Track Cycling - Alkek adult cycling league

I just took my first two classes at the Alkek velodrome in Houston and it is the most fun I have had on the bike in a while. I retuned to cycling last year at the age of 40 after almost 8 years off the bike. I've gained nearly 50 lbs since my racing days but am looking forward to loosing most of it. Currently at 225 lbs down from 235 so I still have a way to go.

I started riding a fixed gear conversion about 6 months ago and just recently bought a NOS '03 Bianchi Pista on Ebay for the track. After a few bike handling drills we did a 200m flying start TT and I managed to do a 15.02 with a less than stellar start. We were supposed to make one complete lap around the track before doing the 200m but I had a brain fart and thought I already did my warm up lap. Basically I didn't get my speed up enough before the start.

Last night we did a standing start 500m. My time was 44.17. The first lap went well but that last half lap I just ran out of juice and it felt like everything was going in slow motion. I am not looking forward to the 1000m next week. I will have to do a little bit of conserving on that one.

I highly recommend taking the classes at your local velodrome. It's been a blast. When I woke up yesterday and it was raining I was so bummed, but the skies cleared in the afternoon and the classes were on.

After the classes are complete in a couple of weeks all of the previous classes from earlier in the year are getting together for our final exam. One night of races just for us beginners. It's going to be great. I can't wait.

Congrats on your return to cycling. I'm 38 and I participated in my first night of races last night, and feeling very sore today. But can't wait to do it all over again. I didn't take any real classes, just some other guys took us around the track a few times, and showed us the basics, but I hear some classes might be in the works. I pretty much stayed at the back of the pack (not that I really had a choice) :D It was a really painful experience to just hang on but it was so much fun.
I posted some pics in another thread.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=1132566#post1132566

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=1133221#post1133221

That velodrome is great. What a resource we are lucky to have it.

I've been toying with the idea of taking Track 101 at the
Superdrome in Frisco just to be able to say I've done it.
I've always been afraid I'm just too slow for track riding
but your post has me thinking it might not be so bad. . .

Marty

Classes at the new ADT Center are on my list of must-do summer activities.

Last night was the 3rd night of classes and I did improve my 200m time to 14.55. I think I can still knock of maybe 1 sec off that with a better start. It was good enough to give me the third seed for our match sprints out of 12 riders. I won my first heat easily against a slower rider. The second heat had three riders and one guy jumped very early and left us behind. I kept the other one to the outside of the track and held him off for second. In the bronze medal match I drew the first position as I did in both of the other two matches. I let him get higher on the track and he dove down to the sprinters lane with about 300m to go and got a 3 bike lead on me. I caught up to him in the middle of the last turn and had to go outside of him to attempt a pass. I ended up just about a half a wheel short at the line. That gave me fourth overall. Maybe next time.

I hooked up an computer on the track bike for last nights class just to see how fast things were going. I never even looked at during any of the track time but it did record the top speed. It was 52 kph which is 32.2 mph. I don't know at which point that was taken.

I think I am hooked! I can't wait until Wednesday.