Besançon 1976

On 7 November 2020, Sebastien Alabouvette posted on Facebook about early cycle trials in France. A Super 8 film made in Besançon in 1976 ¹ shows a small cycle trial in the local neighbourhood of La Grette.

Sebastien Alabouvette was still too young to ride himself at the time. The initiative came from his late uncle ‘Jojo’ and his friends, who had cobbled something together from old moped and bicycle parts, fitted wide handlebars and were now organising a small event for themselves, long before bicycle trials or BMX officially existed. The children were inspired by the motorcycle trials riders in their neighbourhood and followed their example.

Whether the small cycle trial documented in the film – a total of six sections can be seen in the film – was a one-off event or the beginning of some kind of development is unknown to me. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to obtain any further information about these activities in Besançon. In any case, Sebastien Alabouvette's subsequent Facebook posts make it clear that he turned his attention not to cycle trials but to BMX and is working on a historical website about BMX.