First track session at the velodrome in a LOOOONG time.
Found it harder than my first ever session years ago.
Have a gander. Was so much F U N!
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And look it’s like halfast 44 to 5 and it’s still light outside I am happy I am ready for spring and summer let me tell you who’s this R for us here I know everyone’s here you look so happy to be here what oh St is talking too
Much getting B on his track 819 this Pro Works do you it you need to go up a bit Jo your glasses on right so as a bit of background I did the um B Drome about maybe a couple years into my Cy so maybe like s years ago and I was fine
Did it and then I came back at the maybe like a month ago was just on that little blue line the whole session for the whole hour just on the blue line I was too scared I don’t know it’s cuz of the crash that I had a few years ago that’s
Just made me extra wary um then we came last week and I finally got up and I was like like oh my God I love it so I just thought I would bring you along today just to share the valum with you all so two of the guys oh quick
Guys s it’s her birthday got a badge for her happy birthday you guys stop it happy birthday thank you basically uh like I was saying I did it a couple of weeks ago I couldn’t couldn’t even go think I just got too scared then I came a few weeks um last
Week sorry and it was just so much fun so we’re coming back again this week it’s a little Raa little Raa Manchester Friday night fun cycle way to give up I’ll get [Applause] you I think honestly when you first got on it it honestly it just makes me so
Scared cuz it’s like it just feels strange that you’re on one side and I think that if I could give anyone any tips that I’m not absolutely not an expert uh it took me so long to get get on but what I would say is the first
Thing and um that I would say that helped me is because obviously it’s fixed gear get your pedal at the position that you want to set off so I need to have my right leg um as the first push CU that just massively helps
I was like I don’t even want to like set off I don’t know where I can push the gear but obviously you can um sorry my mouth’s really dry um so yeah make sure that your pedal is the right angle to set off and then the other tip is I just
Say this every single time when I’m on the boards on the on the Steep sections at either end there must be a name for that I don’t know them um I just go just keep P do that little Dory from Finding Nemo I just go just keep pedling just
Keep pedling cuz that’s all it is and when what gave me the confidence to actually get on the boards again was I saw Alex riding she wasn’t going particularly fast so I thought oh if you don’t have to be can in it cuz I was
Like I’m going to hold up that amount of power keep pushing it I just got scared cuz I don’t know what to expect um but yeah it’s basically just just keep pedaling honestly just got a pedal and it’s fine once you’re up there but my thing is I actually can’t stop so this
Is the hardest thing once you’re up you can stop you can you can next time next time so I honestly think starting and stopping is hard I think that’s the hardest bit if I I’m not going to film it one cuz I won’t want anyone to film
Me but like we all look like so scared we’re happy on the way around and then when you try and stop it’s like fun though I’m going to practice the start and [Applause] stops Honestly I think start stop it is the hardest part would you get pedaling it’s just so so so so so much fun loved it you find it ke like it it’s tiring right I think I just kept going cuz I was like I don’t want to have to stop and start again a
Stevie you did so good distracting me no it was you’re a pro rest of the time Stevie so yeah if you’ve not done V Drome you have to come and give it a go let’s go so so fun especially in Winter are we good I’m so so [Laughter]
Sweaty he like yeah I loved it
33 Comments
At least you don’t have to turn right Katie, we know you don’t like that 😂
I watched part of the European championships in Apeldoorn recently and I was hugely impressed! So fast, and such small margins for error when changing positions/overtaking. Yet, only one minor crash in the 4 hours of racing I saw. Much respect for giving that (steep!) velodrome a go! Also: why is it so bloody hot in those velodromes, lol?
The track is so much fun but it’s such hard work.
Brilliant riding Katie ❤
I love the track should get back on there .
Miss Katie, Awesome post. Velodrome looks like fun but scary. Glad you had fun.
My son has had a couple of sessions at Manchester Velodrome and loved it. He was fine with the fixed gear and really enjoyed it. It's a great venue.
