What's a Pump Track?It's a lot of fun! A pump track is a bike track where you keep going by "pumping" the rollers instead of pedaling. Add in some berms, jumps, and transfers for changing directions and your whole day is booked! Once you learn the basics of pumping the track and flowing the berms, you can progress to hops, jumps, and learning to manual the rollers. A well designed track is easy enough for beginners to get rolling, but challenging enough for experts to spend weeks developing and honing skills. It's also great for developing overall fitness. Anyone who spends time on a pump track will improve their biking skills and get stronger.
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How can I tell if it's dry enough?
- Wait at least 24 hours after a rain.
- Don't ride it if you see puddles,
- Stop riding if your tires are making dents in the track,
- Stop riding if mud is sticking to your shoes when you walk around.
The tabletop jump
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The tabletop jump is an advanced feature, but it's optional. Don't ride it if you don't know how, you can get seriously hurt. I'm told the typical accident if you mess up is a hardcore face-plant. Having said that, it's also the best feature on a track and the centerpiece of what makes the track fun for more advanced riders.
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Some tips for riding a table top
- It's a one-way feature and should only be ridden in the right direction.
- If you can't bunny-hop over a box of pop-tarts, then you shouldn't try the tabletop yet.
- Get ready to ride it by learning to bunny hop! That teaches the correct form and movement for jumping a table.
- Talk to the guys who know how to ride it for tips on how to tackle it the first few times.
- If something goes wrong, tuck and roll!
How do I learn to ride a track?
To start with, just get comfortable riding around the track. Tips:
- Make your first goal riding around 5 times without stopping.
- You can ride it in either direction, but start with counter-clockwise.
- Don't worry about pumping, just pedal when you need to.
- Bend your knees and elbows, and don't sit on your seat.
- Focus on being able to ride smoothly
- Look where you want to go! Where you look is where you will go.
- When you're mid-way through a 180 berm, you should be looking at the roller at the exit of the berm..
- Go around a tabletop jump, DON'T try to ride over it!
- Time your pedaling so your pedal does not hit the top of the roller. It's an uncomfortable feeling when it does.
- If something goes wrong, don't be afraid to jump off the bike and ditch it.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the BMC pump track?
Well our beloved John and Kristy moved way up north :(
How did they make it?
Click here to see our build page.
Why did they do it?
They decided it was time to get rid of the grass, and they thought this would be fun for them, for the team, and the community.
Well our beloved John and Kristy moved way up north :(
How did they make it?
Click here to see our build page.
Why did they do it?
They decided it was time to get rid of the grass, and they thought this would be fun for them, for the team, and the community.
