Wise Words is our interview series talking to some of mountain biking’s most switched on people.
We’ll ask our short list of questions to a heap of influential, inspiring and outspoken people that we feel are driving the direction of mountain biking today. Some will make you think, some will make you laugh, some will be plain dumb, some will inspire you to better yourself and your riding. We hope!
Wise Words this week comes to you from none other than Jake Hood.
A man of many talents, Jake Hood is a handy trail builder, bike slinger and photographer in between his daily duties as a World Cup-winning mechanic for Pivot Factory Racing. A Borders native that has made New Zealand his home in between following the World Cup circus around the world.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
I couldn’t think of a response to this so I just asked some friends. I don’t like talking about myself.
Tom Prier (Charlie Murry’s Mechanic), about Jake:
“Jake’s probably the busiest man in mountain biking. I’ve honestly never seen someone work so hard for so long, with such passion, precision, and pride in his work. I’ve always found it inspiring to see how much effort he puts in—he won’t rest until whatever task he is doing is completed to perfection. I think that helps drive everyone around him to step up their game because, in the job we do, every little thing counts, and it’s the small details that add up.
And then, you should see him on a bike. In a way, his bike riding emulates his work ethic. 100% commitment, and no matter how tired he is, he finds a way to keep going. Jake’s up there as one of my favorite people to follow down the hill. The ultimate mixture of semi-controlled chaos and lines that shouldn’t be possible, laced with ease. Always an open-face helmet, no knee pads, no worries. It’s always a highlight of the season to share off days with him. I’ve probably never met anyone who likes a café as much either.“
Katy Winton (Ex EDR racer, Crankworx socials):
“Jake is the kindest, easy going, most genuine, generous and hard working human you could meet. Not to mention the wizard-like skills on the bike, behind the camera and on the tools.”
What thing or things have you bought in the last year that had the biggest effect on your life as a mountain biker / cyclist / person that works in the bike industry?
Oh god. Eh, I think that might have been paying the NZ government $250 NZD to process the final part of my Permanent Residency application. This allows me to live in this amazing country for the rest of my life and really start planning my future. Now, I can finally focus on how I can contribute to improving the mountain biking and cycling scene in the Queenstown Lakes District, with the freedom to make a lasting impact.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
I guess the fact that I’ve always ridden flat pedals and always will, even on my hardtail. I tried clips for a week, but they just weren’t for me. I don’t need them in my life. Honestly, I think everyone should be forced to ride flats all the time. Clips are the devil’s work. Sorry, but I really hate clips.
Oh, and another weird thing, I’ll happily ride a 190km gravel adventure in Birkenstocks. Yeah, that’s actually pretty strange, but they’re the best footwear and, surprisingly, really grippy on flat pedals.
Maybe one is the fact I love riding my hardtail and seem to be the bike i always gravitate towards
One last thing, I never use a tire pressure gauge on my own bikes, even though I’ll use one for everyone else. I just go by feel. I’ve got a thumb pressure I like, and when I ride, I don’t know why I do this. It just kind of works for me. I have a certain feeling I like.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
You think you need clips? Nah, just kidding. You do you.
I think every mountain biker and cyclist should strive to be the best rider they can be, especially around the general public. By that, I mean treating people with respect. Don’t be a dick, don’t run red lights, walk your bike in crowded public spaces, and always give pedestrians the right of way on shared trails. Be polite and considerate. Just try to make cycling look good. It’s easy to turn someone off biking for life by being reckless or rude, but you can also change someone’s perspective by being awesome. Ultimately, we want more people excited about cycling, and being a good ambassador is a great start.
As for what to ignore? A lot of people fall victim to marketing hype, thinking they always need the latest and greatest gear because some product promises to make them 20% better. I get it, I’ve fallen for it, too. But a lot of it is just marketing, and the actual performance gains usually aren’t as significant as you’d think. Hope that no one from a marketing department from a brand I would like to work for doesn’t read that last bit.
If you could go back and re-ride one day from your life so far, where/what/when/who would it be? Would you change anything?
I’m very fortunate, and I’ve had a lot of incredible day rides I’d love to relive. But one standout from this year was a heli-bike ride just outside of Pemberton. Jake Jewett (who I mechanic for) and I went for a heli drop. Barney, one of the other mechanics, had won a heli-bike trip earlier in the week but unfortunately crashed on A-Line the day before, so he couldn’t go. Instead, Jake his spot. I was so bummed for Barney, He was so looking forward to it.
I’ve guided a few heli drops before, and often the best part is the helicopter ride up. The trail down is usually good but not always something to rave about. That morning, I was thinking, “Yeah, it’ll be cool to ride in the heli again, but I wonder if the trail down will just be a skid track. Either way, it’ll be fun.”
Well, the heli ride was unreal. We had an amazing pilot who pulled off some crazy manoeuvres, flying super close to cliffs and trees. Once we landed, the views were breathtaking, absolutely stunning. The guide said, “You two look like you know what you’re doing. I’ll just give you a radio, and we’ll meet you at the bottom.”
As for the trail? Unreal. It was a hand-built, loamy, flowing singletrack that lasted about an hour. It started in the alpine and then worked its way down into the trees. Jake and I were losing it over how good that trail was. It had this perfect flow. Following Jake down was incredible—just watching him flick the back end left and right, carving the turns, leaving a cloud of dust for me to ride through.
That day was unreal. If you’re ever in Whistler, I can’t recommend it enough. Alpine Heli-Biking. I’ll definitely be doing it again at some point.
What have you wasted the most time on in your life as a rider or bike industry career that you wished you’d given up years ago?
I wouldn’t say I’ve wasted any time in the bike industry or while riding. Even if something didn’t go as planned, I’ve learned from it, so it’s never really a waste.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
Oh man, good question. I love making bets with my buddy Kep. We basically sit down, talk trash for an hour or so, I lay out my next big goal, and then we make a bet. The last one went like this:
It was around Christmas, and I told him I was thinking about doing an Everest (riding the equivalent height of Everest in a single ride). He said, “Let’s make a bet then. You’ve got until the end of February to complete an Everest. You have to keep it quiet, and it has to be self-supported. If you pull it off, you get respect. If you don’t, you owe me $200. Deal?” We shook hands, and I ended up winning that bet.
We’ve made a lot of these bets, and they give me a crazy amount of motivation. Speaking of which, I think it’s about time for another one. I’ve got a bit of weight to lose after the season.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
All of it. can I say all of it? Yeah, all of it. It’s just so good. everything about it.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
People taking it too seriously. Mate, we are just riding bikes in the woods. Grow up.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
Better wages… Fewer $20,000 bikes, Less inflation and better margins for bike shops, I’d like to see the bike industry bounce back
Sorry, that was more than one.
Honestly, I would just love to see more people getting into the sport and loving cycling. More people on bike is better for the world. I know how much joy it brings me so seeing others get into the sport and love it is the goal I would say.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
I’d love to hear from Tom Prier, Caleb Smith, Lacy Kemp, Amanda Byran, Tom Hey.
