Trials Tips
Trials Written Tips
Trials Training
One really useful training technique for trials, particularly natural trials, is to find a sloped surface and hop on the spot around in circles. That way you'll get a feel for having to place pressure on the pedals and seat at strange and unnatural angles and when you get out on a set of rocks, for example, in a trials lines you'll be in more control and will be able to go where you want without being thrown off your line by rocks on odd angles. As you progress with this exercise, try doing it on steeper and steeper surfaces. Also, try marking out an area to restrict the movement of the wheel.
Andrew Carter
Crank Grabs
When attempting the 'grab' stage of the crank grab, you usually have to lean in towards the object you're grabbing onto further than you'd expect. If you lean too far in you can always push down on the pedal with more force, but if you don't lean enough there's less you can do to correct the error. You should aim to land with your pedal and whole crank on the object but without hitting the bearing holders. When landing the grab put almost no pressure on the free pedal. In fact, you will sometimes need to swing your free leg out for added balance.
For many people the final stage, 'going to rubber', is the most difficult however provided you're reasonably confident with your hopping all it takes is confidence. You really do need to believe that you will make the height. If you don't believe you will make it, chances are you won't and even if you do you may well lose balance once you're up there because you won't expect to be in that position. Before going to the final hop try leaning in towards the object and tilting the unicycle in (if your particular unicycle will allow you to do so while keeping both the crank and pedal on the object). Then place a little more pressure on the free pedal, crouch down low, and quickly spring up and towards the object. If you're leaning inwards enough you will be able to push on the free pedal and use it to your advantage without falling away from the object. You should not jump solely with your grabbing side but also apply a little pressure to the other side.
Andrew Carter
Just jump up on a ledge or something and land with all your weight on the appropriate crank. The ledge doesn't have to be high, just high enough so you're off the ground. Keep doing this until you feel comfortable with it. Then when you're ready, bend way forward at the waist, bend your knees, lean slightly inward and pop straight up, pulling the uni with you. You don't have to worry about leaning in too much because with all your weight on the inward crank, when you jump the uni comes that way. It just takes practise.
David
Pedal Grabs
There are two kinds of pedalgrabs I know how to do. The first kind is normal, like how Ryan Atkins does it, and the second is a crankflip, like how Mike Middleton does it. I will describe the first kind.
Background: It should be mentioned that it took me over 3 months to learn to crankgrab, and it took me about 3 to learn to pedalgrab, but just due to lack of practice. I learned crankgrabs on a cement ledge with sand on one side and concrete on the other. The ledge was about 20" off the concrete and 6" off the sand, and was about 11" wide. I practiced pedalgrabs on a box that was 2' off the ground and had a top that was 2'x2.5'. I landed my first ever pedalgrab on a concrete ledge that was 16" high and had a top surface of abot 8'x30'.
Now onto technique: Here I assume you can already crankgrab. If you can't, learn. Also, I assume you prefer to hop seat out. If you don't, all is not lost, but things may be a little bit harder. Find a large ledge, preferrably about 10'x10' or bigger. This is for the mental aspect. If you never feel nervous, ignore this. The ledge should be relatively low to the ground, so no matter how you fall (which you will), it's a light, easy fall. Now, ignore the first part of the pedalgrab, where you get up to pedal. You should already know this from crankgrabs. There was a time for me where I'd land on the pedal and then go to crank and then rubber, like muniracer.
Climb onto the object and place your pedal on it, so that when you hold the seat and let the uni hang by the pedal, the crank just barely doesn't touch the ledge. Now, put your foot on the pedal, and put all your weight on it. Move the seat back and forth so that the wheel begins to swing back and forth along the pedal's axis of rotation. Now, stop the wheel from moving when the cranks are in the orientation that you would normally hop with. Here comes the hard parts. Put your outside foot on the pedal, trying not to look, as this may throw off you balance on the pedal.
Once your foot is comfortably on the pedal (doesn't need to have any pressure), pull up on the seat so that your rear pedal is a bit higher up than your front pedal. Now for the hardest part. In one movement, pull in and lift up on the seat, so you end up jumping up off of the outside part of your pedal. Your pedals may approach vertical, and once you've gotten them as close to vertical as you dare, shift your weight onto both pedals and push back on the back pedal so you rotate the pedals back to horizontal. You may land on the object before this motion is complete. If so, treat it like a high seat out hop and just hop forward to adjust. You have completed a pedalgrab.
The proccess is extremely difficult to explain, and the best advice I can give is to do what feel right. I still can't do a pedalgrab like what Kris does in U1. I just lifted the wheel a bit and went for it on the ledge. It was a low-stress move because of the size of the object, so I had no reservations. I landed it on my second try. Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to land it. Common problems I have is that I end up landing with vert. pedals, or goofy footed. Just getting used and accustomed to the move is good. Eventually your on a ride and you just feel like you can do it, and if your already accustomed to trying the move, you'll land it, I guarantee. Within a week of landing my first pedalgrab I had pedalgrabbed onto a column 32" off the ground that had a kinda crowned top. Three days later I pedalgrabbed over a chain link fence. Basically, once you can pedalgrab, a whole new world of obstacles opens up.
