Track/velodrome racing
Track Racing takes place on a short, oval shaped, track or velodrome that can be either in the open air or indoors.
- The ends of the track are usually banked and the straights are flat.
- There are competitions for solo riders, teams and bunch racing.
- The track bike is a specialist machine without brakes.
- It has a single ‘fixed’ gear that is also used to slow down when required.
Finsbury Park CC recommend track racing as a valuable addition to the main disciplines as it develops good bike control and a supple pedalling action. We support the Welwyn Track League, run on Friday evenings during the summer and encourage our members to take advantage of the Monday evening training sessions.
During the off season we arrange ‘training’ sessions at Newport Velodrome, South Wales. We also have a monthly evening session at the London Velodrome.
Track racing is fast and furious, and not for the faint hearted. It has the advantage that competitions are usually of short duration and riders can race in several events in the same session.
The road racer, in particular, should spend some time on the track as many events require short, intensive bursts of activity. These constant intervals followed by periods of recovery are invaluable training for bunch racing.
The governing body is ‘British Cycling’.