Burning in a pump track, the fun way

Superior Bike Park is just about dialed. Time to chase details and burn a couple hundred laps on the main pump track.

Setup

Captain America with the Fox 831 fork locked out, the bars slammed as low as they go, a short seat post and Specialized Rhythm Lite tires.

• The Fox 831 is such a great fork for this application. I locked it out and set the blow-off threshold medium-hard. This yields almost as much pump as a rigid fork, yet it absorbs mistakes and settles into the corners. Rad.

• The lower bars feel great in braaap mode. They’ll probably feel too low for seated pedaling.

• The X-Fusion Hilo 100 is working great, but I feel limited by the seat. A cut-off cheapo post got the seat an inch lower, and that’s all I needed to feel free baby, free.

• I’ve been rocking the trusty Eskars on trails, but I wanted to try the Rhythm Lites. These tires are made for dirt jumping and pump tracking — and they rip! Very fast. Very non-squirmy. Good hookup in clean berms. Great braaap sound.

This experimental Stumpjumper HT EVO-R is turning out to be a lovely machine.

The Captain knows those flags are marking a sweet pump track. I lowered his bars and seat for today’s adventure.

Yesterday’s protocol

• 10 laps one way.

• Rest for a minute or so. Long enough to chat or let someone take a few laps.

• 10 laps the other way.

• Repeat for 100 laps.

Riding time: 24 minutes.

Today’s protocol

• 50 laps one way, switching lead feet when I felt like it.

• Rest for a good while.

• 50 laps the other way, switching lead feet so the lead foot was on the inside of each turn. This was fun, and it felt fast.

Despite the 50-lap sets, my riding time was 24:30 — only 30 seconds longer than the 10-lap sets. I think I was getting smoother as I got more tired.

My effort level was right around lactate threshold. What a fun way to build base. And burn in the track. It’s all about burning in the track.

The keys to endurance pump tracking: balance, vision, line choice and a sweet bike

Know more. Have more fun!

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