If your kids are anything like mine, the highlight of any bike ride is the ‘bumpy bits’. No matter how tame the tarmac or how smooth the surface, they always seem to manage to find a muddy bank to corner, a tree root to jump or a speed bump to pop off.
The trouble is, a trip to the nearest mountain bike trails means a whole day out and the faff of strapping five bikes to the car. Much easier to head to the local pump track for a quick hit of biking fun.
Often built near community parks, a pump track is just a small looping trail that you can ride without even pedalling. By ‘pumping’ out of bumps and berms (corners) you keep momentum and develop cycling skills that will help on mountain bike trails, jumps and even on the road.
The simple way to think of a pump track is to think a BMX track and a skatepark had a lovechild
‘The simple way to think of a pump track is to think a BMX track and a skatepark had a lovechild,’ explains Neil Morrison, head coach at pump track specialists Socialtrack. ‘You have features that will be obvious to anyone who has seen a BMX track, but you also have berms with more in common with a skatepark bowl than a BMX track.’
The great thing about pump tracks is that they are so accessible – there are dozens across the UK and almost all are free to use. You’ll find the most comprehensive list of all the public BMX and pump tracks in the UK on the BMX and Pump Track Directory on Facebook which you can also install on the Google Maps app. If you’re venturing further afield, Pump Track showcases some of the world’s best and has a searchable database of global tracks.
Pump tracks are perfect for families with kids at different ages and stages of cycling ability too.
‘Pump tracks are aimed at everyone,’ says Morrison. ‘We've had toddlers go around on their balance bikes, and thanks to bringing their grandchildren along, we've had grandparents give our track a shot. One of the everyday things we hear about pump tracks is that they lack the toxic masculinity you can get on show at skateparks. People are not engaged as much in trying to one-up everyone else, and there is a camaraderie there. ‘
Anything goes at a pump track. If your child is wary of trying the track on their bike at first, let them try out a scooter first.
‘A scooter is an excellent way for kids to get involved,’ agrees Morrison. ‘It teaches them a lot of fundamental skills that are then applicable to bikes should they decide to make the jump over and, to be clear, they don't have to. It's all about fun. It doesn't matter if you're on a bike, scooter, quad skates, or a skateboard; someone will be cheering you on or offering advice.’
Getting started
The pump track is great preparation for any form of cycling. It will teach you how to manipulate your body on bends, where to place your pedals and how to generate speed without pedalling. But it can feel intimidating the first time you roll up to a busy pump track, so how about some pointers?
‘The thing to do is stand and watch, look at the lines the locals take,’ suggests Morrison. ‘You'll then see how that particular track works. Think of it as a course walk, but you're getting an idea of the speed and complexity.’
If you have small children and want space for their first attempts, try going during school hours. For older kids, try heading out before 11am before weekend crowds get there.
A BMX bike will be great but pretty much any bike will work on a pump track (in fact cheaper bikes without suspension can generally be better than an expensive full-blown suspension mountain bike which takes away some of the ‘pump’).
Pump it up
The aim when cycling a pump track is to pump your bike, not pedal. As you go up the roller try to unweight your front wheel. As the wheel goes over the lip of the roller, push down with your arms, transferring your weight towards the front of your bike to help you generate speed.
To start with, just aim to get a feel for riding over rollers and berms and let your body adjust. Above all, keep your head up and look where you're going. And don’t worry about the corners.
‘If you look at your exit and then down the track, berms will be less intimidating, and you'll be around them easier than you think,’ says Morrison. ‘You'll want to keep your pedals level on all of the track. Doing so is a bit different from mountain biking, as then you'd drop your outside foot. Berms in a pump track are generally tighter than corners in the real world and the level pedals help.’
Try and resist braking on the berms and aim to accelerate out of the corners. Ideally you’ll want to enter the berm high and exit low.
The single most important piece of advice? Have fun and commit. ‘Don’t worry about what other people think,’ adds Morrison. ‘The chances are they are just stoked there are more people using pump tracks. More people using them means more pump tracks in the future, which is an idea we should all get behind.’
Where to get pumped
Scotland – Inverness Bike Park is one of the best tracks in the UK, with a great beginner's track, a proper pro-level line and floodlights.
North – Chopwell Park near Gateshead has a separate kids’ track and a larger 229m track with 10 bermed corners and 39 roller jumps.
South – Newhaven Pump Track was designed and built by the same people behind the 2012 Olympic BMX course.
Wales - Pump Track Wales at Rhayader is fast becoming the biking capital of Wales.
Follow Socialtrack on Instagram @socialtrackco