It's been a long time since I've done any competitive cycling (1997 ish cycle speedway) and today is the first time back on the track, although this time it's on the fixed geared bikes and much bigger track.
Have to say I'm quite nervous! Other than the speedway bike I've only ever ridden mtbs (although mine has just gained aero bars for the headwinds on the commute!), never road bikes (let alone track bikes!), and equally never been on a fixie!
Looking forward to giving it hell though! It'll be a while before I'm racing anyone other than myself!
First go on the track in a few hours...
Looking forward to going again! 
It was at the Manchester Velodrome. Did a few laps warm up some basic techniques training, a two lap time trial with a short run up to the timing line (from a few meters after the final bank over the line), and a single lap from the gates. Got 38.2 seconds for the two lap and 23.7 for the single.
The fixed gear gave me a new appreciation for how much work my brakes do stopping my weight! Took at least a lap to stop myself after the time trials and caught me unawares once or twice. Felt a little unsteady on the banking at low speed, much better with a little pace. It felt great hitting it at full clack (84" gearing, 50t front, 16t rear) you can feel your weight pushing into the banking.
Trying my best to resist new (track) bike cravings! Particularly as I've seen a few 23.5"/58cm frame bikes around the £200 mark! Doesn't need to be anything special, just in good condition. Currently waiting to see what the bank statement looks like at the beginning of next month!
The British Cycling squad vans where outside when I left. Looks like they must have been in the gym or something. I didn't see them.
The banking is bigger than it looked on TV!
Just after the two lap time trial:
It was at the Manchester Velodrome. Did a few laps warm up some basic techniques training, a two lap time trial with a short run up to the timing line (from a few meters after the final bank over the line), and a single lap from the gates. Got 38.2 seconds for the two lap and 23.7 for the single.
The fixed gear gave me a new appreciation for how much work my brakes do stopping my weight! Took at least a lap to stop myself after the time trials and caught me unawares once or twice. Felt a little unsteady on the banking at low speed, much better with a little pace. It felt great hitting it at full clack (84" gearing, 50t front, 16t rear) you can feel your weight pushing into the banking.
Trying my best to resist new (track) bike cravings! Particularly as I've seen a few 23.5"/58cm frame bikes around the £200 mark! Doesn't need to be anything special, just in good condition. Currently waiting to see what the bank statement looks like at the beginning of next month!
The British Cycling squad vans where outside when I left. Looks like they must have been in the gym or something. I didn't see them.
The banking is bigger than it looked on TV!
Just after the two lap time trial:
looks like the session you had was different to mine. Mine was geared to real beginners - apart from me with proper cycling gear, the others looked like MTB'ers with baggy shorts. But, make no mistakes, it was fun and thrilling.
That first sight of the banking when you walk in was daunting, but once on, had no problem.
By the way, I had a dry cough for a few days afterwards - no phlegm or infection, just dryness. A mate said this was known as "pursuiters cough". Any ideas why? Dry air from the aircon, wood shavings from the track? I am mildly asthmatic, so might be suseptible.
That first sight of the banking when you walk in was daunting, but once on, had no problem.
By the way, I had a dry cough for a few days afterwards - no phlegm or infection, just dryness. A mate said this was known as "pursuiters cough". Any ideas why? Dry air from the aircon, wood shavings from the track? I am mildly asthmatic, so might be suseptible.
Yeah you can go on the trial sessions which are about an hour.
I was talking about the world track championships with a friend from a company I've been doing some work for saying it was the first time I'd watched the racing and was amazed by the acceleration in the tall gears and speed they reach and said it's a new ambition of mine to do 40mph under my own steam without a really big hill! He said he's part of a track racing team who often have training at the track, would I like to go as a novice! I didn't think about it for long!
They hire the track between two clubs for three hours and had alternate track time for the novice and experienced riders.
The people on before us looked like what your saying, standard exercise clothes and using clips rather than the look pedals.
I got a really dry mouth two on the first time around, I just assumed it was down to some really heavy breathing and no on bike bottle or hydration pack to sip. Aircon could be another cause but it didn't feel too cool in there, but I guess it was a very warm day.
I was talking about the world track championships with a friend from a company I've been doing some work for saying it was the first time I'd watched the racing and was amazed by the acceleration in the tall gears and speed they reach and said it's a new ambition of mine to do 40mph under my own steam without a really big hill! He said he's part of a track racing team who often have training at the track, would I like to go as a novice! I didn't think about it for long!
They hire the track between two clubs for three hours and had alternate track time for the novice and experienced riders.
The people on before us looked like what your saying, standard exercise clothes and using clips rather than the look pedals.
I got a really dry mouth two on the first time around, I just assumed it was down to some really heavy breathing and no on bike bottle or hydration pack to sip. Aircon could be another cause but it didn't feel too cool in there, but I guess it was a very warm day.
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thirdcrank
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pigman wrote: A mate said this was known as "pursuiters cough". Any ideas why? .
I always understood that pursuiters' cough was caused by the mixture of aerobic and anaerobic excercise involved in pursuiting i.e. riding pretty well flat out for 3, 4 or 5,000 metres. I think it is just as common indoors as outside.
gaz wrote:Let us know if you reach 40mph. That's a helluva lot (estimate since I don't have a calculator with me) of revs on a 84" gear.
I'll have to start going regularly and taking it really seriously to get that. I'll give it a go, but it'll be a while!
As you say it's near impossible on the 84" I work it out as 160rpm. I've got up to 107" on my daily commute, so could get used to pulling away on that. If I can then it's 125rpm, which is more or less the max I can hold for ten or twenty seconds. I need a whole lot more leg muscle first though!
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thirdcrank
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- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
