Yesterday, I finally went out to the Kissena Velodrome in Queens. It’s a bike track – a banked concrete oval, made for riding track bikes (one speed, no coasting, no brakes) very, very fast. Despite having ridden track bikes on city streets for years, despite having lots of friends who race out there, I hadn’t yet taken the plunge and gone out to race.
Yesterday I did. I put a higher, faster, harder gear on my bike (Beth: 48.15 – what do you ride at the track?), borrowed some drop bars, got up early, packed water and food, and went out to the track.
The racers assemble on the infield, making adjustments to their bikes, pinning their numbers onto their jerseys, stripping off casual shorts to reveal padded shorts or bibs. Many are pumping up their tires; more than one put packing tape over the valve hole on his several-thousand-dollar aerodynamic disc wheel. Others shark around checking out gear and garb – I chatted with a rider from Sleepy Hollow, New York, who had a lovely classic Raleigh as well as a totally awesome jersey with the headless horseman on it.
The races are separated by class – Women’s, Men’s A, Men’s B, and Masters. I’m in Men’s B, which has a curious mix of first-timers, the skilled but (comparatively) slow, and the dudes on super expensive bikes with thighs the size of my torso, who should probably be riding in the A group. So, fortunately, there’s plenty of time to wait around and rest between races.
My first race is a match sprint – four riders, two laps. Typically the first lap is very slow as each rider tries to avoid being in front. A rider in back can predict if and when the lead rider will make a move, draft the lead rider, and pass them on the final turns and beat them in the sprint on the homestretch.
As we’re finishing our casual first lap, I’m behind the lead rider, and the advice I got a few nights ago (“Just don’t try to win your first time out”) is ringing through my head. We enter turn one, high on the banking, and I glance behind me. If I make a move, will Nick and Jack catch it? I shrug. I’m not trying to win, I’m just picking up the pace. I dive down the banking with a big burst of speed and as I come out of turn two I get low, low, low in the drops against the velodrome’s backstretch headwinds. I chance a glance behind me – I’ve got some space! I swing around turns three and the bumpy turn four and stay low and put on one last desperate burst of speed and as I cross the line, I realize that I’ve held off Nick and that my friends in the infield are cheering my name! Holy crap, I won!
I sit to spectate for a while, and, between races, hop on a paceline and do twenty or so laps to keep my legs warm, which comes in handy when my group is called to the rail for a 10 lap scratch race. A scratch race is a basic race – a bunch of laps, with winners at the end.
A few laps in, two guys break off the front, and another young rider who I’ve met a few times at bike events asks me to work with him to reel them in. For five or six laps we’re alternating pulls (riding in front, breaking the wind for the rider close behind to be fast with less effort), closing the gap little by little. For a while, we’re between the leaders and the rest of the pack, but the pack catches up as we close the gap. On turn 2 of the last lap, we catch the leader, who pulls up track and lets us go by (remember, in racing strategy, if you’re in front, you’re at a disadvantage! Kind of like golf in that regard). I’m not in great position for the final sprint; a big guy comes around me on the inside, riding on the grass to sprint past my buddy Nick who’s sprinted by (with me encouraging him!). Coming around turns 3 and 4 we lap another kid – Nick uses him as a blocker to ride high on the track and come down fast, and he’s got the advantage on me. He finishes second to the big guy, and I take third. Not bad for my second race!
After that, it seems, I was pretty done. I raced a miss-n-out, where the last person on each lap is eliminated. Mark and I worked together again to push the pace forward, but didn’t achieve any kind of a breakaway. and besides, there’s not much point in a small breakaway in a miss-n-out. I think one is better served racing smartly with the pack, and not being boxed in during the final sprint. We did a good job, but when the pack caught us after several laps, I was in poor position – on the inside of turn 4 – and was caught out.
I also had the match sprint semifinal, against two very fast guys, one of whom just came from behind, ate me and the other like a shark, easily dispatching us. Later, the other pointed out that it’s wise to get the fast guy in front during the casual lap. Of course – it made me wonder why his strategy was just to cruise along at a fairly brisk pace during the first lap.
I also entered a 20 lap scratch, which was open to Masters (30+ year-old riders), all women, the A group, and any Bs that qualified. It was a fast group, and I was struggling to stay on the end of the pack, hurting every time there was an acceleration. With nine laps to go I bailed, pulling up track, and not feeling bad about it either.
Well, I’m hooked. Beth, you helped me get inspired to get out and race. It’s too bad the season is ending, but I’m excited that by next season, I’ll have my dedicated track bike.
I definitely got the courage and skills to go out there because of Heidi’s prospect park race series, summerslam. Awesome stuff.
‘till next season…
Yesterday I did. I put a higher, faster, harder gear on my bike (Beth: 48.15 – what do you ride at the track?), borrowed some drop bars, got up early, packed water and food, and went out to the track.
