Ryan Leech at MEC Bike Fest (North Vancouver)
Ryan Leech was at the MEC Bike Fest June 4, 11. Here's a couple vids, he makes it look so easy! It was great to meet him.
Practice Videos
I try to record while practicing so that I can study later and figure out how to improve. below are some clips..
Another Adjustment
The rear wheel is fixed! 
But the bike was sent back to the shop on Monday 
.. The crankarm is still too close to the frame and is scratching it up and wearing it down (the bike was taken in once before to fix this). The left side isn't so bad as the right side, here are some pics of the damage:
And how close the crankarm comes to the frame:
Looking forward to starting again soon..
Rear Wheel
Well this does not look good..
Possibly bent inside too. Not sure how this happened.. I was sure I checked for loose parts a couple days ago.
Progress Report..
Haven't written anything about progress in a while.. still practicing and practicing a variety of stuff, mostly from phase I of Ryan Leech's DVD, Mastering the Art of Trials:
- trackstanding
- hopping
- rocking
- rolling balance
- endos
- side drop / side endo drop
- rear wheel hops
I think getting the basic skills (trackstanding, hopping, and rocking) is really important in order to progress. Rear wheel side hops is difficult without enough experience with these basic skills (as I'm learning). When struggling with rear wheel side hops I go back to practicing trackstanding/hopping/rocking combinations.
New Bike Today!
Got my new bike today! A Rockman Switch frame with some new and used components. Check it out..
Thanks to the fine people at Attitude Bikes! They were very helpful answering my questions and also helped recommend a bike to get started on.
I took it out tonight and it felt much better than a mountain bike. I didn't try anything new except getting up on my rear wheel. It seems to come up easier yet still difficult to balance and have the front wheel stay up. I'd like to get some shin guards first as I've scraped one shin up a couple days ago using my old bike (with the plastic pedals) and not interested in finding out what slamming metal teeth into shins feels like right now.
Out last night
Went out last night. Just track standing and roll balancing. Some things seem easier thinking about than doing -- stopping when on a narrow path and starting again. Used my old bike still..
My (Old) Bike
Here's my bike that I was using and won't be using anymore to practice on as my wrists are still not better.
I'm guessing there's too much straining on the wrists by the type of handlebars and using two fingers to brake with these weaker brakes. Perhaps a more appropriate bike will help prevent further injuries.
BikeTrials Set-up Tips
I should have read this a couple months ago:
http://www.biketrials.com/how-to/setup.shtml
Good to keep for reference..