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Kimbers
I have had a spot under scrutiny for a while where a pump track would work. I was going to crack on this autumn. Se7 area. Give me a shout
Worksafeconsulting@gmail.com
Would 'no' be the wrong answer? What's wrong with getting out the OS map and finding some fantastic bridleways to ride? Is there really a need to build new (and presumably short) sections of off-road trail to ride on?
The oft repeated mantra about most things MTB: "It's not about need".
If you haven't tried one it's a bit harder to explain. If you have then you either "get" it or you don't. Lee McCormack's site (leelovesbikes.com) gives some good reasons.
I find them fun, challenging, physically knackering (in a way you'd struggle to imagine), good for technique (cornering, conservation of momentum etc) and very social.
Done well they're great. Done not so well they can be insanely frustrating. I have had a hand in several now but, as is often the way in STA, there's more to it than just me, particularly Knacker and Nick.
I quite like the derby one, feels realy quick, even if it is more mini BMX track than pump track.As for pumping the whole of the track, surely impossible without pedaling the second corner, that third straight is mahoosively tall?
Don't get me wrong, the pump track is OK, and the berms do launch you, but that's not where the design effort went.
As implausible as it sounds, yes the track can be pumped. I have witnessed it on a few occasions (namely when we had the National champs) and a lot of riders came to practice in the preceeding weeks. One pedal rotation permitted off the gate. My PB is almost to the end of the 2nd straight 🙂
I'd echo the comments that pump tracks are fantastic for building and improving your handling and skills; particularly cornering and rythm. If you compete then pumping is invaluble as it allows to to gain speed where you can't pedal (terrain permitting).
If you're ever at the track come and say hello. I normally have two kids in tow - one on a Redline Flight junior and another on a decathlon special. As of last week my daughter decided she liked BMX after all, though I think that's just a ploy to get another bike 🙂
I'll keep an eye out for you, I'm usualy on a red CountryBikes BMX or red DMR (although have attempted a few runs on the road bike which was scary trying to keep the rear end planted!)
As for those of you who've never tried pumping, to put it into perspective I'd say pumping one dip/lip/corner properly probably gains you 2,3 or 4 pedal stokes, in the distance you struggle to get one in! Thats why practicing on a pump track is good.
i can do the 16th
and the 15th 😉
Depending on where it is, I would love to help, got nothing better to do.
Email me the details if you want to some dumb muscle 😀 (assuming i can get there via public transport hitch hiking a bit of pedalling).
dobby156 {at} googlemail {dot} com
i think i could do that weekend ben.
15 - 16th should be OK for me (gets me out of my daughters birthday party, loads of 5 year old girls at a dance studio, and before you all shout I'd only be sitting outside waiting for them finish).
Woop!
It's looking very likely it's the 15-16th weekend.
I'll have more info on Friday.
Keep watching the skies!!! (or this forum thread)
Benji I will help, if you guys at STW come and help build the tracks at Gisburn?
Deal?
2hottie - Member
Benji I will help, if you guys at STW come and help build the tracks at Gisburn?Deal?
im going to the next did day 
Taka good on you fella
see you there
September is looking not mentally busy on weekends (unlike the past 3 months!) so I'm all up for helping out at Gisburn man! 🙂
[b]Confirmed date is Saturday August 15th.
[/b]
I'll post the location details later this week...
Scott beat me to it, you will owe us as we'll be ducking out of a Gisburn dig day to make the 15th & 16th 😉
I'd be interested, but can't gaurantee availability for either weekend. One thing I would suggest is to ensure it's a bit bigger than the one at Stainburn, I know the STA guys put a lot of effort into it, but it's pretty pants.
I've never seen anyone get a full lap on it properly. With their 'knowledgeable' comments above, I'd have hoped for something more akin to the other rather good stuff up there.
The PT at Stainburn is tight but it does work, especially since its had plenty of time to bed in (pump tracks are always slow when they're first built). It can be tricky to do full lap to start with but after few goes most people I've seen manage at least one full lap (it's all about the technique), also one direction is slightly easier to get round than the other....
The pump track we have built at Thackley (Buck woods) is slight bigger in terms of space but is still rough the same length as Stainburn in total, plus it has a nice roll in to give you some momentum 🙂
depending on location August 15 will be good for me...
When you've built it, you've got to host a pumptrack pursuit enduro!
Here's the lowdown on the format (scroll down for video):
http://www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/?a=474
Fancy a series?!
One thing I would suggest is to ensure it's a bit bigger than the one at Stainburn, I know the STA guys put a lot of effort into it, but it's pretty pants.
More useful feedback from someone who has never bothered to contribute in person (? - please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong......)
