Jamis Dakar MTB
Price £880, evanscycles.com
Frame Aluminium
Gears Shimano 10-speed
Brakes Hydraulic disc
Weight 14.3kg
I’m watching a YouTube tutorial on how to cycle down stairs. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. But my lifelong fear of falling on to concrete and smashing my front teeth out has held me back. This week, however, I’m riding a tank-like mountain bike (MTB) that is blessed with the sort of heavy-duty suspension that makes you think you could pedal off a cliff, land like a springbok and then scamper off to your next vertical drop. The video has been uploaded by Chris Carter. He has a mellifluous drawl and an upbeat, can-do delivery. He makes me believe cycling down a steep flight of stairs could, actually, be a bit of a doddle. He also keeps calling us, his viewers, “groovers”. And I feel, like… hey… dude, I’m part of this whole mountain bike gang thang.
Chris says: “Groovers, start the stairs in control, about walking speed. Too slow and you’ll bounce about. Don’t resist the bumps with stiff limbs. Let them go loose. This lets you float your head and retain focus. Keep your weight back and push down on the pedals. On a short flight don’t use the brakes; on a longer one feather them.”
Jump cut to me at the top of a large series of monumental staircases in Crystal Palace park. It’s raining and as I approach the first flight my front wheel skids on the granite and I almost fall over. I think: “I’ve got my mouth guard in. I’ve got a helmet on. No one is looking. I’m 53. But why am I doing this?”
I push off, over the top, and down down down. My arms are totally rigid. My head doesn’t float. My brain bounces about like blancmange in a goldfish bowl. In a matter of seconds I’m at the bottom. Safe and toothy!
Thanks Chris, you’re a top groover. For good measure I do the whole thing a few more times. Then I tick “cycling down stairs” off my list and accept I will never do it again.
That’s a shame, really, as the bike that eased me so effortlessly down the stairs is the Jamis Dakar. It’s an awesome beast with a strong following among groovers, mostly because it’s a good entry-level MTB with dual suspension. Hard-tails only have front shocks, but having rear shocks, too, opens up a world of speed and control.
Jamis started out in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1979, when it introduced the Earth Cruiser – a balloon-tyred rig designed for riding on the beach. This was followed by the Boss Cruiser and then the Boss Explorer, in 1981, which was one of the earliest MTBs. This led to the first Dakar, which was unveiled in 1985 and that means the 2019 Dakar I’m riding today has been revised, tweaked and improved for almost 35 years. It now has a stiffened head tube to provide precise steering over rough terrain, while the adjustable suspension and knobbly tubeless Vittoria tyres give instant purchase on treacherous surfaces. Braking, which is crucial on hair-raising trails, comes via Shimano’s hydraulic discs. Unlike road bikes, there is only one chain ring at the front – a clutch-type rear derailleur and wide-range cassette keeps things cleaner, lighter and simpler. For the price, it’s an incredible amount of quality kit.
Chris’s next video is: “How to ride up stairs.” I think I’ll wait for an electric MTB before I try that.
Cool kit
Cult Italian brand Scicon is best known for its bike bags – and soon its sunglasses, too. AeroTech eyewear, £219, shop.sciconsports.com
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166
