Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - crashes on the track?

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View Full Version : crashes on the track?


vladuz976
03-04-11, 08:29 PM
anybody here have experience with accidents on the track?
In a wooden velodrome it seems the surface is a little bit more forgiving.
Maybe burns from sliding and twisted ankles due to the straps are the most common injuries?
What about concrete tracks, like Keirin banks in Japan?


mikeetow
03-04-11, 08:36 PM
wood is not more forgiving..

http://img534.imageshack.us/i/tracksplinter.jpg/http://img534.imageshack.us/i/tracksplinter.jpg/192301

xkillemallx16
03-04-11, 08:37 PM
usually your spandex is tore up a bit, in bad situations (where track riders use extremely thin layers) and some slight road rash but nothing too bad. that, or freak accidents like wood going through your legs.

i imagine concrete is worse.


Squirrelli
03-04-11, 08:38 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD5UK-qt9HY

There are not too many crashes on the track, but once it does, it attracts huge media attention. Like the one happened earlier last month.

From my what I have seen, crashes often occur when you DON'T look where you're going, especially when you're moving up track. Always, always, always look to the right to see if you're clear when you want to move up track.

And there are the highspeed crashes at the end of the race where EVERYBODY would try to move into or create a space that is not there, like what happened in the video and similar videos you'd find on YouTube.

If you don't want to be the reason why there's a crash, always look to back to see if you're clear when you move up track, pass on the right, call out what you want to do, communicate with others; hand signals or yell and hold your line.
Will you be riding at a velodrome soon?

vladuz976
03-04-11, 08:40 PM
I've been going to these hobby track get-togethers recently. Haven't had a crash yet.
But yesterday was extremely windy and I almost fell when strong wind hit me sideways while sprinting on the bank. Really scary, because the tracks are concrete.

Squirrelli
03-04-11, 08:45 PM
How fun! :) How do you like it?

Also, stay in the drops, you're in more control if you're in the drops.

If you guys know what you're doing and you are comfortable with the other riders, then sever crashes wouldn't occur at all.

vladuz976
03-04-11, 08:50 PM
It's really fun. Been going to these weekday things that are twice a month. They call it "hobby" get-togther (translated from japanese) but it seems like most of the guys are quite experienced. From what I understand, if I understand it right language-wise, most of them are semi-pros.
We have two keirin pro riders who sort of coach us there on a voluntary basis.
The weekend events are less serious, but still they have coaches there, so I think most people know what they're doing. Except for me maybe as I am the newest member there.

jdgesus
03-04-11, 10:19 PM
where's that one, where the dood slaps the other doods drops after they cross the finish.

adriano
03-04-11, 11:34 PM
ive ridden with that guy.