DMC707

I live in Oklahoma city, -- 180 miles from the Superdrome , more like 400 from alkek and 600 from COS --- bottom line - with my sched-- i cant get to the track a lot

Enter my new winter "training" endeavor

I picked up a 26" wheeled BMX cruiser and proceeded to hit the local track -----

laps take about 45 seconds , - the big 26" wheels means i can roll the bmx jumps without having to take too many chances --- and i strapped on my Garmin just like any other workout to track my max speed and heart rate among other things ---

Each lap , my heart rate was flat out pinned at the end --- i rode 6 laps my first day and was completely gassed ---

A great way to get in an alternative workout and have some fun with my 11 year old nephew at the same time

I swapped the flat pedals out for some SPD's with a flat portion and just used my mountain bike shoes -- the prospect of slipping a pedal and bashing my shin terrifies me and installed a bit sleeker seat ( a seldom used butt wedge SLR seat ) - and otherwise hit the track with the bike off the shelf

Remember when they had tryouts for a lot of the bmx pro's about a decade or so ago trying to coax them into track cycling? I think Wade Bootes made a go of it for Team AUS in a few events , and Brian Lopes went to a track event , but i forget his role

carleton

Nice! I've always wanted to try BMX racing. I was big into BMX street and park when I was a kid until I was about 30, then I let it go. Falling on a quarter pipe hurts and you don't heal so fast after 30

I'm sure it's a blast. I've heard a few stories about dads getting into BMX when their kids do it. It's a really big scene that pays more than track racing, too (which is why we can't get BMXers to switch to track...they make BANK!)

taras0000

24" wheels? looks too small to be 26.

Dalai

Nice! Still have my early 80's Malvern Star Supermax in my mums garage. I rode this bike into the ground in my teenage years from which I still wear some scars... Recently mentioned to my wife I might get around to finally restoring it!

Looked very similar to this one picked though I did upgrade my saddle to a matching blue plastic Kashimax saddle.



Have also considered racing BMX which I never did in my youth, but as I aready race track, road, TT's and CX, adding another form of bike racing will be near impossible!

DMC707

ITs a real compact frame -- 22" top tube , but definitely 26" wheels -- Feels odd at first , but its just a straight up out of the saddle 45 second sprint -- I had to extend the post so i could get a breather in the corners (yep , wuss ) , but so far so good --- being an over-40 age group rider, i take safety seriously, so i dont hit the track without full gloves, a helmet and some sturdy pants - which is a far cry from the 15 year old kids out there triple jumping stuff with no helmet and just a t-shirt on , but they will learn when they get my age

As far as the velodrome training tie in , --- check out the berms in the background - asphalt coated
i'm not serious about this being legitimate track training - but my left knee is seemingly destroyed from many injuries and my right one is not that great , --- anything i can do to condition myself to out of the saddle work helps, as well, i can't deny the results when i upload the heart rate monitor results -- just a nice stout interval session ---

I can't say its fun though --- there are a lot of technical aspects to negotiating a track like that at 20 mph that i just dont have (hence the helmet -- but i havent taken a digger yet thankfully )