Getting On Track

by Phil Stephens
January 7, 2000

East Point Dick Lane Velodrome specific comments by Lamar Mauney

June 7, 2001

Racing on a velodrome has a exciting past and present in the United States, from the turn of the century where track racing rivaled baseball for the largest numbers of spectators at events to the successes of super sprinter Marty Nothstein at the last world and Olympic events. Many of cycling's greats have a history with the track. You too, can take part in a renewed interest in track racing.

Track racing has something to offer to every racer, -- from super high speed sprint events, to longer endurance tests, with all events requiring the racer to utilize brains as well as muscles to gain success. Weak points for many racers can be improved with time at the track. Pedaling technique, riding in a pack, the ability to "read" races, are areas improved with racing on banked ovals.

Getting started on the track can be overwhelming at first. I have seen many strong road riders try the track --- only never going back, after being beaten badly by riders with much lesser strength but more track experience. Spending time with a coach or friend, who's ridden the track, can make your first race a lot more productive and fun. Try to go during non-race times (or to training races/clinics) and get a feel for the track surface and your equipment.

There are some basic understood rules of track etiquette that need to be followed, whether training or racing.

1.    Common Sense. Safety is the first priority, always ride as if the others have the right-of-way. Be polite and friendly to others, and you can expect the same in return. Obey any special rules at your particular track. Remember you represent not only yourself, but your club and the sport every time you get on your bike.

2.    Planning.  Check out who's on the track and what they are doing. You will need to work others and what they are doing into your routine. For example, if riders are doing motor pacing you would not want to be practicing standing starts.

3.    Passing.  The faster rider is always responsible for passing safely. Slow riders are responsible for riding straight and allowing faster riders passing predictability. Never "get out of the way" of the faster rider, they will avoid you. Always maintain a straight line around the track.

4.    Track Flow.  Except for entering the track from the apron (the non-racing portion at the bottom of the track) the area from the pole line to the Stayer's Line is reserved for fast riding. Basically the bottom or inside half of the track is what we are talking about. The top half is for slower riders.

5.    Emergency Lane. One meter from the top (or very outside of the track) is reserved as an emergency lane and for riders accelerating for flying starts.

6.    Use your head.  Turn your head in the direction you want to turn and glance back as you gradually move up or down the track. Pay attention to where you are going and over taking traffic at the same time. Your head movement acts as "turn signals" to indicate what you may intend to do, others will use the signal accordingly in predicting your maneuvers.

7.    Stick or Stay. As you approach a slower rider with their head turned in the direction you want to pass, sound off with the command of "stick" or "stay" in order to make the slower rider keep from turning in front of your passing lane. If you hear "stick" or "stay", ride straight (parallel to the pole line).

8.    Practice Starts.  If you are going to practice standing starts in the pole lane, gain permission from everyone on the track before you start.

9.    Two abreast. Never ride more than two abreast across the track while going slow.

10.                       Have fun.

East Point Dick Lane Velodrome is located in East Point, GA, just 7 miles south of downtown Atlanta.  It is one of only three true bicycle tracks located in the Southeast, the others being Brian Piccolo Veldrome in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl and Baton Rouge Velodrome in Baton Rouge, LA.

There are 19 velodromes in the United States.  In the Midwest there are 4 active tracks. The farthest north, is the National Sports Center wooden velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota. The Washington Park Bowl in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Ed Rudolph Meadowhill Park Velodrome in Northbrook, Illinois are asphalt tracks. These facilities have histories to rival any velodrome in the states.

The concrete venue in Indianapolis, Indiana is the Major Taylor Velodrome. Popular tracks used to be in Detroit and St.Louis. A special mention of the Vandadrome --- the 170 meter portable wood track based out of the Chicago, can go anywhere -- indoors or out.  The wood track used for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics is now used in Bromont, Quebec for the North American Masters Championships.

So why ride the track? After all, track racing requires special equipment, and to get to most tracks requires a drive. The short list of current superstars in U.S. cycling will tell that many of the riders first got noticed on the track or included track racing in their ride to the top.

Greg LeMond's first international success came in the Individual Pursuit at the '79 Junior Worlds (where he also won the road race). Pro roadies Steve Hegg and Frankie Andreau were former national amateur champs on the track. World Championship record books tell of US sprinters Sheila Young, Connie Paraskevin-Young and pursuiters Connie Carpenter-Phinney and Rebecca Twigg. So, all riders can learn from the track, if nothing else, the track can offer a bit of spice to the same old training/racing schedule.

