We are building a new house in Edmond and my son has laid out a pump
track. We have the trees cleared and dirt piled up in various
places along the track for berms but he has a lot of work to do on
it yet.--- In keystoneoffroad@yahoogroups.com, Randall Clayborn
<adventurebicycle@...> wrote:
>
> Here is an interesting build project for any mountain biker. This
could also be use in trail building using rockand or dirt to make a
boring flat session FUN.
>
>
> Pump track mania is sweeping the globe. Mountain bikers
everywhere are building endless loops of rollers and berms, and the
riders are getting smoother, fitter and faster.
> These mini tracks teach you to maintain speed — no, gain speed —
over bumps and through tight corners. Almost anyone can ride a pump
track. Beginners fumble, jumble and stumble, while experts manual,
jump and rip. On pump tracks the speed, fear and risk are low, but
the effort, fun and improvement are high.
> Legend has it that Mick Hannah trained extensively on a pump track
before he demolished the 2004 Sea Otter Classic. Knowing the fastest
Aussies pump on a regular basis, pro downhiller Steve Wentz built a
track at The Fix in Boulder, Colo. last fall. At first, his L-shaped
loop was barely rideable, but within a week the lines were grooved
and the riders were grooving.
> When I posted a story and videos on this site, pump track reports
poured in. The kids in Whistler, BC started building them. The guys
at Riding High in Taichung, Taiwan built one. And Ray Petro of Ray's
MTB, the indoor bike park in Cincinnatti, made an awesome one out of
wood. Pump tracks are superfun, and they're good for you, so you
might as well build one of your own.
> Pick a spot. You can have plenty of fun in as little as 40 x 20
feet. Yes, that's the size of your basement. More space means wider
turns, bigger rollers and greater speeds. Flat land is best, but you
can always rail some downhill berms then pump back uphill on a
roller staircase. Oof.
> Lay it out. Start with the turns. Make them tight enough to pump
but not so tight you struggle to make them. A radius of about 75
inches works well. The 38-inch turn at The Fix creates champions but
robs speed. Make sure your berms have constant arcs, and build them
gradually from flat to vertical. When you get the hang of your
track, you'll be pulling almost three Gs and leaning 70 degrees.
>
> Fill in the spaces. Build rollers or doubles between your turns.
Avoid flat spots. Every square inch on your track should tilt
upward, downward or sideways. No time for coasting!
>
> Riding your pump track
> Choose your weapon. Dirt jump hardtails and stiff dual suspension
slalom bikes work well. A 24-inch cruiser with foot pegs and no
brakes might be ideal.
> Smoothness first, speed second. Charge into your pump track like a
maniac, and you'll injure a bystander. Start super slow, sucking up
the front sides and pumping the backsides, and watch the speed build
on its own.
> Attack the berms. Dive into them like the sideways holes they are.
Pump them for speed and get out of there!
> Race! Mountain crossers should do three-lap time trials.
Downhillers should keep it flowing for 10 laps. XC racers can keep
rolling until the other guys kick them out. For head-to-butt fun,
start two riders on opposite ends and let them pursue each other.
The guy who gets caught loses. Switch directions. Rest. Repeat.
> I hope this is helpful. In the near future I'll show you the best
ways to build rollers and berms. In the mean time, start designing!
>
> This page has videos showing early sessions on The Fix's pump
track: http://leelikesbikes.com/Stories/010405
>
> Has anyone built one of these in Tulsa Yet?
> Randall
>