After we moved to Texas in 2009, we were thinking of getting into trials and dirt jump riding. For this, we needed a hardtail bike that we could jump on and off objects easier than a big heavy downhill bike. After some research, I decided to stay with Specialized and go with their P3. We found one in Colorado Springs for one of Dad’s conference and some skiing so we went to take a look at it in late fall/early winter. After dad bartered them down, we put the bike on the back of our rack and headed back to Texas (after skiing, of course). I rode it around universities and skate parks around the town we were living in and after awhile, it felt normal. It felt quite different than the downhill bikes I had been riding for so many years before and I still find transferring between riding dirt jumps and downhill in the same day a little bit hard. My first time riding dirt jumps was in Winter Park Colorado in 2011. We were there for three weeks riding the mountain before we moved back to Canada and found that they had a little DJ park. The first time riding the jumps was quite awkward and I wasn’t that good, but after a riding the jumps a couple days I was hitting the expert line. I still don’t ride dirt jumps that much other than when I’m hurt or when I can’t ride downhill, but it’s fun to mess around on the P3. I still have this bike and I’ve pretty well mastered the art of the backflip and I’m now working on frontflips, tailwhips, and 360s. One problem that I do have with the P3 is that the older geometry doesn’t allow me to do barspins because the wheel hits my toe when it comes around. I’ve found that people on older dirt jump frames, or people with bigger feet have the same problem.
