Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - How did you get into track cycling?

... Well?

I've only owned a bike for a little more than a year of my adult life, and I love love love riding. I'm not nearly as serious or as strong of a rider as most of the people on BF, but I'm a bit curious about track cycling. How did you get into it? How long had you been riding regularly before you decided to take a shot at the 'drome?

And so forth.

I started last year. I started because I was bored, I came across the website for the local velodrome, it sounded like fun, so I just went out one friday and I was hooked. I was riding to work and back (6 km each way) when I started, that's it. I didn't even own a road bike at the time. Once I started I just did spin + the velodrome and I did pretty well in C. The velodrome I ride at is very inclusive, they wouldn't turn anybody away and they make sure everybody has fun.

Bunch of years back I crashed and had to have a knee opperated on to re attach a couple things. As an alternitive to getting back into the gym My coach at the time had me build up a fix gear with some ******** light gear on it. As I got stronger the gearing got harder and harder (still light compared to track gearing). I spent all winter and spring training on a fixed gear on the roads and then recorded my worst year of luck on the slopes. So I quit.

That winter my buddie dragged me out on my fix gear to forest city velodrom to try it out. Id been once before and thought it would be a fun way to skip work that day. Stayed to race that night then went back again and again and again. It didnt take long before I got the idea.

My situation isn't directly applicable as I have yet to set wheel on a track. Having said that I'm moving to Houston and will have a house about 8 miles from Alkek (sp?). A roadie friend sold me his track bike last summer when my company's move plan was announced. It has been a blast to ride. This past weekend I went out and watched some incredible juniors racing at Alkek. Watching those kids power around the high bank was pretty neat. I don't know when I'll be able to get into, or when they hold, the development classes but I am really looking forward to it.

I did road riding for a year, then raced for a year and realized I preferred short crits, the shorter the better. Like I did one that was 11 miles and kicked butt. So I bought a used track bike on ebay and started showing up at informal track races at a short motor speedway. I finally raced on a real track at Trexlertown last week. I love doing three or four races over two hours, to me it's way more fun than one 45 minute race.