“Advice and tips, trials is all about balance, so if you master balance, you’re almost all the way there! Martyn Ashton”

Martyn Ashton's Road Bike Party prompted an avalanche of messages this week including a ton of links to bike trial clips. The world of two wheels is expanding rapidly into a universe of diverse and spectacular entertainment. Every year the Red Bull X Fighters increase their repertoire of stupefying tricks, this escalation of skill is seemingly without boundaries, across all two wheeled sports. Freeride mountain bikers in "Where the Trail Ends" demonstrate the maximum "Big Kahuna" attitude taking freeride mountain biking films to new heights.

So how do these guys gain their extra special death defying skills. Here's some insight from Martyn Ashton who's path to biketrials began with motorcycle trials.

““My advice for newcomers to the sport ... is to really focus on having a good time because it really is that enthusiasm that you have when you are really loving something that drags you into that steep learning curve. There’s always at the start of any sport of ‘oh am I getting this, am I going to find my way’ and then it all starts to come .. so just enjoying it, relaxing into it. Not trying to be the next David Beckham or the next Danny Macaskill, be yourself on the bike... and it may come - Advice and tips, trials is all about balance, so if you master balance, you’re almost all the way there!””

Martyn Ashton explains his background and helps out with advice for new riders, thanks to BikeRadar

Then there's the Italian acrobats. Take a look at Italian bike trial champion Simone Temperato or "Magico Tempe", who's hobby is wood sculpture. When Temperato's not making magic with his chisels he's off setting hour records and popping long distance wheelies. Just for kicks he maneuvered a 3 hour 26 minute wheelie up and down four mountain passes, over the Passi Campolongo, Gardena, Sella and Pordoi. On the 26th of June 2004 Magico Tempe pedalled around the Velodromo Rino Mercante setting an hour record, the distance27 km and 541 metres, his bike had no front wheel. Temperato also holds the record for the fastest descent down the Stelvio without a front wheel, 53 minutes and 22 seconds.

Guiliano Calore first rode down the Prato Stelvio in 1986, no hands on the handlebars, two wheels and what looks like braking provided by his right foot to the rear tire. On his website Calore declares that he's the "World Champion of Extreme Cycling". Calore has also pedalled up the Stelvio in 1 h 36 minutes using only his right leg. (One of my mates rode up the Stelvio recently in one hour - fifty minutes using both his legs and was chuffed. Sorry Horse!) Calore is a musician too, in 1981 Calore climbed and descended the Stelvio, whilst playing four different musical instruments, each handed to him in rotation.