IT HAPPENED! MY NEW BACKYARD TRAILS ARE HUGE!!

[@DarrinR]

Have you ever thought of mixing dry hay into your clay when building your jumps (like cob)? It would act more like a composite material and would resist crumbling much better

[@DarrinR]

I hope this comment gets read

[@DarrinR]

Google the advantages of cob

[@raaf6229]

replying to hopefully get this on top, me and my uncle build with the materials (insolation, not jumps) a lot and it works absolutely great.

[@DrumNBassed]

💯 on the Hay, it allows for some rigidity to the dirt!

[@teamdogtv7649]

i s mixing it with concrete is also an option?

[@martynwwfc954]

Having watched 1 minute, I can see you've deffo learned from mistakes. That's an insane handrail, always knew you weren't a complete lunatic

[@Thelandscapingviking]

😂😂😂 I thought the same thing

[@jaredbecker3152]

Man you killing me here. I choked on my food reading that comment😂

[@eirual4rs]

Haha I was reading through the comments to see if anyone mentioned it. Couldn't have said it better

[@xelimtb1452]

But he didn't even build a handrail on this roll in too

[@JakeWolven]

Ain't NO WAY he started ANOTHER build area

[@JakeWolven]

aye I'm the first comment

[@harveybmx]

@@JakeWolvenno I was

[@sajmon_mtb9612]

Impossible

[@JakeWolven]

@@harveybmx i will fight you for the trophy 💪🏆

[@jsbmx2039]

The adhd is strong with this one. So many different spots

[@oneheartfire]

For the cracks, look into how to make a clay plaster. Fill in the cracks, and then do a thin layer all over the surface to create a barrier to water getting in. It's a mix of clay, sand, and straw (not hay). You can probably just add sand to the clay you have and that will be good enough. Do a few test batches with different ratios of sand to clay, slap them on the side of the jump, and see if/how they crack. The clay you have is "expansive" meaning that it expands when wet, so when it dries out it contracts and that's why you get cracks. You need to add enough sand so that the clay just fills the spaces between the sand particles, then it won't have room to expand or contract and you won't get cracks. Adding chopped up straw to the mix will act as reinforcement to make the plaster stronger, but isn't totally necessary. Use a weed whacker inside a trash can ( a weed whip in a rubbish bin?) to chop up the straw. If you are feeling adventurous, dried horse manure is already pre-chopped and works better than straw. I'm a natural builder and have done whole buildings with clay plaster, it will last for years without cracks if done right.

[@substrata4130]

Would be a cool idea, but there’s far easier ways to dial in jumps. Damp, fresh dirt out of the ground (fines), wet the surface, leaf rake or brush the dirt up the lip or landing then simply ride in. Tarp your work to avoid it blowing out. You can also slow cure your sets by leaving the tarps on whilst they cure underneath. There’s also the “painting” technique where you soak the lip and continue to soak as you sweep the surface with a medium brush. You can combine the first technique with this one to essentially paste on a dialed layer. Hope this helps! Yeww

[@Tissa0302]

@@substrata4130how about the sides?

[@getyourwoodout]

Looks dope matt.

[@charlieh_h]

Cheers for mentioning So Solid Crew Matt, I've had 21 Seconds stuck in my head since I watched this video

[@michaelolivarez2871]

Seeing this video warmed my heart. Back in Covid days this backyard trail series got me thinking maybe I should try this mountain bike thing and I’ve fallen in love and now I’m able to finally get my own bike. So thank you to Jamie and the boys for making the videos for all of us.

[@Later_Nerd]

Same here man. I rode BMX for years but eventually stopped and sold off my bike since I hadn't touched it in probably a year. Then 2020 rolled around and I got really into watching MTB KZbin channels. Eventually buying one myself and getting back into riding. Those lockdown videos meant a lot to a lot of people. Probably changed the course of quite a few lives. I know it did mine. I was probably going to stop riding bikes all together. But due to this channel (and many others like Seth, Singletrack Sampler, etc) I will probably ride mountain bikes for the rest of my life. The great thing about it is you can do it even into your later years. Maybe you hang up the fullface and lift pass to ride bike parks at a certain point. But most anyone can get out there and ride a bike through some trails in the woods. That's really the important part.

