The jury is in, we have come to the decision that riding a trials bike as a method of training is an excellent one. It sure beats going to the gym. We have had our GAS GAS trials bike for several months now and we are beginning to see the results. When we first got the GAS GAS, everyone wanted to get on the thing and do some play riding, popping wheelies and doing some stoppies. As the novelty wore off, the guys stopped asking to take it out.

I kept up the regimen, I swore to myself I was going to learn how to ride wheelies. I gave myself 30 minutes 3 days a week to mess about on the thing. Some of this time was spent riding on grass doing wheelies in 2nd and 3rd gear. When we first got the bike I was popping the clutch to loft the front wheel. As my skills progressed I began using the suspension to transfer the weight to the rear wheel and with a blip of the throttle the front was up. I found this made for a smoother, less violent lift which made it easier for me to find the balance point. I still don’t ride killer wheelies like some of our test riders but I have improved considerably.

Another portion of my time was spent riding on the skinny piece of cement that forms the curb on a sidewalk. Next to the EDM offices we have a small hill on a street that sees little traffic, the section is about 75 yards long. I would ride as slowly as I could manage in first gear and try to stay within the eight or so inches of concrete. If I went off the right side the drop was 7 or 8 inches and if I went off to the left it was grass. It seems like a simple exercise but the first few days had me in the grass or into the street more times than I’d like to admit.

Something I learned while doing this is steering with the weight of your feet. I have always been a rider who steers consciously with my hands. If I did any steering with my feet I was most certainly not aware of it. I found the amount of effort required to keep the bike going straight at a slow speed using the handlebar was far greater than keeping it straight with the weight of my feet. And strangely, the bike responded by feeling more solid, less twitchy to the steering input I was giving it.
........................................................................................Continued