Trials riding tutorials to learn bike trials and improve your mtb riding skills.
Biketrials pedal hopSideways with a pedal kick
A powerful mix of the backhop and pedal hop techniques.
This is a must in natural biketrials, as you can take off from virtually anywhere, even when both wheels are not on the same level.

Stay in balance, parallel to the step you want to climb.

mountain biking and biketrial skills
1° Flex backward on the bike to start a jump extension. That brings you really behind the seat.

mountain biking and biketrial skills
2° Jump! Lifting the front wheel while at the same time giving a strong kick in the good pedal.

mountain biking and biketrial skills
3° The pedal kick boosts your impulse and sends you off the ground, you should be in full extension.

mountain biking and biketrial skills
4° Time to tuck back. Pull the bike upwards with the arms and fold up the knees to clear the way for the bike.

mountain biking and biketrial skills
5° Still folding back, pull the bike upwards in front of you, start aiming the front wheel at where you want to land.

mountain biking and biketrial skills
6° Once above the step, try to push back the front wheel downward onto the surface to land, that lifts further the rear.

See this move in a video


trials bike video
In real trials

trials bike video
Ramiro climbing on a wall.

Once landed, try to keep your balance above the bike. At the beginning, it's quite common to fall back sideways, because your body is not enough aligned above the kerb. See the eye focus on the landing area, from beginning to end. Start on any street kerb and practice. The limiting factor to your ascension?....humm...your legs. You could climb sideways on small kerbs by just using a back hop technique, but for higher obstacles, the backhop would not be enough efficient.


trials bike video
Giving more power in the kick.

trials bike video
Know your marks to land right in place.

More tips?
Combining the move with a pedal kick also prevents you from moving backwards and gives you more power upward. When taking your impulse, don't stop but try to do it in one go as a spring bouncing back. You can give it a slight turn to land precisely. You can also use that technique frontaly for low kerbs, and land directly on the back wheel, or with some practice, land sharp on the rear wheel, onto edges etc...

Biketrial video  All the clips in one video  VTT trial
(or right-click to download the .wmv file)


trials bike video
Martyn during a height contest
getting the crowd mental.

trials bike video
Landing sharp with a 90° turn

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