Pump track for 29ers?

Hey Lee. Great site .. love it. I just bought your ebook “Pump Track Nation” and had a question about bike selection/course design.

I’m primarily an XC racer (some super D and road racing mixed in) and I’m looking to beef up the handling skills. I’ve got no problem on technical trails but keeping my speed through the corners and bumps is what I need to work on so a pump track would be great for me. Problem is I fell in love with 29″ wheels and the few pump tracks I’ve tried seemed to be designed for smaller wheels. I’m sure a large part of it is just learning the skills but do you have any recommendations for the big wheel crowd? How to adjust your riding style? Or how to adjust your track plans if you’re planning on building?

Thanks! Matthew

Hey Matthew!

Dude, you are on the path to MTB kung fu mastery. Pump Track Nation, brother.

I want to explore the interplay of wheel size, terrain shape and pump action in insane diagrammatic detail, but for now:

Given the same roller shape and spacing, 29-inch wheels will be technically easier to ride, but they won’t deliver as much pump as smaller wheels. You can be lazy and imprecise and still get around the track, but not as fast as with 20s, 24s or 26s.

To make your 29-er track feel like a standard 26-er track, try the Welcome to Pump Track Nation standard horizontal spacing, but make the rollers about 10 percent taller. That should even things out.

Thanks for your support — and pump it!

— Lee

For more details, check out the ebook Welcome to Pump track Nation

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