Did a taster session at Lee Valley Olympic park. Loved it but felt absolutely shattered at the end. Stopping definitely a case of mind over matter.
Well done Katie … that looks like fun once you’ve figured out the start/stop bit! Oh and once you’ve mastered ice skating, try a few laps on an Olympic long track speed skating oval (400 metres) … that’s a crazy workout and keeping your edges in the turns at speed can be challenging!
It looks very easy, but really it is not 😃😱
Just keep pedaling? I don’t think there’s a choice!😂 I miss the the velodrome. It’s been many years!
You are 1 million percent right about starting & stopping. I went to the track taster session at Manchester a few weeks ago for the 1st time & once I got used to fixed gear & stopping / starting I loved it. Initially though I was absolutely bricking it! The thought of fixed gear so no freewheeling & being clipped in was messing with my head! 😂
Great video Katie. The velodrome is so much fun and you were absolutely smashing it.
My teen is a trackie and loves it. I haven't tried it yet.
It isn't hard. I commute 22 miles everyday on fixed. But like anything else track riding is a skill set.
Ah, Katie, this takes me back! It's a 'breeze', once you've mastered the 'don't stop pedalling' bit. I actually started racing on the track, Unanderra in Wollongong. Nice, little 6 laps-to-the-mile one but NOTHING like your modern Manchester one. I actually won my first race, which was a short handicap, a club event. I soon realised that I couldn't sprint for nuts but, once I experienced the longer races, I LOVED scratch races, point scores and Madisons. I hope you keep at it, Katie, because a good pedalling rhythm is the key – and I'm sure you've got that.
Many, many moons ago I raced a tandem with a visually impared rider. The ammount of trust he placed in me was huge. He was an absolute monster on the bike!!
Crapped myself when I stopped pedaling once or twice, got complacent, started doing 9's some coach said, never found out what it was.
I said yesterday its still light at 5pm….Wont be long 😎
Nice video, I would definitely have problems with no freewheel. I would like to try it one day but velodromes are rare in my part of the world.
I've been meaning to get here for a while, got a mate that races there weekly! One day (think that's my saying at the moment! 🤣), I'd love to see what it's like
I've done a couple of track sessions. It's very different. Once you have momentum the bike will want to keep on going, so unless you are at really high speed you are working but soft(ish) pedalling to hold speed. It's also good for bunch riding and spatial awareness skills, I have gotten a lot more confidence in group rides since taking track sessions.
I rode my penny farthing on an outdoor velodrome inner Sydney Australia a few years back, stayed on the bottom blue section 😉
i wish there was a velodrome near me 🙁
Oh was there EVER somebody as happy, as you in the velodrome, Katie? 😁
When I first started riding in ‘92, roughly 50% of guys road rollers at least one day a week road a fixie on the weekends through the winter.The combo is probably the best way to build an efficient pedaling technique and learn to spin a bigger gear.
Dont like the idea of having no breaks brrrrr😮
I’ve done it once in London and found it easy and great fun. But it must be the air con or something but I had the driest mouth ever.
Primitive
Yes I’d like to try that. How expensive is it ? Are there set times for 1st timers so I’m not on my own ? What do I need to bring , is there an option for flats or is it clip in only ? I imagine you have to be there before your set time for a briefing of some sort ? Thanks for any help
I tried a velodrome once when I was about 15. It was terrifying but I loved it. I almost had a go about 12 years ago but that was an outdoor concrete track in terrible condition and all I could picture happening was a lot of road rash! I don't know if I've got the confidence these days
Track is the one discipline I always go back to if I need to remind myself how much I love cycling. It's such a pure type of riding and delivers the biggest buzz. I'll be at Newport velodrome this Sunday for that exact reason.
I find the velodrome the most exciting and also the most petrifying thing everrrrr. Dry mouth to the extreme too because no water bottles on the bike and having to pedal constantly with no rest!!! LOVE IT!