Speed on a pump track is not about fitness. You can be in great shape and still get beaten by someone half your size who has figured out the timing. That is what makes pump tracks interesting and also a little humbling at first.
Here is what actually makes the difference.
Fix Your Body Position First
Before anything else, get your weight over the bike properly. You want to be slightly forward, arms slightly bent, ready to absorb and push at the same time. If you are upright and stiff you will be fighting the track rather than working with it. Low and loose is the goal. Think about it like a coiled spring rather than a rigid pole.
Push Down into the Bottom of the Rollers
This is the core mechanic. As you approach the bottom of each roller, push down hard through your feet and bars simultaneously. You are essentially trying to push the bike into the ground. This is what generates the acceleration. The timing matters more than the force. Push slightly early rather than at the exact bottom point.
Most beginners push too late, after the bottom. You end up fighting the upslope instead of using it. Try recording yourself from the side and you will see exactly where your pump is happening.
Unweight on the Way Up
The other half of the equation. As you go up the back of a roller, pull up slightly with your feet and let the bike rise. You are removing weight from the wheels rather than pushing into the track. This keeps momentum instead of bleeding it off. The pump down and the float up work together. Neither works well without the other.
Corner Entry Speed Matters More Than Corner Exit
On berms, most people focus on getting out fast. Actually, how much speed you carry in sets the ceiling for how fast you can exit. Brake before the corner, not in it. Once you are in the berm, hold your line and let the banking do the work. Braking inside a berm kills the momentum you just built on the rollers.
Brake Later and Less
Every time you touch the brakes you are throwing away energy you had to work to build. On a pump track the goal is to carry speed with minimum input. If you find yourself braking a lot, slow down mentally first. Work out exactly where you feel out of control and address that specifically rather than scrubbing speed as a general habit.
Repetition Beats Analysis
You can read about pump track technique for hours (and yes, I know what I am doing here). But the skill is physical and it clicks faster through repetition than through thinking. Set aside time just to flow the same line over and over. Do not try to go fast. Try to go smooth. Fast follows smooth naturally once the movement pattern is set.
Two 30-minute sessions will do more than one two-hour session. Fatigue kills timing. Come back fresh and you will surprise yourself.
Start on a Quiet Track
When there are other people on the track you naturally rush or hold back depending on where they are. For deliberate practice, go when it is quiet and you can set your own pace through the whole circuit without pressure.
The track will give you feedback constantly. The feeling of a good pump is unmistakable. Chase that feeling and the lap times will follow.