Biker Thomas Oehler: Skill and wheelpower
Austrian trials biker Thomas Oehler thrilled Filipinos while he explored Manila on two wheels. He flew in courtesy of Red Bull for some demonstrations recently and was also a guest at the first-ever PhilBike Expo at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.
In a country where most people see biking as a fitness activity, Filipinos can share his fresh take on the sport: “Trials riding is really simple, it’s just about riding your bike over obstacles without using anything else (other than) your tires! Street trials, on the other hand, are a combination of traditional trials skills and BMX tricks and skills.”
Raised in Linz, Austria, Oehler is a two-time Guinness World Record holder who began riding competitively in 1997 at age 14. Two years after his professional debut, he won his first Austrian championship and went on to win five more throughout his competitive career. In 2008, Oehler decided to bring his bike and techniques with him outside controlled obstacle courses and onto bustling urban environments.
Since then, he has put on demonstrations all over the world, with the most recent one done as a tour in several American universities. With only two wheels and precise bike handling skills to back him up, he has made crowds hold their collective breath as he jumps from one surface to another, often with several volunteers lying down between them.
“Trials riding is a very natural form of biking because no matter where you ride, trials skills are very practical. Imagine you ride your bike in the city and you’re about to hit a sidewalk curb, just bunny hop up ... When local riders see what kind of riding is possible on two wheels, they will be inspired to try some of that in their regular riding,” Oehler states.
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