Take a backyard pumptrack, add a few dozen rabble rousers and riders, a Beastie Boys cover band, a keg of Racer 5 and a taco truck, and you have the recipe for a sweet birthday party. Although we had to seriously motivate after an XC ride with our bike club earlier in the morning, we were psyched to get an invite for this bash. Due to being completely wiped out from the fatigue, I spaced grabbing my helmet and loading it in the car, and was thinking I’d just kick back with a few. Seeing this pump track quickly changed that though.
When the yard consists of a wood deck with a roll-in instead of a conventional deck, it’s a recipe for fun. Dropping in on the deck offers plenty of speed to turn the first four rollers into doubles with a nice left hand sweeper. While the track was completely pump-able by beginners, it rode more like a dirt jump rhythm section.
An optional s-turn line just left of the jumps added flavor, and it was pretty clear watching the boys rip it they’ve spent some time on the track. The bermed line links back in to the straight and ended with a fun wood wall ride that also had a jumpable roller option before pumping back up the hill.
The backyard was a blast. I almost didn’t even get my camera gear out of the car, but I was inspired after seeing a fellow party goer snapping a few frames with his 5D. Enjoy our gallery:
- You wish this was your backyard. I know I do.
- The wood wallride/ berm feature
- Matt Condroshoff and Ian Massey demonstrate the two optional lines on the far end of the track
- Ian Massey gets his sideways on an optimal dirt jump light just left of the roller.