[@larrygreen9364]

You add straw to your clay and it holds together much better. You could make clay and straw bricks with a simple mold made from 2" by 4"s. Then stack them along the side of the jumps to hold the sides in and prevent erosion and the cracks.

[@weedfreer]

Good idea, except, in order to prevent them dissolving over time, you'd also need to render them with something.

[@larrygreen9364]

@@weedfreer you simply do a double coat of paint. Then you refresh the paint as needed.

[@tommallett8807]

bois it aint a barn

[@GlennNewman-p5k]

Earth Plaster For Straw Bale, The material is as simple as the name implies. Earth plaster is nothing more than sand and clay (with chopped straw, if desired) mixed together in the proper proportions to prevent cracking. When mixed and applied properly, this wall covering will be hard, durable

[@burakbuilds]

Just walked in from the garden building my own trails and now I get to see what you did. Perfect timing. Keep it up it's a pretty good inspiration.

[@Blanked_m]

For the cracks mix hay or leaves with the clay also after that jump it would be amazing to see a miniture pumo track into more jumps

[@iamlazyskater]

Ben is going to need some kind of filming tower because these jumps are so big now!

[@gladdenhandymanllc962]

That's brilliant

[@ManWalksDogs]

top of the roll-in, surely, is gonna be a great angle with a long lens to look down the jumps and get that classic train shot where multiple riders are popping up and down at various focal lengths

[@MrZoo223]

Jamie just carrying the dirt AND the channel. What a BOSS hitting that massive jump!

[@somerandomguywastaken]

Best strat i found with the big cracks in the side was wetting the whole thing a lot, then making wet clay in a barrow with the consistency of wet cement then just filling it. When it dries and cracks again, keep repeating

[@Ironhidemtb]

Hey Matt the cracks are from the jump washing away/ compacting it's self. To stop this id mix the material (add water and get it nice) Then build the jump larger than planned Do it in 300mm layers Wet or rough the surface in-between layers Track roll, legram or roll Once the size you want Trim it with digger And shape by hand This should also stop the jumps getting destroyed in winter

[@sferguson1130]

New Build Series…LETS GO. I’ve loved the complexity and creativity, of your past trails. A clean line though, with consistent jumps like this, that meanders along your property, bringing you back to the roll-in, would be timeless, epic fun.

[@cuanmcgovern-bray7497]

i normally take a trowel and a patio pointer and treat the clay like its cement. mix it in a bucket until its got a decent slump (when you take a scoop of it, drop it on the ground gently and watch to see if it stays still or begins to drop down, you want it to sag about a quarter) this is so its hard enough to maintain shape but wet enough to work deep into cracks. its a slower process but it does help. also id suggest planting wildflower in there and some sort of heather covering as the root systems bind the clay together creating a more hard wearing outer surface although wait until the sides stabilise or else the growing plants will kick off the top layer

[@edwardmartin8234]

Yup. Use chopped up straw. Its what we use to build straw bale houses. We mix an earth plaster to cover the bales. Our mix is 1 part clay 1 part chopped straw and 1 part crushed sand to make a base coat. Mixed with water of course. The straw acts as reinforcing to prevent cracking, the sand just adds bulk and the clay the glue. For what you're doing wont need sand, just straw clay and water. Hack would be to not make the mix too wet and use an old concrete mixer to mix it all up. Could even chuck the straw on an old tarp and chop it up with a lawn mover. Its actually ridiculously simple. Promise. Any straw will do, but not hay. Hay will be full of seeds and will grow weeds, the roots expand and blowout the jumps. They do eventually die when the mix dries but the damage will already be done.