The racers assemble on the infield, making adjustments to their bikes, pinning their numbers onto their jerseys, stripping off casual shorts to reveal padded shorts or bibs. Many are pumping up their tires; more than one put packing tape over the valve hole on his several-thousand-dollar aerodynamic disc wheel. Others shark around checking out gear and garb – I chatted with a rider from Sleepy Hollow, New York, who had a lovely classic Raleigh as well as a totally awesome jersey with the headless horseman on it.
The races are separated by class – Women’s, Men’s A, Men’s B, and Masters. I’m in Men’s B, which has a curious mix of first-timers, the skilled but (comparatively) slow, and the dudes on super expensive bikes with thighs the size of my torso, who should probably be riding in the A group. So, fortunately, there’s plenty of time to wait around and rest between races.
My first race is a match sprint – four riders, two laps. Typically the first lap is very slow as each rider tries to avoid being in front. A rider in back can predict if and when the lead rider will make a move, draft the lead rider, and pass them on the final turns and beat them in the sprint on the homestretch.
As we’re finishing our casual first lap, I’m behind the lead rider, and the advice I got a few nights ago (“Just don’t try to win your first time out”) is ringing through my head. We enter turn one, high on the banking, and I glance behind me. If I make a move, will Nick and Jack catch it? I shrug. I’m not trying to win, I’m just picking up the pace. I dive down the banking with a big burst of speed and as I come out of turn two I get low, low, low in the drops against the velodrome’s backstretch headwinds. I chance a glance behind me – I’ve got some space! I swing around turns three and the bumpy turn four and stay low and put on one last desperate burst of speed and as I cross the line, I realize that I’ve held off Nick and that my friends in the infield are cheering my name! Holy crap, I won!
I sit to spectate for a while, and, between races, hop on a paceline and do twenty or so laps to keep my legs warm, which comes in handy when my group is called to the rail for a 10 lap scratch race. A scratch race is a basic race – a bunch of laps, with winners at the end.
A few laps in, two guys break off the front, and another young rider who I’ve met a few times at bike events asks me to work with him to reel them in. For five or six laps we’re alternating pulls (riding in front, breaking the wind for the rider close behind to be fast with less effort), closing the gap little by little. For a while, we’re between the leaders and the rest of the pack, but the pack catches up as we close the gap. On turn 2 of the last lap, we catch the leader, who pulls up track and lets us go by (remember, in racing strategy, if you’re in front, you’re at a disadvantage! Kind of like golf in that regard). I’m not in great position for the final sprint; a big guy comes around me on the inside, riding on the grass to sprint past my buddy Nick who’s sprinted by (with me encouraging him!). Coming around turns 3 and 4 we lap another kid – Nick uses him as a blocker to ride high on the track and come down fast, and he’s got the advantage on me. He finishes second to the big guy, and I take third. Not bad for my second race!
After that, it seems, I was pretty done. I raced a miss-n-out, where the last person on each lap is eliminated. Mark and I worked together again to push the pace forward, but didn’t achieve any kind of a breakaway. and besides, there’s not much point in a small breakaway in a miss-n-out. I think one is better served racing smartly with the pack, and not being boxed in during the final sprint. We did a good job, but when the pack caught us after several laps, I was in poor position – on the inside of turn 4 – and was caught out.
I also had the match sprint semifinal, against two very fast guys, one of whom just came from behind, ate me and the other like a shark, easily dispatching us. Later, the other pointed out that it’s wise to get the fast guy in front during the casual lap. Of course – it made me wonder why his strategy was just to cruise along at a fairly brisk pace during the first lap.
I also entered a 20 lap scratch, which was open to Masters (30+ year-old riders), all women, the A group, and any Bs that qualified. It was a fast group, and I was struggling to stay on the end of the pack, hurting every time there was an acceleration. With nine laps to go I bailed, pulling up track, and not feeling bad about it either.
Well, I’m hooked. Beth, you helped me get inspired to get out and race. It’s too bad the season is ending, but I’m excited that by next season, I’ll have my dedicated track bike.
I definitely got the courage and skills to go out there because of Heidi’s prospect park race series, summerslam. Awesome stuff.
‘till next season…
posted by mattio at
10:17 AM
6 Comments:
Especially SPECTACULAR!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! So proud of you! Isn't it fun?!?!?!
