1a.  Rigid vs. suspension fork. Reducing travel.
1b.  Replacing a suspension with a rigid fork (& associated problems)
2.  Brakes (& everything about them)
3.  Building the perfect wheel. (hubs, rims, tires, tubes, PSI..)
4.  What is a quick engagement hub?
5.  Are my short/flat bars okay for trials?
6.  What kinds of derailleurs/cassettes work best?
7.  I find it easier to hop with clipless. (Are clipless OK in trials?)
8.  Crankarms & bottom-bracket choice.
9.  V-brake setup guide (You CAN ride trials without HS33)
10.  Stem issues - right choice of stem for trials riding

Disclaimer: This FAQ evolves as I learn.
I'm not a pro rider and certainly don't claim
I know everything. I'm just a random rider
willing to share his insights to help others.

 
   General

Most common mistake associated with trials is misspelling its name. It's not trails (as in tracks), it's not trial (as in single attempt), but it's trials. Trials as in trial and error, trials as in multiple attempts to do something. Official sport name: mountain bike observed trials. It is one of 4 types of mountain biking recognized by the UCI.
However, term trials originated in Spain about 25 years ago, and it was originally called 'trial sin motor', or trials without a motorcycle, as it was ridden on small 20" bikes which were originally used as a cheap method of training motorcycle trials riders. Later it evolved into a sport of its own, and went under name of "trialsin" and later "trials", so there are people who think sport should actually be called "trial" instead of "trials". I disagree with this, because we're talking in english, not spanish.

There are few kinds of riding which are often mixed with trials, mistaken for trials and called incorrectly altogether. I'll try to explain basic differences between riding styles, bikes used and give a few examples.

'Trials' usually means natural (or pure) trials -- an almost artistic way of getting over obstacles with your bike, obstacles most people wouldn't walk on -- without putting your feet down in the process, using fascinating and exotic techniques. Of all the disciplines using this kind of techniques, I'd say trials were the first to develop most of them, about 25 years ago. Natural trials are the form of trials mostly used in competitions (although that's going to gradually change, in my opinion).
Common misconception is that trials riders do tricks. This is not true - trick is something you do to entertain others, while trials riders use techniques, which are meant to accomplish something useful, for example clear an obstacle without dabbing (putting your foot down). This may not seem like a big issue, but most trials riders will prefer you don't call it tricks.. some will even get upset about it. :)
Very lightweight bikes are used for natural trials riding, because when you have to surge from mud to a moss-covered trunk and then lurch to a slippery piece of rock in the middle of a stream, you want every inch you can get from your bike and muscles. Pure trials frames and parts are not as strong as in other kinds of riding, because there is less big drops to hard terrain (no concrete/asphalt) and more ups, which require lightest bikes. They usually have sponsors, and have no financial problems snapping a frame every few weeks, as they get a new one for free. In other words, you don't buy a natural trials frame for jumping around the town because its strength was compromised in order to make it lightweight. (Similar conclusions can be drawn from comparing XC and freeride frames)
Typical trials-specific moves (at least originally) are techniques like pedalkick, japslap (or pedal-up), rocking, sidehop, bashguard upping, pivoting and many others. Typical frames used with rigid forks and toothed bashguards: Brisa B26D, Echo Pure, Ashton Justice, Megamo and Monty bikes, Zoo Piranha etc.

'Urban trials' is a mixture of trials techniques and urban environment. The result is a kind of riding easier and usually more fun than natural trials, because of widely available riding spots, good friction, right angles, firm terrain (concrete/asphalt) etc. - making it overally easier and therefore - more fun. The difference between urban trials and urban assault is in techniques used: urban trials retain basic trials idea, which is to get over obstacles without dabbing, using same old trials techniques, sometimes a bit modified; while urban assault is all about high speed fun, jumps and drops, usually leading slightly downhill - at least in riders' minds.
Most urban trials riders mix trials elements with street tricks, so any good urban rider will know how to manual, stoppie or fakie - there is always that element of pleasing the crowds (which are abundant in cities) that original trials miss, as rarely anyone will be in the woods staring at the rider doing crazy stuff.
Urban trials require stronger bikes because of shocks delivered by unforgiving asphalt and concrete, big drops on hard surfaces. Some riders opt for short-travel suspension forks, while others ride rigid forks and make their whole bodies act like suspension. Smooth bashguards are most often used to slide in on smooth obstacle surfaces, as opposed to toothed bashguards used in natural trials to bite into surfaces like wood or rock.
Some typical frames are: Planet-X Zebdi, Echo Urban, Koxx Urban, Onza T-Rex, Thylacine X-Trials, etc.

'Street' is a discipline that originated in BMX world decades ago (and both worlds still share a a lot of same tricks), and it's based on 'eye-candy techniques', or tricks, designed to entertain the rider or the crowd, without any real use. It involves moves (tricks) like manuals, nosepicks, fakies, g-turns, rockwalks, (twisted) stoppies, catwalks, x-ups, barspins etc. Street riding on mountain bike is getting more often called jibbing, since it evolved a long way from BMX in 1980s.
Good example of an MTB frame that could be used for street riding is Goatbike Goatbike, Ashton ET24 (Edd Tongue Signature), Curtis T1 Street and KoxxST frames, Norco Moment, Author A-gang... Urban trials and street frames have very similar geometries and you can use both types of frames for both kinds of riding, but if you really want to know the difference, usually street frame will have shorter wheelbase, smaller head angle (=less steep) and they're usually built to ride with suspension forks.

'Urban assault' is, as its name suggests, aggressive kind of riding invented to damage urban stuff all over town, usually ridden on a bike with plush-travel suspension fork and a steel frame (or fat aluminum frame), like for example Planet-X Pitbull. It can't really be precisely defined, but when you see someone doing a high-speed drop down the stairs or launching off a wall, you can sleep tight knowing your eye has caught a piece of urban assault. Lately, a lot of riders opt for full suspension frames, knowing concrete is unforgiving. However, most of dirt jump and dual slalom frames will do for this kind of riding, since it requires frames that are designed for high speed stability and suspension forks.

Now, here's what UCI says about pure trials:

"Bicycle trials is one of the most absorbing types of cycle competition. The object of this sport is to ride over an obstacle, called a 'section' without touching a foot on the ground. Typical obstacles are rocks and trees, but can be anything: boxes, automobiles, tables, etc. Foot contact with the ground is called a 'dab', and each dab receives a penalty point. After negotiating a series of 'sections', the rider with the fewest penalty points is declared the winner.
The first UCI bicycle trials world championships took place in 1984. The sport grew up in the USA, partly as an off-shoot of the motorised sport, and partly as logical extension of off-road cycling.

Two main categories of cycle trials exist. They are based on the permitted wheel size of the bicycle. These categories are 20-inch [mod] and 26-inch [stock].

Participants in this sport spend much time working out a route through each section. They will carefully observe their rivals in action, and are very sympathetic to the performance of each other. (...)".

Also see: Trials-Online -- What is trials?

We most certainly don't. If anyone actually used clipless pedals in trials, we'd probably call him a cheater and make fun of him. There are many reasons why you don't use clipless pedals in trials, few of them being: you don't need them to do any of techniques, even if you used them you'd gain nothing (unless you don't know any trials techniques); they are very dangeorus, it's very hard to learn proper techniques riding with them (you rely on your legs too much), they are more expensive, require special shoes and servicing, they have 0 advantages etc.

Trials is all about weight-shifting and clever/timely application of forces, so anything you think clipless pedals may make easier/possible for you, is already possible without them.
Clipless pedals are dangeorus when you need to bail, and there are known deaths caused by clipless pedals---people died because they couldn't clip out of them in time (or at all). Read more about it in this FAQ article.

You need a mountain bike, preferably not a full-suspension one. You can start right away by lowering your seat as much as you can and start practicing simple introductory techniques described in technique section of the FAQ.

As you get better, you will feel like your bike is holding you back, which will in most cases be true, so then, if you can afford it, you can start adjusting and replacing certain parts to get more trialsy feeling on your bike. Check out this great guide for step-by-step guidance through the bike setup:

Trials-Online -- Bike Setup Guide

After you've read it and got some feeling about what you may need to upgrade, you can read about most popular part replacements in the parts section of the FAQ in much more detail, to learn more about why you need to upgrade, what you get and what you lose.

