Anyone built a track?

[Fingerpuk]

Hello.

I’ve started conversations with the local council and MP to be given land to create a community pump and jump area. They’ll provide the land and access and I’ll provide the dirt (know a local and very large builder so it’s free) and time.

I have a few experienced riders on the team but none of us have built jumps. Anyone got any advice?

I’ll post updates as they happen, will be slow to start with. Councils move slow.

I’d like to do a pump circuit around a few jump lines starting with family friendly tabletops moving into some bigger things.

 

[duk916]

Hello.

I’ve started conversations with the local council and MP to be given land to create a community pump and jump area. They’ll provide the land and access and I’ll provide the dirt (know a local and very large builder so it’s free) and time.

I have a few experienced riders on the team but none of us have built jumps. Anyone got any advice?

I’ll post updates as they happen, will be slow to start with. Councils move slow.

I’d like to do a pump circuit around a few jump lines starting with family friendly tabletops moving into some bigger things.

Contact Rusty

 

[Fingerpuk]

@Rusty you are summoned.

I have approx 180x120 meters to play with. Field is 3 meters lower at one end than the other. So 3 meter drop over 120.

I have access to a digger and operator. Currently the field has been left to go wild. First thing I’ll do is now it nearly, leaving some areas around the edge wild.

The field is full of saplings. Many of these will be moved to the edges to create a natural screen/sound insulation.

I’d like a family friendly area, and an area for more capable riders.

 

[Rusty]

Have not built a play area yet as not with the local club anymore due to philosophical disagreements - that and beating my head against a brick wall with our local council.

Nice sized area I have to say - I would go for 4 or 5 tracks/areas with that space.
Having a digger is crucial if you want to get it done in a reasonable time and built so it does not come apart too easily.

A Pump track.

A Jumps Area - being council land I would stay away from gap jumps and go for tabletops with the option to ride through or transition to a side area. Probably get away with some small gaps, but Councils are always mindful of liability and insurance so get pretty unhappy with anything decent.

A Slalom Run. Use the same start mound as for the Jumps area and just follow the longest fencline. Combine

A Skills Area. Rather than a loop like the pump track, more of a in/out run. Best not to combine natural obstacles and man made, but if you have a basic run that is wider than the pump track to allow easy passing with a few smaller jumps and corners than the pump track and on the side of the return trail lay down some man-made stuff - Seesaw, Stepped Rock Garden, Raised Board Ride are 3 easy ones to make.

A small kiddies pump track - just an oval with no cross-overs and smallish rollers that even a kid on a walk-bike can negotiate is the best idea. Definitely on the family friendly side of things and councils love shit like that.

 

[Hippo]

Buy the pump track nation book of the leelikesbikes site got pump track layouts and all the measurements you need.

 

[Rusty]

^^ THAT ^^

Could not find my copy, but Lee is a goldmine of information.

 

[Fingerpuk]

Have bought the electronic copy. Will ready later in the cool evening air.

 

[Hippo]

I've been using it for my pump track and is spot on but do find the measurements are more towards the smaller bmx wheeled size or 26 " as the radius of 8ft turns are two tight for the 650/29er wheels and rollers would need to be at least 12foot apart by 14 inches high to accommodate all wheel sizes.
Hope that helps

 

[Fingerpuk]

Thanks. I’ll be doing two lines, for different size bikes. Then the transition into the jump lines. A third jump line purely for beginners will come off the other side.

Will post a plan for critique once the survey comes back.