MTB
The grass initially reserved for the dog didn’t last long during lockdown for Matt Jones. Here we see how the British slopestyle star hand-built his ultimate bike track in his backyard.
When you're trying to maintain your edge as one of the world's best mountain bike slopestyle exponents, you need to stay on the bike as much as possible, which has been difficult during the last few months no matter what country you call home.
For Matt Jones, retreating back to the house he shares with his fiancée in Woburn, Bedfordshire, and sitting solely on the sofa was not an option.
With the help of his friend Ben – who stayed with them during lockdown – they built a backyard bike course using over 100 tonnes of dirt to ensure Jones could keep on top of his game.
Jones said: “With having so much time, it was important to find a way to keep riding my bike, this was the only solution.”
The backyard was originally used as a lawn for their energetic dog Moose to exercise. But Matt decided to carve out half of the area for his special bike project.
“We’ve all come to an agreement that 50 percent is now bike trails and a pit-bike track, and the other 50% for the dog,” explained Matt.
The aim wasn’t about doing massive tricks, just staying on my bike and keeping fit and active with my riding
The duo undertook back-breaking shifts (until they crafted a makeshift trailer to the back of a ride-on lawnmower) to haul hundreds of wheelbarrow loads of mud and clay to carefully sculpt the jumps with the help of a 100m hose that needed to be extended three times.
The result was a bike track that makes most people’s back gardens look mind-numbingly boring. The course starts with three rollers that split into five pump track and technical lines that can be navigated over 10 different ways.
The biggest jump measures 1.4m in height, which compared to the four-metre high ramps he usually encounters on the professional slopestyle circuit, is a walk in the park but Jones says: “The aim wasn’t about doing massive tricks, just staying on my bike and keeping fit and active with my riding.”
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