Claudio Caluori and the social effects of asphalt pump tracks
"Pump tracks get practically everyone from toddlers to professionals on their bikes, riding them is fun and a good workout," says Claudio Caluori, founder of Velosolutions. But it wasn't so long ago that 90 percent of mountain bikers didn't know what a pump track was. Back then, these undulating tracks were mostly built by dirt jumpers by hand and from earth and were painstakingly maintained. Even back then, these tracks were fun, but only for BMXers and mountain bikers. These tracks were not suitable for the masses, but that changed many years later.
In the fall of 2012, Velosolutions built the world's first asphalt pump track in Chur as part of a playground renovation. Instead of noise complaints, there was praise and many happy users - especially children. This "gamechanger project" put the pump tracks and Caluori's company on the road to success. Today, Velosolutions builds around 60 pump tracks every year. Judging by the social effect they have, there should be many more, as Claudio Caluori explains in a major interview in the September issue of Ride.
In fact, pump tracks not only promote exercise, but also social interaction. And in poorer countries in particular, it keeps young people off the streets. The best example, however, comes from not-so-distant Glasgow in the UK. There, crime in one affected neighborhood was reduced by 50 percent. The fact that this was only possible thanks to a sports infrastructure is a considerable success.
However, these successes are no reason for Caluori to shift down a gear. Especially not when it comes to helping to finance a pump track in countries where there is hardly any money available. With the #pumpforpeace initiative, he has launched a kind of "pump track charity" that collects donations through various campaigns and in turn makes pump tracks possible. One prominent example is Lesotho, where the first #pumpforpeace track was built.
Claudio Caluori puts in an above-average number of hours, sometimes sacrificing sleep and hobbies, but is still happy and doesn't seem tired. His explanation: "I don't think you could ever get as much motivation with money as with the emotions we have every time we open a new pump track. Hardly anyone would do it just for the money." The entire interview with Claudio Caluori can be read in the special interview edition of Ride.
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Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.