So I rode on a velodrome for the first time...

[JonB]

I've been riding on the road for 14 years and have been searching for something new in cycling, so on a whim I purchased a track bike with lotsa extra stuff on Ebay last fall. I'm in Ocala, Florida, so I don't have a velodrome close by, but I do travel for business quite a bit so I figured I can go to a 'drome in Miami, ATL, Asheville, Chicago, and Indianapolis with my business travels.

Well, I had my first opportunity this past week. With an overnight trip to Fort Lauderdale, I figured it'd be a perfect time to try this out. - WOW! What a blast! I'll admit, I was a little tentative riding around the banked turns for about 3 minutes, but got used to it quickly.

So now questions arise. I'm assuming that there are amateur races at all venues, but how long does it take to get comfortable to pack riding with no brakes and no freewheeling? How does one train for track racing?

[nicrump]

most tracks have development classes and in a lot of cases will require those before racing.

failing that, continue riding during open times with other folks on the track, get used to it. you will know when you are happy enough to give it a go on race night.

have fun!

[Louis]

We have one here in St Louis about 10 minutes away from where I work and it's pretty neat watching the folks fool around on it for the races. I've ridden it once. Unfortunately, under the layer of whatever it is you see in the picture (asphalt I think) it's wood and there are steps every 20 feet of so at the joints. Very annoying as you ride over them. Other than that, it was a blast. At first the turns were pretty scary when I realized how high one could go, but quickly you understand that the bike is not going to wipe out even if you are riding slowly.

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