Pumptrack bike parts and set-up?

Finally got a pump track in Sutton last year…I found my 1984 mongoose bmx is the best bike for it…Great fun and surprising hard work considering your not really peddling.

I found on a nice dry day to get there early and you have the track all to yourself

I just wanted to show off my new DJ really, just need a silver seat clamp to finish it. Standard middle aged STW front brake present and correct although might lose it, don’t think it served much purpose.

Second outing tomorrow, off to Newhaven pump track. Will be getting there early to avoid all the fast kids, going to be cold!

Newhaven pump track is outrageous. It makes our northern efforts look pathetic.

I shouldn’t complain though. Pump tracks didn’t exist when I was learning to ride. We used to ride miles and miles in search of small transitions and fly outs.

@davosaurusrex

That Nukeproof looks sweet! Colour looks close to Renault Liquid Yellow which I’ve always loved.

Newhaven pump track is outrageous

The best in this country if I’m not mistaken.

Us northern monkeys have got Kidsgrove (Chinky Park). It’s in Clark and Kent’s backyard hence they made a special effort! Pendle (Barrowford/Mandy’s) ain’t bad either.

That kidsgrove pumptrack looks pretty good on that video 👌

It’s one of Clark and Kent’s best. Must of had a bigger budget! Budgetary restraints have prevented many from being what they should be. The Velo Solutions one nearest me is alright but it’s a tiny track in a massive field, where there is more than enough room for something better!

Newhaven is great if you’re really good on a bike, I can normally clear every jump pair on a pump track but the bigger line at Newhaven is beyond me, it’s massive

Judging by the kids I’ve seen at pump tracks you need your older brother’s knackered Apollo bike that’s two sizes too big for you then you’ll be tripling up all the gaps no problem whilst all the olds guys on there 3k MTBs stand around at the side and then cycle off home after 10 minutes because it’s more difficult than it looks.

olds guys on there 3k MTBs stand around at the side and then cycle off home after 10 minutes

You can buy bridleway smoothness but not bike handling ability!

“The best in this country if I’m not mistaken.”

Surely nothing else in Newhaven’s history has received comparable praise?!!

Dave, your Nukeproof looks amazing!

I’ve only had a few brief goes on various pumptracks over the years but I’ve really liked them. It would be nice to progress to doubling (or tripling) things but the flow of pumping, its timing and physicality is something that is one of my better abilities (relative to my general mediocrity) on a MTB.

Goddammit @ribena no need to ruin my day with your accurate observations before it’s even started!

I don’t recommend the Bird for pump track use, this is the result of me riding like I was young again on a bmx.
Might have been the speed, might have been the damp, might have been the tyres (definitely the tyres btw) might have been laying it too flat too low in the berm but I have a sneaky suspicion it was the Bird.

You can have fun on anything when riding a pump track but something shorter, stiffer and with fast rolling tyres will always be better.

FWIW I rode the pump track at FOD on my Primal hardtail with 29” wheels and 160mm forks, it was terrible, but rather than buy another bike I just didn’t ride it again so there’s other ways around the problem.

Sorry Chiefgrooveguru, there are currently 2 pumptrack bike threads running and I obviously got them mixed up as I have read and commented on both. I thought this was the one where the OP said they had a Bird hardtail that needed a few more bits to get up and running.

Edit – turns out I did comment on the correct thread after all. Just pump up your forks, flip the headset around and buy demons cheap Clarks or Shimano brakes.