thinking about a pump track in the backyard...

[sixstringsteve]

Anyone out there have a pump or BMX track in their backyard?

When I was a kid, I met Mike Hajek (former AA pro for specialized in the 90s) at the local trails in California. He was super nice and we told him we had 2 acres and a tractor. He gave me his number and said that if we ever wanted to build a track at my house that he would come help. You can imagine how excited I was (I was 10 at the time). I called him a few times, but he was a busy guy. But eventually we got him out to my house and we worked the entire day. We made a little rhythm section with a step up, and a big berm and a tabletop. It was about half as wide as a traditional BMX track. He was really nice to come on out and help me to build all that. He was sponsored by vans and he gave me a pair of new vans that fit me perfectly. Super nice guy. I rode that track every day for years, it was a blast.

I'm thinking it's time to add a little pump track to my backyard. nothing huge, nothing crazy, just something to get the cardio going and practice my bike handling skills after work. I don't want it to take over the entire yard, so I plan on keeping it small. I'm not looking for huge dirt jumps to do backflips on, just a couple berms with rhythms in between to practice pumping, manualing, and to build up some endurance. Does anyone out there have any experience/tips out there? I know how to dig, but it's been 18 years since I built that track with Mike Hajek, and a good plan is key for this to work. I learned how to maintain my track, but I don't know the magic formula for height vs distance apart. Are there any track designers out there that I can hire to design my track? I guess I can dig it and just modify it 'till it feels right, but paying someone like Steve Spencer to come out and do a track layout would really be amazing.

Before anyone gets too excited, this is still in the planning stages and may not actually come to fruition. I haven't got the approval from the wife yet, but I know I could talk her into it. I don't want to kill the value of my house and destroy the backyard, but I think it could be done tastefully.

I know that I'll need a TON more dirt than I think, but this will be a single-file track, not a 2x2 track.

[sixstringsteve]

I found a cool ebook that teaches the formulas for radius of berms, height and spacing of rollers. I think I'll start with that book unless I can find a track designer who would be willing to help out.

http://www.leelikesbikes.com/ebook-welc ... ack-nation

[joker75]

I got the e-book for Christmas last year and spent most of the summer building a very small pump track in the corner of our backyard. I posted some pics, and will try to link to them when I have more time. I'm headed out for some last minute Christmas shopping.

[sixstringsteve]

I got the e-book for Christmas last year and spent most of the summer building a very small pump track in the corner of our backyard. I posted some pics, and will try to link to them when I have more time. I'm headed out for some last minute Christmas shopping.

Perfect. Thanks Joker, I'd love to see some pics. Do you ride your pump track much? Was it worth it?

[JAlvey]

I've built a number of these and have had one in our back yard for years now. The ebook by Lee McCormick is a great resource. A couple of things I've figured out:
1- A track takes up more space than you think. 10 ft radius turns sound big, but once you start riding, they are almost too small. Putting rollers 4-6 feet apart sounds good, but is actually really too tight. Make sure you leave yourself some space.
2- start it out simple. You won't be able to fit a full Rad Canyon style rhythym section in your pump track. Pump tracks are also pretty deceptive on how hard they can be to ride.
3- make use of your space by making a number of different lines. Ours is kind of heart shaped with an X in the middle of it, and you can string together dozens of lines.
4- You need way more dirt than you think you need.
5- Pay close attetnion to drainage. It's no fun constantly dealing with mud puddles.
6- related to 5, if you plan on keeping grass/landscaping in the area and keeping your sprinking system running, the amount of water your lawn needs is way different that what your track needs. Finding that balance between a mud bog track and a dry/dead lawn is tricky.
7- try and tie it in with your landscaping so it looks good and your wife will only be partially ticked off that her back yard looks like a bmx track.

Try out a few pump tracks first. Once it thaws, come check ours out. We're only about 5 minutes away from Legacy. A couple of my mtb freinds in the neighborhood have nice pump tracks too. There are a number of them in SLC as well.

Go on Youtube and look for Mark Weir's backyard-then build that and invite me over!

Justin

[sixstringsteve]

Some excellent feedback in there, thanks.

7- try and tie it in with your landscaping so it looks good and your wife will only be partially ticked off that her back yard looks like a bmx track.

This is my main concern.