You most certainly can. For details, go here:
Trials-Online -- 'Cost planner' (see bottoms of colums)

I'm not going to start by saying that you're an idiot for not wearing a helmet. Instead, I'll present the way I think about trials and safety.
The thoughts that guide me are following: I enjoy trials, I do it because it's great fun. I understand the risks involved. Therefore: I want a way to enjoy without permanent consequences.
I don't care about a scratch or two, I'm talking about not being able to ride for month(s) or big time screw-ups like having problems maintaining balance, remaining blind for the rest of your life or dealing with never-ending amnesia, and all of that because your head hit the concrete just when you were about to bail that 5ft drop like you usually do.. Or because you were riding down your street and your slipped on a wet pile of leaves or hit a wall when some kid ran out from between two parked cars or hit the sign at bus-stop (hi Danny! :-). There are so many picturesque brain-damage related injuries -- you don't want to get me started.
It doesn't matter where you ride, how long you ride and whether you are on a bike for the first time in your life -- it can happen anywhere. Nota bene: you are NOT wearing a helmet because you expect to be crashing every few rides. You are wearing it because you expect one bad crash in 6 years. It's all about one crash, but since you don't know when it'll happen, you have to always wear it.
I needed my helmet about 3 times last year, and without it I'd be seriously injured and wouldn't be writing this. I'm lucky because my occasional crashes remind me to keep wearing it. Don't be lulled into false security!  ALWAYS   wear  a  helmet . Besides, they won't let you enter any competition if you don't have one.

---

Shinpads.. well.. ask any pro that's not using shinpads to show you his shinbones. It's disgusting! I don't want to have scars that bad for life... And I certainly don't want a crutch because I smashed my knee. That's why I got myself shin+knee guards. My DMR-V12 have already eaten their way half through the skid-plates, and I don't have to tell you what that means. Flat pedals are a very dangeorus thing. Some people bail/crash from a big move because they have a fear of tearing their shins to shreds -- again (shin-shy people). That's the point where your choice of not wearing shinguards becomes more than "I can live with some shin-pain" and becomes life endangering.
If you think this article is too dramatic, you're either not well informed or over-self-confident.

Having elbow-guards makes you a very happy man the first time you make use of them. Potential pain flashes trough your mind and you're thankful. You won't die without them, but I used to wear them for big moves/on big rides.

The main problem with knees and elbows is the fact that they're complicated motoric devices which, once smashed, take thousands of dollars and years to partially heal. You will NEVER be able to completely heal a damaged knee or elbow.

Not wearing gloves is a matter of personal comfort and performance. Everyone wears them because gloves are directly involved in your trials performance. Every mountain bikes wears them. They're cool. Not wearing a helmet is also considered cool in some backward parts of the world... but please, use your head when it comes to helmets. Not wearing a helmet is like not wearing a condom. It's just not a good idea. Wearing shinpads is like choosing a lubricated condom. Wearing elbow guards is like using spermicide.
You decide how much protection you want. ;-)

And after all, do not forget what kind of confidence-boost wearing protective equipment provides.

The big trials problem: almost anyone riding enough (2-3 times a week for a few hours) will develop bad calluses (depending on gloves, grips and his specific riding style). It's a problem that no-one really managed to solve, but there are workarounds to make your life easier.

Let's list a few, with good and bad sides:

Manage calluses. Even if you won't use any of the following advices, don't ignore your calluses. In my experience, when I first start riding after a long pause, with nice soft hands, after two rides I develop blisters (bubbles under my skin). I don't puncture them, I pause for two or three days, and then ride carefully until the situation blows up, peels off and develops into hard skin (callous). Then it becomes easier if you ride regularly.
After a shorter pause, when hard skins just starts to peel off (or simply disappear), it's hard to start riding again because something very painful starts happening, and that's bubbles under hardened skin. I've found no workaround for this, except avoid shorter pauses or use one of pain-reducing techniques listed later.

Use pumice. In case you don't already know, pumice is a lightweight natural porous stone, sold for managing hardened skin or calluses, that by some chance even floats on water. There are few kinds of artificial substitutes, but artificial pumice-like materials work best for me, since it's hands we're talking about, and the one I've found is not as hard as natural pumice. Try different stiffnesses and see what's comfortable. Use it just to keep control over your blisters (soften them a bit), don't try to remove them completely.
Bad sides: hurts a bit, boring to do regularly (and you have to do it regularly).

Use crèmes. Using hand crèmes during night, applied to calluses in excessive quantities (white ponds of crème on your hands) usually make them softer, therefore easier to deal with. I've tried hydrating and fatty crèmes, and they both work differently, so I use them both, in turns. It's great to use combined with pumice.
Bad sides: if you're not careful, you can get the bed dirty. :-)

Use padding. The best callous-reducing way by far is padding in your gloves, but it can sometimes sacrifice your performace (especially if you get gloves with gel implants). You can try and get long-fingered padded gloves, but I always felt feeling of the grip/handlebars was not as direct, meaning not as good for trials -- I couldn't twist the bars as effectively since padding would always bend and twist etc.
Then I thought of impossibly stupid but simple idea, which was to try and wrap a piece of cotton cloth around painful places (or even before they become painful). This helped, and the feeling of the handlebar was still very good, so I use this trick for almost every ride.

Why does this work? I think it's because:
(1) it eliminates direct rubbing of your hands against the grips and
(2) due to increased sweating, your hardened skin is always moist which makes it softer, therefore easier to deal with (hurts less, slows down further skin accumulation)

How come cloth doesn't slip off during the ride? If you install it properly, it almost certainly won't slip off or slide back. It never moved out of position for me. (read more about this later)
How to make it? Simple. I took a really thin piece of cotton cloth (almost transparent), from a thousand times rewashed piece of old T-shirt. I cut a long narrow strip (about 30cm/12" long), widened at one end. It looks something like this:

I put the wide part over my calluses, and wrap the long part between my fingers and one more times over calluses, then stick the end under any of the layers or just leave it hanging (if your gloves fit perfectly). I put on the gloves and that's it. It doesn't shift or move during the ride because it's wrapped between your fingers which keeps it from sliding backward, and you forget you have it on in a second.

You can design your own strip any way you want; I use this design because it works so I never bothered improving it, but I also tried plain rectangular form which worked pretty good too. (I've been using it for a few months now)
It's a good idea to keep the shape narrow and long, so that the whole thing doesn't get too fat when you wrap the strip around your fingers, and it's also good idea to find tender and thin cotton cloth. Using at least two layers when wrapping it around your hand is a good idea because one layer stays in place on your skin, and the other slides with glove material, so your hand doesn't have to endure constant rubbing. It seems friction is pretty low with thin cotton material. I suggest not using more than two or three layers so that your feeling of bars during the ride doesn't get lost in layers of material: you want to avoid twisting your bars three times as much to get desired effect.

The only bad side of all this is a small waste of time installing the strip before every ride.

Also, try rotating your bars slightly forward or backward, as if it isn't in the right place, it will put all the stress of pedalkicking/bunnyhopping/etc. on one point in your hand, and it hurts bad. I learnt this the hard way, and it helped A LOT to rotate my bars for just 1-2 degrees. (advice by Gardenfan from TO forum)

 
At the end: you can't expect to completely get rid of your hard skin or callouses because that would mean not ride trials. Instead, just make sure you have it under control using advices mentioned here, and just try to explain it to your girlfriend before she assumes different origin. ;-)

If you have your own techniques to battle hard skin, e-mail me. (address is at the bottom of the FAQ)

Pain in the lower back usually occurs for three reasons:

1) your muscles are inadequately developed for your riding desires
2) your bike’s geometry isn’t suited to your body
3) you're using wrong backhop/pedalkick stance

Reason #1
When you just learn certain backwheel moves, especially backhopping and pedalkick (lurch), you will suddently start intensely using muscles you most probably have never used before. They will get sore and hurt a lot. Easiest solution is to keep practicing with less intensity until they develop. With every day riding this usually takes from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on your ovarall condition.
The pain itself should clearly come from muscles and not from your spine.

Reason #2
If, after muscles stopped aching, your lower back still hurts, but this time mostly bones (your spine), it is very likely your bike (stem, frame, bars) aren’t adapted to your body. Usually, the stem will turn out to be too short or with too much rise. For more, read about stem issues in this article.
Remember, the longer your wheelbase, shorter stem you need. The longer your fork (rigid 400mm vs. 440+mm suspension forks), the less rise you will need for your stem.

