I can’t recall exactly how I came across James Barton’s videos several years ago, but I was immediately hooked by his super-smooth, stylish riding – not to mention his skills riding street, natural trials, and gnarly mountain bike trails. James also has an infectious joy for riding that is readily apparent – just listen as he narrates any of his MTB riding videos. Needless to say, I was stoked that James agreed to do this interview, which I suspect you will thoroughly enjoy.
Tell us a little about yourself (name, brief background, your profession, etc.)
My name is James Barton, age 35, from Kingston, Ontario. Some of my earliest memories are on bikes! At age 2 I would ride a tricycle around my parents living room. At 3 years old I remember learning to ride a 2-wheeler but only being able to turn to the right. When I tried to turn left, I crashed. Later on, I would jump the little 20″ off every root on the path at the local park. All us kids rode bikes to get around and find each other back in the day before cellphones.
I started out as a bike mechanic at age 15 to pay for my remarkably consistent broken bike parts, and as the industry and technologies evolved I was there in the middle of it. I now consider wrenching on bikes my career.
How long have you been riding bike trials? What is your riding level (beginner, intermediate, expert, elite)?
I’ve been riding trials for about 20 years. I like to think that I was at an elite level in both street and competition disciplines.
How did you discover bike trials and how did you get started? What age were you when you started? How did you learn trials?
I was at the Toronto Bike Show when I was 14 or 15 years old. I had been racing BMX for a number of years and wanted to see the freestyle competition that was at the show. Racing was becoming too aggressive and I was both the victim and the cause of one too many crashes. It is part of the sport, and I wasn’t aggressive enough for it. I wanted to see another side of BMX. The freestyle BMX competition (Metro Jam) was legendary. Garrett Reynolds as a teen, Drew Bezanson, so many legends competed there. Seeing the competition was literally scary!!! I was certain someone was going to break themselves, and I was so close to the action that I could literally smell the riders B.O. as they were tricking the spine. I loved it, but at the time I wasn’t ready for it. I thought it was too dangerous.
I walked around the corner, away from the BMX jam, and right there was Ryan Leech, performing a trials demo! He had a Norco hardtail MTB, the Manifesto, and a microphone attached to him so he could explain what he was doing as he rode. I remember the squeak of the tires on the concrete, the attitude he had while riding on the back of a scrap truck, and the bling of the trials MTB. Real, old school, manifesto trials. Best part, when he crashed, I wasn’t afraid for his life! Perfect!
I immediately began riding trials on a Giant XC bike, and for the next few years I would consistently snap at least 2 frames and 2 forks per year, often walking home with my bikes in pieces. I was addicted.
This was a different time. I had no how-to videos. For the first year I only had the memory of the Ryan Leech demo. I didn’t even know pedal kicks were something riders used while on the back wheel. I figured it out after days of trying to hop forwards without the kick. Try it! It’s hard!
The next year I went back to the bike show and got a signed copy of Manifesto. I watched it every morning before school. When I smelled roofing tar, I’d cruise over to the construction site and steal a wad of tar for my rims. V-brakes with the perfect amount of tar were my brakes of choice.
Later, Trials-forum and Observedtrials.net became my most browsed web pages. This is where I learned all about trials culture, and became aware of competitions and group rides. I used to wait for an hour to download a 3 minute video of the Trials Kings. As time went on, I leaned more into the competition scene.
How would you define/describe “bike trials” in your own words to someone who never heard of it?
Bike trials is the art of riding your bike over obstacles without putting your foot down. Over time, the obstacles get bigger.
What type of bike trials riding do you prefer and where do you like to ride?
I love all types of trials, and I almost always ride alone. I have a competition bike that I use on rocks and natural obstacles. Rocky beaches are my go-to spot. Nothing like a sunset beach ride on some smooth limestone ledges.
My street-trials bike is a converted dirt-jumper with trials gearing and strong brakes. I love a good curb sesh or skatepark cruise.
Finally, any time I’m out on my mountain bike I’ll be sure to hop over every rock on the side of the trail. With my body starting to hurt due to years of stunt riding, the full suspension really helps.
Of all the places you’ve ridden trials, which is your favorite? Who was with you and why is that your favorite place?
