rip round a pump track with style

A great way to impress your mates and get it at the same time

From bike parks to local parks, pump tracks are popping up everywhere these days. They can be ridden by nearly anyone on any kind of bike and, if designed well, provide hours of entertainment. Besides which, they get you damn fit in the process and help you hone your bike skills. While anyone can have a go, there are some basic skills that’ll come in handy and that the pump track can help you master. Get these dialled and you’ll be blasting out the laps without so much as a pedal stroke.

01 PUMPING

It’s all in the name. The main way of generating speed around one of these tracks is to pump over the rollers. As you approach a roller, use your arms and legs to push the bike into the upward transition, then as it rises over the crest, relax and let the bike come up towards you. On the downward transition, push the bike away from your body into the slope, extending your arms and pushing down through your heels, to propel yourself forwards.

02 BERMING

Corners shouldn’t slow you down, they should be used to generate speed. Again, the key here is pumping and getting the timing right. With berms, you’re looking to compress the bike into the apex, then let it spring out by extending your arms and legs. By keeping your head up and looking at the exit, not down at your front wheel, you’ll be able to spot your line and resist the urge to brake. Perfect the technique here, then transfer it to berms out on the trails.

03 JUMPING

When you get familiar with a track and ride it faster, you’ll spot rollers that it’s easier or smoother to double up (jump between) than pump through. Track builders usually sculpt steeper transitions into the rollers they expect riders to jump, for more lift. Pump into the upslope and use the bike rebounding off the lip to get airborne. Don’t pre-empt the movement and bunnyhop or you won’t get any kick. Spot your landing, dip the front wheel and push into the downslope for momentum.

04 MANUALLING

If the rollers are mellow and don’t have much lip, or are too far apart to gap, you could pop the bike onto its back wheel. Push into the upslope of the irst roller as if pumping, but as the bike reaches the crest drive your hips forward and extend your legs to raise the front wheel. With arms almost straight, use minor weight adjustments to maintain the balance point through the bowl. Aim to drop the front wheel just over the crest of the following roller, or even the one after that.