Reason #3
If you have right stem and frame, and your back still hurts, it’s almost certanly because of your riding (backhop) stance. New riders, just like me one upon a time, tend to keep their butts low and arms straight. This puts a lot of stress on your lower back and causes sorness, inability to maintain backhop, hardly controled pedalkicks etc.
I’ve written about this on a couple occasions in this FAQ (in backhop and pedalkick guides), so I’ll just repeat in short: keep your back as straight as it’s comfortable, and bend your arms by pulling bars closer to your body. Feel your arms straining. You may reach a conclusion that your current muscles aren't sufficient to maintain this kind of backhop for a longer time, but keep working on them and you'll come to a point when it becomes comfortable.

Dealing with all 3 causes will usually greatly reduce (or put a stop to) your lower back pain.
If you have additions to my experiences, please e-mail me.

Visit our links page to see links to three best sites with technique descriptions and a list of sites serving nice videos with comments and more.

You can find it here (HTML). It contains very good tips on back wheel moves, wheelieing and sidedropping.

Basically, a stock bike is a mountain bike, more or less adapted for trials riding. A mod bike is basically a BMX-look alike completely dedicated to trials riding: small, light, trialsy.

To see pictures of 4 top-of-the-line stock bikes and read well-written short description, go to trials-online's trials bikes 101. There you will find more info on differences and characteristic of both types of bikes.

Mods are specialized beasts designed for performance, factory-trained to be devoted to trials. When you buy a mod, you will be condemned to pure trials riding, and nothing else. Not even riding 3 miles away to a cool place for lurching around; and it's not just that most of them doesn't have a seat. You will have hard time going downhill, no matter how smooth the asphalt is, for more reasons than just because smaller wheels are less stable. Replacement parts are much harder to find, and you've lesser choice of them.
On the other hand, you will have no rear mech (derailleur) to bash against whatever it is you were just trying to sidehop on; you will have true trials geometry that will enable you to camp on your back wheel if you wish; you will have a bashplate (that means easier balance); you will have a very small, light bike that's unbelievably responsive to all kinds of maneuvers, and finally -- you won't have to spend months building up a perfect trials machine out of expensive parts, because you get it all in one package, rideable out of the box.
Generally, you get it and ride it, but usually keep it riding only if you want to go pro in mod class. Most riders enjoy it at first, but then they wish for a stock, which offers far more options. There are very few exceptions to this rule (people who sticked with mod, I mean). I like to think of stock as a long-term investment.
You can ride mod at first, and later sell it to buy yourself a stock. People report it's not that hard to transfer skills mod > stock because you already understand the mechanics of the moves.

Some people say mods have no style, no spirit, and no versatility. I agree. It's like swimming with flippers: it's great while you're in the water, but when you get out of the sea, it's clumsy to walk in them. It's similar with mods.

This is where we come to stock bikes. They have style, nice frame designs, artistic paint jobs (some of them, at least), versatility, flexibility (to configure them to your specific needs). You can also show off your ability to build a bike that looks good and rides good. :-) You have a wide range of thousands of product you can put on your bike to suit it to your needs and abilities, or you can just buy a complete stock bike. If you're on a limited budget then stock is the way to go: start with any mountain bike and modify it part by part.
Stock bikes, therefore, can be used for more than trials.. you're not limiting yourself to a specialized bike. You can ride natural trials or urban assault (most urban riders choose stocks). You can perform wider gamut of cool things. You can fit suspension fork if you change you mind later on. You can pull off much bigger moves and gaps.
The downsides are that in the end, it costs you a lot of money. Also, you have a steeper learning curve on a stock, meaning you learn slower. However, once you master all of the skills, there will be no mod-match for you!

Bottom line: despite all talks about easy mod to stock skill transfer, it's still a skill transfer, and it's still easier (and cheaper) to switch from a stock to mod if you change your mind later on, then vice versa.

As for "level of dedication", well, you have to list all uses for your new frame, and then see if you've mentioned anything except trials. If you have, then you usually don't buy a frame with totally converted geometry. (See: "what is trials geometry?")
The most important thing about this is to decide whether you'll be riding more natural or urban. Urban generally requires beefier (also heavier) frames with loads of gussets, butting and weird alloys to keep them from breaking in the coarse urban environment. If you're particularly smooth, you can go with competition frames (lighter, but not as strong), but if you were so smooth, you probably wouldn't be reading this.

Choice of material usually isn't that big of a deal because cheap frames are aluminum, and expensive ones steel or titanium. For the latter they say they last forever. Not so few of them have lifetime warranties. Aluminum frames usually snap sooner or later. The most important factor here is your weight: if you're over 185lbs, seriously think about getting a cro-mo or steel frame.

Then, you have to decide what kind of fork and brakes you will be running. As for choice of the fork, see "rigid vs. suspension fork", and now I'll just explain fork <to> frame relationship. Every frame has been designed to deliver certain performance, and that's mostly based around its geometry. However, geometry greatly relies on the fork you use, and that's the very reason why any decent frame manufacturer specifies the length or travel of the fork the frame was conceived for. That means that by choosing your frame you narrow down choices of possible fork selection. That's always good to keep in mind in case you already have a fork. Don't run forks that are way over the specs (too long or too short for your frame), because you're distorting the frame's geometry and making it ride different.
Using a fork that's too long, for example a suspension fork with 3-4" travel on a bike designed for rigid (trials) fork, will decrease your head angle, making your handling at low speeds a pain. It will also bring the front of the bike up, which means all kinds of trouble while performing some of the moves. Bike will feel funny.
A fork too short, for e.g. using short rigid fork on a bike designed for 3-4" fork, will bring your front end too low, usually meaning some picturesque crashes, twitchy handling, hard bunnyhops, unpleasant drops and generally bad handling.
Some frames advertise "variable geometry", depending on the fork fitted, but only few deliver the promised performance. (Planet-X New Jack Flash is one of them)

The choice of brakes: you can choose to run rim or disc brakes. However, if you want to run rear disc brake, then you have to make sure the frame will endure the abuse that disc will put it trough. Not so long ago, rear disc brake was a big no-no in the trials world because frame's disc tabs have been designed to be pushed forward while braking (rotation direction of the wheels) and not pulled back as is often the case in trials -- while dropping off, lurching, back hopping etc. So, what would usually happen was the disc tabs (or even whole chainstays) were being ripped out of the frame.
Nowadays, there are frame designers addressing this particular issue, and if you want to run discs you'd better be very sure your new frame will be one of those. Some of those frames are: Brisa B26D, most Echo frames, Planet-X Zebdi Mk5-6, Orange Zero etc.
(article on brakes)

Frame sizes usually don't matter much in trials world, because most trials-specific frames are under 13.5". All that matters is stand-over height, so smaller frame usually equals lower standover -- which is very nice when bailing. It usually has nothing to do with your height, because, unlike XC, you won't be sitting while riding anyway. In trials world, frame size doesn't tell you anything about rest of the geometry, and there is only 1 size of each frame available anyway.

Check whether frame you want has a functioning seat tube, ie. can you use a real seatpost and real seat, just push-in plastic trials saddles or no seat at all. (usually comp frames have no seat at all) If you expect to be riding some distances to your trialsin spots, you will want a functioning seat that can be heightened so you don't have to kick your heels in your butt while pedalling. If you won't be riding long distances, you can get a push-in seat. If you're only interested in comps and riding in your backyard trials park, you can comfortably get a frame with no seat.

Last but not least: check out the warranty terms. Some frames have very demoralizing policies, like Echo or Pashley, while others have very stimulating terms, like Planet-X for example.