One that comes to mind is Hornby Island, BC. The beach on the island has these uniquely shaped rock formations created by the tides. At low tide you can find natural transitions and kickers of all sorts. Basically, any epic natural location with big rocks is my favourite. Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia is another. Rounded stones that have infinite grip and range in size all along the coast. I ride alone a lot, but when I film what I’m doing I can share it on YouTube and the experience is no longer lonely! I have videos from Peggys Cove and Hornby Island on my YouTube channel.
How many bikes do you have (both trials specifically, and total)? Which is your favorite for “trialsy” riding?
I have 5 bikes. A competition trials bike, a BMX, a dirt jumper, a mountain bike, and a commuter. I ride them all equally. It really depends on where I’m riding. I grab the right tool for the job!
Why do you ride bike trials and what keeps you motivated to keep riding?
Trials is amazing exercise and a great way to relax at the end of a day. I enjoy pushing my body to its limit and focusing on balance and precision. When I ride, I feel like I’m doing what I’m meant to do. I spent years training, and although I don’t compete or perform any more, I have a huge skills base to enjoy and play with on my own. When I feel like sharing, I make YouTube videos.
What other styles of cycling do you do (now or in the past)? How has trials helped you improve your skills in those other biking disciplines (and vice versa)?
After my competition trials phase, I dived into freestyle BMX. I used my trials base to quickly become skilled at technical mini-ramp riding. Foot-jams, nose manuals, tire-taps, and little jibs were easy! The tricks? Not so easy… It took me weeks and many bruises to learn barspins. A year to learn tailwhips. I learned flairs on a backyard ramp and soon after tore a ligament in my wrist. It still clicks.
I picked up mountain biking as well. Enduro and downhill. Trials helps with all the slow-speed stuff. It helps with climbing and cleaning difficult lines. The double/triple black diamond tech trials on the BC coast were typically easy for me! Style at speed and air-sense all came from BMX though, and a single black diamond jump line scares me way more than a “pro” level technical slab trail.
BMX and MTB brings flow and style to my trials riding. I think all riders would benefit from diversifying their riding.
Where does your unique riding style come from? Who and what has influenced your riding style?
I think my style comes from all the different types of riding I do. I gained a little from each discipline. It also comes from riding alone. Riding without external influence is what allowed me to be creative and find my own style. I created a bike around it, the dirt jumper trials bike. It enabled me to combine bmx tricks with mountain bike flow and trials technique. I do take influence from other riders, but my favourite lines are the ones I dreamed up myself. I think learning from and copying others is an essential part of the learning process, but the trick is to move past copying and make the technique your own.
Is your lack of correction hops and fluid movement a deliberate choice, or just something that happened organically?
When I’m filming on the dirt jumper, I’m very strict about how the line looks. It’s funny, sometimes I’ll stick a line but think it will look like crap, only to review the footage and it was actually smooth! Normally the feeling is right, and it will take multiple takes to get it just right.
I think linking moves without hops is an indication of perfection. Ryan Leech was the creator of this style and he was also my first glimpse of the sport. It’s like I’ve come full circle after experimenting with all types of riding. However, on the competition trials bike I give in to hops and treat my riding as if I’m at a UCI competition.
How do you select trials lines? What makes a line interesting and fun for you? What makes the “perfect line”?
On the dirt-jumper, the perfect line is something I haven’t seen anyone do before. It could be as simple as sliding a tire in an unexpected way, or linking 2 moves that shouldn’t go together. What makes a line fun for me is when it makes me laugh. On the competition trials bike the perfect line doesn’t really exist for me. It’s different. It’s about seeking power, precision and balance in every move.
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? How much time do you devote to trials vs other outdoor activities?
During my teens I rode trials every day. Any day I didn’t have school or work I’d make sure I got at least 6 hours in! I developed a huge skill base this way. That fizzled out as soon as I left the competition scene. After that I rode BMX for a few years, and my rule was that I must learn one new trick per day.
Presently, I ride almost every day, but I’ll rotate through the bikes to keep things fresh. Riding is a great way to exercise and cool the mind after a long day of work. It keeps me healthy. I probably ride trials in some way at least twice a week. Lately on weekends it’s been all about the mountain bike.
