Track Racing...
 

How many people here with track bikes actually race on the track?

How do you get started? Is there a sanctioning body?

I'm far more interested in track racing than I am road racing.

Ask [165]
He is a track god. ;)

this is the sactioning body. http://www.usacycling.org/track/
I am pretty new at it, and like HyperRevue said, [165] knows whats up, he will chime in shortly

I think most of the tracks in the US are run by the local racing associations or a velodrome managment organization. Find your local track and get involved.

Check around for a velodrome. They all have beginners programs. California has 2 velodromes that I know of for sure, I bet probably more. Just call them up and ask when the next beginner class is.

check the track cycling forum.

Also <a href="http://www.americantrackracing.com/">atra</a> for less serious events.

i race track.

another link to check out is www.fixedgearfever.com. it's a great site with links to all the velodromes. it's run by a local racer here.

as others have suggested, go find your nearest velodrome and ask about beginner clinics, etc. more than likely your conversion won't be legal, unless the track is not very steep. i'm pretty sure all the ca tracks are steep ones though.

does anyone know if the l.a. one is open for local racing yet? when it first opened they were just doing nationals there, but not local stuff...

There are 3 tracks in SoCal;
Encino: http://www.encinovelodrome.org/
ADT Home Depot Center: http://www.lavelodrome.org/ and http://www.homedepotcenter.com/event...ompageid=10923
San Diego: http://www.sdvelodrome.com/

All have beginner track racing programs. The closest track to your house (ADT) also happens to be one of the best in the country. I love riding there. Roger puts on a great program. There have been several people that have moved to SoCal just so they can train and race year round on his track. It's a little more expensive because you're also paying for an indoor facility, but it really is fun to ride and there's nothing like dropping down 2 stories of wood banks to the pull line. Nowhere else in the state can you get a 250m wood track with 45 degree banks. Eninco is 250 meters, concrete, outdoors, and about 26 degrees bank. Still very fun just different. It's also good to ride more then one track for experience as well.

kiecker,
do you need a uci license to ride there? the next time i'm in los angeles to visit my brother, i think my bike is coming too.

To ride no. To race a real race, yes.

However that does not mean that anyone can ride the track, you first have to get certified and once you are certified to ride then you're all good to go. Two ways of getting certified. 1. Take a 4 part beginners track course. This is usually held over 4 consecuative Saturdays and is approximately $225. 2. Take the accelcerated track course for $65. This is only 1 hour or so long and is designed for Cat 2 or higher track riders and/or riders that have extensive track and/or road experience.

I had a ton of experience riding fixed on the road and mtn bike riding/racing on coasters and fixed. I still took the 4 part course. The way I looked at it is I'm paying a guy that was a world rank track racer that competed in the olympics to teach me to ride the track. That type of training and knowledge is invaluable. In fact during my training Bob Williams, the track director at Blaine, was in town and riding and even he said he likes talking and listening to Roger. This is also another reason why I prefer riding on nights that Roger is doing training sessions verses open training sessions.

The best thing to do if you're flying in is to send Roger an email and tell him your track history and what he suggests. The biggest thing here is creating a safe riding environment for everyone that's on the track. If everyone who rides the track goes to the same classes then everyone is held to the same safety standards and riding ettiquette.

[165] is at the DMV right now. he's tradig in his track bike for a car.

When I was at the encino velodrome for the messenger track races they mentioned that wednesday was their beginner night. I think it was about $7 to ride, and another 5 or so to rent a bike. It seemed a bit more casual than i would imagine ADT to be. I think, and this is my plan, I would like to take the 4 day class at ADT, but I would like to get comfortable riding at encino where it seems that people would be a little more accepting of beginners. I could be totally off-base on this. Its just my initial impression.

well, I just got back from the DMV - it was painless, yet reminded me why I hate driving.

Anyhow - Track racing is the best. I worked with some pretty dedicated trackies while living in Colorado Springs. I think I saw isotopesope out there on training wheels in 97. :)
I literally just bought my nightly license and insurance and then took down the field when I hit the banks too slow. HAHA!
The easiest thing is to go to the nearest track (or check the website) for info on clinics for beginners and look for CAT5 race night (you will start out at CAT5 and I highly recommend you take your time upgrading - there are a lot of rookie CAT4s that might as well race drunk). Race a few nights as a CAT5 and go to clinics until you have your bike handling skills sharpened to the point where a big CAT4 group is manageable.
Here in Chicago, they have to split up the CAT4 group into halves as it is so big. Personally, I think that there are a few 4s that should hang back with the 5s. Two clinics and one night of racing does not a 4 make. It is not about upgrading ASAP - it is about safety and then speed.
Enjoy!

kiecker,
thanks for the info. i'll have to get in touch with roger the next time i'm out, which is uncertain. i do have my uci license, but would definitely to hear what he has to say and get a feel for the track and so on. that is a STEEP track. i bet it's soooo fast. i would love to race too.

what gearing is common? low 90's here. last season i ran 48:14, but feel better with my 50:15 this year. you guys do keirins out there?

josh,
one night of racing? that sucks. ours is tuesdays and thurdays. the races are broken down into four groups. A being the fastest and D being the slowest/newest. tuesdays is HIGHLY competitive and has cash prizes. we have so many pro's and olympians and so on out here, the A and B races are FAST! thursdays is more laid back, less officials, less entry fee's and no cash prizes.

i can't wait for this:
http://www.colorado-velodrome.org/idgp.htm

You can start as a cat4 on the track by taking a intro class first. Alot of velodromes require such a class anyway and don;t really have cat5 races. I understand northbrook is pretty lax about who rides compared to alot of other tracks.

for CAT5s, yes. Just Fridays. Thursdays is Pro/1/2/3/4, Womens, and Juniors. We need more days for sure. Pros/1/2 should be Tues, 3/4/juniors should be Thursday. Women should have the option to race in category and also set aside Wednesdays for Women.

Just the way I'd do it.

Josh -- next year if you're still here, why not run for Northbrook director after this summer? I'm guessing you're getting a lot of experiences under your belt and getting a good look at the inner workings of what makes the ERV run. Perhaps something to consider? I hear messy things about this year.

CA bound for sure!
I am sure it will work out. If not, someone else will step in. Happens all the time.

The riders at ADT I felt were extemely welcoming. Heck riders all 3 dromes I've ridden have been welcoming. I have found that everyone likes having more and more people riding the track. That's how tracks can get funding, etc to continue and expand....like adding lights in CO for night time racing. It's also nice to pace line off of nationally ranked riders. There are some at Encino, but even more at ADT.

beginners track class this sunday at encino. i'll be there.

i think its $20, another $5 if you want to rent a bike. not sure if they're still taking names for this class, but it seems like it is going to be a great intro to the track.