Έτσι προσπάθησα να το καταστήσω στο παχύ φεστιβάλ ελαστικών αυτοκινήτου της Τζαμάικας έγκαιρο για να πιάσω στην ανατολή το γύρο μιας ημερών αλλά τα πράγματα απλά δεν επέλυσαν. Κατά τη διαδρομή από Negril σε Ochi αναγκάστηκα να κάνω μια στάση και να επισκευάσω τα μπροστινά φρένα στο Vannette. Είχα κάποιο πρόβλημα βρίσκοντας τα μέρη για το και έπρεπε να εκμεταλλευτούμε την ευκαιρία να πάρουμε τις επισκευές γίνοντες προτού να συνεχιστούμε σε περαιτέρω μεγάλης απόστασης ταξίδια. Τα φρένα χρειάστηκαν επισκευή και έτσι πήραμε ένα σπάσιμο μισής ημέρας σε Mobay στους αυτόματους μηχανικούς. Αυτό εξερράγη το υπόλοιπο των σχεδίων ταξιδιού μου και καταλήξαμε σε Ocho Rios αργά στην ημέρα για οποιαδήποτε οδήγηση με το πλήρωμα στον κόλπο Robins. Αποφασίσαμε αντ' αυτού να περάσουμε την ημέρα στο δάσος λουλουδιών Cranbrook που ήταν απολύτως τρομερό αλλά πιθανώς όχι αρκετά τόσο πολλή διασκέδαση όπως biking βουνών για τον μπαμπά τουλάχιστον. Εντούτοις το κάναμε σε Oracabessa στο ST Mary και ξοδεμμένος η ημέρα James Bond Beach για το 1$ο ετήσιο ποδήλατο Bash της Τζαμάικας που τέθηκε επάνω κοντά SMORBA, ο Άγιος Mary από την ένωση οδικών ποδηλάτων. SMORBA είναι α όχι για την οργάνωση κέρδους που είναι συμβεβλημένη με IMBA αυτός συμμετέχει ενεργά στην οικοδόμηση και τη διατήρηση των bicycling ευκαιριών για τους ντόπιους της φημισμένης βόρειας ακτής της Τζαμάικας.
SMORBA υποστηρίζεται από τον αθλητισμό νησιών, μια οργάνωση μη κέρδους που υποστηρίζεται κοντά Φυλάκιο νησιών όποιος διαχειρίζεται James Bond Beach σύνθετη μαζί με διάφορες μεγάλες ιδιότητες στο νησί, και ο στόχος τους είναι να προαγάγουν το τους Εργασίες Bicycling πρόγραμμα προς όφελος της νεολαίας περιοχής. The Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival has been held in Negril over the past 8+ years and was primarily an off-road event limited to participation of 3 to 5 Jamaicans and a larger number of international competitors. This years goal was to open the event up for more community participation and the number of races days was paired down in favor of cycling activities for locals such as the ramp for kids to jump on, the big dirt jumps pictured below we’re reserved for professional dirt jumpers who put on a show and the highlight of the day had to be the Rambolympics.
The Rambolympics were staged to show the ingenious usage of bicycles in Jamaican society. A bicycle can be much more than a form of recreation in an impoverished nation like Jamaica and in many cases it can be the sole form of transportation for a person and even an entire family. Watching Jamaicans ride their bicycle to work in the morning one can never expect what to see being carried away in a basket or dangling from the handlebars in a grocers bag as the move about their day. The Rambolympics were broken down into three events, the most popular event was a skill test to see how a rider dealt with carrying odd objects that you may find a Jamaican carrying on their bike each day. The ride was three laps around the oval track with the rider being required to pick up a large cumbersome item on each lap. The first lap a rider had to carry and empty Red Stripe case around the field and proceed to the empty gas cylinder so common in kitchens around Jamaica. The Red Stripe Case and the empty gas can seemed difficult enough for most riders but it was the final piece that gook most of them out. The number of Jamaicans seen walking around with a weed whacker can only be surpassed by the number of Jamaicans you see walking around with a machete. Carrying one on a bicycle in the streets of Jamaica is a whole different trick and riding with a weedwhacker, an empty gas gan and a case of Red Stripe makes for some damn good fun for everyone. This was without doubt the most fun and most popular event with everyone enjoying watching the locals spank the international professionals in every event except of course the pro dirt jumping.
Jamaicans are very resourceful people and they seemed to be more adept at carrying odd loads on their bicycles when compared to their “farrin” competitors. The “white boy” riders from America and Canada were not prepared for the sweltering heat and excitement of the days events and you can see it in their faces. The Jamaican riders are more at home in the tremendous heat and better able to deal with the physical activities of the Rambo race. I predicted a Jamaican youth would win and I was right. The young man being covered with flour below was the winner of not only the most favored event but he also won the most challenging event when he took the “5 Mile Rambo Race around Oracabessa” which is a three lap loop through the city center ending back at James Bond Beach. IN Jamaica it is a tradition to cover a person in flour in their birthday. This was a pretty hot day and it was obvious the sun was taking its toll on the vacationers who had already ridden for 2 or 3 days each.
There was a lot of bike riding going on throughout the day and some of the most action was at the dirt jumps with professional riders from around the world showing off their talents to the local youth. Of course the local kids were just waiting for the pro riders to crash on some of the big air jumps they pulled but everyone had a good time and the kids were super stoked to see these pros do their thing. Professional Riders Cam McCaul and Kyle Ebbet did some superman style dirt jumps and the residents of Oracabessa loved it.
The Rambolympics and the Rambo Race around Oracabessa were big fun for the older riders but I think many of the youth actually had more fun riding bikes on the ramp and participating in the bunny hop contest. Jamaicans are very competitive people and each of them was looking to win the Red Bull bunny hop challenge. The goal was to bunny hop your bike over the bamboo rail set on top of stacked cases of Red Bull. I think they got up to 5 cases before everyone started missing them.
SMORBA is working to teach local youth on how to own and operate their own mountain bike guide services and JamaicaMAX.com is going to help. If you want to do some mountain bike riding in Jamaica or take a Jamaica mountain bike tour then contact us so we can arrange a mountain biking trip in Jamaica for you and your group for a small donation to SMORBA. What they actually need is some equipment such as used mountain bikes and cycling gear to outfit local youth and begin their training. If you donate a Jamaican youth a quality mountain bike then JamaicaMAX will deduct 50% of the value of the equipment from your tour costs. For more information about SMORBA and what they do visit their website at http://www.smorba.com or look for our upcoming article featuring more details on their program.
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