Amos Bilbao is a highly respected and familiar face amongst the trials family. He's had plenty of success himself, including a 17 year career in the world trials championship, competing in over 200 world trial championship events. He was the 1996 Spanish trial champion while competing as a privateer, won 3 world trials events, and was the 2002 SSDT winner.
Even as the shadows were falling on his riding career and was approached by Montessa to be a test rider 1999 to help bring the bikes on, he was upstaging his the teams factory riders by wining events.
Amos' career though his not defined solely by his personal riding achievements. For starters, He is credited by Andreu Codina as a significant figure in bringing on the development of the 1992 Gas Gas contact model bikes to be the competitive force they were in that era. But most tellingly, Amos gets a big mention in Dougie Lampkin's auto-biography; he is held in the highest regard as someone who was able to helped Dougie continue his success when he switched brands from Beta to Montessa through assisting with mechanics and bike development. But there was more, he was a mentor, he became an invaluable member of team Dougie and so highly regarded by Martin Lampkin (Dougie's Father) that he is considered one of the Family.
Amos has continued work with Montessa ever since, however his focus has shifted to developing customer bikes. Pretty much if you are a Montessa owner in the last 15 years, you have Amos to thank for thank for the bikes rideability.
Amos and I reflect on some of the differences with his approach to the sport that he credits as helping extend his career and provide enjoyment over a longer period of time when others may have been getting burnout and how he is still planning to ride SSDT when it returns.
I hope you enjoy this chat with on of the trials families finest: Amos Bilbao.
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