[@dominiczek06]

6:10 make the sides of the jump less steep and plant grass, the roots will hold the dirt or cover it with a tarp

[@TimInertiatic]

Grass is a good call. Lob a load of turfs on the sides

[@philsmeanderings7991]

Just a thought regarding cracks in sides, The reason it is cracking is that it is losing volume through evaporation so a solution if this is a permanent feature would be to sow grass or small schrubs on the sides. This would help to retain water and bind the mix. Used to ride bmx on our home made bush tracks when all this first started out in the seventies, dunny door over a creek sort of thing. Has come a long way since then. Outstanding skills there blokes.

[@ewanwarner3970]

To fix the cracks in the side I usually get a clay paste and fill them in with a trowel and then wait a bit and put dry dirt on top then brush it all with dry dirt later until it’s smooth

[@panthergame]

This seems like a good idea, can just squash in as much clay as you can then try keep it in place somehow till it dries out

[@jaxxfunkable]

Matt, you need a RENDER SPRAYER. Fill it with a mixture of clay/soil/water and spray it into the cracks

[@Nathofagus]

Love your work always. You may wish to look into the removal of the asbestos roof cladding on the shed that is used for the roll in.

[@Seth_Fixsen]

So happy the backyard trail builds are back!

[@MrNathan43]

Back in the day, when I used to build trails, we used to fill the centre of the jumps with either logs tyres or anything to help with less dirt movement, and for the final layers of dirt and mix in a little bit of concrete mix if you don’t plan on changing them like 1 20kg bag to 1m3 of dirt slightly wet and pack it then water and smooth out

[@piet06]

To fill in the cracks on the side you need to mix clay and water and fill it in. Then you can take a sponge, wet it and smoothen everything up. It takes a while, but the surface gets really smooth

[@SS-36963]

For building jumps, build a temporary mold out of scrap lumber/plywood, leaves almost perfect sides/edges. Pour water on the dirt to turn it to clay like and sun bake it harden. To patch, make mud and apply to area, wet area first, build a mold if big area.

[@TimInertiatic]

Ref cracks in the side - if you are going steeper than the angle of repose for the material you are using it will always tend to slump. It's how landslips form. Shallower angles on the sides and back to make your life easier.

[@branbley]

seeing the progression of your builds over the last 3 years has been absolutely wild to follow. Stoked to see how sick it is for you! Always inspired to build watching your videos 🥰

[@tomf1082]

Matt, something i learnt when building jumps as a teenager with dirt that was near my house (which was clay) which used to crack in the heat (I live in Australia) was using old carpet to cover the jumps and keep the carpet wet/moist, I found it seemed to slow the drying out process down a fair bit which led to less/smaller cracks, it also meant that when sweeping finer dirt into the cracks to fill them that it’d stick easier. Just something that worked for me but may not for you, good luck mate!

[@davidballoid2118]

You can use a Trowel and or a pipe bag of muddy clay to squeeze into the Cracks, next time use a binder like straw and sticks to mix with your mud to build your structure with, it makes it stronger against cracking.

[@Hat-san]

What's funny about building jumps is how satisfying it is when you finally get to ride it. Let's be honest we've all ridden jumps exactly like that but it's the fact that you built it and then get to ride it that just makes the whole process that much more fun than going to your normal trails or track. I love my local track but my fondest moments were always building jumps and riding them.

[@muatok9904]

Geo-Netting or Geomat is a plastic nonwoven or grid netting that's used to prevent soil erosion on steep embankments. You would build the dirt mound in layers dirt net dirt net every foot or so, the nonwoven mesh is anchored to the sides with stakes then packed with more clay and finished. That would hold up fairly well with minimal touchup work needed each year.

[@charlesramsey3238]

With this being a new garden build area, I can really see the potential for some big trickable jumps or chill ones defiantly looks good, Jamie’s gonna have to step up his tricks to take over the channel

[@75keg75]

5:48 also - less water when you place the clay or control the drying with a tarp and Slap it as it dries so that the cracks are minimal.