Usually you match all of these characteristics, and only then look for the frame that's lightest for the money. Any trials-specific frame with weight under 3.5 lbs (1.6kg) is extremely light. It's probably a competition frame and as such, unless it's titanium, will not last trough too much trials abuse. You get it when you have sponsors.
Any frame weighing 3.5-4.5 lbs (1.6-2kg) is a good, pretty lightweight, trials frame. You can find some very tough trials frames in this range, like Planet-X Zebdi or Ellsworth Specialist. Any frame weighing more than 4.5 (2kg) and under 5.0 (2.3kg) is considered acceptable. Frames over 5.0 lbs are considered heavy. These are rare in trials world.
Please note that frame weight is very relative -- a big strong rider will ride a 5.0 lbs frame like if it was made of feathers (i.e. like it's very light). You can also forget about frame weight if you've intended heavy parts for it. Trials bikes usually weigh between 20 and 30 lbs (9-14kg), and 1 lbs (0.5kg) more (or less) on the frame usually doesn't play a big role. Advice: don't be a weight freak if you don't have loads of money. ;-)

Don't forget: visit our stock frame list for loads of info on (much) more than 100 frames: geometry, weight, materials, prices and other info. It's there to make your life easier.

First off, while someone rides a 19" XC bike and enjoys it, he'll find a 13" trials frame to feel just as comfortable while trials-riding. The smaller the bike, the easier it is to throw it around. This is very important. If you have a frame small enough, you'll be able to pull off all kinds of moves without having to worry too much about exact geometry. (to some extent, though).

The chainstay length was brought down from usual 16.5-17" to pretty short 15"-16". Few demonstrative chainstay lengths are: 15" (Echo Urban/Pure, Zoo Piranha), 15.15" (Koxx Level Boss), 15.25" (Crescent Ilions), 15.5 (Planet-X Zebdi), 15.75" (Ellsworth Specialist), 15.85" (Orange Zero, Brisa B26D), and even 16" (Norco Team Trials, Giant Team Trials, Planet X Pitbull falls a bit short of 16"...). These are all good frames, some of them seriously expensive too, and yet they are so different; but short chainstays do not make up complete geometry, and carefully balanced specs are more important than simple 15" chainstays.

However, the rule of thumb for chainstays usually is: the shorter the chainstays are, the more stable will bike handle on the rear wheel, easier it will be to get there (simple physics - you want your bottom bracket to be closest to the axle) and bike will be twitchier: it'll be easier to throw it around.
If you don't understand why this happens, find a BMX, put your feet on rear pegs ("those two spikes coming from the rear wheel") and try to get onto the rear wheel by pulling up the front. Exactly. The bike will fly. That's an example of having virtual chainstay length of 0".
The longer chainstays are, farther you will be able to gap and more stable you'll feel rolling high speed/doing rolling dropoffs. Some people like their stays longer, like Ryan Leech for example. They are usually more into urban riding, or in some cases very good natural trials competitors (where longer gap is more important than stability which they mastered years ago).
One of the things keeping some of these manufacturers from obsessively shortening the chainstays beyond any recognition, is the fact that anyone running 26" wheels requires the constant space for rear wheel + tire: about half the size of the wheel, (26" + tire) / 2 = 14 to 15" (and this is where the mods come in, with their 20" wheels). A lot of specialized frames can't even have front derailleur mounted because the rear tire would be rubbing it. Some frame designers have bent the seat tubes to get the tire even closer in.
The drawback of very short chainstays is following: longer chainstays let you gap farther and provide more stable (predictable) roll on two wheels.
It's all a matter of your skill, philosophy and a little getting used to. It's best to get a frame with medium length chainstays and after a couple years of riding you'll know what you want.
 

Top tube was shortened too. It's much easier to handle such bike during trials moves, and it's generally more responsive. It was brought from somewhere around 23-24" to around or under 21-22".

Trials frames also have shorter wheelbases. (wheelbase = distance between front and rear axle) Some typical trials wheelbase values range from 1020mm to 1100mm. The shorter the wheelbase, the easier will bike respond to throwing around and pulling up into bunnyhop, but it will be harder to roll up higher objects. Shorter wheelbase is usually desired in street riding, where it greatly aids performance of various tricks.
Longer wheelbase makes bike feel more inert, but you'll get better performance riding natural trials (that's where they're usually found). Some (rare) frames have even different wheelbase versions: for example Koxx makes a frame with 1065 and 1100mm wheelbase, but otherwise completely identical geometry. This just illustrates the importance of good wheelbase choice.

Head angle was steepened from 69-71 degrees to 72-75 degrees. The steeper the angle, the better handling, and more importantly, precision are at low speeds (and vice versa - steering will feel twitchy and render bike unstable when rolling high speed). Steeper angle also greatly helps pivots and rocking, making them easier and more controlled.
This angle also depends partially on the length of the fork so you have to be careful to choose the right one. Longer fork than what the frame was designed for, decreases the effective head angle. Almost every trials frame there is, is designed for 400mm rigid fork, and roughly, suspension fork will decrease head angle by 1 degree for every inch of travel it has (approximately). However, there are many trials frames which use 71 degree head angle, aiming at people who want to be more stable while going fast -- usually street riders. In my oppinion, it is unneccessary for a trials bike to handle good at high speeds at cost of losing precision while trialsin, so my choice was 74 degree head angle frame.

Difference of 0.3" in chainstay length may not seem too much - or even noticeable, but the rider can usually feel it very distinctively. That's one of the few reasons why carefully balanced frames are so expensive and etch their extraordinary feel the first moment you try them..

There are other modifications trials frames have undergone, like being made of unusual alloys, gusseting, special butting, casting critical parts of the frames in one piece, heat treating more than once, different ways of assembling and welding the frame, strengthening the disc tabs etc., but that's getting out of the bounds of this FAQ, and besides, every manufacturer has his own specific tricks.

With this information, you can now know to what extent a frame is dedicated to trials after examining its geometry specs. (hint from gurus: looking at our frame list comparing geometry specs of different frames, and then reading user comments on the forum can be astoundingly useful experience).

Please note that measures given in this article are only approximations and can vary.

Usually, people want to know if their cross-country (XC) or freeride/dirt/dual (FR) bikes will suffice for a bit of playriding in trials. Let's deal with both kinds separately.

XC
Cross-country geometries can vary greatly. If you have oldschool XC geometry, it will mean almost straight top tube, meaning very, very high and unpleasant standover. This by itself will not so much prevent you from practicing techniques, but will degrade your comfort.
Newschool XC geometry has slanted top tube and higher standover. You are, of course, lucky if you have a newskool XC frame. If I recall correctly, a great deal of frames manufactured after year 2002 use slanted top tubes. There are also many other factors that will make your trials attempts more or less successful, but to learn more, read this article on the difference between XC and trials geometry.
Other important aspects of a trials bike are brakes and bars. You absolutely need nice wide riser bars. They are not that expensive, and anything below 24" is completely unacceptable. Read the article about bars for more info. As for brakes -- you want to be able to comfortably lock up both wheels with one finger. In the beginning, most v-brakes might do, especially if you choose the right pads (like Kool-Stop). For more info, read the article about brakes.

The only issue left to cover are other, either lightweight, or cheap XC parts. You see, the thing is that they won't last. Chains, hubs, spokes, rims, bars, stems -- they will all be snapping and breaking. If you understand this, and willingly go ride trials with such configuration, be well aware of the risks involved and wear lots of protective equipment. Parts snapping may be regular occurrence after a few months abuse, and it's never a pleasant thing. Few people have to money to upgrade everything the second they wish to try trials, so ride, but be careful. Don't try things that are beyond your bike's abilities.

For my first 6 months in trials, I have ridden an oldschool race XC bike with completely straight top tube, excellent brakes and 25" wide riser bars. I learnt all crucial techniques on that bike and have also broken the frame.
Bottom line: your XC bike will suffice, maybe with slight modifications. Go for it.

FR/DH
If you have a hardtail freeride, dirt jump or dual slalom bike, you can consider yourself lucky. Let's make it clear: while XC riders have to be patient until they buy another frame, you may be lucky enough to have a frame that will serve you well for a couple of years in trials. This is why there are so many freeride, dirt jump and dual slalom frames in our stock frames list.
Your worst problems, in case you own a freeride frame, will be long chainstays (more than 16.5"), head angle not steep enough (equal to or less than 71 degrees) and long travel fork (more than 3").
Let's make this clear -- long chainstays never harmed anyone, they just make back wheel moves harder to learn and render you less stable while on back wheel. XC frame riders have to deal with a lot more problems. Smaller head angle means a bit worse handling when low speeds. Also not an issue too big.
The only real issue is your long travel fork. You can ride trials with forks with up to maybe 3" travel (4" if you're good), but anything more will be real pain. Your balance will suck, your front end will be too high; you'll basically be able to perform almost nothing satisfactorily. That's when you want to reduce travel of your fork, get another fork with less travel or get a rigid fork.
For pros and con's of choosing rigid over suspension forks, read the corresponding article in this FAQ. The same applies for buying yourself a rigid fork: read some of the problems and advices in this article about replacing suspension forks with rigid ones.

