Asphalt pump track OR entire bike park?

PB Forum :: Trail Building
Asphalt pump track OR entire bike park?
  • Previous Page
Author Message
flag garett-mcdermid
Posted: Feb 22, 2020 at 7:23 Quote
I'm working with my local park district to put in a beginner friendly pump track where a strider bike park is currently located.... The park admin has experience with managing bike parks and knows the maintenance issues with a dirt pump track so he wants to do it out of asphalt... I did some research and looks like Velo Solutions is the only way to go for asphalt cause using a regular asphalt paving company (like in Boise) is no bueno. average cost for a Velo build is about $400k... So then, if the park admin is willing to drop close to half a mil on asphalt, the question isn't dirt vs asphalt pump track, but asphalt pump track vs entire bike park- with a dirt pump track, 2 jump lines and perimeter flow type trail...

Guess the question for the group is what would you all prefer? Or maybe better yet, what would be best for a fairly 'new to biking' bike community. We're in a suburb of Sacramento so the mtb community isnt huge but I'm hoping this bike park will help it grow.

The area is fairly flat but has potential. There is some money available to build as long as there is community support behind the project.
flag Marininmaine
Posted: Feb 22, 2020 at 17:12 Quote
If I were going to a bike park I'd much rather ride dirt jump lines and a pump track than just an asphalt pump track.
flag cmc4130
Posted: Feb 23, 2020 at 4:30 Quote
I’ve ridden some asphalt pump tracks that I understand were non-Velosolutions, although still part of big expensive projects. They were good, but at both of them (in different parts of the country) there were things that were somewhat wrong. With asphalt, you can’t fix it, tweak it, etc.

I would suggest you consider wood launches and dirt landings. Like these at Bijou Bike Park Lake Tahoe. There are also companies who do concrete launches with an exact radius shape.

photo
flag knightrideride
O+
Posted: Apr 11, 2020 at 6:39 Quote
I disagree. Although they are obviously the leaders in the industry. You do not need Velosolutions to build good asphalt pumptrack. I am the owner of Ideride Builders, a professional trail building company. We are currently building an asphalt jump line and pumptrack in Knoxville Tennessee. Check out our IG @ideride_builders
We have built a large portion of the "Urban Wilderness" trails for the local club (AMBC) and so the city took a chance on us and awarded the contract for the design build of the skills park.
My point is, if your local professional trail builders are competent and confident, it can be done and , as in our case, you can end up with a unique and exceptional pumptrack that isn't a "cookie cutter" VS park.

GarettMcD wrote:
I'm working with my local park district to put in a beginner friendly pump track where a strider bike park is currently located.... The park admin has experience with managing bike parks and knows the maintenance issues with a dirt pump track so he wants to do it out of asphalt... I did some research and looks like Velo Solutions is the only way to go for asphalt cause using a regular asphalt paving company (like in Boise) is no bueno. average cost for a Velo build is about $400k... So then, if the park admin is willing to drop close to half a mil on asphalt, the question isn't dirt vs asphalt pump track, but asphalt pump track vs entire bike park- with a dirt pump track, 2 jump lines and perimeter flow type trail...

Guess the question for the group is what would you all prefer? Or maybe better yet, what would be best for a fairly 'new to biking' bike community. We're in a suburb of Sacramento so the mtb community isnt huge but I'm hoping this bike park will help it grow.

The area is fairly flat but has potential. There is some money available to build as long as there is community support behind the project.
flag cmc4130
Posted: Apr 15, 2020 at 16:38 Quote
As someone who has hand built BMX and MTB rollers jumps and berms for 20+ years, there is a massive difference between a “good” pump track and a “great” one—and different types of riders may perceive those attributes differently.

