Trevor Bodogh is a rare breed: someone who not only fell in love with bike trials, but has been fortunate enough to make a full-time career out of it! I’d been following his posts on Instagram about various circus shows in which he was performing and some of the experiences he’s had along the way. It definitely piqued my interest. My curiosity to learn more about his time as a professional trials rider led me to request an interview with Trevor. Fortunately, Trevor obliged. So let’s get into it!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi Tim! Trevor Bodogh (Bo-doe) here. Professional Trial Bike Performer. I grew up as a Squash player, but one time while waiting with our team to go to a tournament, my coach has ESPN playing, and there was a Dual Speed Trial event going on! I believe one of the riders was Christiano Santos (later riding for Brisa). That moment hooked me, then Ryan Leech became my ultimate inspiration. Many school days were skipped to watch Revolution / Evolve Trials Videos! After graduating College in Business Finance, I was still riding, and ended up choosing to take on performing opportunities, rather than the corporate world. Explore your passion, etc. This was Trials. I started my own small business offering event entertainment services. This grew from occasional only contracts at Fairs and festivals. to summer long Circus show contracts performing over 19 shows per week / 260 Shows per summer… to Multi year international travelling contracts with the world’s largest entertainment providers like Cirque du Soleil, FELD entertainment.
How long have you been riding bike trials? What is your riding level (beginner, intermediate, expert, elite)?
I’ve been riding since 1998 (27 years?!). Professional Level riding.
How did you discover bike trials and how did you get started? What age were you when you started?
Around age 12 (1998… 27 years ago?!), my friends in my neighbourhood circle and I were just bike fiends. One of them, he started bouncing around a bit on his Trek. My first bike was the Kona Lava Dome, then the Giant ATX 890. I only found out about this bike because the bike shop started stocking the epic movie, Revolution. I skipped many days of school to learn and study and be inspired from this film!
How would you define/describe “bike trials” in your own words to someone who never heard of it?
The bike becomes an extension of your body – think parkour, on a bicycle. You aspire to have complete control over the bike.
What type of bike trials riding do you prefer (style, obstacle types, moves, solo/group, etc.) and where do you like to ride?
I’m a pure-trials style kinda guy… Find the obstacles, and get up, on, and over them. Add in a little circus flair with front wheel hops and spin drops. A mix of natural and urban is awesome. You won’t find me trekking off into the woods for an hour to ride boulders these days. I grew up in urban environments like Toronto and Niagara Falls. Although the long days of riding natural sections are critical to helping someone build their skills and endurance.
Why do you ride bike trials and what keeps you motivated to keep riding?
I ride because it’s become the longest developed skill I have invested in during my life. It has brought me around the world, working with a network of incredible performers, earning a living and letting me live my life on my terms through my skill. What motivates me to keep riding? As long as my body still says “yes”, I think it’s a great sport for general health of mind and body.
What other styles of cycling do you do? How has trials helped you improve your skills in those other biking disciplines (and vice versa)?
Riding my MTB occasionally, it definitely gives one an unfair advantage in the trails, but I just prefer to do wheelies and have a seat on the bike 🙂
How often do you ride trials? What sort of routine do you have for practice versus riding for fun versus making edits, etc. – how much time is dedicated to each?
When I’m on a performance contract, I ride Thursdays (2 hour practice). Friday 1 warmup + 1 show… Saturdays, 3 warmups and up to 3 shows… Sundays, 2 warmup rides, and 2 shows. About 16 hours per week. When I’m off contract, I like to ride 3 times per week, for about 2 hours each. I have loads of footage for editing, but never seem to get around to it…
What’s the bike trials scene like near you? How many other riders are there? Do you have regular group rides? Comps?
Biketrials is pretty much dead in Eastern Canada as far as I can see. I don’t ride with anyone, except a special occasion if someone dusts off their bike. The USA seems to have a network still. Winters in Canada really kill the sport. October through May, forget it in Canada. Trash weather.
How do you manage fear when doing new/bigger moves or lines?
I’m a progressive kinda guy… I never “go big or go home / to the hospital”. I like to work my way up to things, so by the time I’m there, it’s natural, minimized risk.
How did you break into professional trials riding as an entertainer/athlete?
In 2006, my good friend and fellow rider JK suggested we travel to France to check the Koxx Days competition and meet some international riders. We rode places like Buthiers and downtown Paris. During one of the street rides, I met a French rider, Thibaut. We became good friends and stayed in contact. About 6 years later in 2012, he sent me a message that he couldn’t fulfil a contract at Canada’s Wonderland as the Trial rider in a summer entertainment show, and if I wanted to try a “Circus show”… I said yes, and that led to learning about how Trial is a great fit for Shows and live productions. I worked for a French Canadian Circus / Acrobatic production company, where they specialized in Amusement park shows. We did 276 (approx) shows that summer… 19 shows per week. It was insane, Constant warm up and cool down for 6 days per week. A great test to see if I wanted to perform, and that’s how it all started, by saying yes to the challenge, sacrificing my potential to improve and compete, and just focus on show life.
Worth Noting, In 2010 after graduating College in Business Finance, got a $15,000 business loan, and started my own company as a sole proprietor doing Trials / Stunt Entertainment Shows. I’d try and call up events, and book myself as the events entertainer. This all needs very careful planning, and at least a year in advance as events book their entertainment. This was an invaluable lesson on business management, how to generate money yourself, and not be tied into becoming an employee.
What are some of the biggest obstacles you had to overcome to become a professional trials athlete and sustain this as a career?
