It is also one of the most challenging. The sport of Observed Bicycle Trials involves a rider navigating through a short section or 'trap' of man made and natural obstacles, such as rocks, logs, spools, tires, and pallets. In Observed Trials Competitions, a judge will watch and keep count of the number of times a rider's foot touches the ground. A perfect score is 0, which means that the section was 'cleaned'. The maximum number allowed per section is 5.
Most competitions involve many different sections, which each competitor rides a few times.
The lowest overall score wins. Riding Trials takes balance, patience, persistence, strength, technique, and ability. Trials bikes come in two different varieties. A 'stock' trials bike is similar to a regular mountain bike. Stock trials bikes are usually sized smaller than a regular mountain bike, giving the rider more maneuverability.