On Sat, Feb 7, 2009 at 9:18 AM, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <
jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I believe at the end of the account of the last Technical Trials Jan
> proposes that sometime similar should be reestablised. I think that would
> be desirable as the original trials clearly improved bicycles, and new ones
> would do the same. Not sure the big manufacturers, focused on making bikes
> cheaply with cheap labor and selling them at high prices driven by
> marketing, would be very supportive, but then the large manufactuers weren't
> very supportive back then either. I think such trials today would probably
> be supported by and won by the builders who we here call KOF and who now
> exhibit their products at such events as the NAHMBS.
Jerry, I believe that such a thing (modern Technical Trails) was attempted by Chris Kostman of AdventureCorps and Jan Heine a few years ago and was abandoned for to a number of reasons, not least of which was problems with developing the rules/goals. My question is, at this point what would a new technical trials accomplish? We already have very reliable, crazy lightweight components and frames. I saw a report of a guy in germany who built up a complete 7 pound bike - believe he spent $15,000 on it, and claims to ride centurys on it. I don't see what a technical trials would accomplish at this point. They were indeed a great boon during their time, to show what could be done - but are we after a 3.5 pound bicycle? Would that really be noticably different from a 7 pound bicycle? Just wondering where you think the need is.
John
--
John Wood
Missoula, Montana, USA