A warming trend is sweeping freestyle. The wall of ice separating BMX and mountain biking is melting. It will affect the way we ride, the bikes we ride, where we ride, and what we do when we get there. We do not know yet the extent of the change or its timeframe, but we know there will be changes, both technical and social. The implications for trials are particularly significant. Unlike global warming, however, it’s all for the good and will add style everywhere.

One reason for this occurrence is the gradual evolution of the small hardtail, with its 24- or 26-inch wheels, gears, and front suspension. The initial development in this arena was likely the short stem/riser bar revolution in 1998, which, along with flat pedals and longer forks, showed mountain bikers that jumping could be somewhat easy. Simultaneously, trials riders began to adapt some freestyle tricks, such as the bunnyhop manual, proving that mountain bikes could be much more versatile than hitherto suspected.

Cross-pollination has continued, with 20-inch riders such John Cowan (Kona) moonlighting on 26 inches with great results, and plenty of mountain bikers going the other way to hone their skills. Cowan envisions the two styles to be like skateboarding and snowboarding.

There have also been developments in the 20-inch world that have set the stage for at least some riders to switch to 26 inches. For starters, the standards of pro freestyle are now ridiculously high—very few riders can aspire to that level. For everyone else, the best that can be hoped for is to learn a handful of classic tricks, such as manuals, abubacas, wall rides, some peg grinds, and non-inverting jumps such as no-footer/hander variations and the like. It turns out, though, that those non-pro level tricks are not much different and, in some cases, easier to learn on a mountain bike. At the same time, a 26-inch bike has great versatility. You can do off-road, urban, some trials, dirt-jump trails, and even just ride, all on the same bike. Suspension forks dramatically reduce upper-body fatigue, and really anyone more than six feet tall fits better on a 26-inch bike. Mountain bikes are somewhat more fault-tolerant as well. Twenty-inch wheels require smooth jump trails, better transitions, and better landings than the bigger bikes.

There are, of course, arguments the other way, beginning with price—as a BMX bike costs one-third of what bigger bikes cost. Twenty-inch bikes are ultimately more capable and, importantly, it’s much easier to learn tricks on a smaller bike. There’s no way you’d want to take a big bike in a half-pipe, and freestyle bikes are also better in skate parks. Having said all that, for the average rider who spends more time on the street or jump trails than in the park, there are compelling arguments for riding a mountain bike.

Perspectives on this topic within the trials community depend on whether one is speaking as a pro or an amateur. Many pros recognize that new types of events such as mountain-bike street comps and so-called free trials (where you’re judged on style) can be effective for attracting exposure and sponsorship. Ryan Senechal’s Roundhouse Rumble in June 2002 mixed 26-inch-friendly street lines with trials and North Shore obstacles. It was a great success, bringing riders from a variety of backgrounds together. Senechal has organized traditional trials contests, but has found limited financial support in the Toronto, ont., area—hence the switch. That sort of trend worries grassroots pros and amateur trials riders who want to keep doing traditional trials.

Others worry that being half-good at trials and freestyle isn’t very helpful. Mike Bentham (Brisa) from Victoria, B.C., said, “They can back-wheel everything, but the technical side seems to be missing. Do you know there is a wall here in Victoria that has a mark on it from Jeff Grant back in ‘96? So far, no one has beaten that height. It would be nice to see some really good world-class [trials] riders come out of North America.”

New-school-oriented trials pros such as Ryan Leech are wary of 26-inch bikes getting too close to BMX. “My opinion on pegs and gyros is this: mountain bikes are mountain bikes, BMX bikes are BMX bikes; don’t try to interbreed them because you’ll end up with a deformity and then have both sides making fun of you! I think though, that riding your bike should be all about having fun. You should ride your bike to its limit and your limit, and then from there, you should try to be imaginative and create new limits. If you end up with pegs on your mountain bike but you’re having fun, then so be it.”

Leech is one of several riders who have carved out a niche of trials-specific freestyle skills, which reference but add to traditional 20-inch street tricks. New schoolers are apt to be cautious as they themselves invite comparisons to higher-level freestylers, who are using the BMX to its full potential.

Ultimately, the fate of freestyle will be decided by the great mass of average riders, the ones who may not care about the politics or history.