[@chaddy7793]

This series is gunna be sick, Thank you for this Teaser/Trailer/Pilot. Love you guys youre going to make my summer epic!!

[@ghettobutter]

From a civil engineering/land development perspective your bank cut that you're excavating with your digger probably has many voids. When you compact it into forming the jump you are removing all those voids and ultimately you get shrinkage. So the amount of cut you take out of your huge hole is going to seem like much more than the final compacted product. To get more information you would want to research civil earthwork and geotechnical engineering.

[@gavingg4761]

Exactly brother am a ground worker and this is hundred percent true 👍 good knowledge my man

[@RonBMX]

Yesss Sashhhh!! So buzzing seeing everyone get behind him! in the anticipation, it's not always about watching people fail and that's something the world should understand! Gwon lads

[@miless2111sutube]

excellent :) Maybe have a series of jumps which cross over the hedge (don't remove the hedge of course!) will be interesting. Maybe a water feature to act as a drain for the course and an obstacle to jump over and a source of more clay.

[@chriscordova2680]

Peacocks are screaming for more build videos much like the rest of us viewers!!! Bring it on MATHEW...

[@incredible5587]

we built many jumps in similar conditions but what you need to do to run the rollers under ground level is supply a place for the water dig it out a foot extra and put down at least 8 inches of 6 or 7 inch minus stones and cover with stone dust and then pile the dirt up, you will have to dig up a good amount and the sides of the trails as well to help, at least were the whole is. you can fix all your other jumps that way. the water will just sit underground instead of puddling.

[@LowlifeLexus]

You should get a post hole digger attachment for the digger so you make wooden walls to keep all the dirt together for a long time. You can also use the walls to make two lines side by side so it’ll fit in that small line down the field. Imagine the options if each line was on alternating rhythms up and down just super smooth

[@LoneStarGarage832]

What a view! Looks amazing.

[@kracatoaTrail]

Did you know ? Can i give you a tip ? The best flowy line building is when you make rollin after dirt jump, n always have rollin between two dirt jumps, because on bike you make push push pull and this is so satisfaying

[@barnabyeyre743]

sick bro loved watching your backyard vids during lockdown 👏🏻

[@casvanbecelaere6454]

Great video! Awesome stuff! Every build series has led us here! In it to the end! So excited!

[@lewisd2566]

The build lapses will be scrumptious.

[@DODIDA_de]

wow this is the first video in a year that youtube suggested to me I'm excited to see all the changes

[@aleho1]

In desert areas where they build with clay, they still use wooden framework and anchoring. Another solid side would be to use sand bags, also like sandbag houses where they tamper down the clay in the bags on top of each other with barbed wire in between each layer to keep it all together

[@Tboy64]

Let’s go Matt. This jump is by far the best one ever built. So happy you building stuff again! Best series ever Ben j’espère ça va le ventre. La bouffe anglaise aussi 😂

[@WillLovegrove-d6b]

I think if there is a roller that splits into two exits that go both left and right. Both lines go into berms which connects the two lines into almost a square of take offs and landings. This would allow you to make the option of a 90 degree hip or a straight jump. After the jumps I think berms that go back into a roller that connects both lines back into one going straight down the hill. Just an idea and might be hard to understand but in my head it sounds good.

[@Jezdx667]

To prevent big cracks from forming in clay, chalk, or mud when building dirt jumps, there are several things you can do: 1. Add water: Adding water to the soil can help to make it more pliable and reduce the likelihood of it cracking. Try to find the right balance between adding enough water to make the soil pliable, but not so much that it becomes too muddy. 2. Compacting: Compacting the soil before building on it can help to create a more stable base and reduce the likelihood of cracking. Use a roller or compactor to press the soil down evenly. 3. Mix with sand: Mixing soil with sand can help to improve drainage and reduce the likelihood of cracking. Aim for a mix ratio of approximately 70% soil and 30% sand. 4. Use a stabilising material: Using a stabilising material such as cement, lime, or rock dust can help to reinforce the soil and make it more resistant to cracking. 5. Avoid building during hot weather: Hot, dry weather can cause soil to dry out and crack more easily, so it's best to avoid building during these conditions if possible. By taking these steps, you can help to prevent big cracks from forming in the soil when building dirt jumps.

