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Everything you need for riding pump track according to Martin Söderström
All you need to know about types of bikes, tyre and suspension pressure, pedals and much more.
Mountain biker Martin Söderström is known as one of the most stylish Swedes on the scene. He previously competed in Slopestyle across the world, and has since become a staple on the Crankworx World Tour, taking part in the Speed & Style and Pump Track contests.
1 min
Järvsö pump track style with Söderström
Martin Söderström gets creative on the new pump track in Järvsö, Sweden.
So, there's no better guy to tell you everything you need to get started at pump track, is there? Watch Martin's slick line at Järvsö pump track in the player below, then scroll down to discover all the kit he recommends.
What kind of bike should I ride for pump track racing?
The cool thing about pump track riding is that you can do it on almost any kind of bike, from Enduro bikes to BMXs. Of course, a smaller bike with less suspension, like a hardtail, is the optimal kind of set-up for pump tracks. That doesn’t mean that you can’t come race it on an Enduro bike – it’ll still be an awesome day and a fun race.
MTBs and BMXers come together
© Emrik Jansson
We still don’t know what kind of bike is the fastest and you see people race on different kinds of set-ups on the other World Championship races around the world.
As for myself, I will ride my little dirt bike – a Specialised P3 with 26 inch wheels and 100mm suspension at the front and nothing at the back.
What kind of tyres to use at a pump track race?
You want to run high pressure and fast-rolling tyres that don’t wobble in the corners. I’d say that you should have at least 3 to 4kg air in your tyres. As for tyres, you actually need a different pattern on a pump track made in asphalt compared to one made in dirt.
You want tyres with high pressure and without much of a pattern
© David Häuser/Red Bull Content Pool
For dirt you want tyres with a grippier pattern so that the knobs bite down and grip in the corners, whereas for asphalt you want as little pattern as possible. The more tyre material you have in contact with the ground in the corners, the grippier it is. I will run almost slick tyres on race day.
Should I run clipless or flat pedals during a pump track race?
Normally I'd say go with whatever you feel most comfortable with, but during Red Bull Pump Track events you're only allowed flat pedals.
Many riders opt for flat shoes and flat pedals
© Dan Griffiths/Red Bull Content Pool
To me both clips and flats have advantages and disadvantages when riding pump track. If you're not allowed to have a track stand start, i.e. you have to start with one foot on the ground, it can be hard to get clipped in on time with clipless pedals, but then you might win more time out on course by having more powerful pumps and jumps. With flats you never have to worry about getting clipped in at the start.
How should I set up my suspension for pump track?
As your bike doesn’t need to take any big hits out on track, and you want to carry as much speed as possible, you want your suspension set-up really stiff. When you pump you want the bike to use as little energy as possible and not get sucked down by soft suspension.
Set up suspension stiff for pump tracks
© Konstantin Trubavin/Red Bull Content Pool
What kind of protection should I wear on a pump track?
It’s not wrong to wear a dirt or open face helmet but I strongly suggest to wear a full face helmet. It’s a tight, fast track and if something goes wrong it is always worth having a big helmet on that protects all of your head and face. On top of that I’d wear knee pads and gloves.
Tomas Slavik with his full-face helmet and knee pads
© Saskia Dugon/Red Bull Content Pool
What type of rider has the most benefit on a pump track?
It is actually really hard to say and I don’t think anyone knows what type of rider is the “best” at pump track. For example, BMX riders are really strong when it comes to keeping up speed on fast straights, but then, as they normally ride on tracks with big wide berms, they aren’t as used to keeping speed through tight berms as mountain bikers are. So I’d say that BMXers are faster on the straights and MTBers are faster in tight corners.
