Brindabella Was The Awesomest

[Macbeth]

:hsugh:

[stocktrials]

was it really? what did i miss and how did everyone go?????

[jda]

I had a good weekend, thanks for putting on the comp Canberra guys :bigthumb:

[rush]

:hsugh:


:?

[jda]

I think the results were:

Pro: Adam Kelly
Elite: Kleat Wilson
Sport: Damien Gillings
Novice: :Wavey:

Sunday was a good ride too, hit up the ANU :bigthumb: and some chess board crap :riaa:

[alexm]

I'd like to thank everyone who came, especially the Dorgs, Kleat and Nathan who made the trip from Melbourne.

I'd like suggestions on how to make these comps better. Definately more man made stuff so that I can ride it, tech is overated (j/k), but what else? I think the location let us down a bit, and Macbeth's attitude :). The last BC comp was premium in every aspect I thought. We need it somewhere that non-bike riding folk can stumble upon and enjoy.

[Peace]

The sections were dissapointing compared to last year.... but i still had fun, especially the after comp sessioning/secion destroying...

Also cringing at every movement alexx made on his bike wasnt very enjoyable... haha get that thing sorted mang.

Thanks to the guys for putting it on anyway, made the most out of what you had.

Peace

[Macbeth]

I had a good time playing around with everyone after the comp.... Wasn't enjoying dustiness/slightly dissappointing sections/lack of atmosphere/riders during the comp though, plus I haven't really been riding and felt a bit poo.... Sorry for being a surly cunt :sadwavey:

[alexm]

Constructive comments, thank you both muchly! With the sections, I know the rock ones were especially low to the ground, would you prefer stuff that is quite high off the ground and impressive looking? I don't know how we generate more riders since our sport it dying but hopefully we can attend to the other issues.

Next time you should try and stay for riding the next day. We all had a good time!

P.S. I think there may be another Jindabyne roadtrip in the near (early next year) future.

[jda]

Considering the national champs is at the same venue next year I would hope that the trials sections are set up near the bottom of the DH track where they sell food and all the spectators are milling around so it gets a bit more attention. Hopefully by then they will have the bike park finished because it kinda looks like a desert/construction site at the moment, but yeah I guess thats out of your hands.
As for sections, bigger stuff, higher off the ground as Alex said, it needs to look spectacular, I didn't even want to roll tape on the BC sections, they kinda looked more like warm up sections but I know you guys did the best with what you had. having some tech is good but you also need some big impressive looking obstacles, think of the attention the two angled spools got last year, that shit was cool.

Yeah Jindy roadtrip 2, some time around January/Feb before it gets too cold.

[Macbeth]

What the fuck are you talking about "The sport is dying....?"

I've had more kids contact me about getting into trials in the last 6 months than there are people in trials now..... And novice class is our biggest class at state level..... Well organised, well promoted comps and senior riders who have time/patience to put into helping new riders are the keys to the growth of the sport......

Trials is only going to die if we all just get older and get 'important' jobs and stop making time to help things grow..... Let's not let that happen :)

[alexm]

Living in Canberra I'd say the sport is dead. I get out once every 2 weeks by myself and once a month with someone else and I'm riding more than anyone here - that's sad. Canberra might be the only place in Australia where the sport isn't growing and I don't know why that is. I'd say we (Craig) put the most effort into running competitions purely because we have to organise everything to be brought in as we don't have good natural locations - but to me this effort level seems unjustified because of the number of riders that show. I don't know why he continues to do it to be honest but good on him!

On a positive note, we have been teaching some kids at a high school here trials skills and they show a lot of promise. We promoted the BC to them, look how many novice riders showed...0.

To be perfectly honest, I would MUCH rather get together with everyone in Australia for a fun ride somewhere (even natural if necessary) than enter a competition. People whinge about the entry fee, section difficulty, etc and worry too much about their points tally that it takes away the fun of the sport.

I don't see comps as a way of growing the sport, I think we need to bring the fun back somehow. Suggestions?

[rush]

Trials is only going to die if we all just get older and get 'important' jobs and stop making time to help things grow..... Let's not let that happen :)


:rofl:

:noes:

[Macbeth]

Yeah it definitely sucks for you guys to always have to build stuff..... I have avoided holding man made comps like the plague because, as Alex said, the effort put in is perhaps not worth it unless you are going to have a shitload or riders turn up.....

I'm biased, but I think the comps we've been having in Sydney are some of the funnest rides I have ever had, and the response from other riders has been likewise..... They're just a great avenue for getting riders exposed to the sport.

It works in Sydney though because we have a strong social riding scene. 95% of the rides in Sydney are social rides, with beginners riding alongside guys like Peace and AK. Then every two months or so (or a bit longer :() a comp comes around and is just something different and everyone can really see how much they have progressed..... Plus we have the terrain for it.... Super easy to set stuff here.

I'd be stoked to see the RAPME rides get back off the ground. You guys have some of the best street riding anywhere and I'd certainly try to get as many people along to one of those rides as I would to a comp.....

[jda]

Then every two months or so a comp comes around and is just something different and everyone can really see how much they have progressed.....



:werd: The comps are a lot of fun and a great way to test your skillz. If I only judged my progression by how hi I could tap or sidehop a wall I would have given up trials a long time ago.

[aykay]

Thanks to all the canberra people that put the comp on last weekend. It was still a big effort just to get it the way it was.
The state comps here have been quite good it seems. The last one at Arcadia we had 11 novice riders i think, and it wasnt held in conjunction with anythng else that day and it was also out the back of bumfuck nowhere. The sections were set on quaino's xc bike with the seat up, and they had flow so you could ride over everything, it was rideable for pretty much anyone that has ridden mtb before.
I have noticed at other comps the novice sections are set way too hard and people just end up feeling down when they cant get up a 2ft ledge with no run up. It needs to be RIDEABLE! The kids seem pretty stoked when they get through a section, and thats all we want i think. They will be back if they have a good time and get through some stuff.

Also i think its important to get the word out that there are comps and rides on. I think sometimes people dont turn up to comps because nobody knows about them other than the trials community. So yeah, tell your local mtb club and post on farkin if you have some rides/comps happening.

I think trials will never be a huge sport being so hard and all but it still has room to grow.

[Macbeth]

Yeah I totally agree AK..... As much as I don't really like 98% of Farkin, it's a great way to get news about comps and rides to the broader MTB community.... And we've got our own forum over there now....

And you're right.... Novice sections are often either set with trials specific moves in mind or as an afterthought when you're done setting sport and elite..... I know at Arcadia last time you guys put a lot of effort into the novice sections, and guys on all kinds of bikes loved them.....

[stocktrials]

agree. arcadia was one of the funnest comps ive been to
and BC last year was the best i've ever been to.

trials in canberra used to thrive, and the biggest video scene in Aus. but as things move on, people go to uni/work, ride less, communicate less, do more.

and trials dies.

Trials is only going to die if we all just get older and get 'important' jobs and stop making time to help things grow..... Let's not let that happen :)
i've been thinking this for a long time.

[Hooha]

Thanks again to Craig and the rest of the Canberra riders who set the up the comp. I enjoyed riding in conditions I usually avoid and thought the sections although small where pretty good considering the amount of material to work with. The small turnout of novice riders was quite noticable but I think this was probably due to the fact the comp was not widely advertised and only those in the know were aware that it was on at all. Trials is dead, that sounds like the name of a movie not reality...:bigthumb: