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A backyard pump track is born!

43K views 106 replies 63 participants last post by  Indy21 
#1 · (Edited)
So after thinking about it for a couple of years, we finally decided to put a pump track in our back yard! I thought I'd post up some progress pics as we go along.

I hired some local trail builders, The Shovel Crew, to do the work since I'm lazy and need instant gratification. :) Today was the first day of four build days that will be spread over the next week or two.

The first step was to mark up the yard. The shape of our yard naturally suggested the layout, which goes along the perimeter of the available space. The yard is 65' long, 25' wide at the widest point, and 15' wide at the narrowest point. I knew I wanted medium-sized rollers at 10' intervals, so the only big remaining questions were whether to incorporate a table top or step-up, and how much to vary the roller height. I decided a step-up would be fun, and the Shovel Crew convinced me that rollers of varying heights would be best, and they also suggested a crossover from one side of the track to the other that will allow more line options. Here's the marked up yard:





The next step was to bring in dirt. We wanted the whole track to be above the surface level of our yard for better drainage, since we live in Seattle. My guys were able to find a 50/50 clay/sand dirt mix and we brought in about 28 cubic yards in 2 dump truck loads:



We're committed now! The next step was to move the dirt from the driveway to the back yard. The mini-excavator had a perfectly sized bucket to fill a wheelbarrow. With 3 guys rolling wheelbarrows back and forth, the dirt started to move pretty quickly. They started by just filling in the outlines with a base of dirt.





Once the whole track was filled in with a layer of dirt, a plate compactor was used to pack it down:

 
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#32 ·
It's rideable!!! The guys made big progress today and it's practically done! Here are some pics from test riding. Now it just needs to dry out and firm up over the next 5-7 days, then a final day of pimping and it's finished. It's looking awesome, I really like how it turned out!! I find it hard to get around it right now, but it's still pretty soft and should get easier as it firms up. I can't believe I have this in my back yard now when 2 weeks ago it was all grass!







 
#93 ·
Thanks for the recent comments everyone! A couple of people have asked for an update, but there isn't too much new to report at the moment. Maintenance has continued to be very easy, I get the occasional weeds and grass trying to grow up through the track but I either pick them or spray them every 2-3 weeks (takes like 10 minutes for the whole track) and that keeps them under control. The track remains hard and concrete-like with no obvious signs of deterioration, though it does get dusty and slippery in the summer if I don't water it from time to time.

Next step: make the berms bigger and maybe introduce a slight slant to the inside all the way around the track to facilitate drainage and help reduce "flinging off into the fence" incidents. I hope to get to that sometime this winter.

1SPD, what a bummer about the HOA and nosy neighbors. I guess we are lucky. Our neighbors continue to think it's great and have been asking when we're having another pump track party for the neighborhood! At least more and more folks seem to have a pump track somewhere near their house that they can go play on, even if it's less convenient than having one right in your back yard.

And 1SPD, yep, most Seattle folks think Starbucks is crap! We have so many good coffee houses that roast their own and do it right. Glad you liked Seattle, we really like it here too. It's getting crowded though because everyone keeps moving here. I might have to move north to Bellingham someday. They have big lots up there, so I could put in a HUGE pump track!!! :)
 
#96 ·
So rad! I live in Bellingham and I just put a pumptrack in my backyard!

:)
Thanks for the recent comments everyone! A couple of people have asked for an update, but there isn't too much new to report at the moment. Maintenance has continued to be very easy, I get the occasional weeds and grass trying to grow up through the track but I either pick them or spray them every 2-3 weeks (takes like 10 minutes for the whole track) and that keeps them under control. The track remains hard and concrete-like with no obvious signs of deterioration, though it does get dusty and slippery in the summer if I don't water it from time to time.

Next step: make the berms bigger and maybe introduce a slight slant to the inside all the way around the track to facilitate drainage and help reduce "flinging off into the fence" incidents. I hope to get to that sometime this winter.

1SPD, what a bummer about the HOA and nosy neighbors. I guess we are lucky. Our neighbors continue to think it's great and have been asking when we're having another pump track party for the neighborhood! At least more and more folks seem to have a pump track somewhere near their house that they can go play on, even if it's less convenient than having one right in your back yard.

And 1SPD, yep, most Seattle folks think Starbucks is crap! We have so many good coffee houses that roast their own and do it right. Glad you liked Seattle, we really like it here too. It's getting crowded though because everyone keeps moving here. I might have to move north to Bellingham someday. They have big lots up there, so I could put in a HUGE pump track!!! :)
Thanks for all the details and pics :)
 
#2 · (Edited)
The plate compactor seemed like it did a really good job of packing everything down quickly.





Then they started building up the tight 180-degree berm that will fit into the 15' wide end of the yard. The mini-excavator came in handy again to pack the dirt into some semblance of a berm:



Then it became a matter of bringing in dirt to the location of each remaining berm and roller.





The neighbors were fascinated!

 
#3 ·
Keep on pushing those wheelbarrows, guys!



Check out the sweet step-up that's forming!



Wow, it's starting to look like a pump track!





So that's where we stand at the end of Day 1! I'm really pleased with the progress they made today, and I can't wait for Day 2! There is still a small pile of dirt in the driveway and some more height to be gained on the berms and rollers, so the excavator will be working for a couple more hours during the next day or two, if the weather cooperates, and then it will be all shovel work from there. I'll post up more pics when I get them! :thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
Actually, I was really surprised by how interested they all were. They all seemed to think it was cool, nobody expressed any concerns or anything. People kept checking in at regular intervals to see the progress, and I'm sure they all think we're crazy but they were surprisingly supportive. I think my biggest problem with the neighbors will be keeping their kids off the track. It's all fun and games until someone breaks an arm and sues you! We're hoping the 6' fence with locked gates will help.
 
#11 ·
A girl from Seattle said:
Actually, I was really surprised by how interested they all were. They all seemed to think it was cool, nobody expressed any concerns or anything. People kept checking in at regular intervals to see the progress, and I'm sure they all think we're crazy but they were surprisingly supportive. I think my biggest problem with the neighbors will be keeping their kids off the track. It's all fun and games until someone breaks an arm and sues you! We're hoping the 6' fence with locked gates will help.
best get a liability release before hand. no joke.

That suggestion aside, nice work! Keep us posted on how it comes out.
 
#15 ·
Washington law is very much on your side, should a neighbor kid get hurt...
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.210

That won't necessarily stop an a neighbor from suing though, just in hopes of winning some money if they can persuade a jury that you were negligent in some way. An umbrella insurance policy will usually cover your legal costs, though - since the insurer would be on the hook to pay out, they generally want to provide a lawyer to defend you. It's worth looking into.
 
#16 ·
As an insurance Agent I would be hesitant to write a homeowners policy on the property.

If I was a property owner with a pump track that anyone other than my own family would be using, I would raise my liability limits has high as I could.

Really awesome project!!! Good Luck!
 
#17 ·
You can write up a waiver and have people sign it. Copy their driver's license and take their pic as well. Under 18 better bring a parent. If they are not cool with it, you are not cool with LETTING them ride (I wont even allow you to hang out without signing, family and GF have to sign too). It is your pump track. Pump track nation and Rays MTB both have waivers you can steal some verbiage from.

A friend told me this and it has stuck with me. When someone gets hurt, they dont sue you, their insurance company does. Cover your rear!

Cool project, I too started a backyard pump track this year :) The compactor looks like a good idea, i have been using the stomp method with limited success
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the props! And the legal advice. A lot to think about there. I never thought about the fact that it's the insurance company that sues you, so even if you're confident that your friend/relative would never take legal action, that doesn't mean their insurance company won't. A sobering thought. I will look into an umbrella policy and I will definitely have a "no waiver, no helmet = no ride" rule.

The guys are back this morning for a couple more hours of work with the mini-excavator, so I hope to post some more progress pics tonight! Yay!

DL1030, post up pics of your pump track progress! And yes, the plate compactor is an awesome invention, although those tampers seem to work pretty well too.
 
#20 ·
I wasnt going to clutter your thread but since you asked. :)

This was the first 10yards of dirt and some basic shaping for experience. Have tore these up and added more dirt for taller berms but kept the line.


got another 20 yards and piled all berms (new and old) 3.5'+ tall. Will try to get a better pic tonight as these dont show the overall track very well. basic 'L' shape track


*I have never built a pump track before (or rode one), lol. learning as I go and having a blast doing it! 1'x10' for rollers, (4) 9' radius berms, (1) 12' radius. i ride 26" bikes, looking for a 24"

as for your track, you are using 20" bikes? that 180 berm must be around 6' radius, that is pretty tight! how tall do you plan to make the berms? height makes a huge difference i am finding out.

drainage is going in after the track?

are you learning/helping as they are building? you are going to have a life time of shovel work, better to be taught than to teach yourself. I wish there was someone local that could teach me some tricks.
 
#21 ·
DL1030, that looks like a great start, keep going!! It's fun to look at what other folks are doing for inspiration. I think the dimensions you list are right on. Most people seem to build their rollers too tall and too close together to get good flow. A one-foot tall roller doesn't seem like much and 10' spacing seems huge, until you ride it and then they look a lot taller and closer together at speed.

We're riding a 26" bike, but it's a DJ bike and I think it will work well. You're right, that one berm at the end is tight. It's going to get steeper though, height is supposed to help a lot and we'll just have to practice until it gets doable. Other folks have built pump tracks with even tighter berms, so hopefully we'll be OK!

I've been leaving the work to the guys since they bid it as a complete job, but I have no doubt we'll be doing plenty of shoveling later for maintenance, line changes, and building up the features as we get better. All this reading and watching has taught me quite a bit!
 
#22 ·
My guys made some more progress today! Here are a few pics.

They seem happy as long as they have shovels in their hands:



Adding more dirt and starting to shape these berms:



Big progress, very exciting!



Not sure how a pitchfork got involved.



Now it's all covered by tarps and we must wait a few days for it to settle and not be rainy. The weather looks good for Friday and Saturday, so it could be rideable this weekend!
 
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