This changes when I’m filming an edit. I’ll go all in on whatever bike I’m using and only ride that bike until the edit is done.
What do you do to stay in shape and avoid injury?
I rock climb a lot. I took nearly a year off riding bikes and only climbed. I lived in my car and toured many of the best places in North America. I also do yoga, and I weightlift and jog every winter. I also splitboard. My key to avoiding injury in riding is caution. I like to push my limit, but in a way that’s safe if I fail. I’ll only do dangerous things if I’m 100% sure I’ll land it. Even with being cautious, I’ve had lots of injuries, but none that have left me sidelined for more than a few weeks.
What’s the bike trials scene like near you? How many other riders are there? Do you have regular group rides? Comps?
There is no scene. I think I’m the only trials rider within a couple hundred kilometers! It was way more popular 15-20 years ago. I have theories about how social media played a role here, creating an expectation of immediate reward in developing minds. Trials takes a lot of work. It’s not instant, and learning something as basic as rear wheel hops can take weeks or months.
How do you manage fear when doing new/bigger moves or lines?
I listen to my fear. Some of my biggest moves have been done almost lazily. I don’t do big dangerous stuff if I’m scared, it’s a sign that I’m not 100% sure I’ll roll away without an injury.
Learning new tricks is scary too though! This fear is something that can and should be controlled. I make it so that a crash would most likely NOT result in injury, then I convince myself to try it. After crashing and being ok once, I find that the fear is gone and I can try the trick until I land it. I did this with barspins, tailwhips, flairs, hooks, taps… everything!
What are your personal goals with respect to trials (near-term and long-term)?
I have no goals right now. I just ride for the feeling and for exercise. I may get motivated to film a bigger video, and goals will come with that. I have a list of unseen tricks on my phone that I can scroll through when I’m filming street-trials. I used to dream them up as I was falling asleep at night.
Who are your bike trials ‘heroes’ and/or influences? Favorite trials video(s)?
Ryan Leech in Manifesto for street-trials.
Neil Tunniclife, Craig Lee Scott, and Damon Watson for TGS.
Coustellier Co Edit for competition trials. And of course Charlie Rolls.
And everything by TRA. All the way back to his ECHO days. I resonated with his “Lone Rider” identity.
You’ve spent some time as an athlete performer doing trials shows for the circus. How did you get started in circus performing? What is the show life like?
I got started with trials demos as a teenager with one of my sponsors, Simtra Bikes. We did a few shows around Ontario. All the shows I’ve done have been through friends in the trials community. Because I produced so many videos, my name was out there in the right circles.
The circus contracts began through another trials rider, Trevor Bodogh. He was moving on to Cirque du Soleil and offered me his old job with Haut-Vol Productions. Haut-Vol does circus shows at amusement parks. We would set up a stage and perform the shows for a few months every summer. We’d also do a Halloween themed September/October show so it employed me for half the year.
The shows were intense! 19 shows per week all summer. Full make-up, elaborate costumes, and a cirque style plot. I became so worn down that over-use injuries and sickness were expected and something to push through. Still, it is an amazing feeling to perform your best stunts in front of an ecstatic crowd! I made some great friendships through those contracts. We all went through the same struggle, trying to perform our best 3 times per day. I’ll never forget the feeling of the final bow after a packed show.
The injuries stacked up and now my joints aren’t up to the full schedule. It is an incredible lifestyle that moves fast, with an ever revolving door of new talent.
In the 2008 timeframe you were competing in UCI trials events in Europe, and even made it to the podium. Can you share some of your experiences training and competing at that level? What advice do you have for young riders who aspire to compete in the UCI trials events?
I used to focus on competition. I placed 2nd in the junior UCI world championships in Italy in 2008. Later that year I was in the mix at some Elite level competitions in Europe, against Gilles Coustellier and Vincent Hermance, my riding heroes! I was never consistent enough to ride how I knew I could though, and bad luck struck me at most elite competitions immediately before finals. Injuries, sickness, and broken bikes seemed to occur on cue the morning I had to perform.
