The EsherShore crew over in Surrey have been busy building a new pumptrack for 2010. Here’s what Rob had to say:

Esher Shore Bike Park in Esher, Surrey (South-East England) is proud to announce their brand new riding facility for 2010, the Esher Pump Track (a ‘name’ for the new facility is being worked on…)

Created on the site of the old “Dirt Jump” park (built by the hard working guys from Wisley) and what was later on…the “Slopestyle” park (but no slope = no style!), the Pump Track is a perfect fit for this site – this is the third build on this particular site, and we have quickly realised its “third time lucky!”

Photo:Jerome Abed

We have a very large area, made up of a big square and then a long rectangle, this space is relatively flat but has some good elevation change on the right side to keep things interesting; and already has 350 tonnes of hoggins (a clay aggregate) which was imported for the Dirt Jump park, meaning a super solid, fast rolling and durable riding surface

Its somewhat different to the typical ‘backyard’ Pump Track in that we have a lot more space to work with, and the 6 foot of vertical elevation change in places makes it feel more like a 4X track

With all the materials and resources already in place, including a skilled volunteer workforce and budget for drainage, timber and other elements that we are adding to the dirt, its got great potential to become a great mountain bike playground

We started work in August 2009 during the English “summer” and put in a good 2 months of work until things got a little too dry to work the dirt

Photo:Jerome Abed

During the past 3 wet months we have been working flat-out digging, moving and sculpting the Hoggins material, installing PVC drains, test riding, tweaking, rebuilding, moving more clay, bulking up berms and pump bumps, tweaking and testing…

The Pump Track is now running VERY fast in both directions, and we have just built an “X” cross over in the middle, which has dramatically opened up the riding lines, with an inside loop and directional change-overs – its becoming exciting to ride, a wicked cardio-work out and is fully rollable for all riders, with great flow and pump, make sure your forks are setup as you are going to need some proper rebound and compression damping!

We are hoping to open the Pump Track for Easter 2010, depending on the English weather…

At the moment, the Pump Track drainage is riding very well, with the track rideable a day or two after wet weather – its a little slower whilst drying out, but still rideable without ruining the riding surface

In the dry, its stupidly quick, and we have been increasing the heights of all the berms and pump bumps to further increase the riding speed whilst keeping riders in control, as its a fine line between railing a berm and flying off into a tree or hedge!

Photo:Jerome Abed

More info to follow soon; its seen as a long-term project (2 seasons) with the initial Pump Track being established, and then additional splits / loops / sections/crossovers worked into the main track, a secondary pump track built up to the end of the main site (where the  Dirt Jump roll in tower sat) which will be interlinked into the main Pump Track

Long term plans include a whole host of timber features including wall rides, mountain-bike size quarter pipes, launch ramps, north-shore ladders to maintain the flow across areas of vegetation or elevation drop, and a proper set of “double” dirt jumps with timber elements (launch ramps, satellite dish) running through the middle of the pump track site to keep the DJ guys happy

The Pump Track will be suitable for everyone, but we’d recommend riding a dirt jump hardtail or short-travel suspension bike to get the most out of the facility!

As for all riders using the Esher Shore bike park, you will need a helmet, gloves and knee/shin protection, front and rear brakes and to take out either a day pass (£10) or membership (£20 including first ride session and then £5 per subsequent day), and riders under 18 years of age will need a parent or legal guardian to sign their liability waiver on their first visit

The Pump Track is next door to the Esher Shore bike park, and riders are encouraged to session both venues to have the maximum fun!

We’d like to remind riders looking for a wet weather riding fix over Christmas and New Year, that Esher Shore is ideal for riding sessions during horrible weather, as it has steel-wired north shore timber and well-drained dirt trails, all sitting on a sandy hill with free car parking, an on-site bike shop for repairs and a warm nice restaurant / licensed bar next door!

Don’t worry about it being too crowded, we have nearly 4km of trails over 3.5 acres, so plenty of space for everyone

Keep in touch with the latest new on the Esher Shore Pump Track on our website www.eshershore.com, which has links to our Blog and Twitter account

cheers

Rob Cole
Master Builder
Esher Shore Bike Park
01372 476 969