Jim Dellavalle

Please can you introduce yourself? I am Jim Dellavalle. A cyclist, MMR cycling coach, traveler ,trail builder, electrician/plumber/mechanic. I have devoted my life to cycling since the age of 12 and have been riding and traveling the world on my bike since the middle of high school. I love the outdoors, hiking, snowboarding, and being in the wild…. Age and Rank, job, music, studies, favorite beverage..: 38 cyclist, MMR cycling coach, electric, plumbing, and heating, mechanic. Trail builder. Favorite beverage is lipton tea served hot with sugar and milk. Location: East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania aka Poconos What bikes are in your garage right now? I have a lot of bikes, but I ride hardtail, slalom, and downhill pretty regularly. I still have a lust for BMX and admire anyone who pursues the sport of BMX in anyway possible. Flatland BMX and ramp riding are my two favorites. Describe your riding style: aggressive freestyle Do you race/freeride/street/dirtump/bikepark/: yes Any results you want to share with us: www.sponsorhouse.com/members/dellavalle for results .... What is our dream Bike ? My dream bike is a bike with it’s own mind to shift. Really. Like if it was able to know when to hit it , so I could just focus on more maneuvers, I would be stoked. And one, that would never get a flat or bend a rim. I don’t mind when it happens but it’s annoying on a good day of ridingwith your crew.... What’s your all-time favourite MTB component? My favorite part of the bike would have to be the e-13 chain guide system. Ever since I’ve been riding mtn bikes that was always a problematic situation without it. Having that system on my bikes makes riding so much more fun and hassle free. What is your favorite trick ? 360 tailwhips are my favorite trick, I still can't get em, but that is the best trick to see.... Tell us your secret spots – where do you like most to ride ? I like to ride in PA especially dirt jumping, there is a breed of riders here in PA . Glen Park, Rancho Relaxo, Minersville, Boiler Works, Ray’s mtn bike park, Whistler, Pacific Northwest, Snowshoe,WV are some of my regular spots I ride at. Take us back to the beginning; who’s the person you’d like to thank for taking you mountain biking for the 1st time? I’ve been riding mtn bikes for a long time. I must thank the locals here in East Stroudsburg, PA that helped in the beginning. Guys like Reggie Clapper, Bob Brien, Kyle Kutzler, Chad, Chuck, Crazy Pat, Jorge Engroba. Back in the day we did group rides , but I rode bmx religiously. We always took the mtn bike thing as a fun adventure ride, and look where it has taken me now. The downhill freeriding aspect of the sport, I must thank Brian Pleva, Danny Tapia, and Anthony Riquelme from Jersey City who rode my ass to get to Plattekill with them. I thought it would take me away from BMX and well it did. Damn Bastids! I still look back and thank everyone for opening my eyes to this bike in that way, and not making it a competitive venture back then. I still keep it that way and go into the woods and break a trail or just blaze thru the woods Bushwackn' style, I love doing this with my shockwave, set up with a marzocchi 6.6 or 5.5 single crown on it… Big Thanks goes to Don Hampton owner of www.dh-productions, TJ Brown form Launchpad Productions.com for putting me in there mtn bike films.... Did you wear anything fluo coloured? Yeah, I did. I also wore a Charlie Brown Club Homeboy t shirt and hung out with Craig Grasso too….. The socks debate; Short or Long? I like long socks, but wear both, my favorite socks right now are 661 long socks…. What is the craziest thing that you did ? I was just looking back on some of the craziest things I’ve done and man , some where really dumb too. But here’s one. My brother Luke, our friends Pete, Mark, Justin, Big Mike, Jay, Chris, Brian Pleva and several others had a trampoline set in my backyard next to the portable jumpbox. We had a BBQ one afternoon like usual. Luke and Pete make the best grilled Chicken ever…. Soak that up with some Yuengling Lager beers, and the tramp bash would get going wild. Yeah, we had a jump bike and all the snowboards etc but that never was fun enough. I grew up going big and getting wrecked trying it… So , We pulled Pete’s Grumman Box truck up next to the trampoline. pretty close ,well, enough to run along top of it and jump onto the trampoline.... We'd have competitions to see who could glide the farthest thru the air and land on the grass behind the trampoline….. yeah say dumbasses right now….. Ha! We had grass stains in every inch of our clothes and enough abrasions to just laugh at alone….I’d say that was a crazy thing I did with my friends. But man, share a road trip and we’ll make more crazy memories…. What’s your favourite thing about riding/living/breathing MTB ? The culture of it. Mainly , the respect for the nature and one another around it, and the unconditional way you can have fun. It can be raining, snowing, dark peanut butter mudd, steep rock gardens and you can still have fun. I love seeing the culture come together at Crankworks at Whistler BC or anytime at Whistler BC ,  at Ray’s mtn bike park in Ohio or at the dirt jumps spots we have…. It is a great culture. I encourage you all reading this to bring someone for a ride this weekend or show them the film Roam or the Chain Reaction Box set to give them visual aid… Other than biking - do you have other passions: yes, snowboarding, working on the property we have, and hanging with friends and family…. When’s the last time you fell off your bike? Sunday at Minersville, jumping thru the rollers section I got a bit stiff thru one of the doubles