It is extremely difficult to perform your best in front of a crowd on cue. I remember at one of the French Cups I finished the first lap tied for the lead with Gilles Coustellier! We both had 2 points. I knew I could clean every section and win. Of course, I blew it on the second lap. I was too young and it meant too much to me. I couldn’t ride loose.
Training was constant. Up to 6 hours per day riding, and weight training in the off season. It was my whole life.
My advice to riders who want to compete in trials is to make it a part of your life, not your whole life. Trials is small. It’s not like tennis, where if you are top 10 in the world you are probably rich! Do it for the love of it. Some of the European riders get angry with the officials scoring (even when the officials are right) and yell and swear when they miss a move. Don’t be like them. Be kind and honest. Be thankful to everyone who helps put on those competitions. Have a positive attitude. I think Charlie Rolls is a great example of this. He works hard to be on top, but he is also a farmer. I’ve also seen him mis-judged at a competition, and although he is disappointed, he accepts the ruling. I gained a lot of respect for him when I saw that.
Why did you stop competing?
That summer in Europe was eye opening, and it killed my dream of being a competition rider. I thought being an elite rider would make me happy, and it didn’t. I also thought I’d make money from competition wins. I was really naive. I needed to change and improve my whole world view. I quit trials completely and only rode freestyle BMX for years after that. I took up yoga and meditation, I went to University, and I started rock climbing. This is why I encourage riders to have a full life outside of riding. If I had a healthier, less obsessive relationship with trials I never would have quit. I even purchased a competition bike a few years ago and I’m loving it again!
What are your perspectives on the trials biking scene in general and in North America in particular?
I think there are good individual scenes in North America. One that I know is healthy is the Vancouver scene. Those riders often have group rides and there is a trials park at Port Moody that acts as the central point. Whenever I go out west, I ride with them.
I’ve noticed a big drop in numbers in general though. No group rides or competitions happen near me any more. There used to be a handful per year. It seems like kids aren’t taking it up any more. When I was a kid there were about ten of us in town that all cruised around on bikes looking for things to jump off of. We all tried some trials. We didn’t even have a skatepark, or a meeting place. Now, we have 3 skateparks, a BMX track, and a mountain bike club, and somehow I’m seeing no trials riders.
What would you like to see happening in North America with respect to bike trials?
People who do ride could produce videos! Look at TRA. He is from Norway, had a very small trials scene, and even refers to himself as the “lone rider,” but he is famous! He did more for trials than most just by putting out amazing edits.
I’d like to see a return to longer edits. 15 second instagram clips disappear and are forgotten as soon as they are posted. Longer edits last a lifetime. I still go back to watch TRAs early edits.
Any interesting / funny / crazy bike trials stories or experiences you can share?
I was 18 and in Switzerland for a World Cup. I ended up staying with a great group of Brits who were also competing. We walked down to the pub to have my first ever drink and maybe play some pool. I had a whiskey and I felt so cool! Shortly after we ordered drinks and sat down, a few ladies joined us at the table. Turns out, we hadn’t gone to the local pub, we went to the local brothel! I’ve made so many mistakes travelling.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start bike trials or has just started? What advice would you give to other riders who want to master trials skills?
Watch lots of videos and practice every little technique. When I started riding I side-hopped to my forward foot only to find out it was “wrong.” I spent weeks learning the correct way, but now the benefit is that I don’t really have a bad side! Switchfoot, bad sides, and uneven terrain are all essential. Also, diversify! Ride BMX or MTB to develop flow.
Anything else about bike trials that you’d like to share?
I think we covered a lot! Great questions. I would like to say that although I had a break-up with the competition scene, I still have a tremendous respect and love for it! Everyone who helped me out as a naive single-minded kid, thank you 🙂 It was an important part of my growth as a person.
How do people find you online? (i.e., YouTube, web, social media, etc.)
I have hundreds of videos on YouTube: @jamesbtrials.
Instagram: @jamesbartonjourney.
Who is the one North American bike trials rider (any skills level) that you think I should interview?
You should interview Carsinn Wilson. He is at the center of the Vancouver Trials scene and has lots of stories to tell about trials in general. Great guy. He’s traveled to Europe for some of the biggest group rides. @carsinnwilson on Instagram. He’s also done shows with me, and with the circus.
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