it, then about another 1/2 hour trying (unsuccessfully) to rear hop across it.
I finished out the session trying to improve my pedalups. I could get onto 2 pallets almost consistently (a first!), though they weren’t the most stylish execution. Since I was able to do 2, I tried 3 pallets, but couldn’t quite get it. I finished out the session doing more pedalups onto two pallets.
June 13, 2021: Gaps
This weekend I decided to just chill at home and practice gaps in my backyard setup. I tried several different lines, using a pallet, rocks, and rubber tires. Aspects of each one made this challenging, but that was the point. Using the pallet let me get more stable on setting up the gaps, but it was sloped downward for one line, and very narrow for another. The rubber tires are squishy and concave. The rocks are uneven. All provide challenges that build skills… which is exactly why I built this practice area.
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