I got the ebook today. I can dedicate about 20' by 80' to the pump track for now. That should be enough to get started.

I'll hit you guys up as soon as your tracks thaw out. I've only ridden draper and eagle mountain's pump tracks. I preferred eagle mountain's pump track, draper's seemed REALLY tight, especially the turns.

[b2]

Try out a few pump tracks first. Once it thaws, come check ours out.

me too?

[joker75]

I got the e-book for Christmas last year and spent most of the summer building a very small pump track in the corner of our backyard. I posted some pics, and will try to link to them when I have more time. I'm headed out for some last minute Christmas shopping.

Perfect. Thanks Joker, I'd love to see some pics. Do you ride your pump track much? Was it worth it?

I haven't ridden it as much as I would like to. My son and his friends do play on it quite a bit. I feel it was worth it, but I don't know if the SWMBO feels the same. I have only taken up about a 20' x 40' area, so if you can spare 20' x 80' you should be fine. My biggest complaint is that my straights aren't long enough to get too creative.











Here's some video from a night of playing on the pump track with my kids and some of their friends. Sorry about the audio. I planned to add some music, but wasn't sure what music from my collection would be allowed by youtube. I'll look some more and see if I can get something added so it's not so boring to watch. Until them you can just pretend it's one of those silent movies from way back when.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtXErW3 ... qW6oV8eCZK

[sixstringsteve]

Very cool! I dig it. I'll have to have a BBQ at my house one night and do some planning and lay it out.


I have decided that I want a track that flows better fast than slow. Like these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD39Z8Ek ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR2jNIY0 ... re=related

I realize my riding is nowhere near those guys' levels, but I want a track built for riding these speeds.

[skicruz78]

I want to play on the track too!

Sixstrings, I really appreciate your enthusiasm. I wish I had room in my back yard for a pump track. I am not too far from the Riverton skate park and pump track, so the boys and I are there on a very regular basis. I would be happy to help with your track as my schedule allows. I don't know anything about track building, but I can use a shovel and rake (at least I pretend to be able to use these when I help build the indoor track!).

Skicruz

Let's play bikes!

[joker75]

Very cool! I dig it. I'll have to have a BBQ at my house one night and do some planning and lay it out.


I have decided that I want a track that flows better fast than slow. Like these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD39Z8Ek ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR2jNIY0 ... re=related

I realize my riding is nowhere near those guys' levels, but I want a track built for riding these speeds.

I totally agree with the faster flowing track. This is why I am having such a problem with my small version. It is difficult to build much speed with only 3 rollers between turns, and the speed you build is burned up quickly in the turns. It ends up being a killer leg burning workout, but ruins some of the fun because the speed isn't there. I am trying to figure out how to convince the wife to give up a little bit more room so we can get a little bit more creative and hopefully make things flow a little bit faster.

[skicruz78]

Dang, I just watched Alvey's vid and I DO have enough room for a small track........hummmm.
Here are some other non-backyard options.

Riverton skate park and pump track. The dirt pump track is located directly east of the Riverton skate park. I am not sure what the arraignment is with the city and property owner, but it appears that the home owner east of the pump track has been allowed (tolerated? dig first, ask for permission later?) to build and maintain the pump track. This is fun place, where the boys and I have had hours of fun. It is a good mix of big dirt jumps and smaller features. It has good confidence-building jumps, a semi-lame (: rhythm section, and small berms. Generally lots of fun. The regular crowd that hangs out at the skate park is a bit rough-around-the-edges. Be advised that if you bring younger kids, they will hear the F bomb and other colorful metaphors. Also the older kids tend to "get upset" with the younger kids and accuse the smaller kids of "getting in the way" of the teenagers. Sometimes they have been downright mean, rude, and vulgar to my kids and I had to intervene. Sorry, not trying to be down on this group, just telling it how it is. This place is great. You can ride the skate park for awhile and then hit the dirt and then do it all over again!

Draper pumptrack/DH course. This is located by the Draper equestrian center. The boys and I have ridden this with our pit bikes and had alot of fun.