In case you own a full suspension freeride/DH rig, be aware of two factors:
1) your rear suspension might not endure the abuse rear wheel moves will put it through -- they tend to snap very soon and the owners usually end up feeling bad about it.
2) rear suspension will render your bike very unpredictable -- there's a few of people who got used to it, but they'll never amount to anything doing it. It's just too hard to control the bike.
3) FR/DH bikes are to heavy to do anything useful, trials-wise. When you get really good in trials, you might be able to do a bit of trials moves on such bike, but you will sweat over simple pivot, not to mention pedalkick. I tried it on a 18kg FR bike for more than a week.
 
Although it's possible to try some trials moves for fun on full suspension bikes, it's practically impossible to actually learn anything using such a bike.

In any case, however, start riding now and think later! :-)

Such questions are always welcome to forums and newsgroups, as long as you say what kind of riding you do and what amount of money you have available. So, go ahead and ask. There are frames with good geometries but lousy manufacturers which often break, so it's a very good idea to check for other people's experiences before choosing a frame just based on it's geometry information.

The things you can do for free is getting rid of 32 and 44t chainrings in the front, taking off front derailleur and shifter, saw off your seat tube, take off some sprockets off your cassette etc. However, if you're seriously into trials, the chances are you've already done this.

If you have a lot of money, this is not a real problem. Get a lighter frame and most expensive parts.

If you're on a limited budget, the first and basic thing is to find out the exact weights of your current parts and write them down. If you can't find the weight for some part and are completely desperate, then get the part off the bike and scale it. It's a pain, but I've done it.

Consider the amount of money you have available, and for each of those parts find a lighter alternative. Then you choose the part whose replacement will take away most of the weight. It usually turns out to be your seat, rear hub, tires, rims, brakes or cranks. Some of these parts are very expensive to replace, though.
After this, the next time you have some money, go through the list again, and replace the next part.

However, be VERY careful that the selected part will endure everyday trials abuse, especially if you ride urban and not natural. DO NOT drill your rims. DO NOT radially lace your wheels. NEVER save money on your chain or your rear hub. Those are the first thing to break, and also the most painful. DO NOT buy lightweight parts intended for XC/competition. The safest way to make sure if part is strong enough for trials is asking on the forum or asking manufacturer if they give the part warranty for trials use. Many won't, but some will, and those are the ones you're after.

Human's brain and learning process are pretty complex and even still mostly mysterious topics. In order to keep myself from writing a 5470 word essay on that, I will NOT explain why things are the way they are. Instead, I'll just tell you what you need to know, understand and keep in mind. For those of you who want to know more, get your hands on few good psychology and neurology books, and I'll see you in few months.

First off, let me remind you that the younger you are, the faster you learn and the better you are in the area after you've 'finished' learning (you're never really finished). This is why infants pick up language(s) fast instead of learning it for years and that's why some people seem to be born on their bikes - they've started riding when they were very young. If you take up trials at the age of 39, you will never be as good as someone who started at 15. However, do not be discouraged by that fact: with enough practice, you'll be good enough, just not a world-champion.

Every complex learning process usually consists of 3 phases.
(1) First phase is the period you spend in trying to understand something. In trials it's a bit different since it's linked with motor skills and involves some other parts of your brain, but close enough: the first phase is trying to pull off a move. It can take a very long time.
(2a) Second phase begins after you've succeeded in doing the move a few times (usually very clumsy) and then transforms into a form of confusion. This is far more noticeable in areas like mathematics, but in trials it still plays a significant role. That's when you don't know how you pulled off the move after a short while, when you're even clumsier than you've been before and when you feel that you won't succeed if you try it again.
(2b) For more complex moves, there is a period when you manage to do the move, but not really like it should be done. Example is bunnyhopping all over the pavement, but something feeling wrong - not preloading right, not getting the desired height, not flying and landing correctly etc.
(3) Third phase usually begins after a couple of days or so (weeks or months for advanced moves), when you suddenly say "Aha! I nailed it!", and then present the skill to the world. It feels like sudden insight and is officially called 'Aha-effect'. Without going into too much depth, I will just say it happened because the subconscious part of your brain kept working on the problem without you knowing it (that's why it's called subconscious), and after analyzing all the data, suddenly worked out the right movements, angles and positions to complete the successful move. Then it transferred the data to the conscious part of your brain where it waited for the first opportunity to be used when you get out and ride.

After the third phase, you know the move, but it needs polishing. This can take a long while. Do not be mistaken by the fact you know how to bunnyhop. It may take months before you've polished the technique to extent where it becomes:
a)Automatic. You can do it whenever-wherever. Recall ideal conditions you required for the move the first few times you tried it (speed, approach angle, type/height of obstacle etc.).
b) Smooth. It looks good, but more importantly - it *feels* right. Your feeling is almost always right; listen to it. Try and be smooth after you've understood the basics of a move. By trying to be smooth, you will remove all of the tiny, almost unnoticeable moves that are wrong, and will emphasise the important moves! You will also smooth out your weight shifts which is the #1st thing in being smooth.
c) Controlled. Having control over the move is something everyone lacks during the learning process. It is wrong, because control should be emphasized over "just managing to pull it off".

The brain in trials works on a statistical basis - that's why you have to try the same phreaking thing over and over again until you make it a few times in a row. You'll notice that you won't *know* the thing the first time you make it. Brain collects all the data about trials and errors you make and analyzes it when it has the time (usually while sleeping/eating/walking etc.). That's why it's good to pause a minute or so after you've made the move for the first time and concentrate on how it felt and how it might have looked -- so your brain has the time to store (memorize) the first correct input data you've had about the move so far. It's wrong to immediately try the move again, because you know you'll mess it up and lose (part of?) correct data as well. After that you still won't make it, but your brain will at least remember.
That is one of the reasons why experienced riders always say: "If you can't make it, take a rest, try something else, try it the next day. Don't push it!"

What can somewhat aid to the trial and error process are two things: description and modelling.
Description is of course the verbal analysis of the move, and you can read descriptions of all moves on hundreds of websites, forums etc., just like in this FAQ too. It is crucial that the description is complete, because after reading an explanation lacking one key element, you'll fanatically concentrate on trying to pull off the move without that element, and will willingly ignore the element that is a vital part of the successful move thinking it's wrong or doesn't matter. How many times have you cursed someone for not mentioning that crucial detail? Of course, it is self-understanding that you cannot tell which description lacks what or who forgot to mention something -- and for that very reason you must try to attain as much info from as many various sources as possible. It is not a rare thing that talking to someone who can perform the move correctly just gives you what was needed to succeed.
Sometimes you'll have to force yourself into consciously doing the move a certain way in order to override your subconscious part which is forcing wrong statistical data upon you. Example is trying to pedalkick without lowering the front or ratcheting pedals back or not landing your butt low enough after the kick. All those things can help very much if you force yourself into doing them, because they're not hard to do, perhaps only not so obvious.
Modelling is seeing someone do the move and then trying to imitate him. Videos help, but real life experience is much better, especially if you have someone who will demonstrate as much times as you need to figure out the fundamental concepts of the move. Most people already know this, so I won't go any further. Children at their youngest age learn by modelling.

(Links to best sites with videos)

However, doing something by description always holds the same danger: there are simply things that cannot be expressed with words so precisely that absolutely everyone can without doubt understand what it is really about. For that reason, always rely on yourself. You know you'll pull off the move sooner or later, so don't be too impatient. First try it, then, when you understand basic problems, read descriptions and ask questions.

Practicing techniques that share some of the motion with the original move can help too: more than a few riders were very surprised when they discover how learning a seemingly irrelevant technique held the key to success in pulling off another move.
I also advise against trying 10 new techniques at the same time, as it will inhibit the role of 'aha-effect', which is significant. The best interludes when practicing new moves is revising what you already know. There are weird ways of different techniques interleaving in your brain, and be sure you won't figure all of them before learning the moves. Practicing 2 or 3 new moves at the same time seems to be a good idea, as your subconscious will switch problems when tired of the same problem. If this seems confusing, do not try to understand it, just trust me.
It happened to me more then few times that a 1 or 2 days pause (no riding) was exactly what I needed to *learn* a move. It's not a paradox, so do not underestimate the power of something with such a trivial name -- "aha-effect". Pause a day every now and then. Try not to pause more than 3-4 days as it will "un-do" your skills.

