hi, i'm looking to build some begginer-intermediate trials obstacles and am wondering which ones are good to build, i had some left over wood stuff and built a couple 3-foot ladders, and i like riding stuff like that that's not to high, i also like jumping and stuff does anybody have tips on what to buy/use and pictures of their own setups? thanks
The limitation with most standard trials articles is that most are all flat, level surfaces--good for beginning hopping but the skill set does not transfer perfectly to Muniing (my focus), which usually involves oblique and rounded planes (rocks, et al).
An effective and cheap training tool for this is to go to Home Depot and pick up a couple cement baseplates for big umbrellas. They have a 3-4 inch aluminum tube to take the umbrella--just saw this off flush with the baseplate. The cement baseplate is circular, dome shaped, and about 16 inches across. At 12 bucks, you can buy several of these, lay them out on your porch or sidewalk or whatever, and practice gapping from one to the other. Trickier than it first looks--holding even a momentary stillstand on the domed surface tokk me some practice. My technique improved fast as my legs could take it (more than 6-8 gaps and I'm gasping). Half hour on these things and my shirt was soaked through. I noticed an almost immediate difference on the rocks up in Santa Barbara.
Gerblefranklin 29 March 2005 04:36:50 [ permanent link ]
Coldawg, drop by my house sometime and I'll give you a set of 2' boxes. Seriously, i need to get rid of them, someone take them...
I use 2x4s, poles, and 4x4s for most obstacles, with a smattering of plywood and 6x8s. Pallettes get really boring really fast, being as there are only so many things that can be done with them. My gallery has videos with examples of trials obstacles that can be built.
Use the pallets at angles for more challenge. Cut pallets into half and make sections that you can ride up and over. Cut up the pallets and use the wood pieces to make skinnies and posts. Use the left over pieces of wood for a fire and to toast marshmallows and hot dogs.
Pallets are very useful things. Only limited by your creativity.