Alpine Mt. bike/DH course. This is located by the Alpine equestrian center. The this is basically a one-way loop that includes a short climb followed by a super smooth downhill section that runs in a natural drainage! High berms, fun drops, and a few jumps. Again, the boys and I have been on this with our pit bikes and had a huge amount of fun (I have to drag the boys away every time). The climb is totally do-able on a BMX bike and the downhill is sooo worth it. By serious DH standards its probably a tame run, but for confidence-building, younger kids, and just having a heck of a good time it's had to beat. I always wish a had a front suspension DJ and/or a GT Fury DH bike when I am there, but always max out on fun on the pit bike.

11th Avenue. Google 11th Avenue dirt track or something similar for directions (top of the Ave's, east of City Creek). This place is amazing. All kinds of lines, HUGE jumps (way too big for most mortals. many back flip worthy), HUGE gaps, berms, big drops, built wood features, etc, etc. I trail run in City Creek canyon most days and try to stop by and see if anyone is riding. I have seen some serious riders here. Back flips, huge gaps and all-around big air. This place is not for the faint of heart. Most features are just too big for me and definitely way too big for my boys. However, below all the big stuff there is nice little pump track with berms, jumps, and rhythm section. I have had a great time running this and the smaller features up above. Great to push your skills....just watch out for the Big Boys!

Park City Trailside. This is the new professionally designed and built track in PC. I have actually not been there, but hear from BJ Harmon and Will and Phil at Laketown that it is very cool and well worth the drive to PC. Check Youtube for vids. The place has wood features and all the other goodies.

Okay, all this talk about riding has sapped my ability to work.....Let's play bikes!

Skicruz

[sixstringsteve]

it's a slow day at work and the wheels have been turning.

[sixstringsteve]

Option 4 is my favorite, followed by option 5. It's the least invasive, I still get to keep a lot of lawn, and when it comes time to sell the house, I can flatten the dirt out for flower beds around the perimeter of the yard. I want the pump track to blend in to the yard. It'll still be obvious that I have a pump track in my backyard, but I still want it to feel like a backyard, not the local dirt jumps or skatepark if that makes sense.

My goal isn't to build the biggest, baddest pump track in the state. As skicruz pointed out, there are tons of options out there. I just want a place to practice flow, speed, rhythm and cardio at home without having to drive 30+ minutes each way to go ride for a bit. Without a doubt, chula vista's pump track is my favorite. I hope to build it similar in flow only not quite as wide or tall.

[joker75]

Option 4 is my favorite, followed by option 5. It's the least invasive, I still get to keep a lot of lawn, and when it comes time to sell the house, I can flatten the dirt out for flower beds around the perimeter of the yard. I want the pump track to blend in to the yard. It'll still be obvious that I have a pump track in my backyard, but I still want it to feel like a backyard, not the local dirt jumps or skatepark if that makes sense.

My goal isn't to build the biggest, baddest pump track in the state. As skicruz pointed out, there are tons of options out there. I just want a place to practice flow, speed, rhythm and cardio at home without having to drive 30+ minutes each way to go ride for a bit. Without a doubt, chula vista's pump track is my favorite. I hope to build it similar in flow only not quite as wide or tall.

I'd lean more towards 4 or 6. The turn in the middle of side on option 5 would take up a ton of usable space. If you built 6 you would have the benefit of having twice as many straights as option 4 plus the added bonus of working in crossovers. This would give you more opportunities for building different types of jumps. Rollers, doubles, tables, and even cross over sections between the two tracks would give you more chances to practice different types of jumps in different ways, which should help keep the repetition from causing boredom.

I just need to figure out how to move our play area that is at the back of my turns so I can extend the track a bit. My wife asked if we needed to when we started, but I thought is would be Ok with the smaller version. Now that it's done and my old butt can;t get enough speed to have much fun, I really wish I would have taken her up on the offer. I guess there is always next year. I'll just have to do some serious sweet talking and see what options I can get approved.

On another note, I had roughly 52 tons of dirt dropped off to build my track, and have plenty to extend it when I have the chance. I used the calculations in the E-book you bought then padded myself by quite a bit just to make sure that I didn't run out. You will also want to make sure that if you have dirt delivered that it is appropriate for building a pump track. The stuff I had brought in has a little bit too much sand and silt. If it is too dry the top layers of the rollers crumble as you ride. If it is too wet it just packs onto your tires. If I can get the moisture just right, it just packs in harder with each pass as we go around it.