Learn how to ride trials and street trials with TrashZen: this will also improve your general MTB riding skills.
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The wheel transfer


A pedal hop can bring your rear wheel exactly in place of your front wheel (or even further). In some situations, you can also use a pedal kick to boost a straight static hop.

Useful when bridging a gap

trials riding tutorials Marc Caisso resting across two concrete pipes.

trials riding tutorials Body language is essential to get proper acceleration and tyre rebound.

The wheel transfer is one of the most useful techniques in trials. It can be performed from any trackstand, even when the bike is not level or if you are bridging a gap in a complex section.

The back wheel should be securely positioned on top of an edge, a short flat, or down a wedge, but not stuck into a recess.

Body language is key when you start from a trackstand position because you cannot lower the front wheel further to build up extra torque. You should build as much momentum as you can with your hips to assist the pedal kick and clear the gap you are bridging.


The best way to learn it

trials riding tutorials Hannes Herrmann's bike is wedged between two wood logs.

Hold a trackstand with your wheels precisely positioned on edges, control your front wheel position and adjust your balance with your knees and hips. Make sure you are steady before you flex on the bike. When ready, crouch back with your bum well over the rear wheel to prepare for an upward extension.

From this crouching position, arms fully stretched, bounce the front wheel up and pull yourself on the handlebars to surge forward. Finish up your extension with a very brief pedal kick.

You should end up with your arms fully stretched before the rear wheel takes off. In mid-air, pull up the bike in front of you while extending your legs to aim the rear wheel at the obstacle in front of you.

With increased body language, you will be able to target a landing spot even further or higher than the initial position of your front wheel.



Click on any photo and use the scroll-wheel to animate the move.

The wheel transfer

trials riding tutorials
1° Hold a trackstand with your wheels across two edges, control your balance with your knees and hips.

trials riding tutorials
2° Crouch back with your bum well over the rear wheel to prepare for an upward extension, pre-load your front pedal.

trials riding tutorials
3° Arms fully stretched, bounce the front wheel up and pull yourself on the handlebars to surge forward.

trials riding tutorials
4° Finish up your extension with a very brief pedal kick to take off.

trials riding tutorials
5° In mid-air, pull up the bike in front of you, extend your legs forward to aim the rear wheel at next edge.

trials riding tutorials
6° Upon landing, flex to absorb the impact and regroup over the bike to secure your position.


Biketrial video Watch this move in slow-motion Biketrial video


What makes it so unique?

trials riding tutorials Once in mid-air, Carles Diaz tilts the bike up.

If you tried to pull a plain pedal hop with the rear wheel on uneven terrain, the back wheel would not be able to roll smoothly like on a flat surface, and instead of rolling forward, you may be sent over the bars (the rear wheel being stuck).

Having both wheels steady on the ground or supported across two edges, you should thrust your body forward and build as much momentum as you can with an acceleration of your hips.

You can't lower the front wheel to add torque to your pedal kick hence you should only use the pedal kick to finish-off the move and boost your impulse from the ground, without all your weight and the bike sticking the rear wheel to the ground.

This is especially important if the rear wheel is stuck against a wedge or in difficult terrain with recesses.


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