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DH AND FREERIDING IN JAMAICA
PART 1...I have been riding and frequenting Jamaica since 1999. In the 17 trips I have cut trails, done tours, led tours, helped promote and put on the Jamaican Fat Tyre Festival during it's 14 year run. I bagan by doing tours for Rusty's X-Cellent Adventures out of the west end of Negril in Jan/Feb from 2000-2006.
When I started I was consumed with bringing down the idea of freeriding and translating it to the people and expecting them to embrace trail riding.I talked endlessly on every bike site imaginable about The Fat Tyre Fest to try and bring down riders and take advantage of trails that were developed and to spread 2wheels1love. Rusty's aim was to bring Jamaicans to the olympics.
We brought down everyone from Aaron Chase to a 15 year old kid named Kyle Strait and the Don Hampton posse.....Shaums and various BC stars to take part in the JFTF from 2001-2006. When the scene faded in the west end of the Island it was re-invented on the north coast and in the Blue Mtns.
Then the idea changed.
It was now ALL about giving back to the JAMAICAN PEOPLE.No longer was it about bringing down forigners to win prizes and cut temporary trails. Now our intention was to benefit Jamaicans and we discovered they really wanted BMX bikes during the 1st day of the festival. The Jamaican Bicycle Bash was the 1st day of the fest and features multiple races and events all day long at James Bond Beach in Orcabessa. It began as a way of SMORBA to give back to the kids. They won free bikes and kits the first few years and now in it's 6th year it stands alone as a major event in Feb. Hundreds of kids attend with bikes of EVERY kind. When we looked at their bikes we saw imitation BMX bikes that were transformed from kids bikes via adding on welded pegs, dif riser bars and they looked like a BMX bike from afar and not the hundred dollar 20" kids bike they bought. No one had a mountain bike that was even built to look like a mountain bike. There were 3 BMX posses, 2 from Kingston.
2 years ago Katie Holden came down and was so impressed her sponsor listened and supplied 20 bmx bikes and kit as recently seen here on PB. There is now, in it's infancy, a vibrant scene outside Ocho Rios in the Eden BMX Park. An Olympic BMX track was built and is now running with the 20 Specialized bikes.
I adore the fact that trails are being built and biking love is being spread but.....and a big but.....who will this benefit? I have only seen 2 bikes in the west end that might be ridable on those trails. There are no mountain bikes sold in Jamaica. There are 26" push bikes with a front shock or a $300 bad dually but YOU WILL NOT find parts, wheels, tyres etc in any bike shop that is trail worthy and hard pressed to find an actual BMX bike. You def will not find disc brake pads in Black River[chuckle chuckle].
The dreams of sending a mountain biking Jamaican to the olympics went into the dirt of the same trails I put love and blood into that were descemated by mother nature and barbed wire. No North American sponsor would invest in a Jamaican.
Trails there need to be used constantly. Any sustainable trail building is extremely time consuming and needs constant attention.
Another problem is Jamaica is a BIKE BREAKER. Every part imaginable is ready to be turned into mangled crap cause of the nasty terrain we adore riding on and the brutal foliage with it's acids and thorns. Tyres last 1/4 of it's life there.
All you need to do is rake away the brush and pick the rite line and you have a lava/corral/mossy dream all naturally built for you. Then connect the lines and TLC.
The last problem is Hospital care. I advise not using any in Jamaica outside of Kingston...that's Madmantours advise.The only answer to a major injury is a speedy plane ride home.
Another problem is Jamaica is a BIKE BREAKER. Every part imaginable is ready to be turned into mangled crap cause of the nasty terrain we adore riding on and the brutal foliage with it's acids and thorns. Tyres last 1/4 of it's life there.
All you need to do is rake away the brush and pick the rite line and you have a lava/corral/mossy dream all naturally built for you. Then connect the lines and TLC.
The last problem is Hospital care. I advise not using any in Jamaica outside of Kingston...that's Madmantours advise.The only answer to a major injury is a speedy plane ride home.
I am sorry is I sound negative. 12 years ago I would be kissing their collective asses for building any trail let alone a STELLAR track like they built. It is located on the south coast. it is near Treasure beach and that's where all the cool people and hippies went when Negril got blazed and corrupted with crack. It's far away from the Jah riding scene that's in the mountains not the hills and the trails that are actually being ridden regularly are on the north coast centering around Ochee. Obviously I am hoping for the best. It would be awesome to ride that trail. Best of luck with the site fellas.
one things for sure. Jamaicans ADORE bicycles. they also love stunting and they do it with ANY bike they can get a hold of. Some of my fondest memories is watching the local kids trading off one bike for hours on end to try and stunt it better than the last guy.....real "last man standing"
When I started I was consumed with bringing down the idea of freeriding and translating it to the people and expecting them to embrace trail riding.I talked endlessly on every bike site imaginable about The Fat Tyre Fest to try and bring down riders and take advantage of trails that were developed and to spread 2wheels1love. Rusty's aim was to bring Jamaicans to the olympics.
