OK --then what can we do to bring the sport back ?

I think we are generally less tough than back then and have higher expectations. Perhaps some don't ride because they feel they need such things?

Some of me is still in that older, simpler world. I do not own an RV. My truck has 180,000 miles and counting. I ride in dirty shorts and it took me 12 years to buy a new helmet.

But maybe if I did have something to stay in I'd drive farther to events? If I did, however, it would be light and simple.

Used to live in Irmo, SC, `1990. I'd ride by myself in the midlands. Not safe but I had no choice. Hoping there are more trials riders in SC now.

TMI dude, way TMI.

I think that trials riders need to hook up with the local bicycle trick riders. If we could loan them a motorcycle....?? I see them as very similar skill sets.
Maybe skateboard rats? Halfpipe guys?
I rode past a skate park today and thought it would be fun to ride on their area.

I live about an hour south of Irmo. I only started riding trials last year and know of about 6 others from SC who ride AHRMA trials. There's an ITSA-chartered club in Charlotte now. I think they're ITSA-chartered mainly for the insurance, as most of its members ride modern bikes. My husband and I have some spare trials bikes and are always inviting dual sport, flat track, and enduro racing friends out to our practice course, not to mention random passers-by, but we've had very few show any interest.

Dirty on the outside!

Cool.

When I lived in Irmo, Lake Murray's dam spillway was just right there. Some really huge rocks. But all alone, it was sure hard to ride risky stuff. If I hurt myself down in there I'd just smell like the dead fish. I'd not be found for ages.

Well, I'll tell ya...(what a goofy way to start a sentence, but that's the way we talk up here), I am having a ball poking around in the woods around here...following old logging trails that peter out and still picking my way through the trees, around and over logs and deadfalls. The bike amazes me: every time I think I'm in trouble it just walks right over stuff.

I don't really care about "Trials", or sections, scoring or proper technique, no-stop or what some Pro is doing, and seriously doubt I will ever enter a competition. I'm just enjoying doing stuff on a motorcycle all by myself and not having to run through $40 worth of gas to do it. Nor be concerned with cartwheeling myself into the trees because I'm trying to haul ass and just made an expensive mistake. I'm even getting comfortable with sand riding!

Future of the sport? For me...I could see one of those "Hybrids" in my future, but I'm not concerned with "Trials" as a sport.

*edit/update* I guess my point is that simply getting people on trials bikes may not be enough to get folks interested in the competition aspect of it if that's what's perceived as "Saving" Trials riding.

I am glad your loving it! I do some of the same myself and plan to keep doing it.

In my mind that is and ins't "Saving Trials"... It is in that way that you love it, are on a forum talking about it, and have a bike you actively ride. It may not happen a lot but there may be people that see you ride and will ask you about your bike. So there is possible exposure and enjoyment that could bring interest. (I hope when people ask you are willing to tell them they should try it. )

With you indicating "by myself" there isn't likely to be a lot of people running across you when your out riding, or asking about the strange but cool bike, so wouldn't be bringing in lots of people. I would love to hear in the future your planing on doing some fun rides with friends. That could get someone interested in trying it out and even looking into part or all of what trials can offer in riding.

What ever the persons goals are in riding trials, I am happy when I hear that anyone picks up a bike and rides, when ever it happens.

I have considered putting a bike shoe in the back of my truck so my forks wont be tied down and leave it in it with a tarp to cover it when it rains and let it go everywhere I go. I would have a shinny new 2014 gas gas in a beat up 97 multi colored truck with 310k miles on it and maybe make a bumper sticker that says dont laugh at my truck look at my bike.

Right there with you 2feetdown. I would love to do the same, with my wife and daughter riding as well, when that dose happen people see 3 bikes on the trailer.

Most of the time we are doing trials riding in some local fun spots, I get out for some trail riding, and my wife is wanting to join me for the trail rides and likely will make the next one.

Fun to take the bikes all over the place and have people ask about them. If I am lucky it will over time bring in at least a few people.

Ah...I see what ya mean now. Not so much about the competition aspect, but simply showing folks how much fun these bikes can be.

In that regard, I have two friends I'm leaning on right now to join me and more in the wings.

I certainly had no intentions of competing when I bought a trials bike. I just wanted to learn to ride one.
I actually think that is the best entry for most. If folks are both thrown onto a weird bike and then put through an event with foreign rules, it is too intimidating. They will try it and quit.
Free-riding rules!!!

not to depart from the thread... how soon can you get a child into a trials bike? Do they make gas powered 50's? I have a 4 year old looking at a honda crf 50 but dad wants a beta so does the wife... clud rules no dirt bikes on club trails due to image with hikers ect? I would like all three of my boys growing up standing n riding not sitting.... when they pay for their own they can ride what they want

There has been an EMPTY spot in the trials bike area, that gets filled every few years, the main issue is probably cost of bikes for kids, until you know that the kid likes it much, which you cannot tell just one or 2 rides, but practice on a bike they feel they can handle... Anyway about the kids bikes, low demand, and how "worth it" it is for kids really young? seems to me few get bought in the USA, usually they get one or 2 then that bike gets passed from lucky family to family that needs a bike for an interested kid.

HOWEVER, This last weekend at Sooner Cup, TIshomingo Oklahoma, there were 4 kids ages from 5-11 I think, that competed in the most basic class... one was a girl, one was Dustin Land's boy Ryan, and 2 boys I am not sure of who's kid they were, but the trials was setup so the 1 girl, and 2 boys easily were challenged and competed on CRF-80's I think they had. A crf won the day, so even the "best for the trials" competition of an oset, you still have experience, concentration, and kid issues that have to be coped with, but I guarantee ya, they all had fun.

