Last weekend I went out to Blue Nurses jump park to have a play on the BMX. There's been a lot of development at the park, and now instead of just being a series of jumps a pump track has evolved in the centre.
For those that don't know, a pump track is a series of bumps, undulations and banked corners (berms)
The idea (initially at first) is not to use the ramps as jumps but to 'pump' the downsides, using your body english to push the bike into the ground and pick up speed.
It's possible to roll the whole of the pump track without your wheels leaving the ground and without pedalling - sounds easy but it's incredibly hard work, you end up out of breath after every run.
So why do it? Well first of all it teaches you how to keep your speed, and how to gain speed without pedaling. Pumping the trail means you can stay evenly balanced on the bike and concentrate on cornering and flow. Roadie Rob calls it 'free speed', but given the way I felt after a few runs it's anything but free.
It also teaches you bike handling and how to rail the berms, taking you from this (Debs first time on a pump track- she's a little nervous but she has great positioning, she's looking at the exit and she's still confident enough to not wear gloves)
to this - lower looser body, more speed and using the angle of the berm to support the bike
After a while the show-ponies got bored of the pump and started getting air
About a third of a second after this this shot I heard the clattering of a bike hitting the ground, the impact of a body doing the same and a faint groan. When I head it I instinctively jumped sideways, but then looked back to see Nikko on the ground. I was right next to his impact point but have no idea what he did or why he came off. Luckily Nikko is one of those guys who bounces (or at least knows how to fall) so he got up covered in dust but with no injuries.
Unfortunately I'm not one of those people. I tried to add some style to my ride by manualling over a roller and went over the back of the bike
Nothing major, just a bit of bark off and some bruising. I was in more pain the next day from the tightness in my shoulders and upper back - note to self, next time do some stretching afterwards.....
For those that don't know, a pump track is a series of bumps, undulations and banked corners (berms)
So why do it? Well first of all it teaches you how to keep your speed, and how to gain speed without pedaling. Pumping the trail means you can stay evenly balanced on the bike and concentrate on cornering and flow. Roadie Rob calls it 'free speed', but given the way I felt after a few runs it's anything but free.
It also teaches you bike handling and how to rail the berms, taking you from this (Debs first time on a pump track- she's a little nervous but she has great positioning, she's looking at the exit and she's still confident enough to not wear gloves)
It's a funny thing, taking photos of people doing this kind of stuff. You're focussing on that one point when the rider is in your viewfinder and you don't really pay much attention to the befores and afters.
Unfortunately I'm not one of those people. I tried to add some style to my ride by manualling over a roller and went over the back of the bike
checked it out for the first time today...it was okish...VERY overgrown! what a terrible waste to see such a nice looking track in the pics above and nicly manicured..to how it looks now only 5 months later. in saying that...had heaps of fun on the jumps tho =)
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