Some practical advice:
- It is a fact that wearing protective equipment will boost your confidence, and therefore speed up learning. Most helpful are helmets and shinguards, and elbow-guards seem to be helpful when pulling off big moves, especially if they involve dropping off something very high. Long fingered gloves are, of course, a must. Trials specific frame will also speed up learning.
- When balancing things, get an eye contact with something firm and not too low down or too close; looking at your front wheel is usually not a good idea, unless you know exactly what you're doing, and why, on the edge of that 6.5 ft high wall. :-)
- Always try to make your moves feel as smooth as possible, once you sense they're becoming automated. If they feel smooth, then they are smooth: meaning gentle to your fragile skeleton and less abusive to your bike. Everything will be so comfy, and you won't come in danger of becoming a seriously unsmooth rider (by automating an unperfected technique). Most important: by being seriously smooth (ie. completely understanding and performing the correct technique) you'll be able to pull the move off to the extreme (e.g. hop higher or gap farther).
- Always try to be as relaxed as the move permits. You'll be smoother, more confident and will waste less energy. Watch your breathing. Do not try to pull of the move too fast in order to make it. If you can't do it a bit slower and confidently, you're not doing it right and need to do more practicing.
- Don't try to learn the move practicing on the same obstacle over and over again. Cruise the town and pick different obstacles with different approaches and different surroundings. This is especially important for some kinds of moves (e.g. riding up, bunnyhoping, gapping etc.), while it's not so important for some other moves (e.g. backhopping, basic lurch, wheelieing etc.); you can figure it out for yourself. Sometimes different surface (==friction), different dimensions of the obstacle and different approach to the obstacle will force you to change something in your approach to the technique, which is ALWAYS a good thing. This is especially valid once you learn technique but want to bring it to higher level, to polish it and make it more versatile. But that you probably already know.

Finally, there is one thing that will help you control every single move, and thereby speed up the process. That thing is BALANCE.
Practice a lot, but never overdo it. Remember: trials is not about talent. It takes years.

And after all, read other technique descriptions. Sometimes you might not see forest for the trees, in this FAQ. Links to best sites with techniques.

Best way to start, without a doubt, is by learning one of the stationary balancing techniques. New riders usually tend to learn rocking faster if they have a suspension fork, or trackstand if they're riding a rigid (see next article for precise guide). Trackstanding (or rocking) is important because you need it for most moves and it's irreplaceable in trials. Improving stationary balance will improve every single move you pull off in the future, including just riding down the street.
Generally, it will take you a few days before getting the least bit comfortable while keeping stationary balance. During that time you can try and learn some moves which don't require so much balance. One good example is ride-up objects. Simple and easy, yet useful (people get up picnic tables or school desks by riding up them).
Learn bunnyhop if you don't already know it (lots of XC riders do). Also, practice pivoting. Although it might seem harder, beginners are usually better in doing front than rear wheel pivots. You obviously won't be able to do stationary pivots, so start by rolling slowly.
Practice following lines on the road while rolling slowly (and then more slowly.. and then trackstanding). When you think you're good enough, find something thin to wallride.. like the edge of curb -- don't ride high, thin walls in the beginning :-).

After you've gotten the hang of those moves, your balance has hopefully improved too, so start practicing forward hopping and pivoting down the curb. After that, you are just about ready to start hopping up your first few stairs. Kick off by stationary forward hopping to pavement and then by getting up 2 or 3 low, wide stairs. Also try pivoting up the pavement, and then, pivoting up the stairs if you feel confident enough. That will be frustrating for maybe up to a couple of months, but very well worth it for the balance improvement you will gain.
Practice bunnyhops up and down things. Beginners sometimes concentrate on bunnyhopping just over obstacles.. The only way to bunnyhop higher is doing it many, many times, so hop up and down every think you come across while riding until you get tired.

When you get confident with your balance and learn to forward hop, start sidedropping off things. Curb, again, is the ideal place to practice as it's not so high to punish you when you lose your balance. Build your way to few-feet sidedrops..
Consider trying to backhop if you trust your brakes.

This would, I think, just about wrap up the TBP (Total Beginner Phase). After this you are officially a rookie trials rider, and people might find some of your moves cool. All these moves can be performed on any mountain bike, no matter its weight or geometry. Now, if you want to progress fast and start trials-dedicated riding career, consider getting yourself something with more appropriate geometry, although you won't need it at this very moment (depending on what you currently ride).
Where to go and what to learn after this, figure out for yourself (while watching videos for example), but some new moves will probably be a natural sequel.

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How do I learn all those strange technique names?
Well, usually, when you learn a new technique, you'll remember it's name. When you want to learn something, it's also good to remember it by name so you can discuss it with other riders. If you get confused by apparent similarity of some trials moves, use our Trials Technique Dictionary as reference. You can also use it to get a feeling of what some move or technique actually is, so you have better understanding of the move before you try to learn it.

Also, look at a video which clearly demonstrates the technique, don't start reading complicated explanations (like ones in this FAQ). The best site I've found so far, for education about things like this is Trials-Online (choose video page). They mostly filmed one move at a time and named the movies logically, so anyone can find what he/she's after in no time, and the movies usually demonstrate the moves under the best possible angles.

Try to visualize it: let's say you're trackstanding... Then you start losing balance to your right. To compensate for that, you need to move either one of your wheels to the right, in order to keep yourself from falling. You do that by a small pivot and everything that goes with it: change centre of your balance, lean the right (correct) way etc. To maintain balance in this example, you can pivot either one of your wheels to the right and lean a bit to the left.

In all this, there is usually what I refer to as "main correction" and what I like to call "secondary correction". Main correction is used to prevent the original balance flaw, the very reason you've started rocking (to remain balanced).
Secondary correction is performed for two reasons. Main reason is to keep you facing the right direction, remain parallel to an edge of obstacle, keep the bike/yourself on the bike straight etc. The other reason is to provide additional balance correction if needed. It's often the case that either main correction wasn't 100% accurate and you need more corrections (that's when smaller and more latent secondary correction comes into play) or that main correction ruined a bit of balance by itself, and needs another small correction. This is normal and happens to all riders, although not always is it so visible.

Rocking goes like this: main correction, secondary correction, main correction, secondary correction, main correction, secondary correction... (repeatedly)

Choco foot and rocking. This will come as a natural thing, but I will mention it anyway... Let's try illustrating it on an example first: let's say that right foot is your choco foot. Then: if you're losing your balance to the right, you will usually do the main correction by pivoting the front a bit to the right. That's because it's easier to do it this way when your right foot is at the front. If you're losing balance to the left, you will first pivot the rear, and then front wheel. This is a bit harder and that's why losing balance to the non-choco side always seems a bit scarier and it's harder to do a nice and small correction -- so instead you have to do a big and clumsy rear pivot first. Later it becomes natural and everything looks fine, but in the beginning it looks like that...
If you're left-footed, things will be looking vice-versa.
(Note: when you become experienced, you'll be able to override these default settings, but most beginners will do it this very way)

Most riders will tell you you're to do small adjustments, just an inch or so. I won't tell you that because it's impossible during the learning period. That comes with time, and is sort of smoothness in rocking. I will merely explain why it is a good idea to keep the adjustments small. It's simple: the bigger "adjustment" you do, the more balance you will lose and the bigger the next adjustment will have to be -- this is a downward spiral of ruining the balance. Try and control it as soon as you think you can.

It all starts with big, fast, unsmooth, maniac throwing of your wheel around and losing the balance after two rocks. That's okay. That's because you've accustomed yourself to the gyroscopic effect of the wheels - they resist losing their balance once they start spinning, and they resist more the faster you go... But now they're not spinning; you're left to yourself and your thin abilities to keep stationary balance.
We've all been there. My suggestion is, if you're a total beginner: start learning rocking by just moving the front wheel. It's easier that way, I call half-rocking, and once you learn to balance by just adjusting the front, you won't have too much trouble learning to adjust rear. It's just as easy, but a bit confusing if you do it all at the same time.
If you do it on the front wheel only, do not forget to keep throwing you weight back a bit as you rock (too much will ruin your balance), to keep the pressure off your front wheel, since you have to move it about. Do not keep leaned back all the time, lean back and forth, as you move the wheel. Try not to do it too fast.

