Bike Check: Jake Ebdon's Santa Cruz Jackal

Jake and his Santa Cruz Jackal at the Waklerburn Pumptrack

We spend a lot of time showcasing very fancy bikes here, so it’s good to be reminded that an extremely simple bike can be both a whole lot of fun and a valuable training tool. Case in point, Jake Ebdon’s timeless Santa Cruz Jackal pumptrack bike.

Jake on his Jackal at the Walkerburn pump trackPumptrack riding seems to be all the rage right now, with new facilities going in up and down the country. The most recent to open in our area is the small but perfectly formed track in Walkerburn, just a couple of miles from our front door. At 110m long it’s not a giant of the genre but with a well shaped set of berms and rollers thanks to the Velosolutions builders, there is plenty there to work on skills and fitness alike for riders of almost every level and with newly installed flood lighting it should see traffic all year round, giving riders an alternative to the endless bike washing of winter season enduro riding. 

Jake riding the Santa Cruz Jackal at Walkerburn pump track

Jake may be better known for his race results and for pioneering gaps and optional lines on the local enduro trails, but like many, he also enjoys a bit of time in the pumptrack. Using them to mix up his training, fine tune bike handling and ride just for fun he’ll often be found ripping round one of the local facilities and enjoying what they have to offer.

A few years old now, the Jackal 4 frameset his bike is based round was first launched way back in 2009 and has barely changed since, in quite the contrast to the constant geometry arms race in Enduro and E-bikes. Heavily based around Hope components, his build is a classic, super simple, relatively light and built to last.

Santa Cruz Jackal 4 in Medium / Short

Frame: Santa Cruz Jackal 4 (Medium / Short)  Fork: Rock Shox Pike 100mm. 140psi, Rebound 4 clicks and compression closed.

Hope Trail stem and alloy bar on Santa Cruz Jackal

Cockpit: Hope Trail stem, 35mm length, 35mm clamp, Hope Proto Alloy Handlebar, 20mm rise, 710mm wide

Hope Fortus 26, 26' wheel set

Wheelset: Hope Fortus 26 rims on Pro 5 Hubs, 26’ (Hope are one of very few good remaining 26' wheel options now). Tires: Michelin Pump Pilot at 60psi.

Hope Evo Crank in Silver and 135mm length.

Cranks & Pedals: Hope Evo crank in the new shorter 135mm length (for quicker rotation and acceleration) with Hope F22 Pedals, Chainring is Hope 28T with a 14T rear sprocket. BB is the indestructible Hope Stainless Steel version. 

Hope Pro 5 rear single speed hub in Silver

Rear Brake: Hope Tech 4 X2, 140mm disc. Hose cut long enough to allow barspins. 

Hope X2 caliper with 140mm floating rotor

Other Bits: Seatclamp, Steerer spacers, Top Cap and Headset are all Hope.  Grips: ODI Longneck 

Never been for a look at a pump track track? Stick your head by Walkerburn and have a go. It's worth an hour of your time and you can have fun there on anything from a BMX to a regular trail bike. You might even discover you've found one more way to enjoy yourself on two wheels.


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