How Do I Learn Bike Trials?
If you’re not sure exactly what bike trials is, then you might want to read “what is trials biking?” first and then come back here to find out how to learn about riding trials.
We offer information and resources to begin your trials journey. There is a bit of a learning curve, but anyone can learn to ride trials. It just takes time and practice, but you can learn at your own pace.
Step 1: Make a Decision (to Ride Trials)
It’s probably obvious, but the first step is making a decision to give trials a shot. It’s not easy, but it’s absolutely worth it. Trials is all about the challenge, whether you’re riding to improve your bike handling skills, compete, entertain, or just have some fun. Overcoming challenges – doing something hard – is what makes trials biking so rewarding! One of the beautiful things about trials is that progression is infinite. You can challenge yourself at any skill level or age. Whether simply standing in place on the bike (a.k.a., “trackstanding”) for longer than before, beating your personal best for sidehop height, completing a difficult line, winning a competition – whatever it is for you – there’s nothing like the feeling of satisfaction and reward for achieving something difficult. The harder it is and the more work it takes to accomplish, the more intense the reward.
Don’t expect to be riding like Danny MacAskill or Fabio Wibmer after a week of trying. But you will definitely see progress if you’re patient and stick with it.
To get more perspectives on why people ride trials, check out our What Is The Point of Bike Trials? video and read some of our rider interviews.
Step 2: Get Access to a Bike (Any Bike!)
To start riding trials, you do not need a trials bike. Start with whatever bike you have. As discussed in the next step, you’ll start with basic skills that do not require special bikes. Unless you’re fully committed to riding trials, you might not want to spend the money on a new bike. Some people ride trials on their mountain bikes. If you’re committed to trials and want to get a trials bike – go for it! Just realize it’s not necessary to get started.
If you’re interested in the trials bikes I own, you can read about the bikes, setup, and my perspectives on each.
Step 3: Start With The Fundamentals
Most people see trials and immediately want to start hopping around on their rear wheel and doing footjam whips. Those are great aspirations, but you’re not going to start there. Start by sticking to two wheels and learning the most basic move; the trackstand. Practice it every chance you get. This is the fundamental skill required to unlock just about everything else.
I highly recommend finding some online tutorial videos that resonate with you for learning basic moves. I’ve created a playlist of tutorial videos I’ve enjoyed – you might want to do the same for your own personal use. Watch the videos repeatedly to study how the rider’s body moves on the bike. I also recommend Your Complete Guide to Trials Riding and the TrashZen companion website. These describe moves in detail, and can support your learning.
Step 4: Ride Your Bike!
You can’t learn to ride trials by just watching videos and reading books. You need to ride. Everything in trials requires learning by doing. Go study the videos, read the books, get information on trials forums – then ride. Experiment. FEEL it. After practicing, go back and re-watch/re-read tutorials to compare your experiences to the “how to” information from experts. Repeat the process.
One of the great things about trials riding is you can ride anywhere. Even just a simple curb or wooden pallet can provide plenty of opportunities. You can even practice trackstands in your living room if the weather is rotten.
While you should absolutely focus on the basics, you should also make sure that you just ride for fun as well. Don’t only practice basics – play around, experiment, challenge yourself, and have fun. If it feels like a chore or that you ‘have to’, then it’s hard to stay motivated. Keep it fun!
Just a quick note on safety: ALWAYS wear a helmet when riding trials! It’s really easy to smash your head and causing permanent damage, even doing stuff you think is simple. Turns out rocks (and even the ground) can be pretty hard. Likewise, consider investing in shinpads and maybe elbow and knee pads. Shins in particular can get shredded pretty quickly and efficiently with trials pedals.
Step 5: Connect With The Trials Community
While you can certainly learn to ride trials by yourself, connecting with other riders can accelerate your progress as well as provide social connections and friendships. One of the things that really hooked me on trials was the enthusiasm and positive encouragement of other riders in the community. [Note: Like anything else, there will be obnoxious people in trials too, but that’s not the majority. If you encounter those folks, just keep looking.]
Riding with other trials riders is great if you have that option. Whether you do or don’t, however, there are plenty of online resources with people eager to help beginners learn the sport. We list some community resources on our guide to getting started with trials riding.
Step 6: Keep Progressing Your Skills
Continue to learn new trials skills using some of the previously mentioned resources. Spend time on your bike. Make up challenge lines to put your skills to practical use. Learn new tricks. Celebrate your successes!
Use videos of your riding to get feedback. While practicing, periodically take videos of yourself riding. Film in slow motion to see details of specific moves. Review the videos to evaluate your technique. Compare it to videos of the experts doing similar moves. Watch body position, timing, wheel placement, etc. Consider getting feedback from other riders as well – other riders are often very supportive and helpful in some of the online trials communities
Step 7: Buy a Trials Bike
If you decide trials is definitely your thing, you’ll probably want to buy a trials bike at some point. First, consider what style of riding and terrain you want to focus on. Among other things, knowing how and where you’ll ride will drive your decision on what type of bike to purchase. Use our guide to choosing your first trials bike to help you choose and find the best bike for you.
Additional Reading
Check out our latest posts with information, tips, and perspectives related to getting started:
- All About Bike Trials Video Explainer Series Jan 1, 2026I created an explainer video series targeted towards non-trials rider and beginners. The objective is to cover a number of the fundamental aspects of bike trials to help non-riders understand the sport and to help new riders to get started.Read more...
