Trials Zap technique from a beginners perspective

[@GreaseAndGravel]

Thank you for the great explanation. I just got a trials bike and had no idea where to start learning this technique. Will try it on my next session! Cheers

[@peterjames1596]

Excellent commentary. Especially on the last slo-mo shot. You totally made sense and broke things down to the step by step details. The reasoning you gave for log heights made sense too. Thanks so much.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Thanks for the feedback! Hope the video helps you some. Still so much to learn, but having a great time trying :) !

[@PacificArc]

Good points made. Zap looks good! I'm still not there. Thanks for posting.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Hopefully it helps some! I feel kinda weird doing a how to vid being that I'm very much a beginner myself, but hopefully it hits it at an angle the pro vids don't.

[@TheFrog767]

Good information shown explained and demonstrated. 👏👏👏🍻

[@muddyudders]

Great video! I'm enjoying your content, keep them coming! Subscibed

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Thanks! The problem with still being so inexperienced is finding ideas for content that would be valuable to others. Wish I was a much better rider so I could do some more helpful videos.

[@muddyudders]

I'm in the same boat. I found the video helpful because you are not a super human freak. Basically we aren't Pat Smage, his vids may be unrealistic goals, and he makes it look so easy.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

@@muddyudders That was why I wanted to make the video :) . Pat's videos, and some of the other ones are awesome, but short on detail and the "prerequisites" needed to make what he is trying to teach happen. I will say there is a French guy (name escapes me currently) that does some awesome training videos. The stuff is fairly advanced, but he breaks it down really well in a more detailed manor. The videos are spoken in french , but have pretty good english subtitles.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

His name/channel is Jimmy Ertzer.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

If you are interested I post a lot more videos to facebook. I don't have dedicated internet at home so I normally don't multipost stuff. My facebook is shawn.mcginnis.52 . I post most videos there because that is where most of the guys I ride with are at.

[@ozziejim8472]

Thanks mate, good explanation 👍 I get it right some of the time, I’m coming in to fast I think.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Thanks. Now a year or so later there are some things I would change about the video. As I get my own technique dialed a little more I will probably do a follow up video sometime. Key things that really help out are as you mentioned coming in slow. Getting both ends compressed fully, hitting the log with front brake on will really do that and also hitting lower. Having a good rev built up and then a clutch pop in time with the rebound and your jump. You can see my error in the video in that my front rolls off the log and rebounds before the back does. This kills a lot of energy and lift you could be getting out of the front suspension. It is a very precisely timed technique so don't feel bad if it takes a while to learn.

[@ozziejim8472]

@@shawnmcginnis2508 thanks Shawn great reply.!

[@georgestewart1556]

Good job of describing. I will try to slow down.

[@daviddelaney803]

So after you get the wheel on the log do you have the clutch back in and then drop it again for the second jump. Sorry I'm new

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Hey David, yup I sure do. So it should be a light first clutch and body to get the wheel up. Then ideally (technique has improved some since this video last year) you can use a bit of rear brake to drop the front tire into the log. Doing this will achieve 2 things. One it will help really load the suspension.2 it will slow you down some more meaning you will get a better pop of acceleration. While your front tire is falling towards the log (rear brake or not) this is the time frame to compress your body some and while the clutch is pulled in build some revs up. Depending on the size of the log and to some degree if you are using the brake to set the front tire or just impact speed you may need to start your jump moments before the impact. What you don't want (was a problem for me) is to be pressing down om the bike (you jumping) when the bike is trying to lift. You need to already be moving when the suspension is ready to rebound so both you and the bike move as one instead of trying to push the bike away from you and stalling out it's lift. The second pop of the clutch is what will propel you up and forward. Hope this helps some. This is a very hard technique to master. There is so much precise timing,and wheel placement needed to make it all happen right. Don't give up, just keep trying and one day it will all just click :). Also I'll note if you can even get just a inch or two of lift it is amazing what that will help you get over. For me at least it is still gonna take a while to get to where the expert and pro guys are with this technique, but even just a little lift will help you up some of the undercut rock faces and logs you may encounter even if it doesn't look as amazing as the pros make it look 😆. Good luck :)

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Oh also David idk your background or riding style, but one thing I have recently noticed in my progression , and have also seen reinforced by some top riders is getting rid of the "preloading of the suspension" (quickly droping the body and then jump) to load the suspension. Starting low already and then jumping or even just standing up will cause trials suspension to load. Eliminating the rapid drop down will help eliminate some timing and imbalance problems. Obviously things like tire hops will have you doing the more rapid down up movement. But when coming up to logs try just squatting a bit before and then standing as you drop the clutch instead of dropping your body hard right before the log. You can always practice this on flat ground too before adding the log. Also (you said you are new so depending on what new means) make sure for almost all things you are using clutch based acceleration and power and get away from rolling on the throttle for obstacles. What I am getting at is think of your throttle as the valve on you house for the garden hose. It controls how much water can flow. Think of your clutch as the sprayer on the end of the hose. It controls when and how fast/much of the available water will flow. Throttle applied power is slow and can often result in not enough then suddenly to much power applied. Also it is slow and will result in more forward movement. Clutch applied power is instant,precise,and will result in more lift(wheelie,or whole bike lift) and less speed built and less ground covered.

[@jabbabbabba]

Sub'd. Good vid, but the real question is, where can I get a shirt like that :)

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Lol I think Walmart, but the real trick is a steady diet of ice cream and pizza to fill it out !

[@jabbabbabba]

@@shawnmcginnis2508 I've got the ice cream and pizza part covered. Thanks for the reply. I've been riding a year and love it.

[@Henrik.Yngvesson]

What gear do you use for things like this?

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

1st generally. Could be 2nd on a uphill or if it is raining or muddy, but flat and dry it is normally first.

[@Henrik.Yngvesson]

@@shawnmcginnis2508 Guess I'll have to get used to those gears and a little more revving then. Only been riding my trials bike 3 times so far and mainly trails on 4-6 gear. Did a few wheelie tries on 3rd. My issues with 1-2 is that even if I try to be smooth and careful on the clutch/throttle the front wheel lifts or slides while going very slow in the turns or just doing a balance correction. Just uploaded my first video riding it If you'd like to see me fall over.

[@Henrik.Yngvesson]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKeVaZ2Vbs6Fl7M

[@Groot_G]

Well done. You are pulling the bike up quite aggressively.

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Thanks, even now quite a ways down the road it is still a work in progress, but also still a fun journey.

[@brettknibbs9351]

the only thing id say dude is your lifting the wheel then placing it on the log and really you want to be hitting it on your way up. not on the way down you will get way more lift

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Thanks for the input :)

[@brettknibbs9351]

@@shawnmcginnis2508 its a decent video m8 keep it up. nice to see the work u put in shine thru