Have you ever looked at your back garden, or a back garden belonging to a family member or friend, and thought “Yeah, I’m going to do it. I’m absolutely going to do it. I don’t care about the logistics. I’m going to turn this mother into the backyard setup of my dreams. Cost and effort, be damned.”

During lockdown, Matt Jones turned this dream into a reality. No, it didn’t end up being as big as the set-up at, say, Whistler, but this thing he built had heart. And, what’s more, it looks like an incredibly fun spot to do some muck-about bike shenanigans.

Keen to maintain his edge as one of the planet’s best mountain bike slopestyle riders, Matt Jones spent weeks shifting tonnes of dirt and clay around. Backbreaking spade and wheelbarrow work anyone?

We think you’ll agree that, in this case, the juice was worth the squeeze.

Three rollers splitting into five pump tracks, and technical lines that can be navigated over 10 different ways, the backyard playground has options aplenty. Also, included in the run is a step-up, chunky spine, shark fin, hip and big jump. Stay fresh, stay creative. Jonesy knows what it’s all about.

Speaking about the project, Matt Jones had this to say: “The goal wasn’t to build something that I could do massive tricks on, as the biggest jump is only 1.4 metres high compared to the four metre ramps I’m usually hitting in competition.

“It was all about staying on top of my riding, keeping fit and active and ultimately just keeping myself on my bike for as long as possible.”

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