L.A. Velodrome

[Mark B]

I had an awesome cycling experience today and it did not, I'm sad to say, involve a Cruzbike. Not even a recumbent. On a wedgie!! Our bike club sponsored a track certification day at the L.A Velodrome, which is one of only eight indoor wooden tracks built to UCI and Olympic specifications in the world. You have to be certified on the track, so you have to take some classes before they trust you to go out on your own. For more advanced riders, you can take a one day class where they teach you the track ettiquette and safety rules. You get to do some drills on the track and just mess around. About 25 of us took the one day class riding rental bikes, which were pretty nice Felt track bikes. I'd been toughening my butt up for the experience by riding my upright road tandem with my wife and daughters.

Those banks are wicked scary, I'm not going to lie. It took me awhile before I was comfortable going up onto, they are much steeper than they look in pictures. Once you're up to speed, sticking on those banks is no problem, but it takes a minute to convince your brain that's how it works. It was a lot like learning to ride a Cruzbike; I relaxed and quit thinking and I started having fun. It was a great experience and I think I will go back, now that I'm certified.

I mentioned my recumbent and he thought nobody had ridden one on the velodrome before. He asked me about the bike and I got the impression he might be willing to let me try it!

It was a pretty cool time, lots of fun.

Mark

 

[currystomper]

I see where you are going

.... a fixee Vendetta for the track -- nice!!



CS

 

[Doc Reyman]

Mark,
Good to hear you enjoyed the track ride.
Here are some HPV records, many of which were set by recumbents on velodrome tracks.

http://www.recumbents.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1410&whichpage=1

I would like to draw your attention to the first posting for the "standing start Kilometer time trial". The first 3 times are by "Fast Freddie" Markham riding various "Easy Racers", but the 4th time is Randy Lindley who was the rider for "Infinity Recumbents" of Mooresville, Indiana.

Thought you would be interested, since you list an "Infinity LWB" as one of your bikes.

Enjoy the link.

Larry

PS to Currystomper--I am the sort of guy who would buy a fixed gear Vendetta!!!!

 

[wpatters]

I just had all 4 grandsons at the Hellyer Park track in San Jose. They were all on recumbents at one time or another.

We all thank the Leone's for putting on an HPV fun day for us.

Bill