After you've managed to keep your balance for few seconds with rocking only the front, use your front wheel pivot knowledge and start adjusting the rear too. The basic explanation is this: since it's all the same, at least most of the time (while necessary corrections are small), which wheel you move about, the rider creates a rhythmic motion with his body, moving the weight first over front wheel adjusting the rear, and then moving it back adjusting the front. This technique permits smaller adjustments and more control when balancing on tricky stuff (usually something narrow).

Learning how to keep balance is imperative since it's the basis for almost every trials move there is.

Some riders say that it's easier to rock if you have a suspension fork, because of the rebound. I'd agree. They also say it's easier to trackstand with a rigid fork. That very is true. Effectively, this means more practice before you manage to trackstand with a suspension fork.

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There's been a lot written on trackstanding, so I'll just repeat it in short: a trackstand is performed by keeping your pedals level with the ground, turning your wheel away from your chocolate foot (90% of riders) and making small adjustments using your brakes, pedal pressure and angle of the bike compared to the ground; although your brakes are likely to be locked up most of the time. Turning your front wheel in one direction is a subtle way of gaining more side-balance, because that's the very thing you lack when you have 2 instead of 4 wheels.

There is also a kind of "rolling trackstand" which beginners find easier. In actuality, no-one's rolling while doing it, but it's a brakeless version often done on slightly sloped terain where you use pedal pressure instead of brakes. Bike is rolled slightly forward and backwards while doing it. I don't like it since it has very little uses in real trials enviroment (you need to keep still on obstacles, not roll back and forth), but some people swear by it (people who think real trackstand is impossible -- yes, there are people like that). It's only use I've found so far is to make waiting for the green light a little more relaxed.

Trackstand is easiest to learn once you've mastered rocking, because it tends to be less frustrating. The best way to learn it is to slowly roll and then come to a stop. Some people claim they like to do it against slightly sloped terrain (try and see how it works out for you). When you start losing balance, it's better to use either rocking or a small pedal push (letting off brakes of course) to regain it, instead of putting your foot down.

There are some cases when both trackstand and rocking are unusable as ways of keeping balance. That's when you use stationary hopping.. (next article)

Preloading is shifting your weight farther away from the side you will be moving to. For example, if you're going to do right-rear pivot, you will preload left (and a bit to the front). Almost every technique has its own way of preloading (sometimes only vaguely different, though), so we talk about move-specific preloads. Preload is used so you could have a longer "run-up path", giving your weight more acceleration, thereby resulting in a better move (longer range). This is the reason preloading is always done the "wrong way". (e.g. for front pivot, you move back)
Preload is usually done in a fast but gentle matter, while being careful not to ruin your balance.

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Almost anyone can learn to forward hop within 25 minutes, so you must be reading this because you don't even know how it looks and want to try it. ;-)
A simple forward hop is performed out of a trackstand or rocking, with the goal of moving the bike forward. We are talking 0-0.5m distances. Riders use it for a bunch of stuff, from getting up the stairs head on, to trying to get up a steep slippery rock or muddy slope. You could describe it as "grasping for terrain" ahead of you by using bike's locked wheels.

So, the procedure is as follows:
1) you're stationary, keeping your balance.
2) you preload; in this case, it's compressing your body down and back (usually as far as you can get if you're after a longer range hop).
3a) you explode forward; from preload position you jump straight ahead and up, taking your bars after you and still holding both brakes locked. Exaggerate the jump.
3b) you control the 'flight'; it is very important you keep track of your feet and not permit them to press too hard on your pedals, because it would mean planting your back wheel to the ground. Often feet leave the pedals while you still learn, which can be dangerous. Ignore it in the beginning since it's functionally better than pressing down too hard, but later on make very well sure that you keep pedal contact at all times. (see *)
3c) the bars in the air follow your body; it's important to pull the bars up and push them away as swiftly and strongly as possible, because that means getting the rear wheel higher off the ground. Except for this motion with your bars, trying to twist your grips a bit forward might get your rear wheel a few extra millimetres higher, giving you a split second more in the air -- resulting in longer range.
4) you usually land both wheels at the same time.
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Note: brakes are locked throughout the move.
* Your goal is to maintain feather-light pressure at all times, so you know where to find your pedals when you need them (coming down from the jump). Since your arms are pulling the bars, and your bike just following, try using your arms as an extra help in controlling the feet>pedal construction. This is not so important in forward hopping as it isn't a dangerous move, but the statement is valid for many trials moves - your feet will rarely have to leave pedals completely - so don't forget about it.

In case you still can't jump, try giving more acceleration to your weight, doing your arm motion faster and stronger, jumping (with your body) higher or think about reviewing your feet<>pedal relationship.
If you want to learn a more advanced technique, try playing with small but swift pedalkick the second you start your hop.

If the ground is flat, you might feel slight discomfort jumping forward, like if you're doing something clumsy. The feeling gets better as the stairs get steeper. ;-) It also takes a lot of energy to forward hop. I can bet you that at first you won't be able to jump more than 7-8 times in a row.

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A variation of the forward hop called the stationary hop can also be used to keep your balance while both brakes are locked. Some people think it is actually classic stationary bunnyhop because the technique is so similar, but I won't go into that. I think there's a very subtle difference once you master both. (you can also see "classic bunnyhop" -- opens in new small window).
Anyhow, it is rarely used for keeping balance on flat terrain as it's energy consuming and clumsy in the beginning: only time I use it on flat surface is when I lose balance (ie. mess up) so much that I don't believe pivot (rocking) would help me. Then I do a correctional hop. It's useful when something goes wrong in a big move, especially if your balance went wrong.
However, it can come in very useful in balancing when your front wheel is high on an obstacle and you can't rock or trackstand or when you're on very inhospitable terrain/obstacles (there are a few exceptions, but never mind).
You should be able to figure it out yourself once you get familiar with forward hop. The basic premise is not jumping forward, but up, pressing your feet down and back into the pedals, allowing you to pick up the bike when leaving the planet. The same way rocking is used to move your bike to the side when you lose your balance, using stationary hop to the side you're falling towards will prevent that fall. Hop small (ie. not high), or else you'll be tired before you know it.

Now, as soon as you have your balance dialled in, you're ready for big time stair hopping. ;-) You can use forward hop to move one stair at the time (check if the stairway is compatible with your wheelbase if you plan going head-on) and stationary hop to keep your balance. Now, there's a use for both moves. :-)
As for the stair-hopping, try hopping sideways (45 degrees) later on.

Bunnyhop is one of those moves that are so useful that even XC riders use it, and it surely can be used to discriminate bike riders into two categories: serious riders and wannabes. It's elements can be found in dozens of other moves, but it can be learnt without knowing any other special (trials) techniques. (How do you think XC riders figured it out? ;-)

There are two basic techniques of bunnyhopping: classic/oldskool bunnyhop and American bunnyhop aka j-hop. Both of them have their rolling and stationary version, and that's where all similarities end: these two moves are based on profoundly different techniques, have different uses and share only the name.
J-hop is mostly used to get up high objects/clear obstacles when you have enough speed to do it. Classic bunnyhop is very much like stationary hop.

During the learning process, it isn't necessarily true that it's easier to learn the hops while stationary. It surely is less dangerous, but the chances of pulling it off do not fall drastically if you try it while rolling. Some people learn it while rolling and then find stationary hopping child's play and a good way to improve the technique -- that was the way I learnt it. Most people, however, start by doing stationary bunnyhops and then have trouble trying to transfer the knowledge to rolling versions (they feel unstable and have timing problems). Do not be discouraged, though: after you learn either version (=rolling or stationary), it's usually just a matter of day or two before you manage to pull the other one off as well. My suggestion is: start stationary.

I won't tell you that it's safest to learn rolling bunnyhops over imagined obstacles, regarding your personal safety, because you can figure out things like that by yourself. Don't go big if you simply think you can do it; do it when you know you can do it. Be aware of your limitations and risks involved.

