How to ride a pump track: guide in 7 steps (2026)

Pump track guide: what it is, which ride to use, how to pump in 7 steps, common mistakes, and 5 pump tracks to ride in France, from Meudon to Argelès.

A pump track is a closed loop of rollers and berms that you ride without pedaling or pushing: you build speed by pumping with your arms and legs. You can ride one on a BMX, a mountain bike, a scooter, a skateboard or roller skates. In France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has the most on RideMyPark, with 72 pump tracks.

Key facts

• On a pump track, speed comes from pumping: you push the bike or board down the back of each roller.
• Anything without a motor can ride one: BMX, MTB, balance bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller skates.
• RideMyPark lists 72 pump tracks in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 54 in Brittany and 46 in Occitanie.
• Some pump tracks have lines by level: in Griesheim-près-Molsheim, the black line takes one rider at a time.
• Helmets are often required, as in Griesheim-près-Molsheim: check the sign at the entrance.

Quick answers

What is a pump track?

A closed track of rollers and banked turns, made of asphalt, concrete or dirt. You move around it by pumping, not pedaling.

What bike should I use on a pump track?

A BMX or a small hardtail mountain bike, with the seat down low. Road bikes and city bikes don't handle the rollers well.

Can you ride a pump track on a scooter or a skateboard?

Yes, on asphalt or concrete pump tracks. Dirt tracks are for bikes only.

Are pump tracks free?

Usually, yes: city pump tracks are free to ride. If there are opening hours, they're on the spot's listing.

How do I find a pump track near me?

Open the RideMyPark map, allow location access and filter by the "pumptrack" spot type. The region pages also list every pump track in a region.

Which ride for which pump track?

How to ride a pump track

1. Pick the right line. On a track with several lines, start with the shortest one or the green one. Watch a full lap before you drop in, so you know which way everyone is going.
2. Get into the ready position. Feet flat on the pedals or the board, knees and elbows bent, eyes looking ahead. On a bike, stay standing: you never sit down on a pump track.
3. Roll in with a bit of speed. Two pedal strokes or one push are enough to clear the first roller. After that, you stop pedaling.
4. Get light on the way up. As your front wheel climbs the roller, bend your arms and legs and let the bike or board come up to you.
5. Push on the way down. As soon as your front wheel passes the top, extend your arms and legs and push the bike or board down. That push is what makes you faster.
6. Lean into the berms. Tilt the bike or board toward the inside and keep your eyes on the exit of the turn. Pump through the berm too: you pick up speed there.
7. Keep it flowing. The goal on a pump track is a full lap without a single pedal stroke. Count your pedal strokes on each lap and try to do one fewer.

Common mistakes

• Staying stiff: with straight arms and legs, the rollers push you around and you lose speed. Bend on every climb.
• Pushing too early: if you push before the top, you brake. Wait until your front wheel has cleared the roller.
• Staring at your wheel: with your eyes on the front wheel, you'll miss the next roller. Look two rollers ahead.
• Dropping in without looking: on a loop, everyone rides the same way. Wait for a rider to pass before you go.
• Skipping the helmet: it's often required, and a must for kids.

Where to ride a pump track in France

Here are five pump tracks listed on RideMyPark, picked for their photos and how much interest riders show in them.

Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine): the pump track rated 5/5

The Meudon pump track, on route de la Porte-Dauphine, is rated 5/5 on RideMyPark, from two reviews. From above, the asphalt track links several loops, with berms outlined in pink. There's a skatepark right next to it. It's the pump track to remember west of Paris.

See the Meudon pump track listing

Griesheim-près-Molsheim (Bas-Rhin): four lines by level

The Griesheim-près-Molsheim pump track splits into four colored lines, like ski runs: green for beginners, blue for intermediates, red for advanced riders and black for experts. The sign at the entrance caps the track at 20 riders. The green line takes 3 people, the blue and red lines 16, and the black line just one. Helmets are required. Dogs, alcohol and smoking aren't allowed.

See the Griesheim-près-Molsheim pump track listing

Nouvoitou (Ille-et-Vilaine): the asphalt pump track near Rennes

The Nouvoitou pump track is an asphalt track built by Velosolutions in 2019, 12 km southeast of Rennes. Its photo shows kids on scooters and bikes on the rollers, with berms outlined in red. In Rennes itself, the Beauregard pump track is the closest one to the center.

See the Nouvoitou pump track listing

Les Milles (Aix-en-Provence): pump track plus street obstacles

The Les Milles pump track, south of Aix-en-Provence, adds street obstacles to its track. Its RideMyPark listing has rollers, a kicker, hubbas, ledges, handrails, manual pads, a funbox and gaps. It's a good spot to switch between pumping and tricks in the same session. The listing has no photo yet.

See the Les Milles pump track listing

Argelès-sur-Mer (Pyrénées-Orientales): the pump track on the Catalan coast

The Argelès-sur-Mer pump track, on chemin des Conques, is the French pump track listing people find most often on Google. It has no photo or review yet: if you ride it, add yours.

See the Argelès-sur-Mer pump track listing

Pump tracks by region

Where do pump tracks come from?

Pump tracks come from BMX and mountain biking. BMX tracks in the 1970s and 1980s already used rollers to build speed. In the early 2000s, Australian downhill riders built the first loop tracks designed for practicing pumping, according to Wikipedia. Asphalt tracks later opened pump tracks up to scooters and skateboards. Since 2019, the UCI has run official pump track world championships with Red Bull, according to the UCI. The first sanctioned edition took place in Köniz, near Bern, in Switzerland.

How we picked

The pump track counts by region come from the RideMyPark region pages as of October 22, 2026. The five pump tracks above come from the French listings people visited most from Google between July and October 2026, favoring the ones with rider photos. The Griesheim-près-Molsheim rules come from the photo of its entrance sign. The pumping technique described here works on every track, asphalt or dirt.

Thanks to Jackspots

Photo: Jackspots, who review skateparks and pump tracks across France. Their review: Meudon pump track. All Jackspots spots on RideMyPark.

Keep exploring

• The map of every pump track, skatepark and spot
• The skatepark obstacle glossary
• The best skateparks in Marseille
• Get the RideMyPark app on iOS and Android

Know a pump track that isn't on the map? Add it with a photo: that's what helps local riders the most.