Arizona's First Pump Track to Open in August

Arizona mountain bikers will soon celebrate the opening of the state's first pump track on public land.

A pump track looks a lot like a BMX track. But the idea is to use only your momentum to get through the berms, rollers and tabletops - the less you can pedal, the more you're showing your skills.

The "pump" comes from pushing your arms and legs down into every bump, supplying a bit of extra thrust with each pump. The track is laid out for bikes with 26-inch wheels, though some riders have been known to ride pump tracks on 29ers.

Sweltering Summer Work Creates Pump Track

Volunteers spent the summer months working on the track at McDowell Mountain Regional Park just east of Phoenix. The track is in the southeast corner of the Competitive Track parking lot.

The pump track's grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 27, right before that evening's Mountain Bike in the Moonlight event. The organized nighttime ride is usually held at the Pemberton Trail, but it's being switched that evening for the grand opening.

There's still work left to be done on the track, says Alan Shelton, a volunteer who is helping organize track-building sections. He's still seeking volunteers in addition to some extra funding for signage and a shade structure at the pump track. Shelton's goal is to find businesses to sponsor the sign and shade structure projects.

You can find out more at the track's Facebook page.

Low Price Tag Comes from Lots of Help

The track is a collaboration between park officials and user groups. Local riders were clamoring for a feature that was different from the usual trail-riding experience. Pump tracks have slowly been getting more popular - but the only pump tracks in the Phoenix area are at Rage Cycles and in some local riders' backyards. The McDowell track will be the first on public land.

Donated materials and labor plus some funds from the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona allowed park officials to keep costs to a minimum.

Bumps and Turns Build Skills.

You might not be pedaling, but you're definitely working on each lap. Riders using pump track-specific bikes stand the entire time, and force the bike down at the top of each feature. That puts some good pressure on the quads and upper body.

Pump track riders can apply their skills to their next trail ride, says Chris Cowan, a volunteer helping to build the pump track. It gives riders a lighter touch on the handlebar to flow over obstacles.

And really, it's also addicting fun.

"If I had one near my house," Cowan says, "I'd ride it every day."