Critique my pump tracking

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ebarker9

Well-Known Member
I had a bit of time this morning to stop the by the Vernon pump track and figured I'd capture a few videos with my phone. I know that this forum has a lot of people who are much better at this than I am so I'm interested in any suggestions. My biggest takeaways:

-Yeah, I can't jump anything to save my life so not even trying here, but I would love to jump the last roller before the start/finish area.
-Riding looks ok, but everything is kind of labored and slow. I'm working pretty hard and I still look like a sloth riding a bike.
-I have not been able to mentally commit to the 180 degree turn at full speed (combination of a bad crash in a berm years ago and my lack of faith in my wobbly QR front axle...) and I'm definitely not generating pace through there. I'm riding like I don't trust the traction, which is darned near infinite with that berm shape and asphalt grip. That also makes me slow through that whole next section so I'm working a lot to get back up to speed before and after the wallride.
-Coordination of pumping between my hands and feet isn't always as good as it could be so I'm probably putting in more effort than necessary sometimes. Also not using enough range of motion in some spots.
-Guess I'm mostly trying to figure if I can make significant improvements in my timing/technique or if it's my overall strength and ability to generate power quickly that's more of the limiting factor.

 
I've nothing to contribute but seems weekday mornings are the time to go. Arnold hits this place lots and will likely chime in
 
Your pump looks really good though it looks like your fork is sucking a good bit of potential energy. I have a tough time there in Vernon getting & maintaining speed on my bmx w/ quick, light tires....I have to pump like a madman. Plus there is usually wind there to slow things down. The tabletop near the end is a little fun, and the 'boob' after the wallride berm thing is decent. Port Jervis layout is way faster, more jumpable, more room for error.
 
Dean S said:
Your pump looks really good though it looks like your fork is sucking a good bit of potential energy. I have a tough time there in Vernon getting & maintaining speed on my bmx w/ quick, light tires....I have to pump like a madman. Plus there is usually wind there to slow things down. The tabletop near the end is a little fun, and the 'boob' after the wallride berm thing is decent. Port Jervis layout is way faster, more jumpable, more room for error.
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I need to get to Port Jervis one of these days and I'll check on the fork. It's pretty crappy so it feels nearly locked out with stiction but then blows through travel once it starts moving. Eventually I'll pick up something better.
 
Videos are hard to judge from but nothing looks bad to me. Best way is to go with someone who has skills and work with them live. I really need to go check this place out soon, still haven't been.
 
I agree with gmb3. Hard to say from a video... There is something to be said for having total confidence in your bike. If you're thinking about it not working right, then it'll affect how you ride it.

Other than that... practice. I don't know your background, but it does seem to come easier if you have some BMX in your riding past. I know it does for me and I rarely get to pump tracks.

Such a great workout... I really wish there was an asphalt track closer to me than Philly Pump track that is +/- an hour away (and isn't always open).
 
Your form looks pretty good to me really. Pump your tires up to like 50psi+ and stiffen your fork up if possible. Geg some laps and you’ll just get better faster.

I think with practice you’ll start using your legs more and that will get you more “push”.

Fyi, I’m not super on a pump track, but my daughter races BMX and is pretty good at it….that’s my 2 cents from
What I’ve learned from her.
 
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Run everything as stiff as you can handle. I'd come into that 180 berm a bit higher, go in light, and increase you loading untill exit. Exit a bit lower so you don't blow off the edge, and are set up better for the next berm. You kinda have to set those two corners up perfect to carry enough speed into the wall ride, so you can use your momentum to hit that next sequence of rollers with some speed. That 180 is like everything. Get it wrong and it kills your speed because it's really flat, and pumping through the berms is all you really have till you get out of the wall ride. Vernon is really narrow. Very little forgiveness.Especially if you get knuckleheads doing knucklehead things against the flow of traffic. Ask my broken collar bone 🙃 how I know.
 
And don't feel bad about that 180. It usually takes me a few laps before I am willing to do it brakeless, but if you're really looking for speed, you kinda have to. It's easier to do on my BMX, but sketchier for sure, especially for an older dude like me. For the kids who ride totally brakeless on park/street BMX's, it's no problem.
 
I agree it's easier on a 20". The last time I made it to the Port Jervis pump track I had my DJ bike and my 20+ year old 20". My DJ bike was really a 4X bike (2012 Intense Tazer VPP), so really not ideal, even with the rear shock pumped up to max pressure. Still... I ride my 20" so infrequently that I'd do a couple of laps on Tazer just to get used to the pump track, then I'd switch to the 20". Along the same lines, I do the same thing when riding at Ray's in Clevland. Just easier for me to pump and jump on the 20" when the track is really smooth.

When the "wethepeople" guys made the full-squish 20" to ride at bike parks (to handle the braking bumps on jump trails), I totally understand where they're coming from, even if I don't have the skills they do.
 
Pretty sure I'd die on a 20" at this point. Think the last one I rode was a Huffy from KMart 30+ years ago.

Appreciate the feedback, I need to get back up to Vernon or the Port Jervis track, pump up the tires and fork and have another go. Actually find some commitment through the berms.
 
ebarker9 said:
Pretty sure I'd die on a 20" at this point. Think the last one I rode was a Huffy from KMart 30+ years ago.

Appreciate the feedback, I need to get back up to Vernon or the Port Jervis track, pump up the tires and fork and have another go. Actually find some commitment through the berms.
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With the berms, the big thing is to look at the exit as soon as possible - like when you're entering the berm. That said - easy to say; not so easy to do... I really suck at it. I know what I need to do, but getting my brain to actually do it is another story...
 
Ian F said:
With the berms, the big thing is to look at the exit as soon as possible - like when you're entering the berm. That said - easy to say; not so easy to do... I really suck at it. I know what I need to do, but getting my brain to actually do it is another story...
Click to expand...

The only crash that I've ever had where I actually injured myself, beyond general bruises/cuts/etc, was on IndyCross at Mountain Creek. Pushed the front tire over the top of one of the lower berms on the exit and just fell straight to the ground. Broke my thumb and bruised my shoulder to the extent that I couldn't lift my arm for a week. So I have a habit of entering a berm, feeling slight panic that I might run a bit wide, and putting the brakes on. Looking to the exit absolutely helps with this, but is also counter to my instinct to want to look close enough that I can confirm that my front tire is where it should be. Looking at the video, I'm actually doing a decent job looking through the turn (at least compared to a lot of people who I see looking straight down all the time), but I know that it's something that I can improve.
 
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