I have video shot as I ran up to the section 3 & 4 at the last minutes... Ill post them on Youtube soon, under this same nickname I use here. I have already got videos of my neighbor kids riding our SHerco 50. the SHerco 50 is the "gas powered" oset I know, uses bicycle tires and rims, with good drum brakes and weighs nothing... dang nice bike for kids under 130lbs MAX...

Ryan rides a small wheel oset. His big brother rides novice on a cleaned up TY80, the TY80 was built originally in 74-75 ya know. the kids can ride those for a long time in the beginner classes, and novice, and up until they outgrow the bike, it is a cheap investment because unless you set fire to the bike when done and crush it, there is always going to be some other kid's family that needs one. Plus, hell NMTA has some 40+ year old "children" (Brewtus and the crew) that ride ty80s on Amatuer sections and better, dad and I are building one for a meet sooner or later as well... The ty80 was my first trials bike in 74.

I found a nice used Sherco 50. they were made in 2000-2003 I think, then not made again, but this one showed at least a dozen kids to ride trials, most OF THEM, still do ride today...

FWIW, I have hunted for kids bikes lately, so when I saw Gas Gas Importer this weekend, Dale told me the newest 80cc trials gasgas, will be based more on the 125 engine, so you seemingly could buy the 80 for the younger kid but not be stuck as the kids grow up, you know like they do so quickly, it could now be made into a 125. I asked about small wheels, I don't know if he was for sure, but he thought so. (PS, didn't get all details of the Gasgas 80 coming soon, as it was during conversation around campfire as such, so don't write what I wrote as gospel on that.)

so if I had a 8 year old kid, that graduated maybe from 16 inch oset, I could buy the 80, with smaller wheels, then later get the big wheels, then change cylinder to 125, so then, no more find a bike every year that "fits the growth spurting boy" blues.

Reflection as of this writing, THis could make the bikes hard to find, or finally sell enough of them to be plentiful before too long? now that I could see needing/using the bike for several years now, instead of just one then outgrown passed to your neighbor. But I LOVE the idea, like buying jeans that you can make grow as the kid grows a little, lol by unzipping some seams and such. I know my kid went from the ty80 he was too big for to the 125 he felt was too big, but time goes by fast too, and they grow into it. Josh was riding my 300 when he was 17 easily.

growing trials is always a problem. too specialized and too different for most moto-heads .... that being said, the truly hard core will always be with us, its getting the novice riders out on some used bike and then, ready ... not killing them with sections that are too hard ... ok, now i've said it .... if novice is too easy, they can move upwards to a harder line/class .... i've seen too many very promising riders get into the sport only to be chased off as the novice line was made too difficult ...

other thoughts; it can be too pricey given the cost just to get to and from state or regional events .... we all understand the cost of the event, quality ribbon for instance and split cards which don't wilt with some rain much less humidity, but sometimes it seems the clubs seem too intent on making profits and overprice the entry fees [not withstanding gates fees for sure, thanks for the land and access] ... toss in trophy's and there is the budget buster ...

the long term sport killer in the DFW area was the loss of the 360 area south of the big airport, we could have events on first sunday and be home by 5 ... can't do anything about that, but as stated earlier in the thread, travel costs to/from can be a deal killer even if your dirt camping when you throw in entry and access fee's ...

lastly for most kids today, its hard to get them out of the house and away from tv's and cell phones ... heck we're all old guys here, our mothers chased us out of the house and locked the door ... until it was near dark ... the good ol days!

For the young ones, who are nowhere near ready to do any serious loop riding, OSETs (or, presumably, Kubergs) can't be beat. They take minimal effort to maintain, they don't have to be kick-started, they weigh a fraction of the gas bikes, and they can be ridden in the back yard without the neighbors hearing anything but giggles and a strange whirring noise.

OSETs easily let kids test the waters of club junior trials competition. The main drawback is that they spend the morning riding around so by the time lunch and junior competition rolls around, the batteries are dead.

As the kids grow and skills improve, electrics lack the range for any but the shortest loops. Spare batteries are a must. Gas bikes start being a more rational choice, but by then the kids are used to the weight, and have good throttle control and posture.

Sting described the situation with the 50cc trials bikes quite well. Few are imported each year, and they get passed around like other children's gear. I have three kid bikes sitting in the garage in various states of neglect. I intended to get pictures posted last weekend but life intruded. Maybe tonight?

Im torn between the sport and the hobby. I can do one of two things I can ride events say 15 per year and spend say $3000 per year in either motel camper fuel ect or for that same money maintain 2 more bikes for family members and friends and neighbors and ride every weekend with those 2 other bikes of mine plus 2 or 3 buddies. We dont keep score but we pretty much know who is ahead at the end of the day in our own minds at least

One way gets more bikes sold more parts sold and more local riders and the possibility of someday local events. The other way adds to attendance at already hurting trials clubs in nearby areas (the closest being 200 miles out).

Its getting harder and harder for me to attend an event and leave the local guys with one less rider. To hold an event in my area I am depedent know on some attendance from neighboring club members and its kinda hard to say come ride my event but i am unable to ride yours.

I am in the same state, not lots of people out here riding trials so hard to make that call. For me I am going to split my time and $ so I can do both but with that I am only going to go to maybe 2 to 4 of the closest events each year and put the extra $ into my local riding group efforts in hopes to bring in more people for growing the sport in the long run.

Its a hard call but I think its worth the effort to grow local myself. (open for advice if others have better ideas...) Oh when they get hooked the plan is to get them out to at least one of the 2 to 4 I go to...

Time will tell...

I miss 360 too. Heck of a good place and too bad it got mostly developed.

I am so happy I grew up during the era of play outside and be gone all day. So glad I didn't have a little hand-held thing sucking my brains out.