Band-aids, laughter and the speed of bikes

Here at the pump track, a short distance from the village houses, we meet three twelve-year-olds who know each other inside out: Milo Mickelsson and Ruben Resebo from Sänna, and Oskar Björkman from Bastedalen. All three attend Närlundaskolan in Askersund — but when the school day ends, this is where they’re often drawn.

They ride lap after lap, almost without speaking, as if the track itself guides their movements. Still, they’re happy to pause and explain when asked.

Milo leans over his handlebars and gestures with his hands to show how it’s done:
“You kind of have to pull up on the handlebars just before the jump and at the same time push down with your legs. But mostly it’s about feeling it,” he says.

Oskar nods and laughs as he talks about speed.
“It gets more fun the faster you go. If you carry speed through the turns, you can jump much higher!”

On a pump track, you don’t really pedal. You pump your way forward over the rollers, build speed in the dips and let the motion carry you onward. It looks simple, but you quickly understand that many hours of practice lie behind every perfect turn.

And many hours also lie behind the track itself.

The boys were involved when it was built, together with their families. They remember trees being cut down, carrying sand, digging with shovels and pushing wheelbarrows back and forth before the asphalt was laid.

“We worked really hard!” Ruben says, thinking back.

When the track was inaugurated, it turned into a real celebration: lots of people, curious cyclists — and free soda from Hammars bryggeri, which made the day extra memorable. It’s something they still talk about with sparkling eyes.

Next to the track there is now a barbecue area with benches where families gather. Birthdays have been celebrated here, ghost walks arranged, and laughter has carried on long into the evening. When the sun sets, solar-powered lights switch on, and the riding can continue into dusk.

“It’s nice to be able to ride even when it starts getting dark,” Milo says.

But life at the track isn’t only about joy.

With a sweeping gesture, Oskar shows how he once flew over the handlebars and landed with them in his stomach.
“That really hurt,” he says, laughing a little at the memory.

It hurts just imagining the crash — and perhaps that’s why there’s a mailbox filled with Band-Aids and dressings by the information sign.

Sometimes the boys also feel disappointed when someone damages or litters around the track.

“It’s so unnecessary,” Ruben says, more serious now.

Then it feels important to know that adults in the village make sure the track is maintained and kept in good condition.

Right next to the pump track, a small forest trail has also begun to take shape. There’s a homemade teeter board across the path that they balance over with their bikes.

“It’s hard to ride, but that just makes it fun!” Oskar says, rolling up onto it without hesitation.

When they talk about their favorite kinds of cycling, they mention downhill, flow track and big jump — words that all carry the same meaning: speed, technique and courage.

In the end, they set off again — three friends in motion, three silhouettes blending into the evening sky.

It is thanks to Hammarslaget, which embraced the project with open arms, to its volunteer members who did the work, and to support from local sponsors and Leader Inlandet, that the asphalt paving could be carried out. In turn, this has meant that maintenance is minimal and that Sänna Pumptrack will remain in great condition and rideable for many years to come.