Having watched it being pieced together over the last week or so, the Pump Track in Les Gets is now open for riders in 2016!
We headed down after school yesterday for a quick blast… Nina chickened out, T struggled with his big bike, I fell off (much to Nina’s amusement) and Izzy got off to a flying start!
The pump track in Les Gets is an annual feature during the summer. It’s in the middle of town and replaces the ice rink which sits in the same place in the winter. It’s free to use, helmets are compulsory, “it’s imperative that you lace your shoes up” and kids under 10 must be supervised by a responsible adult. It was great fun, although I’m aching like mad this morning. It definitely uses some different muscle groups that have obviously been chilling out over the winter.
Pump tracks are designed to be ridden without pedalling. The idea is to use your body to weight and unweight yourself and the bike over the bumps as well as into and out of the bermed corners. This pumping technique generates speed and removes the need to pedal. It’s a great skill to use out on the trails and these kind of tracks are fantastic for perfecting it.
We’re told it gets pretty rammed here in the summer months and apparently even though there a mix of little kids and big kids (adults included), there’s good etiquette down there. Everyone gets a go and a good bit of encouragement. We’re going to make the most of it though, while it’s still quiet.
This track will also feature in the the Crankworx schedule of events including a Kidsworx competition. Iz isn’t interest in entering but we’re hoping she might fancy a go nearer the time.
You can check out a live feed of the track at any time on one of the Les Gets webcams. It’s good for checking how busy it is before heading down there or if you’re lucky, to catch someone like me landing in a heap!
Our family mission next time is to get Nina and T all the way around…
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