Ron Lee
Dedicated to trials
Trials Club Life: If you stay involved in this sport long enough, you'll witness numerous wide-eyed riders come and go once they realize how challenging trials riding truly is. You'll see kids grow up and within a few short years start beating you, only to eventually move on to pursue their adult lives. With any luck, you'll see them again 10 years later, returning with their own kids to ride. Meanwhile, most of the 'old timers' will age out of regular participation, though they'll occasionally show up for gatherings, lured by free food and the chance to reunite with old friends around the campfire.
Then there are the club legends whose impact is immeasurable and timeless. Ron Lee is one such legend. Ron was named as a Northeastern Oklahoma Trials Team (NEOTT) Lifetime Member during the Saturday night dinner of the NextGen Mototrials Youth event. With that, let's take a quick look at Ron's journey to this point:
It all started about 45ish years ago when young 14 year old Ronnie Lee was hanging around the corner gas station and seeing a guy coming to get gas with a trials bike in the back of his pickup. With his interest piqued, he soon bought his first trials bike, a TY175, for $400 using his paper route money. In his first event he lost to another kid on a smaller framed 80 while Ron was on the full-sized bike. With a built-in drive to succeed, he was determined to beat his adversary and he set about practicing the technical skills needed to precisely maneuver the larger bike and sure enough he won the next competition.
Shortly thereafter, Ron began receiving invaluable support and mentoring from Mike McCabe (NEOTT's #1 legend, club founder and the first American to ride the Scottish Six Day Trial). Mike instilled in him both the importance of technical practice and the value of meticulous preparation.
As Ron's skills developed, he began competing in Nationals, ultimately securing five Support class titles in '97, '98, '02, '03, and '04. While many riders are content with simply riding, Ron's passion for MotoTrials has driven him to take on various roles over the years including:
As of June 2024, we can now add NextGen Youth Central Regional Trials Master to his extensive list of accomplishments.
Approaching his sixth decade on this big rock we call earth, Ron's most influential days in his trials career may still lie ahead. He has a deep passion for nurturing the next generation of riders, paying forward the mentorship and guidance he received from Mike McCabe all those years ago.
Then there are the club legends whose impact is immeasurable and timeless. Ron Lee is one such legend. Ron was named as a Northeastern Oklahoma Trials Team (NEOTT) Lifetime Member during the Saturday night dinner of the NextGen Mototrials Youth event. With that, let's take a quick look at Ron's journey to this point:
It all started about 45ish years ago when young 14 year old Ronnie Lee was hanging around the corner gas station and seeing a guy coming to get gas with a trials bike in the back of his pickup. With his interest piqued, he soon bought his first trials bike, a TY175, for $400 using his paper route money. In his first event he lost to another kid on a smaller framed 80 while Ron was on the full-sized bike. With a built-in drive to succeed, he was determined to beat his adversary and he set about practicing the technical skills needed to precisely maneuver the larger bike and sure enough he won the next competition.
Shortly thereafter, Ron began receiving invaluable support and mentoring from Mike McCabe (NEOTT's #1 legend, club founder and the first American to ride the Scottish Six Day Trial). Mike instilled in him both the importance of technical practice and the value of meticulous preparation.
As Ron's skills developed, he began competing in Nationals, ultimately securing five Support class titles in '97, '98, '02, '03, and '04. While many riders are content with simply riding, Ron's passion for MotoTrials has driven him to take on various roles over the years including:
- Trials bike dealer
- The go-to guy for local riders with questions about Beta, EM, Montesa, Sherco, Scorpa and TRS support
- NEOTT Club Officer
- NEOTT's International Plenipotentiary Ambassador (France '23 & Scotland '24)
- NATC Rules Committee Member
- Pro Class Team Mechanic
- Pro Class Minder
- Trials Training Days Instructor
- Youth Trial Coach and Mentor
As of June 2024, we can now add NextGen Youth Central Regional Trials Master to his extensive list of accomplishments.
Approaching his sixth decade on this big rock we call earth, Ron's most influential days in his trials career may still lie ahead. He has a deep passion for nurturing the next generation of riders, paying forward the mentorship and guidance he received from Mike McCabe all those years ago.
Some action photos from the 2024 NextGen Central Regional Trials event at NEOTT home grounds, Tulsa Mountain Trials. Every section was custom-crafted by Ron to provide the appropriate level of challenge and optional lines to keep everyone on their toes.
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Ron studying with World Champ Bernie Schreiber
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Working on line selection.
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