8
JUN/JUL 2018
9
GET2KNOW| MTN BIKE SHREDS
PORSHA MURDOCK JODY JACOBSON
Years in Bend: 3
Team: Ambassador for Juliana Bicycles
Shop: Hutch’s Shop: Pine Mtn Sports
Years in Bend: 21
1. Did your passion for bikes come
early, or was it something you picked up
later in life?
Later in life. I owned a mountain bike in
Cleveland but just rode around on the
streets, I liked the freedom of checking out
new places at bike speed not car speed.
When I moved to Bend I had a cigarette
habit I needed to quit, so I rode my Raleigh
M80 to kill time/ fill the void. I remember if
I made it to the top of the helipad, I would
reward myself with a smoke. Wow. Yuck. In
the meantime, I fell in love with riding a bike.
2. Tell us a little about your athletic
background, did you participate in
regular team sports during your time in
school?
I played tennis in high school but that’s
about it for team sports. I lived in cities for
the most part so I walked a lot…...does that
count? Moving to Bend kick started a love
affair of the outdoors and active lifestyle.
3. What is it about two wheels you love
so much? Could you ever imagine not
cycling for the rest of your life?
The freedom to explore nature.. check out
new places...with friends. But at its essence
I’d say it allows me to find my rhythm with
the world, my flow, where I feel confident
and intuitive.I hope I’m always riding, as long
as I’m having fun and learning something
new.
P: Bryson Steele
1. Did your passion for bikes come
early, or was it something you picked up
later on in life?
I picked it up later on in life. I had just
moved from Southern California to Texas
and started riding my junior year in college
in Texas.
2. What is it about that two wheels you
love so much? Could you ever imagine
not cycling for the rest of your life?
I love the places I’ve been able to visit and
the people I’ve met. No, I never thought my
life would invo lve bikes so heavily but now I
couldn’t imagine it without.
3. You’re heavily involved with Juliana
Bicycles, when and how did you get
involved? As an ambassador for the
bike program, what is your roll?
I got involved with Juliana Bicycles last
year when I joined on as part of the Free
Agent program. Our roll on the Free Agent
team is centered around racing and helping
with Ride Outs, which are free women ride
events usually followed with food and more
socializing. As for my roll as an ambassador,
I help with the Bend Endurance Academy
and host coaching clinics as a way to help
others get more interested in riding.
4. What has working at a bike shop
taught you about human nature?
No matter the age, when a person gets on a
bike there is a huge grin on their face.
5. What is your favorite ride in Cen-
tral Oregon and favorite place to ride
outside of CO? There are many great
places to ride a bike on this planet, if
you could pick one in your bucket list,
where would that be?
Favorite spot in central Oregon is Funner.
Favorite spot outside of CO is Moab. I’ve
had my eye on racing the Megavalache in
the French Alps for some time now. I’d like
to check that one off my list. I’d also love
to go to New Zealand or Australia. I have
many places on my list.
6. Is there ever a bad day on a bike? For
your friends or family who don’t share
this passion, how to you explain this
addiction to the layman?
I’ve had a few bad days on a bike, but I’d
rather have a bad day on a bike than just
a bad day. I have them ride with me and
usually they understand pretty quickly.
7. Who in Bend do you look up to as a
mentor in cycling? Who has given you
some good advice? How important is it
for you to pay it forward?
My husband has always been my mentor.
I’m so grateful that he showed me this sport
and that is my main motivator for “paying
it forward”. I started coaching as a way to
help all people interested in getting better at
riding. Mountain biking can be daunting at
first, but even as little as a couple hours with
a coach can make a huge difference.
8. Bicycle technology keeps changing,
how do you keep on top of new
trends? Are there any improvements
in equipment that are your stoked on
or have personally helped your riding
improve?
Online forums are pretty good for staying on
top of new trends. Dropper posts are one
of the better inventions that have helped my
riding improve.
9. How important is it for you to keep
progressing your bike skills?
So crucial, but it also keeps things fun. The
more I progress the more features I can hit
or can hit them better.
10. You are taking out a friend who
is a “never ever” on trail. They are
feeling unsure about the level of their
confidence. What are your magic words
of wisdom to break any level of fear
they might have?
It’s important to remind the rider that they
are the one in control of the bike. The bike
does not have a brain so you have to tell
the bike what to do, and by adopting that
mindset the bike is under your directive.
From there, instructing on how to tell the
bike what to do instills confidence in the
rider.
4. What is the most fun part about work-
ing at a bike shop?
Actually, the crew of folks I work with every
day keep me laughing…..ya gotta laugh. I
do like to help customers demystify all the
bike jargon and narrow in on a bike or prod-
uct that’s right for them.
5. If there is one thing you could change
in the bike industry, what would that be?
Part compatibility would be nice. Represen-
tation of women in the industry can always
improve.
6. What is your favorite ride in Oregon
and favorite place to ride outside of the
state? There are many great places to
ride a bike on this planet, if you could
pick one in your bucket list, where would
that be?
Lookout mountain in the Ochocos is darn fun.
I’ll never turn down a whoops lap. I love riding
in the SW but I’m itching to spend more time
in Canada. Bucket list? I feel like I should
come up with some place exotic and far away
like New Zealand but it would be probably be
BC.
7. With Bend showing so much growth,
what do you predict or hope the cycling
and mountain biking will look like in the
future?
I hope we can have designated places for
people to camp, humans are spilling out
everywhere….continue the progression of
the sport with trails that challenge all types of
riders…
I’ll admit though I do miss those early years of
grassroots and solitude. It was special.
8. Who in Bend do you look up to as a
mentor in the cycling community? Who
has given you some good advice?
A good friend of mine, Chris, told me once,
while I was strugglingto keep up and then
further apologizing when I arrived at the top of
a climb, ‘’Hey, you can show up 2 minutes or
20 minutes behind me Jody, I don’t care just
show up with a smile...no apologies neces-
sary.” That’s the best way to get invited again
to ride. True that.
9. Bicycle technology keeps changing,
how do you keep on top of new trends?
Are there any improvements in equip-
ment that you are stoked on or have
personally helped your riding improve?
Well, being amongst friendly bike geeks all
day long I learn a lot through osmosis. And
there’s Pinkbike forums. The seat dropper is
magic; lower center of gravity improved my
riding instantly. Also disc brakes and a longer
front triangle so I can move around on the
bike without being out of position.
10. How important is it for you to keep
progressing your bike skills? What are
some of the tips, and advice you give
to somebody just getting into mountain
biking?
To stay interested in this sport after 20
years, I gotta keep it challenging. For me,
that’s progressing in skills. I’ll ride different
places and different bikes; dirt jumper, trail
bike, DH bike because it keeps me sharp.
I’ll usually have a project I’m working on,
it could involve cornering better or jump-
ing. For a new rider don’t worry if you don’t
have the latest and greatest bike or gear.
Just get out there. You can practice the
basics on a pretty simple bike.. ..even after
all these years of riding I’m still just workin
on the basics.The bes t thing you can do is
ride varied terrain, get out of your comfort
zone, it will help you face fears. Stop and
session a challenging section, when you get
it, the feeling is amazing! Kneepads are your
friend. PUMP TERRAIN, don’t look down or
at a tree.