leelikesbikes.com - The Fix jump jam and fiesta

Matt Fisher with all hands and feet on board, for now. Photo by Josh McGuckin.

Posted Oct. 25, 2004
The Fix jump jam and fiesta

Yesterday The Fix held a jump jam here in Boulder. I'd like to call it a great time and leave it at that, but -- you know me -- I always have to say more.

The mission
A jump jam and party hosted by Shawnee McGovern and Alex Clark to promote The Fix and their new online shop, www.rhythmcycles.com

Click for big.

The setup
The Fix's property, rented from Maverick American, has a growing crop of dirt jumps. Right now:

A-Line comes off the street, over a slightly hipped double and into a series of four more doubles. The lips are around 5 feet tall, and the gaps are around 8-10 feet. It's a tricky section, but many of the local tough guys have it wired.

TJ Sharp styles A-Line No. 4. Photo by Josh McGuckin.

The mountain cross course starts with a manual gate, goes over a sweet beginner table, then double rollers, a double step-up and a step-up table. You can hit a right berm or cut inside to a new set of table rhythm. The set curves gradually to the left, and you get to pump the hell out of 7 -- seven! -- nice little tables. You can also start in the parking lot and rail a large berm that feeds you into the course. Starting this way gives you a nice, long run, and few can maintain the pump all the way through. The guys plan to build the table rhythm all the way to the pavement, so you'll be able to bust out perpetual loops (if you have the kung fu).

A single jump with a sloping backside played host to many first-trick attempts. Lots of new jumpers were sessioning this pile of dirt love. The crew was big and gregarious: generous with props and prods, and lots of us stepped it up. Lisa Myklak was busting out crossups and one-handers. Matt Fisher had a nice one-hand no-foot thing going on. I wanted to do a trick -- any trick -- but all I could muster was a weak little crossup.

Dave Ygnatew, still ripping it up after retiring to ride motocross. "It's like riding a bike," he says. Photo by Josh McGuckin.

The roll-in was ready to feed riders into the new, bigger set next to A-Line, but nobody was biting yet. Elliot was transferring from A-Line to the new line, then back into A-Line to finish things up. His slick urban tires were a bit sketch on the carving landings, but he had it dialed by dark.

The scene
Early in the day almost 100 people milled around the area. There were so many riders you could barely get through the jumps. When I arrived at 3 p.m., at least 50 people and a half-dozen dogs criss-crossed this way and that. Miraculously, there were no collisions, except for a game of full-contact no-dab between Dave Ygnatew and T.J. Sharp that became a dual full-body pavement-slap. WHAP WHAP!

People came from as close as down the street and as far as Carbondale (a 3.5 hour trek). Talent ranged from rank beginner to dirt jump honch to XC pro. Ages ran from micro grom to middle aged. Everyone was super cool and ultra encouraging.

While the jumps and camaraderie stoked the riding, the free soda, beer and cooked meat stoked the bellies. Fueled by adrenaline, sugar, alcohol and fat, the jumping went strong until it got too dark to see. Even then, Elliot kept hitting his transfer line like it was a hammered metal belt buckle. OK, Elliot, it's perfect. Now have a rest.

Shawnee and his beautiful assistant hand the goods to an ecstatic Phil. Photo by Josh McGuckin.

The 30 or so hangers-on piled into the shop to watch The Collective. Fun movie: Beautiful cinematography, fun music and oh-so-tasty riding. This flick isn't as HUGE and GNARLY as some of the others, but the overall feel will make you want to ride your bike, which is saying something, because I already wanted to ride my bike.

Raffle tickets were passed out. Shawnee and his beautiful assistant Bill TeSelle pulled stubs from a helmet, and many folks got dialed with shirts, videos, tires and the grand prize, a Norco dirt jump frame.

What do you think of today's scene?
Matt Fisher: "I'm having a good time jumping my bike, as usual."

Lisa Myklak: "It's so great being out here with everyone. The energy is so awesome. It makes everyone go just that much harder and better."

Henry Green: "Pretty good, except I ate shit."

Brendon Newton: "It's neat."

Steve Wentz: "It's pretty cool. Literally."

(It was pretty chilly, especially if you weren't riding.)

Random

Wentz models the latest in back brace fashion. Photo by Josh McGuckin.

Brian Bailey and his boy Madison drove in from beyond Glenwood Canyon. Both ripped it up.

The Watt Family Circus -- Fast Jon Watt and Bobbi Snap! Watt -- rolled the stripped-down Chameleons, BMX style with micro tires and absent front brakes. Both did their thing, which is riding well and spreading cheer.

I haven't hit A-Line since my torn-nipple incident. I've wanted to, but every time I rolled up to the first double, I'd go blank and chicken out. Very frustrating. Well, yesterday's love was just right, and I dove back in. On try 1 I buttered the first dub; on try 2 I spread smooth peanut butter on the second. Back in business, baby!

Robert TeSelle stuck to the sidelines because he dislocated his shoulder flipping hot dogs or something. This is a tough racket, this DH/DJ thing, and there's only one fix: surgery.

Steve Wentz was on hand, a little wrung-out after riding XC with me in the morning. 3.5 weeks after they splayed his back wide open, our man rolled the Canyon Loop in Betasso Preserve. He showed remarkable self control: the ride was slow but sweet. The only good thing about getting hurt: You realize how fun it is to get out and ride.

Alex, Shawnee, the TeSelle boys and everyone else who helped put on this show performed a real service for the mountain biking community. I hope this translates into good business for The Fix (303-939-8349 map) and Rhythm Cycles.

To sum it up
Jumps + crew + eats + video + prizes = great times. Need I say more?