The spacebar mechanic is intentionally simple. We were going for a sort of arcade-y feel for the controls. Though I would agree that at the very least deciding the direction of the first jump really should be up to the player and it's currently not. That mechanic takes inspiration quite heavily from Crash Team Racing where you would almost constantly be drifting as that helps you gain speed. Well in this game you can do nothing, BUT drfit and that's the point.
Anyways, thanks for the feedback. :)