Anyone Want a Pump Track?

[Bonkler]

Anyone Want a Pump Track?

It frankly hasn't been a long progression for me, nor a stretch given my XC/AM tendencies. But once the yard firms up a bit, I am ordering a dump truck or two of dirt up to the homestead so I can start building a pump track of my own. After all, my kids love to follow anything that ends in a loop - they instinctively run and ride in circles for time on end based on this principle, so I owe it to them to put this in with the added bonus of making myself a better rider in the process.

After seeing this post last night on MTBR, I'm all in (and so is my wife for that matter)!
http://reviews.mtbr.com/feature-the-backyard-pump-track-introduction

Here's the Pinkbike link to all things Pump Track - lots of great designs, how-to and pics/videos
http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=129101&pagenum=1

Last resource is Lee Likes Bikes! The guy literally wrote the book on pump tracks...
http://www.leelikesbikes.com/ebook-welcome-to-pump-track-nation


One other thing I wanted to add before I get called a complete gassbag.

For our community at large, there's relentless and tremendous efforts put into gaining land access, constructing trails and participating/organizing races and events. The advocacy that FITC does in this area is unparalleled - ya bums rock and this area wouldn't be the same without you! The Renegades/WMBA/SMBA/IMBA and other regional biking advocate clubs/groups are all similarly aligned in promoting the sport/lifestyle with cycling at its collective core... But what's striking to me is how this thing we call biking appears to be strictly a grassroots open source-style operation for as long as I can remember, that any input from local/county/state government excludes mountain bikers by default (which is evolving, but glacially) and only after advocacy groups such as FITC steps in time and again to correct this during public hearings, only then are we not excluded, or given limited access to scratch a trail into the earth on otherwise public park lands, reserves or state forests. Blue Mountain and Central Park in Schenectady may be the only members on a narrow exception list of county parks to allow mountain biking at all(I haven't been to Sprain or Cunningham in over 10 years, so it may join the list along with Blue or Illinois mtn). These hours upon hours of time and effort have afforded this region a bit of 'something for nothing' in many respects for what tourism dollars they ultimately bring to the Hudson Valley and Catskills at large. Certainly leaving it a better place and helping to cultivate the biking community in this region. FITC has built and maintained trails that draw in more participants than just its membership headcounts, which again appears to be ignored by local officials whose job may be to take up the very tasks that FITC's charter strives to achieve. Partnership with land managers - county park supers, common councils, park rangers, etc. has notably evolved, but beyond gaining permission from the High and Mighty, there's little sympathy towards these efforts on a State level.

I'm writing this because I'm left with a desire to help create accessible places for anyone with two wheels to ride that isn't a city street or sidewalk, that can serve as more than just access, but a venue to learn, play and grow….on bikes!

I’ve posted here about this place before, but the Rockburn Skills Park in Maryland has been around for years and continues to see investment from its local government into making it a destination for people to ride.
http://www.rockburnskillspark.org/Park_Design.php

It is a model for what should be and know can exist here in Ulster Co and the Hudson Valley at large. At ages 7 and 9, my friends’ kids have learned to ride at Rockburn and skill-wise are way beyond where I or my friends were at that age largely due to this venue. They all love riding since they have a safe place in their neighborhood oriented towards just that. I was told there's even space for toddlers on Strider bikes to ride.

Other quick google searches turn up the Blaine Co. Recreation District in Idaho
http://www.bcrd.org/pump-track.php

– A fresh twist on the traditional Park (paging Ron Swanson?) - A county actively promoting its recreational venues and assets… The acerbic side of me wants to say that Ulster County isn’t churning out industrial quantities of bluestone any more, nor are the old mega-Catskill resorts around, so what prevents the county from fully sponsoring the right kind of development (i.e. not fracking) of our only remaining public assets – the town, county and state parks?

West Milford, NJ checked into this ‘elite’ club last fall with their own town sponsored pump track which is certainly within driving distance for most FITC members:
http://blog.nj.com/nj_off-road_biking/2012/10/west_milford_family_pump_track_officially_opens_sunday_october_21.html

I also know the NYCMTB crew has built pump tracks at Highbridge and Cunningham, but not much more than that.

We all know Western states have led with respect to developing a culture of dirt riders since the dawn of time, it’s a given that most communities along the left coast provide access to this type of recreation, much like a skate park or tennis courts even, but to see it more commonly in our backyard, i.e. Penn, NJ and southern NY but not here in the Hudson Valley is what I'm trying to address. What can I do to get this in Ulster, Orange Putnam and Dutchess?

I know this idea ties into NICA’s http://www.newyorkmtb.org/ core philosophy and is hugely bolstered by UCI events coming to town the last few years so officials are aware of potential. I think they need help identifying what some of the stepping stones are to get us more oriented towards making this as much of a viable a sport in the region as the ski resorts are. It at least has the potential of doing so in the face of unpredictable winters.
PM me or post here if you have suggestions, I'm ready to do what I can to help make this a reality.

[Downhill dave]

Nice write up and well said. I read that pump track article as well and want one too! Good luck on yours and please show us some photos. I think catamount had one when they allowed biking there. Don't know why but that was short lived. They really put a lot of effort into it and only lasted a couple years.
I am just thankful for what we do have, which is a lot. East Fishkill has a skate park. The model they follow would probably be very similar for a pump track or skills park.
_________________
By God, I WILL be doing manuals this year!

[masterofnone]

The skatepark at the east fishkill town center is not suited for bikes. Theres just a sheet metal ramp or two and a rail, not much else. Its nothing like those concrete flowy parks you see in pics and films. And E.F. would never accept the level of liability that something like that would bring. They call the cops on me and throw me out for riding those downed telephone poles they use for barriers around the parking areas, and theyre all of 6" high. Ever since they closed "the pit" at vassar there is nowhere to practice my jumping skills anymore, just when i started to build my confidence. A few modest jumps and pump tracks around here would be awesome.

[cdub]

Have you priced out dirt yet? Just curious as I am going to be in the market shortly as I build a skills section and jumps on my property.

[Bonkler]

I did call a couple of places, and was told to get a mix of clay, cinder-like gravel and top soil. The local guy here in Hurley charges about $300 a dump truck full, which i think is about 4 or 5 yards? I'm not considering (yet) getting any sort of tamping machine or excavator, just a wheelbarrow and some shovels (and tires!!!).

[lunchbox]

Over the past couple of seasons I have developed my yard bit at a time. I was able to use a sod cutter to get the grass out of the way and to get the shape and I dug down to get the dirt to make the rollers. I am lucky to have magic red hook soil which is pretty much the perfect soil for tamping. It is a lot of up keep and have now made some covers for it so the erosion is kept to a minimum. best of luck with yours any questions feel free.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds3J0oCGLF0

[slave2bacon]

Bonkler you da man! Our area needs a pump track and a skills park too. We had a concept idea for this for a town park in Highland. Town mgmt seemed interested but we stalled out with getting funding through grants. If there is anything the club can do to support the private option, please post up.

I took my 3 yr old to a pump track this week. He was psyched.

[Bonkler]

Pretty happy to see that $2mil in the state budget for the Catskill Rail Trail!!! I'll gladly eat my words after seeing something like that re: State gov't investing in something like this..