How to Build a Pump Track | BUILDING TIPS & BEST PRACTICES

How to Build a pump track is a question I see quite often. Let's go over some general pump track building steps, as well as some pump track building guidelines I use when building a new pump track. Alright let's go build an awesome pump track that is wife friendly!
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[@ThreeDigitIQ]

We need a video titled "How to convince your wife to allow you to build a pump track"

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+ThreeDigitIQ Pump track = Scenic hillside replica with raised garden beds landscaping project.

[@bbarker5766]

Tis better to ask for forgiveness than to get permission most of the time unless your wife will ride it too. 😉

[@lewiegray491]

ThreeDigitIQ just build it somewhere secret in the woods lol

[@xeokym223]

My yard is all shale and roots, it's so difficult to get a wheelbarrow full of good dirt. But, this still helps me out a lot! Thanks Phil

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Yeah, that's definitely a problem in some parts. That being said, shale makes great gravel, and is rideable in wet conditions. Every terrain has it's pros and cons, i try to adapt my building style to suite the environment.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

I should add that the soil you need depends on your location. and that organic/good soil part may not apply to where you are building your Pump track.

[@zachhilty6822]

Skills With Phil are pump tracks able to be used in reverse? I have never been able to ride one and have always wanted to know.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Zach Hilty yeah pump tracks can be ridden in both directions, though usually one direction will be better.

[@zachhilty6822]

Cool thanks!

[@arthuronanmtb1129]

how many space do you need bc u only got limited amount of space in my backyard

[@SXJEREMY]

Love the "clean cut apeal" to the wife part 😂😂😂

[@davidly9716]

Pump track is so fun!!! ❤️❤️❤️ I love it!! 😊😃

[@skibikeride2000]

Awesome video Phil keep up the great work!

[@4triciadavis]

For the record, some WIVES need to convince their husbands to let THEM build a pump track too!!

[@seanb2108]

Well that'd be the dream to have a wife like that

[@umaysharieff436]

@@seanb2108 true 😂😂😂😂👍👍👍

[@pierce9131]

could you show the pump track design plans

[@firemusic82]

I was riding Highlands and I could have sworn I saw you in the lodge. If so, small world! Keep up the good work!

[@rickhidding6289]

Brilliant video again keep up the good work mate!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Thanks Rick much appreciated :)

[@lukebuchanan9801]

hey phil what dirt jumper is yours i was thinking on getting one or a gimbal

[@plussizebmx]

Great job! Explains some good points for design. Cheers

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Thanks +PlusSizeBMX I really appreciate that! I've had a few questions on other videos so I figured I'd try to make an overview or the process. I think I might make more videos breaking specific parts down.

[@r.b.mtb.edits.4216]

you can also use a broom to get loose bits of soil and little rocks of the jumps

[@gregdurbala5970]

FYI...berms should be anywhere from 6 to 12 foot radius. 6 is very tight so recommend larger, 8 to 10 is best. Roller spacing should be approx 10 feet from peak to peak. Less rollers, larger in size, spaced evenly. MEASURE FIRST!

[@mikedesilets3324]

This is the info I've been searching for. Thanks.

[@evancapozella2343]

Has anyone else watched this ten times

[@lejendpolevault5345]

This is why we love you Phil

[@jyebaker7529]

you should do a video on what dirt to use for a pump track

[@joshuapengson8194]

Fantastic!

[@yoshyoka]

Great video! If the plan is to built it to stay there is a way to cut on maintenance: instead of just relying on packing you can reinforce the features with layers of fiberglass webs (such as cheap window screen) to reinforce the earth. Over the long run you will see no sag or shift. It is especially useful in berms and reduces ruts formation..

[@SkillsWithPhil]

I steer clear of building with anything besides dirt. When you go to change something, it becomes much more difficult.

[@yoshyoka]

+Phil Kmetz MTB Good point indeed!

[@jay.thurston242]

Hey Phil your pumptrack is so cool i just wanted to ask how big should the gaps be between each hill, thanks

[@theclique6257]

DEFINITELY SUBSCRIBING!!!!!!!!

[@isozero7265]

luv it!