and had to bail out…. When’s the last time you got scared: Driving on the highway scares me. It bothers me seeing people speeding in grandma’s Caravan loaded with the family passing tractor trailors that are going 85 miles an hour. There trying to get ahead of them doing a 100 only to find another tractor trailor in front of the one they jut nearly passed. The sketchiest places to see this have to be the highways merging to St. Louis, Denver, LA,NYC, Or the New Jersey Parkway….. What do you like most about Mountain Cycle ? I like the fact that it started a new feel for riding offroad. Many new comers don’t really know the start of MC. It started with the San Andreas. It was the first full suspension bike with disc brakes and a bad ass design. It offered the riders back then a dream machine, if you would call it that. Because there were no Whistler Bike Parks or anything like that. But, you could ride faster , longer, and keep better control, all the while having a shit eating grin on your face….The first wave of bikes came out and now it has evolved with many challenges. The San Andreas is still in the line up. It is great being at the trade shows or big events and hearing stories and tribulations from other riders about there first real mtn bike , it was a Mountain Cycle San Andreas. I think Shaums March still has his original in his garage…Now the company has the shockwave for current trends in freeriding, and the new Battery. Both are great rides in several categories. So, how and why are you a pro rider: I learned the basics, and devoted myself to it from there on in. I proffess cycling in many ways, my riding style speaks for itself, but I can also teach and coach which is something that doesn’t come easy. I competed for almost 25 years in the world of freestyle,BMX and snowboarding. In downhill racing I test my speed when I can, or if the event has what I’m looking for.  long 15 minute or more runs and lots of rocks jumps, chutes!!!!. I really like to freeride, and I’m sure most of you do to. My dream race would be in the island of Jamaica, at the top of Blue Mountain, you would have to hike up there in the evening with your bike and gear. There would be a ltos of jamaican food, fire and a place for cover. You'd  see the clouds dissipate to see how big Blue Mtn really is...,Then,  you would bomb your way downhill and race the rastas…. Thru backyards and off village rooftops, getting chased by village dogs, with the smell of wood fire smoke, and the shouts of the rasta man behind you …..The race would be a challenge rocky and greasy all the way to the bottom for an hour. You'd rendevous at Roachies Jerk Chicken ranch below Mavis bank…That’s where the sound system and all the locals would be riding wheelies on your bikes and chilling to some good vibe sounds…. Do you have trainning secrets ? My advice is the same any pro would give you. Go ride your bike. There are strengths needed for sure. You’ll find your weaknesses. Whether it’s in your arms, legs, shoulders, etc… But riding is FUNDAHMENTAL!!!! Fun+yes, Duh+of course you have to take inherit risks, MENTAL+number one reason to go ride and feel comfortable on your bike. The mental control oneself can bring on to itself will be the road block anyday of the week. This only comes thru riding and encountering more riding experiences. Go Ride Your Bike….Get off the Internet and Go ride Your Bike…. Where can we find you on the web: Pinkbike / Facebook / myspace / YouTube /www.gohuckyourself.com/www.nycfreeride.com/ www.sponsorhouse.com/members/dellavalle Looking forward to: Seeing MC bring out the new designs and come full circle again. Seeing more riders unite and explore the woods together. Watch the glow get bigger on Ray Petro’s face everytime a new family of riders show’s up to ride his park, his dream,his new reality....Hearing the UPS truck pull up to the house and honk unexpectedly with new bikes in the back or new tires etc….. Shout OUT: Go HuckYourself Crew, Glen Park Posse, Snowshoe Crew, ECD, Rancho Relaxo, Proving Grounds, Bethlehem trail builders and riders, BayRidge Bikes…. The Israeli Zion Crew Sponsors: Mountain Cycle, Kenda, NYC FREERIDE, E-13 components Halo Wheels, 661, SIC, ODI, Magura Brakes, MMR camp and coaching, SDG, BTI,TriFlow Buddies: Luke, Fawn, Paul, Mo, Bob Brien, Lars Tribus, Adam Hauck, Ted Griesser, Kevin Joyce, Glen Park Crew, Drew and Kyle, Shaums March and anyone who can get up at 5am and go to work because they need to buy more bike parts…… Causes/Charities: I give blood and platelets when I can and have the freetime. My cousin David died of Leukemia several years ago. My sister Fawn and I were a match to his blood type and his platelets. Our white blood cells aka platelets made him feel so good and gave him strength and energy outside of the ordinary donor. I felt so great inside to help another human being out with something I can replenish and they cannot, and therefore without that, they die…. What would you like your Last Words to be: First, I want to thank My Brothers Luke and Paul, My sister Fawn, My Mom and Dad, The love of my life Francesca, Patrice Cappo for being there for me, supporting me, giving me advice, and just for being themselves….. Go ride your bike, be aware of the risks, look ahead in everything you do. Be kind and courteous to your family they’ll always have your back . Keep the trails you ride, clean, and up and running . You never know when a Pro might be in your town to ride…. Go to Ray’s mtn bike park and take a vacation to Whistler before you die….. See you on your bike someday - who knows….. Jim Dellavalle Small Jim's Video (Quicktime)

 

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