been a long time since Danny Macaskill dazzled us with that video in 2009 that elevated him like no other rider had ever achieved before in media terms. A video that helped him to become part of the exclusive RedBull team and to record his most influential and spectacular videos.
After that first “bombshell” in particular, many of us (including us), were the ones who noticed this type of 24″ bikes that at first glance show a look between a BMX and trial bike. Trial, as we all know, is a sport in which speed is not one of the strong points during its practice, therefore this new style adds a plus of adrenaline to the riding and new techniques to develop.
It was precisely for this reason that we set out to test a bike very similar to the one Danny made his name for himself 3 years ago And although the number of brands that have machines of this style is large, We contacted the most prestigious brand in this field, Inspired. That said, we present a test of more than 25 hours of testing by several trial and bmx riders of one of the star models of this brand, the FourPlay Pro.
AESTHETICS & COMPONENTS
The first thing to note about the English brand is the spectacular appearance of its products. Inspired can boast truly luxurious finishes. The model we tested has a purple finish on the chassis and black finish on the fork, which give it a really aesthetic look. One of the most beautiful and characteristic points of the English brand is the saddle with the embroidered logo and embossed finishes in the shape of plants.
all the components that complete it are from the Trialtech brand except for the cranks, where the FourPlay mounts Holzfeller that at first glance offer enormous safety and quality, not in vain, they are used for downhill bikes.
In the brake section, it mounts double Avid Elixir with 180 mm. At first you may think that these brakes will not give you the necessary confidence or security, especially if you come from hope. We thought the same at first, we are not going to hide it from you, but these Avid have pleasantly surprised us with the good feel and braking they have achieved, but do not expect them to be rolled in 3 outings.
The levers are reversible and are fixed to the handlebars with a clamp and two screws, a total success if one day you want to remove them for any reason and you don’t want to waste time removing the grips etc.
Another point to keep in mind regarding a common trial bike is that this It has a chain tensioner. In this way, You won’t have to worry about centering the disc or tensioning the chain etc., which we consider a great advance and a complement to be taken into account.
On the other hand, the wheel comes out of the chassis downwards, so it is very simple and convenient to remove it at any time.
The maxxis tyres that come standard are quite wide, giving a really high control and stability situation. We didn’t expect such a good grip for the lug they have, which is noteworthy because their rubber compound is quite good.
As far as the pedals are concerned, Inspired mounts a Trialtech platform that is undoubtedly the best possible choice for a bike of these characteristics. Its grip is really good without tiring the foot at all and giving a very high durability whatever the use we give to the bike.
CHASSIS
The chassis has a machining in the chainstays, giving it great resistance. On the other hand, it comes prepared only for discs , so forget about mounting a rim brake. The steering tube is reinforced so that it does not crack or split at the junction of the two tubes to the pipe itself
The fork offers a very high level of safety. Straight in shape, it does not have a steering track but the t
The headset itself is threaded on the fork itself. At the same time, the cover is designed in case you want to insert the front brake hose, but in the standard model we have not done it since you would have to open and bleed again brakes that are fine-tuned to perfection.
Finally, the fairly wide handlebars provide really great comfort and the position will be further back than a normal trial to be totally comfortable. This handlebar, coupled with the short Trialtech stem, will make the ForuPlay Pro lift off the ground with great ease.
STREET ACTION!
The first thing you notice on this bike if you come from the trial is going to be an extra weight. This is something characteristic in this type of machines since they are designed to last, sacrificing a good part of the lightness for this task. We are talking about a bike that weighs around 12 kilos but once at the top it is very similar to a pure trial bike.
The geometry, short between axles and lower bottom bracket, makes it a real toy and at times we will think that we are riding a trial bike instead of a pure streeter. The style is obviously modified, you will have to forget about the trial techniques or rather adapt them to a much more fluid and dynamic way of carrying it. Manuals, arm jumps and speed flying will be the order of the day with this type of bike and that is precisely what makes this new open path in the world of two wheels attractive.
brakes once rolled guarantee great braking, Something that surprised us, since we are used to the abruptness of the hope, but the good modulation of the Elixir makes many techniques even easier, yes, it gives a prudent break-in time until they take their maximum braking.
This bike can provide any trial rider with things that the trial bike itself can’t do and thus complement a lot of pure trial training. The gain in strength is considerable after continuous use and the different techniques applicable to these models make it possible to improve skills that we already had and even learn new ones.
The beauty of the street with the FourPlay is that it tries to mix trial techniques with more dynamic movements, turning training into something different and a lot of fun. For people who do street or who are passionate about riding in the city, it is undoubtedly the perfect option since moving around the city with this machine will delight any driver. At the same time, you can enjoy bikeparks and even with any BMX, the range of possibilities that the Inspired offers is really brutal
The test lasted about a month. During those days we have been experiencing a Increase in the potential of the bike and our techniques. We can say that having fun is easier than with a pure trial bike and that is that Anything more or less technical can accommodate a large number of combinations and personal challenges that will provide the enjoyment of any rider whether they come from trial or not.
CONCLUSIONS
The FourPlay Pro is a pure street bike. For this reason, we must forget about using only trial movements and start opening our minds in terms of techniques and styles. No more standing in front of obstacles, only the fluidity of movements counts, so learning techniques such as tailwips, backflips or manuals will be the order of the day.
In the field of aesthetics, the Inspired scores a very high note. Visually striking yet elegant, it meets all the quality and finish requirements we would expect from a big brand. Both the welds and the appearance offered by all its components are of enormous quality, not in vain Inspired has assembled Trialtech parts among others that together with its chassis will make you not be dissatisfied at all.
Therefore, if you pay around 1600 euros that it is worth, you will not be wrong, you will be paying for quality and above all durability, a lot of durability, which today is what is most lacking in number of brands.
Let’s improve… Possibly the weight , but as we said, you’re not looking for a trial bike, but a machine that lasts. Still, by changing very simple things like tires, you’ll get a lighter bike with very little extra expense.
Therefore this bike, this model and this “category” is totally recommended and even mandatory at least to try for all riders who do not leave the street and who would like to innovate and take a step forward in their style and techniques. Q>
Text: Álvaro López / Photos: Cármen Hernández – Irene Fraile
