# pump track



## jack97 (Nov 29, 2009)

Not sure if this has been posted here since I never venture in this forum but I found some vids that crosses over from pump track to bumping in the snow. At the least the physics say they are related.... using your center of gravity to increase or decrease your rotation speed. In this case, he's are launching up when he's in the valley to get that speed going. As Spock would say..Fascinating!


Check out the sequence where the guy is just whipping around track without pedaling, previous to this, they did a slomo to show how he moves his body.


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## JD (Nov 29, 2009)

Once you get good at pump trakcs, the entire tral become one.  Lots of times I pump along behind people who are just pedaling away, and I'll have to brake to stop from smashing into them.  There's a nice pump track in Stowe and one in Johnson....ps....notice his seat height...can't do it with your seat high.


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## MR. evil (Nov 29, 2009)

Pumping is something I really started to work on last season and it has really paid off on the trail. Frequently I will be behind someone on a particularly rolly section of trail where they are pedaling and I will make up ground on them by just pumping the terrain (no pedaling). 

Just this morning on the way to the trail head me and my buddy were talking about building a pump track.


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## severine (Nov 29, 2009)

I vote for MR.evil building one in his backyard. 

Looks pretty cool. Does anyone know why that was initially built (the one in the second vid)? Decoration? If so, great usage of it.


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## JD (Nov 29, 2009)

severine said:


> I vote for MR.evil building one in his backyard.
> 
> Looks pretty cool. Does anyone know why that was initially built (the one in the second vid)? Decoration? If so, great usage of it.



No, pedaling a big gear on a 1 speed is how to get a good upper body workout on a MTB.  Pump tracks help you understand how weighting and unweighting over rolling terrain can translate into forward motion w/o having to pedal.


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## jack97 (Nov 29, 2009)

severine said:


> Does anyone know why that was initially built (the one in the second vid)? Decoration? If so, great usage of it.



I think it was for decoration and the first thought that came to mind was if you're the owner of the place. You see a bunch MB rats tearing up the track... one slip can cause expensive body damage on the goods. I would have a heart attack if I saw that on youtube. 

Getting back to Mr Evil's DIY for next year, I would make the pump track on a small pitch. I can pump up the hill for the workout and if I got bored with that, I would put on some all terrain rollerblades and do A&E on the downhill...seriously.


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## MR. evil (Nov 29, 2009)

severine said:


> I vote for MR.evil building one in his backyard.
> 
> Looks pretty cool. Does anyone know why that was initially built (the one in the second vid)? Decoration? If so, great usage of it.



I have permission to build one in the backyard (I do have the coolest wife ever), but after thinking about it I have put too much effort into my backyard to tear it up for a pump track. 

The plan is we are going to talk with the local bmx track about building one there. My buddie Jamie is a project manager for a large site contractor that mainly does road work. His company frequently does volenteer work and if we get permission to build somewhere his firm will supply the equiptment, dirt and even some labor.


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## severine (Nov 29, 2009)

MR. evil said:


> I have permission to build one in the backyard (I do have the coolest wife ever), but after thinking about it I have put too much effort into my backyard to tear it up for a pump track.
> 
> The plan is we are going to talk with the local bmx track about building one there. My buddie Jamie is a project manager for a large site contractor that mainly does road work. His company frequently does volenteer work and if we get permission to build somewhere his firm will supply the equiptment, dirt and even some labor.


Awesome! Nice connections you have!


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## djspookman (Dec 4, 2009)

I'm building one in my backyard in the summer. I just built an addition onto my house, and when digging the footing trenches/ other excavation,  wound up with some 20 loads of fill that we dumped out back to the pump track location... now all I gotta do is dig, dig, dig!!   (and shape it)  Can't wait!

dave


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## bvibert (Dec 4, 2009)

djspookman said:


> I'm building one in my backyard in the summer. I just built an addition onto my house, and when digging the footing trenches/ other excavation,  wound up with some 20 loads of fill that we dumped out back to the pump track location... now all I gotta do is dig, dig, dig!!   (and shape it)  Can't wait!
> 
> dave



Be sure to take pics of the process!


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## MR. evil (Dec 4, 2009)

Ideally you want to use dirt with a very high clay content so it will get firm and hold it's shape. But use what ever you got. There are also some good books out there on pump track design and construction. I recomend getting one as designing a good pump track is much harder than it may seem.


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## djspookman (Dec 7, 2009)

bvibert said:


> Be sure to take pics of the process!




Will do!! Here's a small portion of what is out back right now.. there's more to the left..  a LOT more!   can't wit till spring to start shaping it!


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## djspookman (Dec 7, 2009)

MR. evil said:


> Ideally you want to use dirt with a very high clay content so it will get firm and hold it's shape. But use what ever you got. There are also some good books out there on pump track design and construction. I recomend getting one as designing a good pump track is much harder than it may seem.




yah, all the fill I have is very hardpack stuff, probably a 60-80% clay mix, once that stuff sets up after a few rainfalls, its HARD.  perfect for the pump track!


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## Jisch (Dec 22, 2009)

*Did it*

I put a pump track in my backyard (well really woods) this fall. They were putting in a new house behind me and were bringing in a lot of fill - we looked at the dirt and its probably 90% clay so my wife got two loads delivered to my house - about 30 yards for $200. 

I didn't keep track exactly, but I think I have about 50 hours of wheelbarrel/rock moving work in to get it where it is today. I almost rented a bobcat, but I'm glad I didn't at least with the wheelbarrel I made mistakes slowly :-D. Its been quite the experience. I used that leelikesbikes book as a guide, there's some really good stuff in there, but I would also say there is some stuff that is missing (i.e. bumps need to be a minimum of 9' apart). 

Someone told me that when your track is 90% done you have 90% of the work left to do, and that may be true, but at least when you're doing that last 90% you can ride it.:lol: I go out and pull a few laps when I have 10 minutes and need a break, I really like riding it and haven't got bored yet.

I have a pretty small, wife approved, location for the track, probably only a 75'x75' area. I spend most of my work day on conference calls and put together a diagram that evolved mightily as I went (this is pretty much what mine looks like now):






I can pump around in any direction and do all the crossovers without braking or pedaling. I have a few spots that need work for sure, but that will have to wait for spring at this point! 










I got out an old small bike and my wife has been working on her technique as well, she's a pretty good rider overall, but getting the rhythm and flow of the pumptrack has not been easy for her (she keeps working at it though!).

I have ridden pumptracks a few times before building mine, but it wasn't until after riding for a week or two that I got really proficient at the technique - this video was prior to gaining that proficiency! I have also steepened all the berms and smoothed out the track since this vid was taken. 

http://vimeo.com/7686271


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## Jisch (Dec 22, 2009)

*embedded video*


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## bvibert (Dec 23, 2009)

Nice work Jisch!


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## Jisch (Dec 29, 2009)

*Short vid*

I put together a short video of the pumptrack with a bit of a frosting on it:
http://www.vimeo.com/8431600


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## Trev (Dec 29, 2009)

Jisch said:


> I put together a short video of the pumptrack with a bit of a frosting on it:
> http://www.vimeo.com/8431600



Nice!

Though I almost had a seizure during the first 15 seconds...  lol


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## Jisch (Dec 30, 2009)

I thought I was being clever with that first 15 seconds, but so many people have complained, its obviously not very clever. Incidentally that 15 seconds is with the camera mounted on the handlebars as I rode the pumptrack. If you watch it you can see when the handlebars are going up and down and when I am going around a corner (if you can keep the nausea at bay!).

John


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