Toby is a young street trials rider from New England. He’s been pushing himself on the bike, unlocking more moves and style. I’m really interested in seeing what Toby has in store as he continues honing and expanding his skills over the next few years!
Tell us a little about yourself
Hi, my name is Toby Brucato. I am a street trials rider from Massachusetts, but I do also like riding mountain bikes. I don’t really have a profession right now, LOL, I’m still in highschool.
How long have you been riding bike trials? What is your riding level?
I don’t really have much of a background in other areas; biking was kinda the only thing I really did. I started riding bikes semi-seriously back in July of 2021. I’ve been riding mountain bikes for around two and a half years and I just recently got my first street trials bike back in June of 2023, so about 6-7 months. I would say I’m about an intermediate-expert level rider.
How did you discover bike trials and how did you get started? What age were you when you started?
I discovered MTB and trials when I discovered one of Seth’s Bike Hacks YouTube videos. I thought it was so cool and intriguing. I remember watching hours of his videos, and I stumbled upon a video of him in Florida riding some weird “street trials bike.” It looked so fascinating to me. I remember watching his whole little tutorial on how to do street trials and wanting to get a mountain bike to try it out. I ended up getting a Diamondback Line in July of 2021. Around that time I found one of Fabio Wibmer’s videos, “Wibmer’s Law.” It inspired me so much that I would spend hours outside my house, on the street trying to wrap my head around some of the stuff he was doing and trying to recreate it by doing small pivots on my front wheel, endo 180s. I was around 13 then.
How would you define/describe “bike trials” in your own words to someone who never heard of it?
If I were to describe bike trials to someone whos never heard of it, I would describe it as hopping onto and off of walls, rocks, railings etc. or bmx with brakes.
What type of bike trials riding do you prefer (style, obstacle types, moves, solo/group, etc.) and where do you like to ride?
My own version of bike trials would be defined as mostly riding on ledges. I love flat ground tricks. My favorite trick has to be G turns. I mostly ride solo. There is not a big street trials scene where I live; the only other street trials rider I’ve met lives about an hour away from me. I mostly ride local areas. I have a bunch of riding spots quite close to me, about a 5-6 minute bike ride, which is super cool.
Why do you ride bike trials and what keeps you motivated to keep riding?
I ride bike trials because it’s an outlet for my own way of showing my creativity, through lines I create. Honestly I just love to get out on my bike. Overcoming new challenges and obstacles is what really keeps me motivated to keep on riding.
What other styles of cycling do you do? How has trials helped you improve your skills in those other biking disciplines (and vice versa)?
The only other style of riding I do is MTB. I actually started out riding street trials on a MTB, tailwhips, back hops, pivots etc., and having that control from learning how to do those things had greatly improved the way I ride my bike on the trail, and would recommend anyone to try it!
How often do you ride trials? What sort of routine do you have for practice versus riding for fun versus making edits, etc. – how much time is dedicated to each?
It is difficult to tell how often I ride my bike but, normally I will ride any moment I get. I would say at least 2 hours everyday as a minimum. If I have the day off from my part time job, I will go out for 4-5 hours. I don’t really have a video routine, I just get clips when it’s something that is hard for me to do so I can see what I’m doing right if I land it vs not landing it, and how to improve where to put my arms, how far to pull back etc.
What’s the bike trials scene like near you? How many other riders are there? Do you have regular group rides? Comps?
There aren’t really any trials specific riders near me, just really me. I do occasionally ride with BMX riders to see what kind of creative street moves they can show me to implement it into my riding.
How do you manage fear when doing new/bigger moves or lines?
How do I manage fear? Honestly, before I attempt anything, I like to get a feel for the surface and what it’s like to ride it. Before I actually drop in to do the trick, I will reassure myself that I have all the skills to perform whatever I’m doing.
What are your personal goals with respect to trials (near-term and long-term)?
Some of my long term goals would be to try and make a living off of my passion. I want to travel the world, meet new people, and just explore places I’ve never been before while on two wheels. A near term goal would be to land a hop tailwhip and bar rides by the end of 2024. Those tricks have always been on my bucket list.
What would be your “dream vision” for future you as a trials rider? What would that look like? What would you be doing?
My overall dream vision would be to get sponsored by Red Bull, and join the Drop and Roll Tour, and like I said before, just riding my bike in new places and meeting new people!
What trials move(s)/skill(s) are you trying to unlock lately?
Some of the skills I’ve been trying to do lately are hop tailwhips! I’ve really been struggling with them, gonna have to ask Big Hops Fortner how the heck he does them!
Who are your bike trials ‘heroes’ and/or influences? Favorite trials video(s)?
I would say that my “heros” would be both Danny MacAskill and Fabio Wibmer. I love all of their videos. I loved Danny MacAskill’s older videos before he really popped off! Crazy to think he’s still this good years later! My favorite video from Fabio Wibmer would probably be either Wibmer’s Law or Osttirol Is My Playground. Both are extraordinary videos.
What are your perspectives on the trials biking scene in general and in North America in particular?
The bike trials scene in North America, honestly, is really small.
What would you like to see happening in North America with respect to bike trials?
I wish more people got involved in this amazing discipline of riding!
Any interesting / funny / crazy bike trials stories or experiences you can share?
One of the craziest riding experiences I’ve had did not happen on a trials bike, but it happened on my MTB. I was out riding single track up in Vermont, in the Burke Kingdom trails, when I came within 15 feet of a fully grown moose! I’m pretty sure my soul left my body when I rounded that corner and saw it. Cool to see looking back on it, but in the moment, I was terrified.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start bike trials or has just started?
The advice I would give to someone who is just starting out is to keep pushing. Trials is a wicked hard form of bike riding. Always try to see where you came from to not get discouraged.
How do people find you online?
You can find my socials on YouTube, @tobydoesthings, same for TikTok, and on Instagram it is @tobybrucatoo!
Who is the one North American bike trials rider (any skills level) that you think I should interview?
I recommend you interview Seth Stevens, really great rider.
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