Whether it’s cruising down the coast in Del Mar or deep in the Peñasquitos Canyons, on soaring jumps or roadside wheelies — Jake Scarbel (11) rides his Surron bike everywhere. His dad finds it cool, his mom finds it hazardous,  Scarbel finds it freeing.

“I [bike] everywhere,” Scarbel said. “The other day I rode around for three hours just to see if there was anything new. [Dirt] jumps are all in the PQ canyon. I go out there, explore, and I see what I find.”

 Two summers’ worth of savings from working as a busboy at Vittorios and an apprentice at an auto shop culminated in Scarbel’s purchase of his purple motorcycle-e-bike hybrid in late 2022 and gears the following year. Since then, Scarbel has made certain that every part of the bike was met with customization.

“My bike has never been to a shop,” Scarbel said. “I do all the work myself. I’ve upgraded probably everything you can except the power. The whole [bike has] new suspension, new linkages, new brakes–it’s got everything.”

Scarbel’s interest in bikes started nearly a decade ago, back when his only exposure to biking was pedal-biking with his dad. Over the years, mountain biking became more than just an outdoorsy hobby.

“Pedal bikes sparked my interest in [mechanical engineering,]” Scarbel said. “I liked cars, vehicles, [and] I just always loved mechanics [and] fixing stuff. I started getting into bikes because that was more accessible to a 10-year-old. [Now, I plan] to go to trade school and do mechanics after high school.”

Much of Scarbel’s knowledge of the mechanics of bikes came from simply observing them and figuring out what worked.

“The first couple of [repairs and upgrade attempts] didn’t work too well,” Scarbel said. “[When a bike] needed a little tune-up and I tried to do it myself, it would not work at all. Starting from there, it’s all just trial and error. I just started doing stuff, and if it didn’t work then [I’d take] my bikes to the shop [and] learn from my mistakes.

Over time, Scarbel familiarized himself not just with his bike, but also with his surroundings. Scarbel is no stranger to the jump lines in PQ Canyon. With endless hours spent practicing under his belt, the same course of dirt jumps that used to intimidate him are ones he can now glide through with ease.

“I remember seeing this jump line [in PQ Canyon,] and I tried doing it probably like five years ago,” Scarbel said. “I chose the smallest jump there and I just started doing it over and over again until I made it all the way over. I was probably going there every day for a week to learn, [each time] going farther and farther. [When I landed it,] I was super excited. I had my friend film every [attempt.]”

After filming various clips of successful jumps and tricks, Scarbel started an Instagram account with the handle @jake_tries_to_bike to post highlight reels. The account has since amassed more than a thousand followers, leading to Scarbel obtaining sponsorships from Electrix Bike Co. and SurRon Shop.

“[For] the first [sponsorship], I just filled out a sponsorship form from the company because I saw it was a new company, so they accepted me,” Scarbel said. “Then, right after I hit a thousand followers, [SurRon Shop] DM’d me and asked if they could sponsor me.”

Outside of an online community, Scarbel also became more exposed to the communities of bikers in SoCal. Through his involvement, Scarbel has been able to attend various community events where he rides with people share the same passion as him.

“[There are] wheelie ride-outs in San Diego so there’s like hundreds of us [bikers],” Scarbel said. “It’s crazy. There’s a ton of people; you always [have] to be watching around you. It really makes you feel at home because it’s everybody with the same passion as you. I just like being with people that have my same interests because I don’t meet very many people with these interests.”

In the future, Scarbel plans to move onto a dirt bike, a faster and bigger bike than his Surron hybrid. But the best part about biking and attempting jumps, he says, isn’t the size or speed of the bike — it’s the adrenaline.

“[I get nervous] every time — that’s the fun of it,” Scarbel said. “I just don’t think about it. I go, ‘I can do this,’ and I do it. That was how I did my first jump. I’ve broken my arm, I’ve gotten a couple of concussions, [but] it’s so fun. It’s worth it. I feel free doing it [and] getting air time. It makes you feel like you’re flying.”