Jackson Free Press

Jayce Powell believes in the power of the bicycle to change lives. He considers himself "a lifestyle consultant" in his job as the store manager of Indian Cycle in Ridgeland. "We are passionate about cycling," he says. He enjoys helping athletes who are looking for a new activity gentler on the body than many other sports, the overweight person wanting to lose some weight or someone just looking to make a healthy change in their life.

Always the athlete, Powell, 40, ran track and played football in high school. He began cycling after injuring his knee in a soccer game in 1992 and realizing he needed something active to do that was a little easier on his knees. Now, he bikes between 30 and 150 miles a week, races mountain bikes, and is a certified bike fitter and instructor.

When he first started riding, he shunned those awkward-looking spandex cycling shorts with the cushioned seat. "It will be a cold day in hell before I wear those," he thought to himself. Then, one day riding to work, he developed a painful saddle sore. "Now I wear them," he says. "They work."

Powell is acutely aware of the inherent dangers of cycling alongside motorized vehicles. In 2003, while he was riding home for lunch, a car pulled out directly in front of him. He went over the handlebars and smashed head first into the car's quarter panel, ending up with a concussion (he was wearing a helmet) and face lacerations from his glasses. Now, he works to make the area more bicycle friendly. He helps organize the Ride of Silence in Mississippi, an annual event in May to remember bicyclists killed in motorist accidents.

"I ride because of the health benefits, but mostly for my sanity," he says. "Because when I'm on a bike, my mind is freed from life's problems."

He also offers free clinics to children to teach them the proper mechanics of safely riding a bike--how to negotiate traffic, what to wear, proper hand signals--using games and fun activities to keep the kids interested. "Cycling is a family activity," he says.

Powell was born in Ferriday, La., and moved to the Jackson area with his family in 1987. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1990 and attended Hinds Community College. Before joining Indian Cycle, he worked as a sales associate for a few department stores and as a DJ for many clubs in the metro area, including The Midnight Sun, TJ's and The Catwalk.

He lives in Gluckstadt with his wife, Stephanie, and two children, Marcie, 10, and Clayton, 7. "I came from a very small town, and in Jackson, everything I could want is at my fingertips," he says.