Trials is an incredible workout, as such you need to maintain a solid physical state if you want to go the distance… Good posture, strong pushing and pulling muscles, good flexibility, and healthy living. Being dedicated to this is one challenge, and the other I would say is stage fright. Each night, you need to make everything perfect, and some shows you have nowhere to accurately warm up… Perhaps it’s a small dark hallway… Perhaps it’s for 20 minutes before the public enters the theatre… perhaps it’s outside where it’s 90 degrees and sunny, then you have to perform inside under the lights and darkness… But nothing quite feels like the pressure of performing for 2,000 people, watching you hopping around on your bike. You need to find the fun, and have a laugh every time you step on the pedals before the show starts.
What are your personal goals with respect to trials (near-term and long-term)?
Unbelievably I have stepped far beyond what I ever thought was possible in Trials for me. Being 40 years old next year, there’s no more expected progress, but I think I can keep a pretty good level for the next few years. If I can still keep getting up 48″ obstacles for the next while, I’ll be very happy with that, 45″ very acceptable also 🙂
How do you train, both physically and mentally?
Simplicity is key. I carry around thick rubber bands for compound muscle maintenance (squats, shoulder presses, bicep curls). But generally doing a total of 25 pushups, Pullups, and Squats per day will give you a good baseline. On top of that you need to find your cardio blast… For me, it’s usually running up and down the hotel stairways for 6 floors or so… or playing Squash / Pickleball.
Mentally. I think that comes through riding, or my racquet sports. That’s good blood flow and oxygen = brain food.
Who are your bike trials ‘heroes’ and/or influences? Favorite trials video(s)?
Hans Rey, of course! Dirty Tricks and Cunning Stunts with the Martin/Martyn’s. Revolution and Evolve with all the usual Pioneers, especially Ryan Leech. There was something about Ryan’s constant and obvious JOY of riding (Smiling) that really interested me to have fun with this sport and extremely steep learning curve.
What are your perspectives on the trials biking scene in general and in North America in particular?
I believe the weather is a real killer to the sport in Canada. It breaks up frequency and routing… People’s lives then change… Sport interest drops. Compared to Europe, our country is too big to make regional comps affordable and accessible I feel. It’s a great sport, but with the learning curve and limited access to competitions and local regular riding, it’s at a very low level right now.
What would you like to see happening in North America with respect to bike trials?
Kenny Belaey is doing his usual awesomeness, in leveraging his skill and experience to bring Trials to the USA, which is incredible. The USA is more friendly to this kind of thing, I feel (sports and sponsorships). Not sure the same would work in Canada, other than in conjunction with some large MTB events. This year, 2025, will be my first time venturing down to Bentonville to check things out.
You’re just finishing up a 2-year tour of nearly 400 shows with Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey. What are some of the highlights of this experience?
Yes! The fact I’m a year away from 40 and still on stage is a big highlight.
Each show I had a segment, mainstage, on a hydraulic lift where I do a 360 front wheel hops par And not one of them broke… Big respect for the Crewkerz Carbon forks! Incredible strength, and I don’t doubt carbon technology after this tour!
Making great friends with top notch performers around the world. Our tour featured 18 different nationalities. Each Tuesday I’d go for pizza with my two good friends from Ethiopia. Whether we were in Chicago, NYC, Alabama… It was pizza night!
Any interesting / funny / crazy bike trials stories or experiences you can share?
In Cirque du Soleil, when I received information on what type of stage I would be riding, it really blew my mind. Completely hydraulic, almost robotic arms lifted out of the stage. They were very difficult to ride on with precision as they swayed back and forth and jumped and jarred. Here are two videos to see what I mean. One is a Training session I filmed (every Tuesday the acrobats get stage time to test and train). The other link is a show promo reel I made of what my act looked like.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start bike trials or has just started?
Understand it’s going to be a challenge for the first year, possibly more. You’re on a journey to really ‘master control of the bicycle’… Let that sink in! Start small… like wood 2×4’s… then curbs… Don’t go too big too fast or you will get injured. Progressive skill development is a good way to go! Always wear a Helmet, Gloves and Shin pads 🙂
What advice do you have for anyone who is considering bike trials as a full-time profession?
Find someone who’s doing it already (I don’t know many others off the top of my mind in North America??), and get some time with them. Ask how they started, how much they make, what are the potential opportunities ,what are the sacrifices. Are you ready to travel? If you desire a steady partner / relationship, dog, home, security, normality… It’s not for you!
What haven’t I asked you about being a professional trials athlete/performer that I should have asked you?
Finding people who inspire you is magic! For me it was riders like Ryan Leech and Kenny Belaey. Ryan helped inspire my first years (And Decade!) of riding as I was learning and trying to push my skill level. Kenny, for being THE man when it came to getting Trials public, doing demo’s, working with brands and being a unique personality who used his riding and business senses.
A lot of it (Pro Trials Riding) is about luck (relating to when Timing and Opportunity collide). I met the right guy, during the right time, when I was the right skill. If you have a great skill in anything, and it’s unique, you just need to find where you will be valued, and go towards there with your eyes wide open, ready to learn.
Would I be a professional Trials rider again in my next life? Probably not! It’s a lot (constant) of physical maintenance. If you have a serious enough injury, that’s it. Show’s over.. Having this as a cool skill in you back pocket, weekend side business opportunity, heck yeah! But harnessing a knowledge skill first, in Finance, or Engineering, much better plan 🙂
Anything else about bike trials that you’d like to share?
A truly special sport I’m glad I’ve chosen to let lead me through life. The friendships and world wide travel are more than I imagined!
How do people find you online?
Instagram: @Velo.Trev
Youtube-ing my name, Trevor Bodogh
Website: www.TrevorBodogh.com
Who is the one North American bike trials rider (any skills level) that you think I should interview?
James Barton! One of the only Canadians / North Americans to ever get within striking distance of a UCI Trials Podium.
John Webster is an insane rider, but I know he’s moved on to over things.
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