Velodrome Training Sunday June 19th

The Alkek Velodrome is having another training session this Sunday.  That's Father's Day so it could be a perfect bucket list present for the cyclist Dad.  You can find more details on the Velodrome's Faceboook Page and I have written about the training in the past 

Velodrome Training

Houston's Alkek Velodrome  has a training program that will certify you to race in the velodrome. The next training session is this Saturday May 21st Noon to 3:00 PM.  You can get the details from their Facebook Page which gets updated more than their web site.  They provide the instructor and bike you just need to bring your enthusiasm and bike gear.  At $20 this course is a bargain.

Ever since I first saw velodrome racing in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics I have wanted to try pedaling on the banked oval and was able to check this off the bucket-list a couple years back.  My course was designed to run Tuesday & Thursday evenings over two weeks.  We had rain delays and dates got moved around.  By the end of the sessions our group of maybe 30 had whittled down to 6 graduates.  I haven't raced since but am happy to say I gave it a try and completed the training.  Some advice:

• Get ready to ride.  There wasn't a lot of time spent getting to know you or chit-chatting.  It was hi see that line? Stay above it. Enter the track here and exit there. Now get on your bike.  We went around the warm up circle in the middle of the track a few times (my first time ever riding fixed gear) and then we were on track.  It was a little unnerving.
• Relax.  After each session my forearms were killing me.  I was squeezing the handlebars so tight because riding fixed geared, no brakes, on a bank was such a strange feeling.  When I finally relaxed and enjoyed the experience my arms and hands eased up.
• I would recommend bringing your own pedals.  When I did the training I was too lazy to take the pedals off my road bike and used the old school pedals that were on my loaner bike and wore my running shoes.  Trying to get my foot into the clips on a fixed geared bike I couldn't coast was hard.  For a couple sessions the clips I had were really old and laid smashed against the pedals making it impossible to slip my foot in.  I was already the slowest Fred (damn straight I wore my mountain bike helmet) out there and hearing the instructor yell at me to "get in the clips" didn't help.

Track cycling in Houston! A Trip To The Alkek Velodrome.

Alkek Velodrome

Houston has a velodrome?  Damn straight.  All part of the complete biking experience in Space City.  Alkek Velodrome is in Cullen Park.  What is a velodrome?  That's French for a bicycling track.  IN this case Alkek is a 333 meter concrete track with 33 degree banks in the turns.  Race season starts in March and they have Spring, Summer, and Fall race seasons.  Here is their web site:  http://www.houstoncycling.org/index.php though it looks like their Facebook page may be more active: https://www.facebook.com/AlkekVelodrome

We went in May and had a great time.  This is definitely on my "to-do" list.  They have a training series as well.

 Add a little chalk to the mix and the kids entertain themselves...