Bike Trials is a form of mountain biking that uses a lightweight seatless bike to get around man
made obstacles. You?ve probably seen these guys flying around every new monument in town.
We spoke to Adam Le Cheminant, Ben Girdwood, Alex Johnson & Daniel Jeanne about this new sport.
From start to finish these guys never fail to impress. They are constantly riding over things that most people wouldn?t dream of riding on. Trial biking has more freedom than trial motorbiking as it can be done pretty much anywhere. Although this is the most physically and technically demanding of the cycling sports, riders still manage to ride with persistent skill day in and day out. It takes a lot of practice to get as good as some of these guys. However not everyone in Jersey appreciates some of the awesome skills the riders have, and because the sport utilises many man-made obstacles including benches, walls and monuments, many people see it as vandalism rather than a sport. This is the same for many sports these days including skateboarding, bmxing and inline skating.
How did you get into trials?
Most of us heard about the sport through our friends and family and got drawn in by photos that we had seen. We started riding together after seeing each other riding.
Where do you ride?
We tend to ride in and around town but we usually get moved on by the police when we ride in the centre of town. We are also given the opportunity to ride at the West Show every year in front of a large crowd which is a great way to show people this different sport. We can usually be seen at Liberation Square or around the Waterfront.
Who do you ride with?
Because there?s so few trial riders in Jersey we know pretty much everyone and we all ride together.
When was your worst slam?
There?s none that come to mind now, but we always have cuts and bruises on our shins, from when we miss our pedals!
Do you hope to start riding professionally?
Well it?s very hard to get sponsors especially in Jersey as there are so few companies that are willing to sponsor riders, so you have to be amazing to get noticed. Although it is very hard, it would be nice!
