Jackson Free Press

Jayce Powell, event and promotion coordinator, sales consultant and certified bike fitter at Indian Cycle Fitness and Outdoor (677 S. Pear Orchard Rd., Ridgeland), has been in the business for more than 11 years. Powell takes special pride in custom bike fittings, each of which takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours per customer, depending on the kind of work that needs to be done.

"Bikes come in all kinds of different frame sizes, just for starters," Powell said. "I measure the rider's current bike and the rider themselves, I observe the rider in action to account for things such as injuries, the necessary seat height, reach and more. Those are all important factors for maximizing the bike's performance for the rider's intended purpose."

Growing up in the Louisiana countryside, Powell spent much of his youth hiking, going into the woods, biking and doing other outdoor activities. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1990 and went on to attend Jones Community College, where he majored in history. Powell spent some time playing soccer in college, even after an injury in 1992 left him with ligament damage and knee swelling. It was at his first job that a combination of his injury and meeting a new friend helped spark Powell's love of biking.

Powell started working at the Northpark Mall Gap in 1996 and eventually became the store manager. While there, Powell met Sammy Rutherford, who had been racing road bikes since age 15. In 1998, Rutherford recommended biking to Powell as a form of exercise. Biking would help his knee recover from while keeping it in use, since there is no impact involved, unlike in activities such as running. In 2001, Powell moved to Jackson, and a friend who worked at Indian Cycle recommended that he apply at the store since he was such an avid biker. He took the chance as soon as he could.

Shortly after starting at Indian Cycle, Powell began training with a coworker for his first mountain bike race, the Bump 'n Grind in Alabama. He placed second in the event, which officially hooked him into the world of bike racing. Powell became the state and regional mountain biking champion the following year.

Today, Powell does four to five bike races and events per year. He is the vice president of the Mississippi Off-Road Cycling Series, an organization that sets up championship mountain bike races across the state for a variety of age groups and classes. In September 2014, Powell went to Alabama to become certified as a high school mountain-bike coach. He is looking at putting together local 9-12 grade high-school biking teams that will compete in the Alabama High School Cycling League, an event sanctioned by NICA, which promotes high school bike events across the state. Powell hopes to have a Mississippi High School Cycling League organized by next year.

Powell is also heavily involved as a bike advocate in Ridgeland, which is one of only two bike-friendly cities in Mississippi, along with Oxford. To be recognized as bike-friendly, a city must submit an application to the League of City Bicyclists detailing the size of city, roadways, bike paths and the amount of commuting within the city. The League evaluates cities for the status every four years. Ridgeland and Oxford first received bike-friendly status in 2010. As a member of Ridgeland's Bicycling Task Force, Powell works with locals to ensure that the city maintains its bike-friendly status.

When he isn't biking, Powell works as the DJ and owner of JP's Mobile DJ Roadshow.

"I grew up in Louisiana surrounded by country and gospel," Powell said. "I started hearing hip-hop in the '80s, and as a high school senior I got involved in it and decided I wanted to mix records on turntables. I learned from professionals such as Alan Wright, Charles Faulk, Brian Case and two members of the Wildlife Society in the early '90s who went by the names Sleepy and Howie."

Powell learned to mix records, scratch and do tricks, and eventually got his first club job at Inez's Place off Bailey Avenue in 1992. He worked clubs from then until moving to Hattiesburg in 1998. After moving to Jackson in 2001, Powell kept his DJ job going on top of his work at Indian Cycle, even getting the opportunity to work with the likes of 2 Live Krew. After starting the Mobile DJ Roadshow earlier this year, Powell has traveled around the state performing at venues such as Ole Tavern, high school dances, weddings and birthday parties.

However, biking remains Powell's primary passion, and he has a great deal of advice for serious bikers.

"Biking is a great all-round sport for fitness, offering no impact like running, which means you can keep doing it well even as you get older. I've seen men in their 60s who are still competing in national races, so it's healthy exercise for any age," he says. "My recommendation to anyone is to make sure to have a bike that fits you the best, based on height and other factors, and to be sure to budget properly.

"You have to decide what you intend to use it for, such as if you're going to ride it on the road or out on trails. I'm also a big proponent of helmets. It saves your life and they're light and affordable, so there's no reason not to wear on these days. Also remember the rule 'Same road, same rules'—Ride with traffic, stop at stoplights, signal, and do other things a car would do. Treat being on your bike like you are in a car."

For information on Indian Cycle Fitness and Outdoor, call 601-956-8383 or visit the store's website.