Trials riding takes off

PHOTO COURTESY dave norona

Jesse McDowall, 14, shows us how to get up and over a big log. Very inspiring!

It was a beautiful fall afternoon as Kim Duess and I met up with our good friend, Ted McDowall, at the Canada Pacific Trials Association Club lot near Belcarra Park. Ted had encouraged us to come out to the club’s annual social and try trials motorcycle riding and we are not ones to turn down such an awesome invitation. Our smiles stretched from ear to ear as we checked out all the cool trials bikes and spoke with the owners who were keen to tell us all about this incredible sport.

Trials riding mixes mountain biking skills, rock climbing balance and dirt biking into one amazing sport. The objective is to ride through technical trails and terrain without having to dab your foot on the ground for balance which is a constant battle between the rider and terrain.

The bikes are amazingly light at 63.5 kilograms and contain a two-stroke or four-stroke quiet, high-torque engine. Trials tires are made of a super sticky compound and are run as low as four p.s.i. which allows the rider to make seemingly impossible moves. The strangest thing is that there is no seat to sit on; standing on the foot pegs and shifting your body weight around to match the terrain is the optimal way to ride these machines.

Kim and I were a little nervous as we suited up. Ted’s bikes were not old bikes ready for a thrashing, but two brand new 2007 Sherco 290’s that gleamed in the afternoon sun.

“Don’t drop the bike” is the last thought that ran through my head as I kicked the bike to life. Once on, I was amazed at how nimble and light the bike actually felt and before long, Kim and I were both maneuvering over small logs and up and down steep rock faces.

After warming up, Ted and his son, Jesse, promoted us from the parking lot to the trails. They pointed us in the right direction and we were off with them in hot pursuit on foot. Kim led the way and I watched in disbelief as she precariously manoeuvred the bike along a technical uphill. I was next and what seemed impossible was actually quite easy with the low torque of these cool machines.

Ted was awed by our performance and proceeded to take us one at a time through a grueling trail littered with obstacles. It wasn’t pretty but we both managed through without incident and with big smiles all around.

The Canada Pacific Trials Association was established in 1971 and works closely with B.C. Hydro and the Regional District on the trail system. Only trials bikes are permitted use of the area with an inexpensive, yearly membership. If you would like to try trials riding or just find out more, check out the website www.trialsclub.org.

Dave Norona for Metro Vancouver