eBikes Can’t Jump… Unless they’re being ridden by Jed Mildon…
Jed is best known for his exploits on 20” wheeled BMX bikes, being the first person in the world to land a triple, and then a quadruple, back flip on a bike. He now travels the world like a modern-day Evil Knievel blowing minds showing just what can be done in the air on a bike.
Words: Malcolm Wilson. Images: Cam Mackenzie/Bosch
So, when Bosch bumped into Jed and heard that he was keen to set the record for the longest jump on a pedal assist eBike they we’re intrigued, inspired, and awed in equal parts and quickly agreed to help. With the Bosch Power-Tools, Measurement Equipment and eBike divisions all piling in to make the idea a reality by providing equipment and specialist expertise. With Jed fully committed to the World Record attempt the planning began!
The first step was to get him set up with a bike that could handle the rigors of taking on huge jumps and finding a site that would allow Jed to safely reach the speed necessary to make the distance and come back to earth without incident.
To get Jed sending it long he needed a bike that could handle high speeds and that was stable in the air. The Trek Rail 9 was selected – with 29-inch wheels and a powerful Bosch Performance Line CX motor, it made a great platform to work with. From there Jed worked with Jono Church from bespoke tuning outfit Suspension Lab to perfect the set up for this unique attempt.
Equally, if not more important than the bike, was finding the right site and getting the set-up perfect. It was decided that a long hill into a flat section with a launch into a step-up jump was the ideal set up. This will allow Jed to start with a shorter distance and progressively build up jump by jump.
THE PERFECT JUMP SITE
THE PERFECT JUMP SITEThe five-time Guinness World Record holder has been dreaming of this day for years and was delighted to partner up with and Bosch Professional on the jump. On a private farm south of Rotorua, Mildon found the perfect jump site: a large hill to reach 90 kmph on the run-in, a flat valley for a 13m-long, 3.5m-high take-off ramp, and an adjacent hill for safe landings.
“It’s all about finding the right spot for the bike to get fast enough, then putting in a take-off and a right-sized landing so I feel safe enough to let loose and fly.”
Mildon teamed up with trail designer Jeff Carter from to undertake the earthworks, creating a 300m-long by 4m-wide run-in and to shape a massive landing area.
After months of anticipation, the five-time Guinness World Record holder from New Zealand landed the world’s longest e-bike jump. A professional BMX athlete and a former welder, Mildon sent the unprecedented distance of 24.37m (80 feet) on a Bosch-powered eBike – he built the 13m-long ramp with power and measuring tools from Bosch Professional. And he’s not going to stop there: Mildon plans to return later this year and attempt an official Guinness World Record for 30m (100 feet). [R]