I have a couple of comments- based advice i got from masters at the track in san jose (hellyer).
gearing- that is a good gear, especially when you start. i ride a 46x14 (which is 88.7). (you have an 86.4. keep that until you feel spun out. it is good to be smaller especially in off season to practice spinning. too big of a gear makes accelerating hard.
match sprint- match sprints are hard. don't always assume jumping second is "the best." match sprints are all about playing your strength. me, i don't have a great "jump", i.e. explosive sprint. but i do have a good sprint, it just takes me awhile to accelerate. so, for me it is often best to try and catch people off guard and jump first, cause if i get a gap, i can hold it cause i have a long sprint. but if they jump first (and they have a good jump), it is hard for me get on it. in this way, i try to keep the speed high, like that guy in your semi finals. if someone pins me and makes me roll around at 4mph, i am screwed cause i can't jump from low speed. but if i can keep the pace higher, i am in better shape. it is all about knowing your strengths and weaknesses out there....and that comes with time and trying different things each race. so cool!
scratch- cool! one thing, that guy wasn't allowed to pass you on the inside. when you are in the "pole" (inside the sprinters line and blue line) you can't advance on the inside. no passing on the blue line, he could have been DQed for the race. so, don't pass inside the blue line.
miss 'n out- my favorite race! i was the 3rd person out my first time, but now i love it. it is a great race to learn about track racing...cause you need to learn to maneuver in the pack so you don't get boxed in, and also you need to learn to time your sprints so you don't get out. this race is also called "the devil takes the hindback" cause usually there is one person in the race who plays "the devil." they sit at the back and just barely sprint around people each lap. this is usually me. it is very fun, especially if you are good at timing your sprint. but, sometimes you time poorly...and it does get you really tired from sprinting each lap instead of setting tempo up front. but, you are the crowd pleaser and everyone cheers for you..and i like to be popular, so i like to play the devil! ha! but, yeah, mostly it is good to stay on the outside in this race so not to get boxed in.
You are going to love all the track races-- there are a bunch of neat ones, all with funny rules. i don't know what the velodrome is like in nyc, but at hellyer some of the fastest dudes are in their 50s and 60s! it is awesome that people are kicking ass for so long!
Yeah, 48.15 felt good at the track… I generally ride between 70 and 78 inches on the street – going up to the 80s was new to me. It felt faaaaaast.
Re: the scratch – at what point is somebody not allowed to pass on the inside? That guy did it just before turn 3. It sketched me out – he was That Guy that day, always being too close to everyone else.
I’m definitely interested in honing my skills on miss-n-outs. I also want to get a little bit more explosive – I can pick up speed but it takes me a bit, and I really need to lean forward and get smooth and aero to do it, especially when I’m tired. I want to work more on using the banking and not only relying on drafts – when I was intimidated I would just hop on a wheel and chill.
But I think the most fun I had was working with that other guy to close the gap in the scratch race. It was awesome! I felt so accomplished after that race!
I’m surprised at the learning curve, too – I figure I can expect to keep learning.
Unfortunately it was the last official race of the season, but I hope to get out there a few more times for some casual stuff in the fall.
so much fun!
yeah, the learning curve on the track is STEEP. i can't believe how much i've learned! It is a ton of fun!
do they have beginner classes at kissena? they have them every saturday at hellyer, and even if you know how to ride, i think they are really helpful. at ours their teach basics, history and rules of the races, then go into strategy some. plus, it is a good way to make friends with some older people who've been around the block and have a lot to teach.
passing on the inside: you are NEVER allowed to pass on the blue line (under the pole). if you are going really fast and someone is slow in front of you, you have to go up track to pass. it sucks if the up track is crowded, but 'dems da breaks. it is really unsafe, as you experienced. obviously, you can pass on the inside if you are in the middle of the track (like on the stayers line). but never in the blue line. ask your official and he can give you all the rules.
track is all about the drafting and sucking wheel. the banking is good to use, but you always need to be careful and look when you are "coming down." typically, if you are sprinting in the last straight away (like for the miss n out or points race, or finish of a race)- you have to "hold your position" coming out of turn 4, meaning no diving down. this is a safety thing. also, they tell us not to turn around to look who is behind you. cause at that point, you only have a few extra pedal strokes and it is unsafe to turn around at such high speed.
yeah, i hear you on that scratch race-- it is so satisfying to work together with someone to bridge up to the pack! so cool!!!
sorry, i am babbling. as for improving your explosive power-- some of it you can work on, some of it is just genetic. (like those dudes with the HUGE legs!)
this guy, warren, put this on his blog on training tips to improve your jump. he knows what he is talking about -- he just won gold at the masters 45-49 match sprint at master's nationals!!
http://norcalcycling.blogspot.com/2007/08/sprint-training-jump.html
ooops, here is that hyperlink on training for an explosive jump
beth, it's so much fun talkin' bikes with you.
there aren't beginner classes, per se, at kissena, but there are saturday training sessions - pacelines and race strategy. those will go on through the fall and i'll make more of an effort to get out there. fortunately i also get really good advice from some people i'm friendly with who've been going to kissena for years. plus the lady i'm datin' (in front)... so that's been really helpful.
riding home from work yesterday, and still in a high-ish gear (high 70s - i usually ride low or mid 70s) i practiced my sprinting. it really wore me out, in a good way... it took me forever to get home after a couple pints, and with a full bag of dumpstered bread and another wheelset on my back! makes me long for the more liesurely, unburdened rides. commuting does wonders for strength but sometimes i want to go fast without a bag full of crap on my back.
the nyc century is this weekend! long rides with friends are delightful.
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