What is Pura Vida

July 25, 2018 jeffkendallweed Leave a comment

Jeff Kendall-Weed mountain biking in Costa Rica and on the hunt for la pura vida!

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Ripping Berms on the Soquel Demo Forest Flow Trail- SO MUCH FUN!

Soquel Demonstration State Forest is where I first learned to ride a mountain bike back in 1996, under the tall redwoods and on the resulting tacky dirt, and back then, we didn’t even dream about trails like the Flow Trail! Santa Cruz mountain biking is super fun, never too rocky or gnarly, and Flow Trail is a great, jump infested trail.

Support the MBOSC (Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz)! http://mbosc.org/membership or directly link to https://www.memberleap.com/members/newmem/registration.php?orgcode=MBSC

Music by Chillhop: http://chillhop.com/listen
Too North - Citrine: https://soundcloud.com/countbazzy-2/toonorth-citrine
Dontcry & Nokiaa – Viaduct: https://soundcloud.com/dontcrybby/viaduct
TESK – Burn my Mind: https://soundcloud.com/tesk/burnmymind
Monma- Potion: https://soundcloud.com/monmabeats
Listen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/ChillhopSpotify
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Check out my riding tutorials: https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

www.jeffkendallweed.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeffkendallweed/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffkendallweedMTB/
https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Jeff KW rides an Ibis Mojo 3: http://bit.ly/2Oodh2X
Jeff KW wears a Camelbak Kudo: https://bit.ly/2tHs5ku
Jeff KW wears the Kitsbow Trials Jacket, Ride Tee, and Origin short: https://bit.ly/2N2SeTY
Jeff KW is protected by the Kali Maya helmet: https://bit.ly/2KmcCgJ
Jeff KW runs the PNW Components Bachelor 170 post: https://bit.ly/2IvG0zA

https://www.trailforks.com/region/soquel-demonstration-state-forest/
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/flow-trail-1/
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/flow-trail-2/
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/flow-trail-3/
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/flow-trail-4/
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/flow-trail-5/
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/flow-trail-6/
Trying something new!

Check out my riding tutorials: https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Last weekend my family and I took a fun trip down to San Diego so that I could become an official, certified Bike Instructor. Yep, I’m now bonafide!

As a self-taught rider, the idea of communicating skills and techniques to others that don’t already have a lifetime of riding experience always seemed challenging. As I’ve progressed into my “video rider” career, I’ve often found stunts or jibs that don’t work on the first few tries. Rather than just give each move 100 tries, I started to break down why I wasn’t able to land something. Focusing this much on technique has taught me a ton- not just about how I ride and learn, but about how I might be able to communicate this to someone else.

Now that I’m certified, I’m going to be uploading monthly riding tutorials to my Patreon page. Let me know what skills you’d like to learn!

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Follow me! www.jeffkendallweed.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeffkendallweed/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffkendallweedMTB/
https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Jeff KW rides an Ibis Mojo 3: http://bit.ly/2Oodh2X
Jeff KW wears a Camelbak Kudo: https://bit.ly/2tHs5ku
Jeff KW wears the Kitsbow Trials Jacket, Ride Tee, and Origin short: https://bit.ly/2N2SeTY
Jeff KW is protected by the Kali Maya helmet: https://bit.ly/2KmcCgJ
Jeff KW runs the PNW Components Bachelor 170 post: https://bit.ly/2IvG0zA
A couple minutes with Rich Drew

Rich Drew, a factory Pivot Cycles enduro racer and skills coach, was one of the amazing people I met while visiting Bentonville, Arkansas. Rich and his brother Rob run The Ride Series mountain bike coaching, leading skills clinics in Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, and beyond. Rich has an awesome story about leaving his corporate 9-5 gig and diving full throttle into coaching as his sole employment. And for him to do this, Bentonville, Arkansas, was an ideal location.

