Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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INTERVIEW U.S. NATIONAL MOTOTRIALS CHAMPION PAT SMAGE P62 the mental aspect of trials is. At- titude and how you handle things throughout the day have a huge impact on results. While I have improved in that area over the years, pressure and frustration do get to me sometimes. Hope- fully I can hold it together for a full season next year and finish strong every time. That's the goal anyway." When it comes to new riders getting into the sport, Smage is a big advocate of learning the "cor- Your bike and body should work together and every technique in trials improves that balance. The techniques transfer over to any other bike almost instantly. You will see results very quickly." The popularity of Trials seems to be cyclical, and with the sport ebbing into one of its low points over the last couple of years, the FIM decided to give the con- troversial no-stop rules a try in world competition in an attempt to lure new riders into the sport, although it appears that there was a lot of blowback from the established riders. Most of the riders are against no-stop be- cause of the difficulty in scoring and because it takes some of the excitement out of the sport. The North American Trials Council, which sets the rules and the na- tional schedule for Trials in North America, has taken a "wait and see" approach to the rule, want- ing to see how it worked in Eu- rope before considering it in the United States. However, Smage wants no part of it. "I don't agree with no stop at all," says Smage. "I was disap- pointed they changed the rules again, but didn't think it was go- ing to be as bad as it is for me. After riding three no-stop events, I don't want to ride another one. (Above) In 2014 Smage won the MotoTrials Championship for the seventh time. (Right) If it was easy everyone would be riding trials, but trials is anything but easy. That's why Smage loves trials so much. " I LOOK TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUPPORTED ME FOR SO LONG, AND I WANT TO KEEP GIVING THEM THE GOOD RESULTS THEY DESERVE. " rect way" to ride. "Sure you may be able to fig- ure out how to do things on your own, but a lot can be had from learning from someone who knows the proper way. Then you don't have to relearn things as you get better, since there comes a point when you need the right technique. Attending a riding school and watching vid- eos is the best bet. "Trials teaches you full bike and body control even at the lowest level. It takes complete control over the brakes, clutch, and throttle at all times. It also teaches how important body po- sition and moving around on the bike is. So many people ride way too stiff and don't use their body to help them over obstacles.