Pump track

A pump track facility in Whaley Bridge Memorial Park in Whaley Bridge, England
A BMX pump track in Whitley Bay, England

A pump track , a small track using as little as 10 x 30 feet of land, is a looping trail system of dirt berms and “rollers” (smooth dirt mounds for pumping) for bicycling without the rider pedaling. The name comes from the pumping motion used by the cyclist's upper and lower body as they ride around the track. The purpose of a pump track is to use this pumping motion to maintain speed around the track without pedaling.[1][2][3]

History

The origins of the pump track are BMX trails of the 1970s and 1980s. Australian downhill racers began creating the new era pump tracks around 2002. The first new era pump track in the United States was built in 2004 at The Fix Bike Shop in Boulder, Colorado, by professional downhill bicyclist Steve Wentz.[2]

Design

Most pump tracks link a series of rollers to steeply bermed corners that bring cyclists back around.[2]

References

  1. "What is a pump track?" (PDF). Team Town Cycle. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pumpin': An Introduction to the World of Pump Tracks". California Adventure Sports Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  3. "Haithco Park to open new bike track". WNEM. August 31, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
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