Introducing one of Queensland’s best up and coming trials riders -
Lachlan Gibson, we spend five minutes with this normally quitely spoken rider, who as it turns out, has lots to tell.
The scars on his Raga Gas Gas 250 are showing the tough times that Lachlan is going through on his way to the top, but this quite rider is showing the courage of a pit bull as he has made the move up a grade.
The Essentials...Born: Brisbane, 27th January 1993
Age: 17
Nickname: Gibbo
Lives: Brisbane
Club: Western Districts Trials Club
What's in your CD player? Don’t you mean ipod - rock music mostly
Maccas, KFC or subway? Maccas
First bike? Peewee 50 when I was 3 and a half
First trials bike (if different to first bike)
Back then a peewee was a trials bike
Face book page? What about it!
Favourite Book:Anything really
Favourite Film:Snatch
Clothes brand:Any, especially free stuff!
Shoes: Thongs, ugg boots
Toys: My bike
TV show: Top Gear
Radio station: Triple J
Vehicle: 97 4x4 Hilux
In your own words...What you up to outside of Trials?Year 12 and school based apprentice carpenter
How your 2010 season is going? Not that great (not good huh)
Who is your biggest rival and why? Zac Hale at the moment because he keeps beating me
How was your 2010 Qld Titles? Solid last place in Open Solo but
What changes would you like to see to better trials in Australia? Too many to list (seriously)
Do you Train and what’s your program?I try to go for a run 3 times a week at least and do weights twice a week and ride my bike most weekends
Who do you practise with? Anyone who’ll ride with me
What part of your riding you want to improve? All of it
What are your plans for the rest of the season? Practise up for the Aussie titles
Do you lay out sections or free ride? Both depends on whether I’m feeling lazy or not
Who are your sponsors? Paul Arnott at Gas Gas Australia, anyone interested?
What is your ride? 2009 Gas Gas Raga 250
Have you bling or improved it? Put a keihin flatslide on
How do you keep your enthusiasm when riding bad? Go and yell at something (usually dad) then try and calm down
What surfaces do you like riding on the best and why?Grippy ones its usually less scary that way
Worst trials crash? I burnt my arm pretty bad on my exhaust in 2004
Best competition result thus far?I won youth last year at the qld titles and came second in Aussie titles in junior
Where is your trial riding heaven? Anywhere that has nice grippy rocks
Do you use a trials push bike? When I can be bothered to fix it
What do you feel makes a good minder? When they catch the bike instead of pushing back it down the rock
What do you like about trials compared to other motorcycle disciplines? It’s a lot more about you and the terrain than about everyone else
Who is rider you admire from another disciplines? Valentino Rossi, he never gives up
Any other disciplines you like to try? I rode flat track when I was younger, but now probably enduro
Have you ever or wish to do the SSDT? I’d love to
If you be or do something for a day, what would it be? Ride as good as Toni Bou or Adam Raga
Are you superstitious before an event? Not really the only thing I tend to do is listen to some music and try to psyche myself up
What is an average seven days in your life? Monday Tuesday, school, Wednesday, work, Thursday Friday, school, Saturday, work, Sunday ride or recover from Saturday night
When we run out of fossil fuel what do you think the future trials bike will run on?I don’t know I don’t think electricity would work very well, hopefully I won’t have to worry about that
Ok last one, if you could change a rule in trials, let’s hear what it is? In Australia, how the Junior class is set up having 16yr olds capable of riding A&B grade against 13yr olds, capable of riding C at the most, B if there a freak, on a line that a lot of them stopped riding when they were 10 or 11 just doesn’t work.
There needs to be three separate classes, broken up by age and skill level e.g. 10 -12 normal junior line, 12 – 14 C line, 15 – 16 B line, whilst being allowed to ride up and be competitive but having to be non competitive if you’re riding down. They all need to be riding 125’s too. Otherwise Australia will NEVER be competitive overseas.
We told you Lachlan had lots to say...