[@bulley91]

Yeah i see it now at the and of the video, it was a stupid question sorry :D and thank you for the quick answer! ;)

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Balázs Horváth No such thing as a stupid question, it's easy to miss anyway. Cheers!

[@benebauer6921]

Do more build videos theyre great

[@jacobvargas9006]

Good content

[@aksuvlog5904]

cool video :-D

[@PeterDiCapua]

Hey Phil, I have a 3 year old son and i mountain bike. I don't think he will be ready to go to the trails till he is 6 or 7 so i want to build a pump track in my yard. I have a nice flat area, about 50 x 100 and I want to build something simple to start. I have a budget of 1500$. Can you recommend design/layout tools? I want it to look nice so my wife can tolerate it so i think 500$ for aesthetics only is fair. Thanks for your help in advance! Love your videos!

[@carsonbrockwell8747]

Would love to build myself a pump track But I have nowhere to build it. Good video anyways.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+MTB RIPPS that seems to be a common trend, but if you ever need to, know you at least have a starting point.

[@stubbk3]

great video though when I mentioned it in regard to the garden I got that look your misses gives that says you should walk away now

[@stubbk3]

+Connor Garmonsway7 wife friendly...?..does it come with a sun lounger and wine rack

[@lememeboi7293]

not to be EPIC but this is soo EPIC

[@MrBurtonPE]

What are some specific things to ask for when ordering dirt? Also any tips for building on a slight hill? I figure going across the hill would be best but there is always gonna be a point where you'll have to go uphill somewhat, any tips for not losing momentum at that point?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

That's something I should touch on. Yes perpendicular to the slope is how you want to build. The way to build that is to build the features on the low side bigger than the high side. Also, the features directly out of a turn on the high side need to be small enough where you can get over them without pedalling but the valleys need to be deep enough to generate speed. So essentially bigger features on the low side and deeper valleys on the high side. This also helps even the course a little. Hopefully that made some. sense

[@LucasWildTheeWildBoy]

Phil. What was the size of the area you built your track? I am looking at building in a 25X70ft space...

[@LucasWildTheeWildBoy]

Also, How'd the flow on your track turn out? Looks great. Awesome work man.

[@bordercars]

Phil, is there any reason you would not use some clean brick rubble in a berm to save on dirt. I have a whole load i need to get rid of and thought, yes a track and all the bricks gone as well.

[@pierce9131]

what are the dimentions of the berms and the spacing of the rollers?

[@coen8323]

Александр Абрам haha dimentions and a dirt track

[@romka_ind]

Hello Phill very nice and helpful video, what do you think, can i built a pumptrack in area about 35 15 meters, it's about 100x50 feet a belive. Main rideble bikes are 26 inches hardtails.

[@romka_ind]

oh seen a comment below seem that it will fit.

[@EthanL21800]

how much did the soil cost and what's the cost of that hand roller thing you guys used to roll out the trails

[@laurencejones1338]

That ms paint 👌🏻👌🏻😂

[@hudihuds2525]

how to make compression-berms, what is the standard for 26'' wheels? how to make correct calculations?

[@nicedaytoride2244]

Is some difference between asphalt and dirt pump track for building; radiuses, berms, rollers and other moments?

[@js8375]

I don’t have a machine but good video

[@bfr9091]

What is that amazing hand tractor??? Would kill for one of those...

[@blameitonben]

How tall would you make rollers for MTBs and how would you space them? Every 6 or 8 feet?

[@BsalvaWeb]

This was what I came here hoping to learn, too.

[@TRGP331]

How do you decide how big each feature should be, and how much space to put between features? Noob pumper here...

[@andrewmcmullan6872]

Hey Phil, We have a track that my wife and I built in our backyard about three years ago. It has worn well, but we are at a point where the rain is tearing it up. We are in Indiana, so our winters are hard on it. Do you have any recommendations on ways to treat the riding surface? Ours is very hard, so any time a newbie clips a pedal or otherwise degrades the riding surface, the rain tears it apart. Would a thick layer of clay help with this? Thank you. Cheers, -A

[@Chris-tp1ps]

hi, i know im not phil, but i`m confident that i can help you. i had the same problem as you and fixed it by just getting tarp´s for all the main features that were hard to repair. if that is no option, then i would just repair the track once in a while, because i´ve also tried to put a layer of clay on top of everything and it just gets washed away i hope that helped and greetings from germany

[@charliehornbeck4595]

How long should I let the dirt set for before riding the track

[@bulley91]

Hy guys, nice track! What is the name of the machine you used? Thanks

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Balázs Horváth We call it a dingo, and that's what I've heard others use but I'm not sure if that's what other people call it as well www.toro.com/en/professional-contractor/compact-utility-loaders

[@mikeylindseysadventures4212]

building one now

[@propeller]

what seems to be a perfect radius for the berms?

