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Last night was Night #1 for me on the new local indoor velodrome in London Ontario Canada and the maiden voyage of the Colnago trackie bike.
As a track racer and rider from waaaaaaay back (don't ask but I was still in high school) I had no choice but to ride this wonderful resource so close to home. I'd shown some interest last week in helping the people who will be running the programs, so the fellow in charge of Learn To Ride and Beginner/Rec asked me to attend on Thursday evening, take the Learn to Ride program (everyone takes it - even a world champion if one came along) and pick a session to oversee.
I bought the used Colnago last week from our area's most proficient trackie (he's ridden six-day events even) and spent two days overhauling it. I installed new rims, spokes, tires, saddle, seatpost, bars & stem from my cache and overhauled all the bearing systems.
I also lovingly tied & soldered the spokes (a trackie tradition) and gave the whole bike a final Pledging. The bike was ready; was I?
As this is a new track and run by volunteers, a program to teach beginner riders to ride this serious track had to be devised. One just doesn't jump in at the deep end on this track. It would be suicide. Last week a fellow went out of control and the finally fell off three corners and two bankings later. He left a black tire scuffmark on the boards at the top of the banking in turn 4. I hope he had wet-wipes to clean himself up with.
Tonight we went over the program that our leader proposed and yours truly and another fella Paul (both of us potential instructors) let our leader practise his course on us. We started, like ALL newbies will start, (even the world champs) with babysteps to get everyone on the same page and operating with the same skills and under the same rules. Plus, the program builds confidence and skills in increments - one skill helps the progression to the next one.
The first step was "this is a track bike with no gears or brakes". I'm sure the world champ will know that but his/her credentials mean nothing at this stage.
Soon we progressed to rolling along the flat infield and unclipping and stopping on command. I told you it started out really basic. Heck eventually we even got up ONTO the wood! At first it was on the flat apron around the bottom. Then we progressed to entering the track at the start of the straight and off at the end - not totally as easy as it sounds as the straights are banked at 17 degrees - nothing like the fifty degrees of the banking. Oh I didn't tell you? This track is just 138m around, fifty degrees in the bankings and seventeen on the straights. It's built on what was the ice surface of a disused hockey arena.
If you stand at the bottom of the banking and extend your arm you will just about touch the banking. It's that steep.
Then we had to weave in & out of toilet plunger rubber suckers zig-zagged on the straights. That wasn't too hard but it teaches steering and fine speed control by back-pedalling.
And finally we were ready for the big test. Instead of coming off the track at the end of the straight we were to ride right into the banking. This thing extends beyond your peripheral vision when you ride into it so it looks like you're crashing into a wooden wall. No place for the timid! Once you're into the banking, its 50 degrees dictate that you keep a speed of about 30kph (18-20mph) or you'll slide down on your arse. The track's instigator has ridden as slowly as 20kph (12mph) but he's a very expert track racer. I'll take his word that you can go that slowly.
I rode into the wooden wall and was sling-shotted left with a force that has to be experienced. Like a complete Newb (ok it's 41 years since I last rode a track) I white-knuckled it and went into a steering wobble. Some divine force kept me upright and miraculously I was sling-shotted out of the banking with both tires still under me. I can't imagine why.
I had three seconds to give myself a pep-talk. "Relax [yeah right]. Spread the fingers out. Eyes back into sockets, heart back down into chest and.......................". Whumph, I was sling-shotted sharp left again. The track record for one lap is in the eight second range so nothing on this track last much longer than three of the twelve seconds that it probably takes me to wobble around.
The second banking experience went light-years better than the first. Heck what a fella can't learn in three seconds eh? Four laps later and the instructor called me in. "You did better that *I* did on *my* first lap" he rejoiced. "I hit the first turn and went down on my arse". And that was just last week. I told you that we're all new at this didn't I?
I was hooked. I regained my breath and asked Teach if I could try that again. The second time up the banking I was actually enjoying myself. After that little "pink knuckle session" (somewhat more relaxed than white knuckles) we did some drills that will allow us to ride a pace line in the future. At the end of the straightaway we were to go STRAIGHT when we hit the banking and not turn left. This moves us UP the track without any effort while it slows us at the same time which would allow the rider behind to come through. That was cool after the fright of NOT turning left had gone.
Then it was just free ride. We did a bunch of laps and then drenched in sweat and sporting grins like Cheshire cats Paul & I rolled to a stop. Bob Schelstraete was there; the track's builder and son of the designer Albert.
"How was that?" asked Bob.
"An experience of a lifetime Bob. Thanks for building this track" I replied. Then we all departed. I'll be back next Tuesday to take the class all over again, this time with a real class of Newbs. Next Thursday I'll be in charge of the Beginner/Recreation four hour evening session. The blind leading the blind!
The bike did way better than I did. It's a complete thoroughbred and it has built-in compensation for my inexperience.
Mike T.