[@cputty1993]

Yeeeeess this is the series i been waiting for :) defo space for 2 lines there but focus on one at a time with the second in mind.. look at villa road for inspiration!!

[@jeddrance6863]

Leave the fence in and jump over it, great start to a new series, look forward to new eps ,yew

[@travisgoble8039]

Hi Matt on thing I would say you need is a quad bike with car tyers on the front to roll and pack the trails you build because tia is what I do and it works a treat

[@Xxuraloser111xX]

Make a slurry with a bunch of clumps and mix until slightly runny. Pour it from the top down and try to lightly pack into the cracks? I used to pour my clay like concrete over fill dirt in the path.

[@shaunzimmerman661]

U need to decide where u want a pond and get ur dirt there! Then fill the hole back up where u dug! That way u won't just have a random hole and u can get all the clay u want and have a beautiful pond as well! If u have a river or springs to fill it on ur property I can't imagine u do not as much farm ground as it is!

[@SmittyDubs]

Jones Bone yard (or something catchy) in the making!!!! That'll be sick to watch competitions held there with pros and everyone!

[@tomjudge950]

Well that’s got to be the name of the new line / series “the corridor” 👌👌👌

[@petemings5059]

What you have there with your chalk ground is an artesian basin... the water level is just there cos the chalk holds it. (You met my mates son at hadleigh bike park with 1 leg a few weeks ago, I saw a great pic you with him) 👍👍

[@robertschaverien1787]

For the sides, makes a clay mixtures and trowel it on the sides to fill the gaps and smooth it out.

[@matthew_pauls]

Straight line of jumps, a proper whale tail at some point (big and of wood like at comps, Ben needs redemption anyway), and with that, you can have that criss-crossy line that you started talking about interweaving through it, sometimes using the same take offs but different landings!

[@ShredReadyFilms]

In my experience with building with clay and sand, and any crappy dirt in between, the best way to get rid of the deeper cracks in the sides of jumps is to slightly compact the feature as you stack it up rather than all at once after it's shape is finished. I've only had luck fixing it after the fact shoving dirt either by hand or by throwing it with the shovel into the cracks after watering it. Then slap the living daylight out of it. Let me know if that helps at all, cheers Matt! 🙌

[@ShredReadyFilms]

P.S. We have those weird birds like at 11:53 back in California too

[@Maxou]

Really amazing

[@Prerp]

To fill in the cracks on the side I usually hold a shovel just under where I want to fill it in then put dust on the top to fall then the exess stuff I drag up then I wet it I works decent

[@zachipwell9193]

I haven’t watched the video yet but I already know I’m going to see Matt knocking on some jumps to show how hard the dirt is 😂

[@angushooper3902]

for the cracks, you need to let the jumps dry out slower by using tarps as if they dry to rapid the will just split apart. also try use less moisture in the soil to make it less like mud and more like a moist cat litter consistency hope that helps xoxo

[@martinhadraba5748]

On our spot we fill the holes and cracks in sides of jumps by hand. Bassicaly, you take a wheelbarrow of fine clay, show it in the previously watered crak and slap it with shovel. It’s a lot of work but only solution to this that I know

[@YorwerthHiraeth]

Loving the peacocks. Sick jump too.

[@brianbaumgart6450]

Best way I know to fill cracks in the side of jumps is wet the sides, mix dirt and water in a barrow so it’s not too wet then throw it in with a shovel and slap it in. It works better on a hot day so the mud dries fast

[@jip7896]

build two hips left and right after so you can over take when you do trains but that jump is butter. making me wanna go find a digging spot and build trails again keen as for the eps for the mattrails.