[@user-kx8ky8bc7n]

Great video! But, in my pump track wich a built I have a problem, when it rains I cant ride because its all floded in some curves and others. Can you tell me what should I do for drainage? Thanks!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Gaspar García Contreras trench under the course and get pipes for diverting the water. That's the only good way

[@user-kx8ky8bc7n]

+Phil Kmetz MTB Ok thanks a lot!

[@logantheener380]

If you put gravel around the corrugated drain pipes it will work drain wayyyy better

[@timc4258]

Where does one purchase clay based soil? I live in MA and have checked a few places with no success.

[@tannerhaul1300]

so I live in nevada sooooo can or will i be able to make a track of clay?

[@maxedleston5190]

if i live in an area with blackberry will it still work? if I'm careful with building

[@powercore9277]

Idk why but i phisicaly cant get trough the organic material what should i do btw i have a 2 meter deep hole for dirt but its far away

[@ryanliu956]

at 1:18, do you mean need to build one jump bigger than the one before?

[@nolanthompson6978]

What type of machine was that to build those berms??

[@fastuvipper]

If I can't get clay what's another good dirt?

[@dereklariviere343]

Can u make more videos like this

[@mkosmos]

Hi Phil, what area size (x*y feet) would you recommend as a minimum for building basic pumptrack, just for fun? do you have to have so much dirt? I see you have built everything entirely with dirt, and I don't have so much dirt, I live on small island where terrain is mostly rocky, I have maybe 20-30 cm of dirt before i stumble upon rocks on my land. Can pumptrack be built with sand rocks and sand?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

You can build a pump track with no imported dirt if you are lucky. If it's not beach sand, Sand and Rocks could be used as a base, but I would recommend covering it with good soil since sand doesn't hold it's form very well. It's more crucial in turns since you are trying to change directions and if the soil has any give you'll create a rut. I think most people try to build pump tracks much too small. The smaller/tighter the pump track that hard it is to ride and enjoy. I would aim for 100x50 but that's quite a bit of land. Making sure you have enough room to comfortably turn and maintain speed you've generated is the most important part. You can get a lot of inspiration from skateparks and bowls. I can keep rambling on and on about pump tracks and building.

[@xheadhunterx6083]

how'd you do the draining

[@AT-yf6cz]

Hey Phil,What do u use if u cant use all those machines

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Shovel, wheelbarrow, pick axe, a rake and friends. This pump track was 99% build like that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZ27n4d5bryIrMU

[@lukewilcox2998]

How do you know where to put drain age

[@krfrench55]

Can you build one for me?! Took you 6 days, would take me 6 years

[@dannylaverton3213]

Is it ok to build on flat ground

[@kynan.bonnice]

How far do you have between the pumps

[@web7360]

What about size of pump roller?

[@bensmith7737]

How did you know how far out to space the humps?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Intuition, but I've been riding for a very long time and have ridden a lot of good and crappy tracks which gives me a good understanding of what works and what doesn't.

[@yoshidabossgaming4991]

Hi there i have soft sand and like bo clay like yoy guys do what should i do and i do not want to spend money cause i live on a farm and want to use my own resources

[@murraymcf7]

Can pls someone answer my question is it good for me and my brother to build a pump track in the woods

[@gregshaw7045]

Well it depends whether ur building it on your property or on public property if on your property then go for it but mind u that others may stumble across it and probably use properly or trash the place basically it depends

[@umaysharieff436]

Yeah but if the land is owned by some other person then u need permission even me I am attempting to build one in a field but I don't know who the owner of the land is, so I am trying to find out. Even though I am only 13 years!!!