PS - that's not me in the pic.
http://www.forestcityvelodrome.ca/index.html
As a track racer and rider from waaaaaaay back (don't ask but I was still in high school) I had no choice but to ride this wonderful resource so close to home. I'd shown some interest last week in helping the people who will be running the programs, so the fellow in charge of Learn To Ride and Beginner/Rec asked me to attend on Thursday evening, take the Learn to Ride program (everyone takes it - even a world champion if one came along) and pick a session to oversee.
I bought the used Colnago last week from our area's most proficient trackie (he's ridden six-day events even) and spent two days overhauling it. I installed new rims, spokes, tires, saddle, seatpost, bars & stem from my cache and overhauled all the bearing systems.
I also lovingly tied & soldered the spokes (a trackie tradition) and gave the whole bike a final Pledging. The bike was ready; was I?
As this is a new track and run by volunteers, a program to teach beginner riders to ride this serious track had to be devised. One just doesn't jump in at the deep end on this track. It would be suicide. Last week a fellow went out of control and the finally fell off three corners and two bankings later. He left a black tire scuffmark on the boards at the top of the banking in turn 4. I hope he had wet-wipes to clean himself up with.
Tonight we went over the program that our leader proposed and yours truly and another fella Paul (both of us potential instructors) let our leader practise his course on us. We started, like ALL newbies will start, (even the world champs) with babysteps to get everyone on the same page and operating with the same skills and under the same rules. Plus, the program builds confidence and skills in increments - one skill helps the progression to the next one.
The first step was "this is a track bike with no gears or brakes". I'm sure the world champ will know that but his/her credentials mean nothing at this stage.
Soon we progressed to rolling along the flat infield and unclipping and stopping on command. I told you it started out really basic. Heck eventually we even got up ONTO the wood! At first it was on the flat apron around the bottom. Then we progressed to entering the track at the start of the straight and off at the end - not totally as easy as it sounds as the straights are banked at 17 degrees - nothing like the fifty degrees of the banking. Oh I didn't tell you? This track is just 138m around, fifty degrees in the bankings and seventeen on the straights. It's built on what was the ice surface of a disused hockey arena.
If you stand at the bottom of the banking and extend your arm you will just about touch the banking. It's that steep.
Then we had to weave in & out of toilet plunger rubber suckers zig-zagged on the straights. That wasn't too hard but it teaches steering and fine speed control by back-pedalling.
And finally we were ready for the big test. Instead of coming off the track at the end of the straight we were to ride right into the banking. This thing extends beyond your peripheral vision when you ride into it so it looks like you're crashing into a wooden wall. No place for the timid! Once you're into the banking, its 50 degrees dictate that you keep a speed of about 30kph (18-20mph) or you'll slide down on your arse. The track's instigator has ridden as slowly as 20kph (12mph) but he's a very expert track racer. I'll take his word that you can go that slowly.
I rode into the wooden wall and was sling-shotted left with a force that has to be experienced. Like a complete Newb (ok it's 41 years since I last rode a track) I white-knuckled it and went into a steering wobble. Some divine force kept me upright and miraculously I was sling-shotted out of the banking with both tires still under me. I can't imagine why.
I had three seconds to give myself a pep-talk. "Relax [yeah right]. Spread the fingers out. Eyes back into sockets, heart back down into chest and.......................". Whumph, I was sling-shotted sharp left again. The track record for one lap is in the eight second range so nothing on this track last much longer than three of the twelve seconds that it probably takes me to wobble around.
The second banking experience went light-years better than the first. Heck what a fella can't learn in three seconds eh? Four laps later and the instructor called me in. "You did better that *I* did on *my* first lap" he rejoiced. "I hit the first turn and went down on my arse". And that was just last week. I told you that we're all new at this didn't I?
I was hooked. I regained my breath and asked Teach if I could try that again. The second time up the banking I was actually enjoying myself. After that little "pink knuckle session" (somewhat more relaxed than white knuckles) we did some drills that will allow us to ride a pace line in the future. At the end of the straightaway we were to go STRAIGHT when we hit the banking and not turn left. This moves us UP the track without any effort while it slows us at the same time which would allow the rider behind to come through. That was cool after the fright of NOT turning left had gone.
Then it was just free ride. We did a bunch of laps and then drenched in sweat and sporting grins like Cheshire cats Paul & I rolled to a stop. Bob Schelstraete was there; the track's builder and son of the designer Albert.
"How was that?" asked Bob.
"An experience of a lifetime Bob. Thanks for building this track" I replied. Then we all departed. I'll be back next Tuesday to take the class all over again, this time with a real class of Newbs. Next Thursday I'll be in charge of the Beginner/Recreation four hour evening session. The blind leading the blind!
The bike did way better than I did. It's a complete thoroughbred and it has built-in compensation for my inexperience.
Mike T.
PS - that's not me in the pic.
http://www.forestcityvelodrome.ca/index.html
i don't think i could do it. you are, as always, my hero.
