Trail Rider Magazine

16 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com duro circuits (which are becoming ever more popular, by the way). What do all these guys have in common? You guessed it, a strong trials back ground. So how can trials cross-training help you, if you're not out to compete in Endurocross, Hard Enduro or other extreme events like Erzberg, Hells Gate & Romaniacs? In lots of ways. Trials riding will help solidify your technical riding skill set. As Taddy Blazusiak says, "Want to be faster off- road? Slow down! Try to be as calculated, calm and pre- cise as possible." Or as Graham Jarvis puts it: "Going fast is the easy bit. It's going slowly that will help you develop control. Simple riding exercises which are actually difficult to perform can give you a lot of control". These guys all share a riding style that is efficient, smooth and effortless. Here's the caveat, and some of you will struggle with this: Trials cross training requires you to inially slow down so that you can relearn key techniques. By going slow, you master the clutch, develop balance and build your confi- dence using sound techniques. Then you can begin to build the speed up again, especially if you aim to compete in extreme enduros or Endurocross! Here's a few examples of how trials cross-training can help you. Tracon Control? Have you ever noced that top trials riders who have crossed over to off-road racing seem to have tracon con- trol on their bikes? Maintaining tracon is a crical skill in trials compeon and requires precise use of the clutch and throle, such as feathering the clutch for tracon on uphills or dumping the clutch to launch the bike into the air. The same principles apply on an off-road bike. body Posion & Weighng Watching the top Hard Enduro riders climb a six-foot ver- cal wall or flip their bikes 180 degrees in midair is always impressive. An essenal part of performing those moves is the use of body posioning and weighng, meaning ex- erng pressure on the pegs and de-weighng the bike at just the right me. Trials cross-training requires you to stand while riding, which will help you apply pressure to the pegs and shi your balance accordingly. balance Trials compeon courses are designed to knock riders off balance and get them to dab their feet. Skilled trials rid- ers can keep both feet on the pegs over the gnarliest of obstacles and easily balance their bikes at a standsll for long periods of me. Proper balance is the foundaon of all off-road riding, so trials cross-training will help you to balance on your enduro bike as well. If you can stand on the pegs in tough terrain instead of sing down and pad- dling, you will gain greater efficiency and control in your riding. As Graham Jarvis says: "Doing exercises to improve your balance will make you a beer rider. If your balance is good, you'll use less energy to ride." Improving balance isn't an exercise you need much room for—it can even be done in your driveway. Here's how: Start by riding in a straight line on level ground as slow as you can go. This will also develop your clutch and throle control. Keep one finger on the clutch and front brake levers. Body posioning is crical. Keep your legs bent and apart. This lowers your center of gravity and you can move your body easily to counter the bike's moves. You will find yourself weighng the pegs to redistribute weight. As you connue to pracce this, you will find yourself bal- ancing at a standsll for longer periods of me. When you feel ready, try balancing at a complete stop. If you are on soer soil, you can cheat a lile by digging the front wheel in a bit to provide extra support. Then, turn the handlebars all the way to one side and try to balance for as long as possible. Keep the engine running to provide extra stability via its gyroscopic effect. And don't forget to use the clutch to keep the bike moving forward when needed. Eventually you will get to a point where you can balance at a standsll. You will also learn that maintaining balance while standing is actually easier than sing. By doing this, you can develop a smoother riding style and use less energy by not pung your feet down. One neat exercise is to apply your new balancing skills while riding along tops of logs for as far as you can. While this is more challenging on a heavier enduro bike, it's sll a worthwhile skill to pick up. As you get beer, look for an obstacle that would normally require a run up for hop- ping over, like a log, rock or steep hill. Start a minimal dis- tance from one of these obstacles and then try jumping Trials cross training will help get you up and over obstacles that bring the compeon to a standsll.

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