We brought down everyone from Aaron Chase to a 15 year old kid named Kyle Strait and the Don Hampton posse.....Shaums and various BC stars to take part in the JFTF from 2001-2006. When the scene faded in the west end of the Island it was re-invented on the north coast and in the Blue Mtns.
Then the idea changed.
It was now ALL about giving back to the JAMAICAN PEOPLE.No longer was it about bringing down forigners to win prizes and cut temporary trails. Now our intention was to benefit Jamaicans and we discovered they really wanted BMX bikes during the 1st day of the festival. The Jamaican Bicycle Bash was the 1st day of the fest and features multiple races and events all day long at James Bond Beach in Orcabessa. It began as a way of SMORBA to give back to the kids. They won free bikes and kits the first few years and now in it's 6th year it stands alone as a major event in Feb. Hundreds of kids attend with bikes of EVERY kind. When we looked at their bikes we saw imitation BMX bikes that were transformed from kids bikes via adding on welded pegs, dif riser bars and they looked like a BMX bike from afar and not the hundred dollar 20" kids bike they bought. No one had a mountain bike that was even built to look like a mountain bike. There were 3 BMX posses, 2 from Kingston.
2 years ago Katie Holden came down and was so impressed her sponsor listened and supplied 20 bmx bikes and kit as recently seen here on PB. There is now, in it's infancy, a vibrant scene outside Ocho Rios in the Eden BMX Park. An Olympic BMX track was built and is now running with the 20 Specialized bikes.
I adore the fact that trails are being built and biking love is being spread but.....and a big but.....who will this benefit? I have only seen 2 bikes in the west end that might be ridable on those trails. There are no mountain bikes sold in Jamaica. There are 26" push bikes with a front shock or a $300 bad dually but YOU WILL NOT find parts, wheels, tyres etc in any bike shop that is trail worthy and hard pressed to find an actual BMX bike. You def will not find disc brake pads in Black River[chuckle chuckle].
The dreams of sending a mountain biking Jamaican to the olympics went into the dirt of the same trails I put love and blood into that were descemated by mother nature and barbed wire. No North American sponsor would invest in a Jamaican.
Trails there need to be used constantly. Any sustainable trail building is extremely time consuming and needs constant attention.
Another problem is Jamaica is a BIKE BREAKER. Every part imaginable is ready to be turned into mangled crap cause of the nasty terrain we adore riding on and the brutal foliage with it's acids and thorns. Tyres last 1/4 of it's life there.
All you need to do is rake away the brush and pick the rite line and you have a lava/corral/mossy dream all naturally built for you. Then connect the lines and TLC.
The last problem is Hospital care. I advise not using any in Jamaica outside of Kingston...that's Madmantours advise.The only answer to a major injury is a speedy plane ride home.
Another problem is Jamaica is a BIKE BREAKER. Every part imaginable is ready to be turned into mangled crap cause of the nasty terrain we adore riding on and the brutal foliage with it's acids and thorns. Tyres last 1/4 of it's life there.
All you need to do is rake away the brush and pick the rite line and you have a lava/corral/mossy dream all naturally built for you. Then connect the lines and TLC.
The last problem is Hospital care. I advise not using any in Jamaica outside of Kingston...that's Madmantours advise.The only answer to a major injury is a speedy plane ride home.
I am sorry is I sound negative. 12 years ago I would be kissing their collective asses for building any trail let alone a STELLAR track like they built. It is located on the south coast. it is near Treasure beach and that's where all the cool people and hippies went when Negril got blazed and corrupted with crack. It's far away from the Jah riding scene that's in the mountains not the hills and the trails that are actually being ridden regularly are on the north coast centering around Ochee. Obviously I am hoping for the best. It would be awesome to ride that trail. Best of luck with the site fellas.
one things for sure. Jamaicans ADORE bicycles. they also love stunting and they do it with ANY bike they can get a hold of. Some of my fondest memories is watching the local kids trading off one bike for hours on end to try and stunt it better than the last guy.....real "last man standing"
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We use Chain reaction on the web for speedy delivery of parts but if you come to jamaica, service your bike first.
On another blog I talked about us grading trails by difficulty, we also help "learners" to avoid mashed gear and hospital.
In the mountains above Kingston we have about 30 trails, the only breakages are one seat pin and a chain.
I frequently ride some of them on a superlight Orbea XC bike, evidently carefully.We also use the heavy gear with an uplift
Moral of the story if you want to ride like an idiot there will be hospital space, but to date no local riders have been in intensive care
We certainly want to develop the Fat Tire Festival concept and have vacations available more than once a year