Classic bunnyhop:
(often just "hop")
1) preload- compress your body downward, crouch,
but simultaneously:
2) turn yourself into a spring: use your arms to push the bars slightly forward, and your feet to push the pedals backward -- there should be no resulting motion, you will just have the bike sort of attached to youself. You have to choose right pressures; your goal is to produce enough traction under your feet so you can pick up the bike at will, scoop up the pedals. The more pressure, the higher the traction is, but you won't be flying very high and you will feel cramped in that position if you go too far. Good flat pedals help plenty in increasing the traction and keeping the necessary pressure low (so everything doesn't feel too awkward).
3) jump in the air pulling your bike with you a split-second after jumping; if performed right, both wheels will leave the ground at the same time and bike will be level. You won't be getting too much of altitude out of this move, though.
It's a fairy simple technique most people acquire within a day, if demonstrated right.

J-hop/American Bunnyhop:
(often just "bunnyhop")
This one is a lot trickier because it involves so much weight shifting. That is the very thing that gets you airborne in this move. I know people who took a couple of weeks before pulling it off for the first time. It usually takes months to perfect it to the point where you truly understand what is it about that move that is so enchanting and powerful. Do not forget that all of these steps are performed well within a second.

I) Getting airborne
1) preloading consists of moving your weight a bit forward (over your bars).

2) to start the move, you motion yourself to a new position, somewhere over the rear tire. As you progress, you will go lower and lower.. finishing inches above the rear tire (if you want to go big). During this motion, you start pulling your front wheel back.
Now, remember well the detail that ruins any beginners bunnyhop: you have to preserve perfect balance while pulling your front wheel RADICALLY back at the same time. If you're rolling during this, it will feel weird and will make you feel insecure, since you're literally trying to SLOW DOWN your front wheel relative to your rear wheel -- think about this for a moment, understand it. You will possibly loose your balance to one side and crash. The trick while learning is finding the point where you won't lose so much balance, but will still be able to pull off the move. Preloading far back is for going big -- you don't need it immediately. It takes some time (months) to get very comfortable in preloading far back. Knowing how to wheelie might help, knowing how to manual will be the job almost done.

Let me try to explain the motivation for pulling back the front wheel so much. The basis of bunnyhop is pushing the bars in a circular motion away from yourself to get the rear up. However, you cannot push the bars much away the way they are; it wouldn't work (try it) since you can't extend your arms more than their length. That's why you kind of cheat and first pull bars as close to yourself (body's usual location) as you can confidently do, while at the same time moving your body even further back, away from the bars, and then go in the opposite direction, exploding while performing the move.

Do not forget: the more you pull the bars back, the higher your front wheel will get, and the higher it gets during this step, the higher your resulting bunnyhop goes. This should not worry you too much while learning, but it's a good tip for later. People somehow seem to forget it later on, nevermind all the emphasis.
I will re-iterate: you get your butt the lowest back you can get it while maintaining good balance. Depending on your height and frame size, your chin should be just around the level of the bars, and butt a bit above the rear tire, for big hops and with correct technique. If you've ever seen someone manual, that's about the position we want in the middle of step two (that's why people manualing can bunnyhop "with their eyes closed").

3) before step two is entirely completed, you will launch your body in the air and squish your legs a bit, to keep the pressure off the pedals (do not dismount completely, though). As you make your first inch towards the sky, you will have to do the magic thing that will pull the rear in the air, and that is circular motion with your arms. You have already performed the first part of the motion by pulling back the bars, and now you simply have to finish the circular motion of your arms by pushing the bars first up and than away. It is important you don't do it in the straight line but in *circular* motion (that's why I'm repeating it so many times). So, if we're look at your bike sideways and you're facing/rolling in this >>> direction, you will *NOT* move your arms like this:
/_ (underscore '_' is movement <back<, and slash '/' up and away at the same time)

        but like this:
C_ (first <back< and a little bit up, then more up and less back, and finally, as you gain height, more away than up == circular motion).
It is crucial that the movement be performed in swift and decisive manner, or else everything goes down the drain. Move your arms like C, not like ( -- the parenthesis shows a motion not begun and finished right.
If you do not pull your legs up and they keep pressurizing the pedals, rear won't come up. Beginners usually fail on all three points and this is one of the reasons why they find bunnyhopping so hard to learn. They usually pull back and fall back down, and then try to forward hop. Emphasize control.

4) after you've pushed your bars up and away in circular motion, you will usually level the bike out - in the air. You body should be compressed against the bike; this resulting from your wish to go as high as you can and pulling bike to yourself, not vice versa (falling on the bike). Legs have to be fully retracted in order to gain maximum height (do not worry about this in the beginning).

Sometimes you don't level the bike out in the air. Some examples are low obstacles where you want to land rear first, higher obstacles where you want to land into a backhop (ready for lurch) or manual and high obstacles where you land on your bashguard.

Theoretically, your rear wheel could never get as high as your front, if there wasn't for a small detail: when you almost finish lifting the rear by using the Circular Motion, try twisting your wrists forward. If you do it right (right force, right timing), it will get the rear even higher up. Some riders find it more powerful if they keep their index fingers on brake levers and use them to increase leverage to help the bars rotate. The lighter/smaller/shorter your bike is, the more it will show whether you've twisted your wrists or not, because there will be less negative leverage (less weight less far away == easier to twist the rear higher).
Do not be mistaken: many bunnyhop guides claim this to be as important as circular motion, but it's not. It merely helps you to more height, in the advanced phase of learning the bunnyhop.
You may also notice, that while learning, it's near-impossible to incorporate this additional movement into the chaos of weight shifting and jumping around. This is an additional reason why you should not be troubled by twisting the bars in the beginning, but also not forget to add it later on.

 
  Advanced section
                      (skip to >landing if you wish)
 
When you truly master bunnyhop, you will notice a sudden big change in your technique, and then, shortly afterwards, two slight variations in the move.
The big change will usually happen as you practice backhopping, lurching and other backwheel moves, especially manual. You will find yourself preloading for bunnyhop in a totally radical way (from your last week's point of view), and that is leaning far further back than before, getting your front way up higher, performing a really nice manual and using rear tire rebound to start off the hop. It's what you were meaning to do for weeks/months before this moment, but you never made it: you were simultaneously afraid of looping out and thinking "I don't need it right now, I can bunnyhop all right". The first time you do it, all those videos of kickass riders hopping anything 3' or higher will flash before your eyes. That smoothness, your smoothness, will carve a deep impression upon you. You will feel it being soooo right.. finally right. You will feel comfortable doing the whole move (and far back preloading thing) even over a small curb.
Shortly after, you'll notice two slight variations of the move.. not enough to call it another move, but enough to think about which one to use for which obstacle. In short -- I'll make it short just so you know it exists, you'll learn it by yourself anyway -- in short, first type of bunnyhop involves pushing your hands more up than away, and not twisting your bars (not too much anyway). It's a slight variation of circular motion, so don't think you don't have to do it, because if you don't, nothing gets the rear up. The result of pushing your arms a bit more up than away results in landing rear on the obstacle you're upping. This can be used to continue lurching or manualling when you land, landing on your bashguard or just for messing around on low obstalces.
The second type involves pushing your arms a bit more away than up, and twisting the bars as much as you can. Result of this is leveling bike out in the air, and getting extra height for your rear (so it can clear the obstacle). If you're landing on a high obstacle, you usually land front first and shift weight forward in mid-air, so you unweight rear and lift it even more when front lands. This variation is used for upping very high obstacles. You can also land flat or a bit on the rear wheel after jumping over an obstacle and going back to the height you went from; it's still the second variation.

II) Landing basics:
After this, you're in the air and may choose your own way of landing; just make sure it's smooth later on (don't worry about it during the first month or so).
a) If you've bunnyhopped over a pit, then you don't pull your rear so high in the air and you obviously land it first.
b) If there was an obstacle, you be careful to level the bike in the air as much as necessary to clear the obstacle, and do everything you can to land on your rear - this usually includes stretching your legs after clearing the object and keeping your body weight almost centered.
c) If you're hopping on a high object, you might consider landing slightly on the front, to keep on rolling (if that's what you're after).
d) If your target is downhill (negative slope), you can confidently position the bike the wrong way, that is: land completely on the front wheel (depending on the slope and the length of the target, of course). The doubles are landed this way - front first.
e) If the target is uphill (positive slope), you will