[@Iamcodzilla]

Incredible work guys - by far the most exciting build project

[@takiskyriakos]

you literally were my afternoons during quarantine matt!

[@kylekeast]

Build a line of perfect straight jumps, then build the extras later 👍

[@kingsaka5042]

the air time on that looks sick. cant wait for another series of building dirty jumps

[@patrickbarrett5790]

So stoked for more of THIS

[@entheogenocide]

Great job matt! You are living all of our dreams!

[@n9vicemtb]

Sick matt can't wait for more

[@chimps4gimps]

Imagine the line with the camera positioned at the roll in and 20 riders sending it hipping left and right and getting some epic air. It would look so cool! 🔥

[@tau93]

get well soon Ben ❤

[@Mank159]

you should consider doing that row of jumps all the way to the bottom then a big berm of half pipe at the bottom with big square jumps all the way back up to where you start. then you can still take the fence out on the other side and build hips or what ever you fancy 🤷‍♂

[@duck669]

you should build a quarter pipe next and to the side of it another dirt jump, so you have an option to stop right after first jump or continue the line.

[@CACOrep]

I think you need to build the base of the jump out of loam, finish with clay. Loam will compact properly whereas clay pumps. It won’t crack as much as it drys out, should help avoid the large structural cracks

[@marleyfuentes8926]

Just watching now😊

[@dawnkangas2968]

Absolutely awesome as always

[@lilloobuzza7098]

On the sides mix straw or hay into to mud and slap it on the sides it will help bond it together

[@cooperriddle6495]

Stoked to see what the end result will be!

[@goatboatmoat2476]

stoked to see the progress!

[@Tonto-ih5ou]

I'm not sure about clay but sometimes when concrete cracks through the curing process ill use a hessian sack and rub the side's of slabs where the shutter has stuck to the wet concrete. its a slow process and honestly its never as bad as what you are experiencing. but with a little elbow grease and a lot of time it may solve your cracking problem

[@bommer-_-9521]

First cover the jumps with a tarp when possible. For the cracks make wet clay and put it in the holes. Then wet the cracks and use a concrete smoother and smooth it out

[@kbnine9one]

Use the first jump as set up and then split and have a line down the left and another down the right... and then both turn back into one line down the middle

[@D-WAKE]

All the stuff I've ridden in the trails that don't require a ton of maintenance all have frames built to retain the dirt in place. Either stone and logs or wood frames made out of 2x4s and plywood.

[@Rogesindustries]

Thanks for tips gents x

[@itsasophiathing7865]

Cove has the best playground at his house

mix some dry straw (corn, bamboo...) to the mix and it will not crack. we do it in mud huts in the woods here in brazil and they last 20 some years with almost no maintance

[@treyavery8430]

The hips on the side are going to be insane that’s the type of line I’ve been really wanting to build so sick

[@paeve362]

Look into reinforcing structures to deal with the cracking on the sides. Practical engineering has a good video on it where he puts a car on a reinforced sand pile and it holds up. You can use synthetics like window screen mesh or as other people have mentioned you can reinforce with organics like hay or sticks. Any reinforcement should improve the cracking.

[@wm05eb]

That’s sick! Fair play can’t wait to see what madness unfolds 😆🔥🔥

[@keithdunlap2701]

You could try taking the topsoil off, and only using the clay. Then , from ground up , doing it in lifts, packing it about every foot with a small packer !! then finish it by hand, when you reach the top...

[@calemfrizzel2137]

Hey Matt I think I have a great idea u could pin and use I reckon as I used to ride trails you could do a double long on the 2 sides of the fence down the long strip and then make a singe pump line down the middle to make it back also burms for the turn around at the end 👍🏽👍🏽 great content have watched all playground eps.

[@Merlcrin1234]

This is sick Matt can’t wait to see more