March 7, 2007 – Pedal recently had a chance to sit down with up-and-coming Canadian downhill rider Jeff Beatty. We caught up with Beatty at the Santiago airport during his trip to the Copa Contrapedal Urban Downhill race in Valparaiso, Chile on February 18. Beatty is a Whistler, BC native and spends his summer on the mountain as an instructor as well as traveling to races around the world.
He recently signed with the Orange Mojo factory trade team, and was in Chile representing the team for the first time. Canadian factory riders are few and far between, so an interview was in order.

This is your first run at a season as a member of a factory team.
Is it what you expected it to be?

Jeff JB: It’s pretty cool being on the factory team, it definitely
changes your mentality going into a race with people backing you,
supporting you and putting their faith in you. I have been going at
it solo for so many years, you have to do your own stuff, pretty much
organize everything. It is definitely going to be a lot different
this year with this support.

This was your first event with the team, was it everything you
expected it to be?

JB: It was a pretty fun weekend and kinda how I expected it to be.
With the support behind you it made things go smoother. Having
flights organized, hotels, travel etc. all taken care of made things
much smoother. I was able to concentrate on the race a lot more
especially having people there to fix my bike for me. [Jeff laughs
– but he is banned from the toolbox for good reason]

How are you going to approach the rest of the season?
JB: I am heading back to Vancouver now seeing as it is the end of February. I am going to hit the road hard, ride the north shore mountains. I haven’t ridden at all before this year, so I felt a little bit rusty. I am going to get back to basics and do some endurance training, strength training and on course tech and mental training. As far as races go, I guess the first Canada Cups and Sea Otter will be my first stops. I may go to Fontana in early May – it’ll be fun to do a little road trip down there. Then I head out East for about a month and a bit to do the Canada Cups and a couple of World Cups. From there I’ll pretty much do NORBAS, North America World Cups and hopefully make Canada’s DH Worlds team after the DH nationals in Mt. Washington (Aug 4-5). I’ll also be at Crankworx and any other special events I can get invited to and partake in. I’d really like to make the National team and go to the DH Worlds.

Anyone you’d like to thank?

JB: Orange Bikes, Transcend Magazine, Mojo Suspension, NRG/Maxxis,
Dincus, E.13, Fox suspension, FSA and finally Utopia.

Thanks Jeff, have a great season.

Thank you