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trail protection

Jul 29, 2009
59
0
im building in an area that has dirt with a high clay content
also i live in denmark which is wet often and not very hot
meaning it doesnt dry fast and consequently only rideable maybe one third of the year
the videos i have seen in the threads in this forum some times feature jumps that are covered with what i image is something waterproof when they arent being ridden
does that make sense in a country that is wetter and colder?
is there any other way to maximize the number of days i can ride my jumps a year?
thanks
rasmus
 

Mutt

Monkey
Jun 14, 2003
283
8
Lost on Long Island
I'll second kidwoo's recommendation. your drainage and pits should be dialed so that no puddling/pooling occurs; that will be a big help.

As for the tarps, know that they will serve two purposes, one keeping your handy-work safe from the ravages of rain fall (if its really wet in DNK this point is probably huge) and two, in the warmer/dryer months, actually trapping some moisture in, keeping the hard-packed moist enough to not get too dusty or crack as much.

I was never a big fan of the aesthetics of plastic tarps, but in the past two years, I have seen the power of using them to keep your work in good condition and ride more.
 

SDG

Chimp
May 24, 2007
76
0
whats your experience with tarps on public spots? easy acces from the road. Im affraid that kids and other scum will destroy them or even set them on fire?

Maybe these will save a lot ware and tare from those little bastards. They even spray painted some trees with silverpaint.
 

crkt

Monkey
Nov 5, 2008
293
0
In the woods
you should really try to get your hands on one of these... instant jump drying action. plus no little punk will ever f*ck with your dirt piles again.


carpets are legit, just smelly and dirty. I think you should really spend some time on an exquisite drainage system, then just grap some good tarps and a nice flame thrower. it don't get much drier than that
 

poekie

Chimp
Mar 21, 2009
59
0
whats your experience with tarps on public spots? easy acces from the road. Im affraid that kids and other scum will destroy them or even set them on fire?

Maybe these will save a lot ware and tare from those little bastards. They even spray painted some trees with silverpaint.
I wouldn't put some expensive tarps at the middenberm as the chavs will steal them..

as said, go for some old carpets you can find next to the road when people move out.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
I wouldn't put some expensive tarps at the middenberm as the chavs will steal them..

as said, go for some old carpets you can find next to the road when people move out.
Like I said, make sure the carpets are really dirty. No self respecting chav would risk getting his white tank top, white pants and flat billed hat dirty. Not to mention the risk of rubbing his gold chain up against it.

I don't know what it's like over there but in the states most carpet business will gladly give you any old remnants they have since they typically have to pay to dispose of them.
 

poekie

Chimp
Mar 21, 2009
59
0
Like I said, make sure the carpets are really dirty. No self respecting chav would risk getting his white tank top, white pants and flat billed hat dirty. Not to mention the risk of rubbing his gold chain up against it.

I don't know what it's like over there but in the states most carpet business will gladly give you any old remnants they have since they typically have to pay to dispose of them.
I tried that a couple of times but here they actually charge you for some weird shaped piece of carpet..in the end we just used some old but not too nasty ones we found..
 
Jul 29, 2009
59
0
am i to understand that carpet serves the same purpose as tarps? meaning primarily being protection against weather? i always thought that carpet was meant to distribute the impact on a larger area on the jump (and allow water to soak through)
but the rubber layer is actually the important one?
thanks
rasmus
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
am i to understand that carpet serves the same purpose as tarps? meaning primarily being protection against weather? i always thought that carpet was meant to distribute the impact on a larger area on the jump (and allow water to soak through)
but the rubber layer is actually the important one?
thanks
rasmus
People who are too lazy to pack their jumps properly use carpet for that too.


One thing that's nice about using it instead of a tarp is that water still gets into the dirt, but it does it slowly (if that's a good thing in your case), without getting beat up by rain drops. Plus, like a tarp it will keep things moist once it gets dry and hot. And they're heavier than tarps so they don't blow away as easily.

Some features are so big though that there's no way you're feasibly going to use carpet instead of a tarp though. That shlt gets heavy :D
 

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
Carpet is nice too, because you can simply leave it there. It keeps the dirt from crumbling or blowing out from hard landings.
A lot depends on your soil, if it's very loose and sandy, carpet is really good. Harder dirt, and I'd lean towards tarps.
 
Jul 29, 2009
59
0
One thing that's nice about using carpet instead of a tarp is that water still gets into the dirt, but it does it slowly (if that's a good thing in your case)
but will it get as wet as if i dont use anything at all - and possibly dry even slower?

thank you
you are all very helpful
rasmus
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
but will it get as wet as if i dont use anything at all - and possibly dry even slower?

thank you
you are all very helpful
rasmus
Kind of depends on what the carpet looks like. If it's really thin porous stuff then sure.

I just don't like rain dimples. Plus you never really know how hard a predicted storm is really going to come down so personally, I'd rather just keep sensitive things like lips covered.

But it will definitely dry slower.....which is a good thing. Fast drying is what makes cracks.
 
Jul 29, 2009
59
0
But it will definitely dry slower.....which is a good thing. Fast drying is what makes cracks.
My jumps dont crack: its not hot enough in Denmark. What I need (or think I need) is for the jumps to get less wet and dry faster (so Im not tempted to ride the jumps when they are wet). So thats either thick/unporous carpet (which I would prefer because I dont have to remove it before I can use the jumps) or tarps (which I have to weight down and probably loose, because there are some of the characters you have described above about on my trails) - right?

Or would neither solution really solve my problem?
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Well without really knowing your climate, your dirt, or how seriously you pack your piles, I really can't make the decision for you. I can say that if you want your jumps to dry definitely take the carpet off of them while you're there.

Just try it. Carpet is cheap.
 

Flat tyres

Monkey
May 30, 2007
177
0
If you can slap the clay hard enough and get the water out while the sh1t is damp it will dry like concrete. Our stuff is not tarped or carpeted and is bullet proof after the first thaw and until the first frost. It does take some abuse on long dry spells, but if you really dont get them theres no reason why you cant pack it into dj pottery. I will try to post some pics of what i consider bullet proof. We also ride a few hours after rain, if everything is packed and running.