LOL, I'm not going to get all touchy about the PT at Stainburn 😎
It was the first one we attempted and it's been through umpteen incarnations and re-builds. If you think it's bad now did you ever see it 2 years ago 😉 It's also a bugger to win good material to build with there so it means rebuilds and tweaks are difficult to do. The finer fraction of the soil / sub soil is great stuff but you don't need to go very deep before you're hitting a lot of rock. That makes digging incredibly hard work. Hence why Clixby's (god bless Hugh) put us in the drainage channels, rather than digging them all by hand.
Honestly though, IMO it's a hard track. I can do laps on it though (and like Nick says there's an "easy" and a "hard" direction). Given I'm no great shakes I'd suggest that if you can't or folks you've seen haven't managed it then they probably aren't "getting it" yet, for whatever reason.
Personally I need all the help I can get with rock hard, fast rolling tyres and a dedicated HT. Trying it on a FS with proper knobblies and trail pressures will make it a lot more challenging.
TBH, I'm happy to admit it's not perfect (nothing we've ever built has been 😉 but we have built, or tried to build stuff. We're aware enough (ish) to know when things haven't worked and to learn lessons from that. Hence I think I/we know a lot about what can go wrong. It doesn't necessarily mean we'll always get it right, but it's a bit of a head start and just leaving people to make the same mistakes would seem daft.
Say Hi next time you're up at the woods if you see me. Old bugger, red estate, poor skills, talks a lot 😎
Hi steel4real
We came out on one of your rides a few months ago from peckett well, I was on an on-one summer 456. Anyway, I digress....
I'm pleased that Cheeky concedes that Stainburn is difficult, so it can't be me that's rubbish then! 😉 . I certainly can't ride the PT at Staimburn yet, but I've not spent much time on it. I've now had some tuition on proper technique from a couple of other SingletrAction guys (who can ride it), and it's definitely all in the technique, I think I'm getting the idea now (after floundering around for a while) and I'm getting there. And certainly, it did feel easier on Cheekys PT bike with appropriate tyres. From watching some of the good STA riders (who all admit to going throught the same learning curve) it seems that if you have the correct techniques, then it does work.
A pump track courtesy of Lee McCormack:
[img] 
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Riding:
[img] 
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Articles:
Building: [url] [/url]
Riding: [url] http://www.leelikesbikes.com/sneak-peak-giant-pump-sesh-1.html [/url]
English style: [img] 
[/img]
All inclusive: [img] 
[/img]
Thread for more: [url] http://singletraction.frankencrank.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2705 [/url]
location up yet?
The Date: Saturday August 15th (and Sunday August 16th too probably)
The Time: 10am
The Place: Flappit Quarry, nr Oxenhope, West Yorkshire, map link - http://tinyurl.com/l4kwxx
150m or so from my house 😉
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/08/help-us-build-a-pump-track-this-weekend/ ]http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/08/help-us-build-a-pump-track-this-weekend/[/url]
I think this is a great idea and good luck but isnt at least some of the point of a pump track is that it takes up hardly any space so you can build one anywhere ie an urban location. That way anyone (including non driving youths) can ride it and just grind out a quick 30 minute session.
Building it in the middle of a quarry so you need to drive to get to it seems like you are missing a trick really.
i can go use it every night and morn and im a youfe 😆
you try finding an available urban space! ;-P
have you got permission?
aye
from darrel? at guilson quarry? or bcc?
im just nosy 😀
Pump tracks are pump tracks. Put them wherever you can. Then love and joy will rule the world 😉
They generally aren't worth driving to but as there's so few at the moment I guess people do. I think the urban things was more about the fact people could squeeze them in your typical (American 😉 backyard.
*bump*
Anymore for anymore? 🙂
where abouts on the flappit is it going to be or where are you meeting?
tom
Not too far from where the big 4x4-blocking stones and dirt banking has been put. You'll see a big black Mercedes Sprinter van on the verge most likely. You'll probably be able to see us from the road anyway as the spot is close to the road. If you watch the start of the video we did earlier this week you'll see what/where I mean...
[url=
See you tomorrow! 🙂
yep i know where that is ill be coming from the moor side from the end of the airfeild so will see the proposed track first before the van 😉
i might even be on time or early for once!
I will be there tomorrow with a bit of luck, what time are you intending to leave the quarry?
fraid i cant come tomorrow going out 😥
I hurt now. Got a lot done today despite the blazing sun, sand storms, howling winds and lashing rain, oh and the concrete mud we were digging through. Might have to take it easy tomorrow and go digging at Gisburn 😆
Oh and Matt your rear passenger side brake light is out on the van 😉
is there going to be another up there apart from tomorrow?
just thought i would tell you guys the weather is sh1te and everything is soaked 😉 + its windyer that yesterday
i could barely move my hands last night, my wrists ached so much... feeling fine today though, but i can't make it at all i'm afraid. good luck with it today chaps.