JAMIE’S CANNONDALE HABIT CARBON 3
MONTH 6: Jumped-up Jamie’s loving his huck-happy Habit
Ifound a jump. It’s not massive by the standards of some mbr staffers so I’m not worried about coming up short on it and wrecking my rear wheel again or my knee or anything silly like that. Cough, Ben Smith, cough. It’s about two bike lengths, with a lovely sculpted take-off and a decent landing. Crucially, it’s also only a few minutes from my house.
I was hopeless – I could clear it, but only with lots of speed. I’d fire myself down the run-in and force an ugly, flat trajectory to land rear-wheel first somewhere on the other side. It’s the ‘technique’ I’ve used for years. I filmed my efforts, went home and read the Skills articles from Andy Barlow. I tried again. With some practice I could time my efforts so the back wheel rolled up the lip rather than bunny hopping off it close to the top, but still I couldn’t get the pop I needed.
I took more videos, went home, reread Barlow’s teachings, and tried again. This time something was different though, I had time to think on the lip and I realised I actually had to push in to the take-off to make it work. I actually had to jump! Suddenly I could slow the speed down on the take-off, go higher and still make the landing.
I’m not getting carried away though, it’s one jump and I’m definitely no Ollie Wilkins. Besides, I told this story to Andy Barlow and now he wants to see me, like a schoolboy called to the headmaster’s study, so I’m off to Glentress to take in some Dirt School pearls. But you know what, just that moment of revelation on my local jump has given me more confidence. Since my eureka moment I’ve hit three doubles I’d always ridden round, and been sure of myself and exhilarated each time. That is priceless.
And what’s all this got to do with my longtermer? Well, it’s the bike for it. It’s so easy to send the front wheel skywards, so much fun to practise wheelies, and ultimately the reason I found myself cruising around looking for things to huck off. Thank you Cannondale.
LAURA BAILEY
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