As the saying goes, "You can't win 'em all." This is particularly true in track racing being that the events range from less than a minute to 20 minutes or more. Unless you are particularly talented, you won't do well in everything.
In general, beginner racing is all about
:
- Learning bike handling in a pack at 80-100% effort (note that I didn't mention any speed)
- Learning to draft.
- Learning about your threshold and how to stay under it...and when to stragegically go above it.
- Learning to think on the bike (Points, Scratch, Match Sprints)
- Learning what talents you may have already (sprint, endurance, bike handling, thinking)
- Learning where you have room for improvement. (Identifying these are a good thing)
- Learning when and when not to attack.
- Learning when and when not to chase an attack.
- Learning about your opponents
- Learning the "flow" of the race.
- Learning where (and where not) to stick your nose in a pack.
- Learning that touching a guy's shoulders at +35MPH is not a big deal.
- Learning to feel when something is about to happen and feeling when something is happening behind you without even looking. Little things like the hearing the change in pitch (sound) of a guy's chain (reflecting off of the boards) letting you know that he's making a move to come around you.
As I've mentioned in another thread, there are more ways to lose a race than there are to winning. Don't do any of the things that will cause you to lose and you'll find yourself in a position to win