Great ones require multiple adjustments and dialing in. Even small problems can magnify into big problems—if a berm is the wrong radius or wrong steepness, or roller shape or spacing is not quite right, it can affect the entire flow of the track. Also be sure to inquire whether the track requires BMX/advanced-MTB skills like manualing or whether it’s smoothly rollable by all bikes. BMX racers and BMX trail riders tend to build peaky rollers that require manualing to ride effectively. This is in contrast to other pump track designs. I personally like manualing and I’m good at it, but this is a small (but big) detail that needs to be discussed ahead of time.
flag knightrideride
O+
Posted: Oct 17, 2020 at 17:49 Quote
cmc4130 wrote:
As someone who has hand built BMX and MTB rollers jumps and berms for 20+ years, there is a massive difference between a “good” pump track and a “great” one—and different types of riders may perceive those attributes differently.

Great ones require multiple adjustments and dialing in. Even small problems can magnify into big problems—if a berm is the wrong radius or wrong steepness, or roller shape or spacing is not quite right, it can affect the entire flow of the track. Also be sure to inquire whether the track requires BMX/advanced-MTB skills like manualing or whether it’s smoothly rollable by all bikes. BMX racers and BMX trail riders tend to build peaky rollers that require manualing to ride effectively. This is in contrast to other pump track designs. I personally like manualing and I’m good at it, but this is a small (but big) detail that needs to be discussed ahead of time.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of our pumptrack in Knoxville. Its called Baker Creek Preserve Bike park.
flag cmc4130
Posted: Oct 22, 2020 at 19:09 Quote
knightrideride wrote:
cmc4130 wrote:
As someone who has hand built BMX and MTB rollers jumps and berms for 20+ years, there is a massive difference between a “good” pump track and a “great” one—and different types of riders may perceive those attributes differently.

Great ones require multiple adjustments and dialing in. Even small problems can magnify into big problems—if a berm is the wrong radius or wrong steepness, or roller shape or spacing is not quite right, it can affect the entire flow of the track. Also be sure to inquire whether the track requires BMX/advanced-MTB skills like manualing or whether it’s smoothly rollable by all bikes. BMX racers and BMX trail riders tend to build peaky rollers that require manualing to ride effectively. This is in contrast to other pump track designs. I personally like manualing and I’m good at it, but this is a small (but big) detail that needs to be discussed ahead of time.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of our pumptrack in Knoxville. Its called Baker Creek Preserve Bike park.

I saw YouTube of the Baker Creek track not too long ago and was *very* impressed. That is definitely a direction that people should take note of.
flag Michael-co
Posted: Oct 28, 2020 at 14:53 Quote
I’d go with bike park
flag tkroz
O+ FL
Posted: Nov 11, 2020 at 21:58 Quote
This baker creek bike park looks well constructed. The pump track flow trail hybrid line is pretty neat. I'm hoping to find some more content about the rest of the bike park.
flag Isthistoorisky
Posted: Nov 12, 2020 at 5:52 Quote
Bike park 100%
Pump track sounds good but I think that if you want to progress more, bike parks are good tup
flag jonnyboy18
Posted: Jan 28, 2021 at 15:42 Quote
I went to baker creek last week and I would definitely go with a bike park. pump tracks are fun and all, but if you want to progress you need variety.
flag arwilso4
O+
Posted: Feb 1, 2021 at 21:39 Quote
I would start with the bike park, and get people interested, and use that interest to raise money for a future asphalt (low maintenance pump track. You could even build in a small dirt pump track at the beginning which may help motivate users to help fund the asphalt pump track. After all the people using it should be the people helping to maintain it. If they get sick of maintaining the pump track they might be interested in one that doesn't require as much up keep. You could even do some experimenting with the dirt before you finalize the layout with asphalt! Just my two cents. Portland Oregon just opened a park called Gateway Green that sounds similar to the scale you are talking about. Might be a good precedent to look at.

https://bikeportland.org/tag/gateway-green

Started with a skills area and about 1.5 miles of single track. Built up interest from the public and the city to help fund phase two that improved the existing trails and added an asphalt pump track.
Good luck! More trails more places to ride!
flag jonnyboy18
Posted: Apr 26, 2021 at 10:01 Quote
yup! that's baker creek!
flag dangerfoot
Posted: Jul 15, 2021 at 20:00 Quote
Whoa, rad build there. Thanks for adding the pic @cmc4130
  • Previous Page

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.011927
Mobile Version of Website