SELECTING YOUR DIRTJUMP SPOT by Dirt Builders

Jan 15, 2015

Written by Bart de Jong

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AS WHEN building a new house, you need a good foundation for your dirt jumps. The spot on which you wish to build your dirt jumps should be selected with caution, as the spot itself will affect how good your jumps can get and how long your riding season will be. Unfortunately, we often experience that dirt jump spots are planned with no knowledge on spot-selection, thus many spots are placed in areas which are not optimal. In the following article we give five tips on how to select your dirt jump spot.

1. DOWNHILL
The perfect dirt jump spot should allow for a downhill course. This will make the flow of the jumps be?er and make it easier to get rid of rainwater. Great dirt jumps can be build on a flat spot, but you make it much easier for yourself if you find a downhill spot.

2. THE SUN
The sun is a very important factor to bear in mind when selecting your spot, especially if you live in areas with a lot of rain. Many dirt jumps spots are placed in the woods, which gives great protection from the wind and the pleasure of ‘’being-in-the-woods’’. However, dirt jumps placed in the woods will not be dried be the light of the sun - hence there will be less riding-days. Remember that the sun rises in east and sets in west. All else equal, your dirt jumps should be facing east or west. If they do so the sun will have the best chance of drying your jumps. If you draw your spot in Google Sketchup you can actually place your spot on Google maps and see how it’s exposed to the sun. The wind can help dry your jumps, but it is obviously not nice to have side-winds when you jump. The optimal spot will both allow for sunlight, whilst giving cover from the wind.

3. THE DIRT
The dirt/soil is another crucial factor when selecting your spot. In the woods, at least in Denmark, most of the dirt is topsoil which is not the optimal for dirt jumps. Top-soil is soft and easy to dig in, but it does not pack as hard as clay/dirt and thus it will make your jumps less ‘’flowy’’. The optimal dirt contains clay and few stones.

4. RAIN
It is very simple; when planning your spot you must always think of how the rainwater will not end up in the middle of your jumps. One must make a plan of how to lead the water away from the jumps. Needles to say that you should never build your jumps in low lying areas.

5. SECRET VS PUBLIC SPOT
This is not an easy one. If you build your dirt jumps in the public space you will have a lot of people using them and a lot of new potential dirt jumpers which can help maintain and expand your spot. However, you could also end up having a spot that needs constant maintenance and nobody interested in helping you. Too often people only want to ride. Always remember the rule of dirt:
NO DIG NO RIDE!