Learn more about Rich’s coaching here: https://www.facebook.com/therideseries/ or https://www.therideseriesmtb.com/

A HUGE thanks to Ibis, Camelbak, Kitsbow, Kali, and Best Western for making this possible!

Check out Best Western here: http://bit.ly/2xBvUMP
Check out Ibis Cycles here: http://bit.ly/2N9Ejdx
Check out Camelbak here: http://bit.ly/2qX2h37
Check out Kali Protectives here: http://bit.ly/2OONAZr

See the full photo story here: https://www.pinkbike.com/u/JeffWeed/blog/riding-with-the-faces-of-the-arkansas-mtb-scene-with-jeff-kendall-weed.html

This video filmed by Logan Nelson, edited by Colby Mesick.

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Check out my riding tutorials: https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

www.jeffkendallweed.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeffkendallweed/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffkendallweedMTB/
https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Jeff KW rides an Ibis Mojo 3: http://bit.ly/2Oodh2X
Jeff KW wears a Camelbak Kudo: https://bit.ly/2tHs5ku
Jeff KW wears the Kitsbow Trials Jacket, Ride Tee, and Origin short: https://bit.ly/2N2SeTY
Jeff KW is protected by the Kali Maya helmet: https://bit.ly/2KmcCgJ
Jeff KW runs the PNW Components Bachelor 170 post: https://bit.ly/2IvG0zA
Clips or flats? A pro's perspective

I like to frequently ride BOTH types of pedals- for me, it builds great skills that make me a more well-rounded rider.
↡↡↡ Here’s the gear that I use, all available from Jenson USA (any purchases from these links will also help support my channel, too):

Shimano XT M8020 Clipless Pedals: http://bit.ly/2OQOhkY
Shimano AM9 Shoes: http://bit.ly/2zb30lo

Shimano XT M8040 Flat Pedals: http://bit.ly/2FKGPs0
Shimano GR7 Shoes: http://bit.ly/2zt9c8v

*thumbnail image by Morgan Taylor*

I’ve actually gotten hurt much more with flat pedals than with clipless. Two examples that resulted in broken bones: I shattered a foot really badly when I tried to monster truck through some rocks and my foot just blew off the pedal because it was a little too much impact. Another time, my bike got hung up and I just got thrown over the bars immediately, where I believe clipless would have allowed me to have a very good chance of being able to use my momentum to pull the bike through the rocks. That one resulted in a compound fracture of a finger.

With over 20 years of riding clipless pedals, I feel very comfortable in them, but I still like to ride flats every few weeks. I’m not as comfortable with them for trail riding, though I can still ride just fine. What I really like about the flats is that they do allow for faster dabbing, which can save a low-side crash. I usually ride flats a little right as the seasons, and therefore trail conditions, begin to change. This lets me learn the maximum traction available with those trail conditions without having to actually crash, as a quick dab can get ya back upright quite well.

I don’t mind hitting many jumps while clipped in, but for true steep and deep BMX type jumps, I do prefer to be on flat pedals. Also, for trials type riding, I do prefer flat pedals as well.

Wanna learn to ride like me? Check out my riding tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

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Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly update of my newest videos! http://eepurl.com/cXsdZz

Follow me! www.jeffkendallweed.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeffkendallweed/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffkendallweedMTB/
https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Jeff KW rides an Ibis Mojo 3: http://bit.ly/2Oodh2X
Jeff KW wears a Camelbak Kudo: https://bit.ly/2tHs5ku
Jeff KW wears the Kitsbow Trials Jacket, Ride Tee, and Origin short: https://bit.ly/2N2SeTY
Jeff KW is protected by the Kali Maya helmet: https://bit.ly/2KmcCgJ
Jeff KW runs the PNW Components Bachelor 170 post: https://bit.ly/2IvG0zA
Shredding with the Arkansas Riding Community

Word on the street is that the mountain bike scene in Arkansas is something pretty incredible. I wanted to check out the trails, and I really wanted to meet the people behind this movement and who live it daily.

