A pump track is a small mountain bike trail that consists of rolling mounds and berms in a loop format designed to be ridden solely by pumping to gain momentum. Riders use their body to push and pull the bike to pump through the trail and gain momentum. These tracks are unique because riders can gain and hold their momentum from pumping alone without using any pedal strokes.
What is a Pump Track and Why are They Useful?
Pump tracks are a great place to develop your mountain biking skills and go for a quick ride when your time is limited. These tracks differ from traditional trail riding because they are very short loops with mellow terrain. They are great for practicing skills like pumping, cornering, and jumping. They are also great for getting in a quick ride or riding when the trails are in bad condition.
How to Ride a Pump Track
Riding a pump track requires three main skills, pumping, cornering, and looking ahead.
Pumping
To gain speed on the track you have to pump your bike. This entails learning how to push your bike into the transitions to gain speed. To do this ride over a roller. Once you reach the top and start going down the back of it push your arms and legs away from you. This will compress the bike and generate speed out of the roller. Then as the next roller approaches, let the bike rise up with you and then repeat the pumping motion down the backside. Here is a detailed video of how to ride a pump track.
Cornering
Since pump tracks are all about keeping momentum these tracks are a great place to develop your cornering skills. To keep your speed up avoid braking in the corner or use a minimal amount before the turn. Cornering is a very complex subject. It is one of the toughest and most important skills to develop on a mountain bike. Here is a great video on how to corner.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead is a fundamental part of mountain biking. Pump tracks are a great place to practice this because the terrain is simple and repetitive. Since it is man-made all of the rollers and berms are smooth and easy to ride. Once you have done multiple laps you can start looking further ahead. You will realize that once you look further ahead obstacles will start coming towards you faster. This is the key to going faster on a pump track and the trails.
How to Find a Pump Track Near You
The sport of mountain biking is growing and local governments are responding by building trail centers to meet the demands of their citizens. A great way to find a pump track near you is to use TrailForks to search your local area. Also, you can search the Velosolutions website to see if they have built any pump tracks near you. These are the gold standard of pump tracks.
Pump tracks are a great way to develop your skills and get in a quick ride. If you would like to start mountain biking check out this list of the 10 Best Beginner Mountain Bikes. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
Comments are closed.