There's A Name For That: Section Tic

You know that feeling you get when you see something that looks super rideable but you don’t have your bike with you? Maybe you’re driving down the street or sitting in an office, and you see the most perfect (but potentially improbable) back wheel line? There’s a name for that. 

As trials riders we use visualization to help us think through the techniques and calculated risks on the bike, but this mental visualization spills over into the rest of our lives as well. And it never goes away.

The name for this “affliction” is Section Tic. If you haven’t competed before, each one of the areas of the competition that you’re challenged to ride is called a section. You typically do two loops on five or six sections during the competition. So this idea of making up sections for your imaginary self to ride…maybe we could consider it advanced daydreaming…has a name.

The true realization of Section Tic is to revisit the spot with your bike - but in a lot of cases, that’s not possible (I get it inside restaurants all the time). But what you could do is try to lean in to what your brain is telling you - maybe it’s a move that you haven’t tried yet - and find a way to bring it to life once you’re back on your bike. The other way you can use Section Tic to your advantage is to force yourself to think about how to link a complete line together. A lot of beginner riders just do one trick and then stop. The advanced riders create long lines by executing back to back skills to get from point A to point B - and starting that process mentally is a great way to wrap your mind around that linking process.

In any case, you’ve likely already felt Section Tic creeping into your daily life, and now it has a name!