Powered by Outside

How to build a good berm?

PB Forum :: Trail Building
How to build a good berm?

 Post Message | Latest Comment
Author Message
flag hamishstenhouse
Posted: Mar 8, 2008 at 3:38 Quote
i want to build a berm whats the best way?
flag MajesticMOOSE
Posted: Mar 8, 2008 at 8:55 Quote
A couple friends and I built a very nice berm at our DJs a couple months ago, so I have some good pointers. First, determine the speed at which you enter the berm. You don't want to spend hours building a massive berm, just to realize you only are moving at 10km going into it. Then, you'll have to figure out where you want the berm to start and finish. Once you know that, lay down a foundation of rocks. Rocks are one of the best ways to get a really sturdy berm. Put down some large rocks to get the basic shape and length. After that put down smaller rocks to fill in the cracks between the bigger ones. After that, cover the foundation with dirt, and make sure no rocks are poking out. After the rocks are covered in a THICK layer of dirt, start shaping. Get an even curve the whole way around. Finally, just pack the dirt down as much as you can, the harder the better. No matter how much you pack it with a shovel, riding is still the best way to pack it down even further. So come back after several days of riding and fix any uneven sections that may have been caused by riding.

Here are some very good examples of several very nice berms, at my local hill
photo

1477407


photo

1517776
flag reallybigmantis
Posted: Mar 8, 2008 at 9:19 Quote
after choosing location and size, the best advice for berm making is: don't skimp on dirt, it takes a massive pyramid shaped pile to make a good berm. i say pyramid shaped cause you have to fill in both sides of your rock pile front and back. (actually we use logs at our trail, but still the same, a nice foundation) if you only apply dirt to the riding face it will wear away quickly. make as big a pile of dirt as you can stand and pack it in as you go. if your rocks/logs aren't stacked really tight and sturdy they will shift around when you ride it, making it crack and shake loose, so pack it down through all stages of filling it in with dirt. when you're done you should have as much packed dirt on the front as the back. pile as much as you can at once and try to make it a masterpiece in one building session. you will need your soil to be moist for packing and shaping the steep riding face. once it dries out, it will be hard to add soil to the steep face for repairs, so do it all at once. get ready for as much digging/dirt moving as a jump, or more, but when you're geting those sweet g-forces you will realize its worth the work.
  • Previous Page
  • Next Page

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2026. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.012992
Mobile Version of Website