What goes into building a pump track? No better people to answer that question than Velosolutions own Claudio Caluori (SUI) and Tim Smit (NED). In this interview they'll take you through the process that will send you straight to your city council to demand one for your own scene. Read on.
Where did you grow up and how did you get into biking?
CLAUDIO CALUORI: I grew up in Zurich, Switzerland and got into mountain biking when I was training as a hockey player in Kloten.
TIM SMIT: I was born close to Rotterdam and was always trying out different sports. I cycled 30 km to and from school and loved going as fast as possible. My first time on a mountain bike was in the Ardennes and I have loved it since.
How did you get into the pump track business?
CLAUDIO CALUORI: Velosolutions started as a trail building company. We were led to pump tracks by the Universe and were the first ones to then build one from concrete and later on, the first ones to build them with asphalt, which initiated the world wide pump track boom.
TIM SMIT: I had started a mountain bike training company and after a while we started to build some dirt PumpTracks. Back then pump tracks didn’t really exist outside of the bikeparks. We completely fell in love with the whole concept of pump tracks as a way to inspire kids to go outside and have fun, and we figured that every city would benefit from having one.
First ever Velosolutions Asphalt Pumptrack in Austria! Located in Neunkirchen, it was built in September 2016.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.