Hemel Hempstead Cycling Club

I have had my first introduction to track racing this year and so far it has been thoroughly enjoyable. Track bikes go back to basics, they consist of a frame, wheels, cranks, chain and some handlebars. They do away with all the complicated bits like brakes, gears and freewheels. This leads to some interesting new concepts such as 'How do I slow down?' and 'What happens if I stop peddling?'. So for a gentle introduction on learning to ride a bike again I started attending coaching sessions run by the Welwyn Wheelers (www.welwynwheelers.org.uk) at Welwyn Velodrome on Monday nights. For the first week the novices are kept separate and spend time getting used to riding the bike and learning some of the rules of the track that are required to keep everyone safe. In subsequent weeks the sessions have been teaching various aspects of track riding. They mainly concentrate on the technical aspects, but are still quite good physical training sessions as well.

Track racing consists of many different disciplines and there should be one to suit most types of riders. There are short sprint events, medium length pursuits and the longer races. They also range from individual, head-to-head and bunch type races. The training sessions aim to give riders a grounding in the different events. Sessions include such things as group riding, team pursuit practice and having to jump across gaps to other groups.

After a few weeks of attending the training sessions I felt ready to give it a go at the Friday night Welwyn Track League. The league is split into group A and group B riders. Riders start in group B and after scoring a number of points get promoted to group A. An evenings racing consists of four races with a short rest between each while the other group and youth races are run. The first race of the night will usually a 10 lap scratch race. This will be followed by either a 10 lap 'block' handicap or a 10 lap 'block' pusuit. In the handicap event riders are split into groups that start up to 3/4 of a lap up on the scratch group. The 'block' pursuit has the group split into two groups that start at opposite sides of the track. The points are awarded to the first four riders in the winning group. The third race will be either a 10 lap points race or a devil.

The final race of the night is a 10 mile (35 lap) scatch race which all riders (group A and B) ride in.

The track league has now finished at Welwyn because the running track is due to be relaid. However, in the last couple of weeks I have managed some placings in the top four and so scored some league points. A lot of the racing comes down to tactics and positioning in the bunch rather than pure strength and fitness. Since you get several races each night you can easily learn from your mistakes because you get plenty of chances to make them.

I have found this new discipline thoroughly enjoyable and can recommend it as a nice change to road racing and time trialling. The short intense nature of the races are similar to an interval session, so if you want to replace these with something more intersesting why not give the track a go.

Steve

Local velodromes:

• Welwyn
• Reading
• Herne Hill, SW london