A HUGE thanks to Ibis, Camelbak, Kitsbow, Kali, and Best Western for making this possible.

Check out Best Western here: http://bit.ly/2xBvUMP
Check out Ibis Cycles here: http://bit.ly/2N9Ejdx
Check out Camelbak here: http://bit.ly/2qX2h37
Check out Kali Protectives here: http://bit.ly/2OONAZr

See the full photo story here: https://www.pinkbike.com/u/JeffWeed/blog/riding-with-the-faces-of-the-arkansas-mtb-scene-with-jeff-kendall-weed.html

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Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly update of my newest videos! http://eepurl.com/cXsdZz

Follow me! www.jeffkendallweed.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeffkendallweed/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffkendallweedMTB/

Learn how to ride like Jeff! Check out riding tutorials at: https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Filmed here: https://www.trailforks.com/trails/the-allamerican/
How can we grow mountain biking in Santa Cruz???

I am in NO WAY affiliated with the http://mbosc.org/! That said, I encourage you to JOIN THE MBOSC HERE: http://mbosc.org/membership

https://www.memberleap.com/members/newmem/registration.php?orgcode=MBSC

I was born and raised adjacent to the Soquel State Demonstration Forest, which today is the premiere mountain bike riding destination for the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

All through the 70s and 80s the forest was an OHV haven, with amazing motorcycle trails throughout the lush redwood and madrone trees. I don’t recall the exact history, but I do remember visiting the forest a few times in 1995 and 1996 with some friends who were involved in re-opening the forest for recreation. A timber company owned rights to a lot of the land, and recreational usage had been halted. While the OHV usage was terminated with the reopening, and all dirt bikers were told to GTFO, mountain biking was luckily allowed.

By late 1996, I used my life savings to purchase a Motiv hardtail at our local Costco (in San Jose at that time!) and began riding demo forest with one of my best friends and his father. By late 1997 I was riding enough that it made sense to buy a close-out Bontrager Privateer Comp, and within a few months, I was doing massive solo rides through Demo forest, all at just 13 years old.

Fast forwards to today, and I’m living in one of the most progressive mountain bike communities in the world here in the Pacific North West. Mountain biking is so strong here that it is considered a mainstream activity, and riding opportunities are expanding daily. Heading back to Santa Cruz, to visit my parents and attend our friends’ wedding, was also the first time I’d returned to Santa Cruz after a couple years of living here in the PNW. With our family unit as strong as ever, this provided a new lens to view my old stomping grounds: as a parent, as a visitor, and as someone who would love to see the sport grow.

Seeing the forest through this new light, and the lack of new, legal riding opportunities, made me realize that we desperately need to grow the mountain biking community in the bay area. Demo forest is great, but more trails are needed, and the best way to do that is through supporting the mountain biker voice through the MBOSC.

Even if you can’t make any trail days, or can’t donate, or barely ride in the bay, please consider joining MBOSC. Every additional member they have makes them that much more of a contended when it comes to growing riding opportunities.

Sylvain and Kalima: http://worldfoodorama.com/en/blog-2/

Wanna learn to ride like me? Check out my riding tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

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Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly update of my newest videos! http://eepurl.com/cXsdZz

Follow me! www.jeffkendallweed.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeffkendallweed/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffkendallweedMTB/
https://www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed

Jeff KW rides an Ibis Mojo 3: http://bit.ly/2Oodh2X
Jeff KW wears a Camelbak Kudo: https://bit.ly/2tHs5ku
Jeff KW wears the Kitsbow Trials Jacket, Ride Tee, and Origin short: https://bit.ly/2N2SeTY
Jeff KW is protected by the Kali Maya helmet: https://bit.ly/2KmcCgJ
Jeff KW runs the PNW Components Bachelor 170 post: https://bit.ly/2IvG0zA

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