[@subscribersnoVidchallenge]

Wow never seen one of them dingos before it doesn't have the back standing plat form

[@andresaenzaguirre]

what's the name of the machine again? great pump track!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Andres Saenz Dingo if what they call us

[@andresaenzaguirre]

thank you, I realized that on your summary list. thanks for your response! keep shreding!

[@empmw]

Great videos, music gives me a headache

[@charlotteice5704]

Luckily, I got that in my town 2-3 km away from my home.

[@chrisc9783]

Why not dirt jumps?

[@kiranjones5298]

I have a property which I wanted to convert it into a track.. Please help me

[@pieroter]

which program do you use for editing?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Final Cut Pro X is what I use.

[@pieroter]

+Phil Kmetz MTB alright, you've got some very good videos by the way, suscribed like 1 hour ago

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Piero Faletto thank you :) I try to make each video my best one yet.

[@ryananderson1931]

I didn`t intend to use this woodworking book, “pepe amazing plan” (Google it) but instead curious about it. I was truly impressed right after trying it. I was seeking to learn more about the art of wood working, and was not dissatisfied. I found several topics such as wood types as well as designing your workshop.

[@progamernoob4514]

is sandy loam good for pump tracks anyone?

[@rico00042]

Where are all the rocks? If I did this in my yard I would be fighting baby head for months because I live in a river basin and it once ran where my house is a bazillion years ago. and roots... lots and lots of roots.

[@mellojello3501]

my house is the same but i still built a track all you need to do is cut the roots with a pruner and when you have you jumps and stuff either sweep the rocks off of the jumps also you can ride of the rocks enough and they just sink into the ground eventaully

[@Stashman2148]

what is that machine

[@alanliftz]

what machine is he using

[@Washawacha]

What if I only have a shovel? Well, maybe I can use some friends, right?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+Kazoo see my other pump track videos from the pump track restoration. That was 99% built by hand

[@ricmontanez5706]

I have a pump track in my backyard

[@pieroter]

that seems pretty hard

[@JoelTGM]

Hm now I'll just need to gather about $300k for a small patch of land and I can start building!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Yeah... if only it rained money and dirt

[@eddiecarlson9616]

Lol he sounds like walter jr

[@molly3269]

we chrid to bliud a pump track

[@vaasmontenegro9488]

What?

[@nickp.2239]

can you rent one of these muchines ?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Yes absolutely, that's what we did.

[@mtbgreg1004]

+Phil Kmetz MTB Did you rent it from a big store like Home Depot, or a local hardware/rental facility?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Greg Gutgsell You can rent them for ace rentals stores. I haven't seen one at home depot/lowes but they might.

[@mattw9999]

what kind of clay do i use?

[@borysfomichev9100]

If you enjoy woodworking plans, you will love woodprix. Get inspired by all the endless possibilities of furniture plans and other wood projects to build, for both indoors and outdoors.

[@murraymcf7]

I guess I’m doing this because my town is so fu**ing dead and there’s no tracks I’m going to have to change that.... 😂🤦🏻‍♂️😀

[@altrocket1152]

Aqxz1 same

[@altrocket1152]

I have no f’ing trails where I live

[@shawnroman5127]

I have to say that “pepe amazing plan” (Google it) is a superb wood working book. It provides lots of general information that would help any novice and even some seasoned wood worker. Surprisingly, this book has been my partner when I wish to look up woods at areas along with other topics such as restoring and salvaging spots.

[@egorlisitsa4100]

If you want to know how to make it yourself, just look for woodprix instructions.

[@sirchompsalot4967]

Who saw the nose/mouth in the center at 00:56?

[@shantaymadison3808]

Go to woodprix if you'd like to build it yourself.

[@nickydarling5208]

Sounds like he's talking with food in his mouth

[@rwolff01]

It’s a lisp

[@tobiasbuiten6758]

you need a new mic because that one is crap

[@edraymond2591]

Tobias Buiten the mic is fine

[@nicolasjamestown5084]

he has a lisp

[@SkillsWithPhil]

+backupthere 5x5 I do have trouble speaking since I grew up with a speech impediment but I don't have a lisp. Why is this something you feel the need to share? Remember there are people behind every youtube channel, these people have feelings. Now I'm pretty thick skinned and used to it at this point but I'd appreciate if you would be a little bit more thoughtful next time.