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Bosch and Jed Mildon Team Up For The Longest-Ever Jump On An eBike

Sitting on a bike at the top of a run-in and contemplating an epic jump is something Jed Mildon has done many times before, but never on an eBike – and never on such a huge jump.

In collaboration with Bosch, a leading supplier of technology and services, Pro BMX rider Jed Mildon flew 24.37 metres on his Bosch-powered eBike at a bespoke site just south of Rotorua on New Zealand’s north island.

Understandably, Jed was thrilled to have ticked off this amazing achievement.

“Going big – and this was big – on a bike is something I’ve always wanted to do,” grinned Jed, “but it creates a whole different set of challenges. It was great to have the team from Bosch behind the concept. We got to work and were able to put a great plan in place to make this jump happen.”

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Jed, best known for his exploits on BMX bikes, was the first person in the world to land a triple, and then a quadruple, backflip on a BMX bike. He now travels the world like a modern-day Evel Knievel, pushing the limits of what can be done on two wheels. Before this, Jed worked as a fabricator and has used his skills to master the art of building take-off ramps many times.

Supported by Bosch Professional Tools & Accessories, Measuring Tools, and eBike Systems, Jed had the perfect partner for planning and executing the jump. From selecting and setting up an eBike that can handle the rigours of this huge jump, to using precision laser measures to find the right site and having the tools to build the perfect launch ramp – Bosch was with Jed every step of the way.

THE SET-UP
Dirt World, on SH5 just south of Rotorua, was the ideal location.

It’s a private farm with a large hill that allowed Jed to reach 91.8kph on the run-in, a flat valley to set up the 13-metre-long by 3.5m-high take-off ramp, and an adjacent hill that allowed for safe landings.

THE BUILD
Once the site was chosen, Jed worked with Jeff Carter from South Star Trails and Casey King from the Rotorua Trails Trust to undertake the earthworks, creating a 300mlong by 2m-wide run-in to the take-off, and to shape a massive landing area. Bosch measuring tools enabled every detail to be lined up and precise.

Using a suite of Bosch Professional Power Tools, Jed then got to work on building the massive take-off ramp that would later launch him over 24 metres horizontally.

THE BIKE
Jed is used to nimble BMX bikes that can be flipped and spun with (relative) ease. But for this jump he chose a Trek Rail 9 eBike with a powerful Bosch Performance Line CX motor, set up ‘mullet style’ with a 29-inch wheel in the front and a 27.5 in the rear.

Jed worked with Jono Church from The Suspension Lab to perfect the set-up for this unique jump – changing out and tuning the forks and the rear shock to handle the impact of landing and selecting fastrolling tyres to maximise speed and survive repeated impacts.

THE JUMP
Jed started by steadily increasing his speed on the jump, and therefore the distance. Over three attempts, he progressed from 20.7 metres to 22.6 metres and finally 24.37 metres, with each jump confirmed by registered surveyor Rupert Hasting.

During the final attempt Jed crashed, but was uninjured, on the run out of the jump.

“Whoa,” said Jed. “That was a rush, but I’m stoked to have pulled it off.

“I’ve been working on this idea for nine months, so I’m really happy. Who knew an eBike could fly so well, eh?”

The team behind the event understands this is the longest horizontal distance ever jumped on an eBike and will seek formal ratification of an official world record.

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