World Champion Trials School in Tulsa, Oklahoma
World Champion and Scottish Six Days Trial winner Bernie Schreiber conducted his ZeroBS two-day Masterclass on May 13 & 14 in Tulsa Oklahoma at Tulsa Mountain Trials.
Schreiber, being the most successful Trials rider ever from the USA, shared his experiences with participants attending from 8 nearby States. The event was hosted by one of the oldest clubs in America, (N.E.O.T.T.) North Eastern Oklahoma Trials Team, founded in 1969 by Mike McCabe, who became the first American to compete at the Scottish Six Days Trial in 1972.
Schreiber first discussed the event with his long-time friend, Kirk Mayfield of Oklahoma who competed in the 1973 Scottish Six Days Trial on a Mick Andrews factory Yamaha. Mayfield and Schreiber competed together in the Turkey Creek U.S. National in 1975, an event that included many of the best riders in US history.
Schreiber treated the 30 participants to his structured format based on lessons learned in becoming a World, National, and Scottish Six Days Trial Champion, but also basic techniques from his book “Observed Trials” by Len Weed and other sports such as golf, where direct comparisons become involved. Mastering the sport, hands on riding and the all-important Mastering the mind were covered in great detail.
Schreiber said, its not just skills and hard work. Everyone at the top level has great techniques. Your mindset is what makes you the winner or the loser. That’s the only difference.
“Practice doesn’t make you perfect. Only perfect practice does.”
He continued to focus on the competition successes and practicing with purpose by design. The best way to practice is prioritize on the things you need to practice, and knowing which tasks should get top priority, then act to get maximum returns. Progressing consistently in a way that lets you maintain present skills, but also allows to move to the next level continually is a priority, while keeping yourself motivated and maintain focus so you can stay in the best possible state of mind for achieving results.
The sit-down classroom setting began first before feet on the pegs riding, by covering the most important aspect of motorcycle trials, the proper stance. Motorcycle trials has always been a very unique form of off-road riding which requires certain techniques that do not always apply to riding a “normal” dirt bike, especially when it comes to the fundamentals. Many aspects were demonstrated during what Schreiber calls “Impact Zones” throughout two full days of instruction.
Schreiber also covered what gave him an advantage over his rivals, that being the technique which he introduced and perfected, the floating front wheel turn. Also known as the “Pivot turn”, Schreiber used this to great effect in winning the World Championship and showed exactly why this technique is just as effective today.
During each day of the school, each individual student was given one on one instruction on the techniques of this challenging sport and an insight into what actually makes a World Champion, the attention to detail, leaving no stone unturned.
Photo credits Scott Williams
