The fascination of the pump track: Interview with pump track builder Maximilian Gast

Pump tracks are extremely popular. According to a study* of a pump track in Cologne, 3483 laps are completed on such a facility every day. In just three months, this equates to a distance of 21,120 kilometres, half way around the globe. The pump track was not unvisited on any day during the study period. 33 per cent of users are cyclists, 60 per cent are children. These figures are impressive proof that pump track riding has long since become a popular sport. Parents accompany their offspring to the facilities and have fun there themselves. Whether "normal" mountain bikers or dirt bike aces: pump tracks are fun for all bikers.

There are many reasons to build a pump track. Of course, a pump track is a great playground for young and old, but there are also hard facts that underpin the attractiveness of such "roller sports facilities", as they are called in officialese. Firstly, the construction costs of even an asphalt pump track are low compared to a concrete skate park. Secondly, scientific findings prove low noise emissions of less than 80 decibels**. By comparison, a football pitch can produce almost 100 decibels. Visually, pump tracks can be harmoniously integrated into the landscape, as they almost resemble a park landscape with gentle waves and many green areas. In contrast to many other public facilities, pump tracks are generally less susceptible to vandalism.

>> In our article Pump track bikes put to the test: which one is the most fun? we have tested 8 MTBs for pumping <<

Interview with a professional pump track builder

BIKE: The number of pump tracks in Germany has risen rapidly in recent years. How do you explain the boom?

Maximilian Gast: Asphalt pump tracks, in particular, unite all roller sports equipment, generations and skill levels. This combination enables municipalities and cities to create a leisure and sports attraction that is extremely attractive to citizens. They also have the opportunity to access numerous funding programmes in order to receive financial support.

How did you decide to set up your own pump track construction company?

Through Cycle Training, we organise BMX and MTB trade fair shows, courses and camps. During the week, we also organise numerous school club courses. A good three years ago, a school came to me and asked if we would like to build an earth pump track for them. After the build and a press release, I received two enquiries from neighbouring communities in my home town and that's how DirtWays was born.

There are usually lots of children and teenagers on pump tracks. Why is that?

Pump tracks are places that attract children and young people, as they can experience action, adrenaline rushes, fun and a community together. Added to this is the fascination for the roller sports equipment itself.

How do young bikers benefit from regular pump track riding?

Riding a pump track trains your bike handling skills immensely. On the pump track you learn how to stand properly on the bike, an active riding style and the basics such as jumping and cornering. There is hardly an easier and more fun way to learn biking at a young age. Because without the right technique, you can't build up speed on the pump track. A fun vicious circle!

Why should "normal" mountain bikers also visit a pump track?

Even normal bikers should regularly be out and about on the pump track, as there is almost no better place to work on your riding technique. This usually happens unconsciously, as fun outweighs flow. The bike doesn't matter at first. At the beginning, you can also do your first laps on an enduro or eMTB. For complete beginners, I always recommend watching a short how-to video before your first lap. Once you've got pump track fever, you should get yourself a dirt bike.

There is still no pump track in my community. How can I change that?

As an individual, you have two options. You can initiate it via your local (cycling) sports club or you can go directly to the municipality or city. It is always advisable to present documents, figures, information material etc. to the contact person. Our offer therefore also includes an information folder.

How do you determine the track design of a pump track?

Several parameters are taken into account here. On the one hand, the budget, the wishes of the municipality, the wishes of the users via a participation workshop and, finally, our experience. We only want to build facilities that we ourselves would like to have in our home town.

How much does a pump track cost and who takes care of the maintenance?

An asphalt pump track in the smallest and simplest version (classic figure of eight; approx. 500 square metres) starts at around 100,000 to 110,000 euros plus VAT. However, the track design, the condition of the ground before construction and much more can cause the price to fluctuate. Actually, the only thing that needs to be done on a pump track is to mow the grass from time to time. This is usually done by the local authority. The tarmac surface rarely needs to be repaired. There is also a warranty period for this on our tracks.

>> Maximilian Gast has dirt bikes produced in Europe. We have all the information <<

* Siebert, S., Ehlen, N., Schmidt, L. (2020): Pilot project pump track in Cologne. Results report, Cologne: German Sport University Cologne, Institute for Outdoor Sport and Environmental Research

**Bakus Bauphysik & Akustik GmBH (2019): Noise emission measurements of a pump track facility and a street soccer facility, Zurich-Heuried, Zurich