'gerblefranklin' from unicyclist.com forums
Gapping Seat In
Frame by Frame Image Analysis
Frame by Frame Image Analysis II
Unless you're particularly good at gapping facing completely forwards, I've found that the most effective angle to have the wheel is at about 30 degrees to teh object (+/- 10 degrees). This of course will vary depending on your style of riding. At this approximate angle however, you can find a good balance between getting spring out of the tyre, making sure it doesn't fold on take-off, hopping off the very edge of the object, and seeing where you're going.
If the tyre folds just as you begin the gap it can be very mentally off-putting and can also physically alter your course of flight.
You'll be able to gap much further if you learn to effectively use the spring of the tyre. This doesn't always require a prehop, in fact in a lot of technical trials lines the take-off can be as narrow and almost as difficult as the landing so you often can't afford to move the tyre at all before gapping. Instead, quickly flick your ankles and legs. Make sure you time it right so that you're applying most of the force as the tyre is springing back into shape. If you apply force too early, you can waste your energy just compressing the tyre.
Having your wheel at this angle allows you to hop right up to the edge of the object and actually hook the tyre over the edge a little (thanks Tony Melton for the tip). By doing this you're providing grip at a much better angle and you'll be less likely to slip on top of the object as you jump.
If you have your wheel too close to the direction of your hop, then it will be more difficult to effectively use the spring of the tyre. Hopping from this angle is often done when gapping seat out because then you're able to use your legs more effectively and also tuck the unicycle up for extra height.
To do a gap seat in, hop up to the very edge of the object with your wheel at about 30 degrees and hang it over the edge a little. Then lean (as far as you can afford to...this will require some experimentation) in the direction of the gap and snap your ankles and legs. Be sure to push against the rebound of the tyre rather than absorbing it. Then swing the wheel forwards underneath you and turn towards the landing surface slightly. Finally, land on the object and absorb the shock with your whole body. If you land too rigidly you might bounce off the object on impact. Be sure to push firmly on the appropriate pedals when you land so the wheel doesn't roll out from underneath you. The reason for turning slightly towards the object is that if you do so, you will be able to more easily compensate for inaccuracies in your hop. Imagine doing a gap between two narrow rails with your wheel perfectly parallel to them. It would be very difficult to stick the landing without completely slipping off.
One handy method of swinging the wheel underneath you is to swing your free arm in a high arc in the direction you're travelling. Being high up, this will help to keep your body from swinging out of position as you swing the unicycle forwards. This method involving the forwards 'chop' with the free arm can also be applied to dropping technique.
Andrew Carter
Hopping
Kris Holm's trials workshop at NUC 2001. Basic hopping technique.
Stop jumping like it's a pogo stick. You want to jump, do a short (very short) still stand, then do another jump. That will force you to actually jump instead of bounce. You'll also get a lot more control and it will save energy.
As you prepare for the jump up a stair, pause (stop bouncing), bend the legs, bend at the waist, and then snap up. The jump should be like a snap. Quick. Then when you get up the stair, pause again, and prepare for the next jump.
To get a rebound from the tire you can do a pre hop. Then you do the big jump as the tire is rebounding.
Another technique to jump without the pre hop is to first stomp down on the pedals to compress the tire and then do the snap up for the jump. It's a very quick action. Stomp down then snap up for the jump. It's like two very very quick jumps right after each other. The first one is where you stomp down to compress the tire and the second one is where you snap up to do the jump.
John Childs
When you're doing stationary hops try not to jump so high. When I'm hopping on one spot my tire barely lifts off the ground.
David from unicyclist.com forums
Mounting Skinnies
If the rail is low enough, put the wheel of your uni up first, then one leg (the one that will be on the rail as you mount). Hold the seat with one hand and keep the other out wide for balance. Step up and regain your balance. Then get your pedals where you want them (I’ve found the static mount is easiest so have the pedals horizontal) and put one foot on the back pedal.
It's easiest to balance (I've found) if the back foot that's still on the rail is at about 30 degrees or less to the direction of the rail. If your foot is at more of an angle there won't be as much shoe in contact with it and you won't be able to correct you balance as easily, plus depending on your shoe type, you might get stuck in the arch of the shoe and that will make it even more difficult to balance.
When you're in that position have the seat between your legs as you'll be much more balanced that way and stand there for a few seconds making sure your weight is directly over the uni and the uni is directly over the rail. This is a very important step. Have one hand on the seat when you mount so you're absolutely sure it goes where you want it to and you don't have to fix it later while you're trying to ride the rail.
You MUST completely ignore the terrain below the rail. That is what's most likely to make you mount and lose balance to one side even if it doesn't intimidate you.
Then mount and bring the other hand out wide for balance, and ride the rail.
Andrew Carter