East Point is home track to World and National Champions:

Steve Hogan – World Masters Champion; National Champion

Michelle McCulloch – World Masters Champion; 7x Nat’l Champ

        Tommy Mulkey – Olympic Team member

        Chad Rodekohr – National Collegiate Champion

        Adam Payne – National Champion

        Jon Payne – National Champion

        Mike Osborne – National Champion

        Jay Osborne – National Champion – Junior and Senior

        Mark Kramer – Junior National Champion

        Bobby Livingston – National Champion

        Adrienne Schmidt – National Champion

        Shannon Hutchinson – National Champion

            David Weller – Olympic Team Member

        Kent Bostick – Olympic Team Member; World Champion Masters

Equipment for the track is simple, but can be hard to find. A sturdy frame with track drop-outs (or horizontal road drop-outs as long as the bottom bracket is high enough to allow for pedal clearance) will do. New entry level bikes produced in any kind of quantities are limited to Cannondale, and KHS and a handful of European names (Bianchi and Fuji now offer standard track models as well).

There are many good custom steel frame builders that will produce a frame at a realistic custom price. Used frames can be a good bargain.

Wheels are simple way to get your bike to be fast, as the wheels have double wind resistance -- going forward and spinning. Many riders are opting for deep-dish rims with 28 to 32 spokes for all-round performance. Some wheels are tied and soldered for extra strength. Many use a rear disc wheel, but these can be expensive to purchase and very hard to repair if damaged.

Tires are an item that can make a big performance difference. Clinchers are not a problem on the track and will wear well, but most prefer the lighter weight and suppleness found in tubular tires. Many use a light-weight road racing tire, as they wear longer than special track tubulars. If you use tubulars, make sure they are glued on extremely well as the forces to roll a tire are much greater on the track than on the road. Between events it's smart to check your tires for cuts and wear, as a blow out on the track can be more serious to handle than on the road.

Gearing on the track is different than on the road, due to the fixed gear. Riding a road racing gear [53 x 12] on the track can be too big and leave you unable to quickly respond to attacks. Gear ratios are changed by different combinations of front chainrings and back cogs. To select the correct gearing take into account the steepness of banking, the track's distance and the weather conditions.

The steeper the banking the smaller the gear. A larger 400 meter track like Northbrook,IL, allows larger gears compared to smaller tracks like Blaine. Colder weather and windier conditions will indicate a need for smaller gearing. Most popular are 50x15 (90 inches) or 47x14 (90.6) for massed start events on 333 meter tracks. A typical track set up should include 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 teeth chainrings and 13, 14, 15, 16 cogs.

Common gearing in the Category 1/2/3 races at Dick Lane Velodrome are 50/15,47/14 and 51/15.  The Category 4/5, with speeds not quite as high, has many riders on 49/15 with some opting for 50/15 or 48/15 (or equivalent ratios).

Position on your bike will need to be very similar to your road bike. Sprinters tend to sit more forward than pursuiters, so depending upon your riding style, your set up shouldn't vary from the norm too much. Remember that a track bike geometry is set up differently than most road bikes, with frame angles a bit steeper, a tall bottom bracket height and a shorter wheelbase for quicker handling.

Warm up at the track should be done the same way every time. A predictable controlled warm-up will give the best results in competition. Try to arrive with enough time to have at least 30 minutes to ride a warm up routine. The elite level riders generally do a standard pace-line warm up with a gradual build in tempo and a couple of flying starts. This is done in a smaller gear than for racing.

When going to race a track meet, it is good to take extra clothes. A set of arm and leg warmers are perfect to wear between races, as they go off and on easily. A hat to keep from losing too much heat, and a long sleeve jersey can keep you from getting a chill. Always wear gloves when riding on the track. Also to keep warmed up, or to get ready for a race after sitting for some time, rollers or a wind trainer are good to have along. Some riders bring road bikes to keep loose on between races.

There are many resources that can help you with getting started on the track. Besides your local track, which it's own programs to get involved with, many of the local clubs have experienced riders who'll take the time to talk and answer questions. There are not many books which deal with track racing, but an exception is No Brakes! by Sandy Sutherland (published by Iris Press). This book covers a great deal of ground from people to places. On-line there are a few web pages that offer great info. Mike Gladu's "the'drome" is one.

We at the Dick Lane Velodrome strongly recommend even experienced road riders to attend our Beginner Classes before competing on the track.  Our experienced instructors can qualify you for our weekday racing series, as well as provide you with much tactical and equipment information.  The classes cover all aspects of track racing, safety and track etiquette.  Track bikes can be rented for these classes as well (bring your own pedal/shoe combo, and helmet).  For more information see www.dicklanevelodrome.com.

So, try the track this year, borrow a bike and go to a race (but take a class at Dick Lane Velodrome first!). Check out what all the hype is about. Entry fees are generally cheap at track meets. The racing is fast and if certain types of events don't suit you, there are others that you will like.

Short, sprint events like keirin (a Japanese paramutual betting inspired drag race), middle distance events such as Miss & Outs (musical chairs event where one rider comes out each lap), and endurance tests like a Madison (tag-team points race where you literally get to watch and race at the same time). Where else can you get so much fun in two to three hours time?

A typical Wednesday night of racing at East Point is three events for each category – usually a short race first (5 or 10 laps scratch race), a mid-distance event (Miss’n’Out, Point-a-Lap, or 15-20 laps scratch), and a long distance final event (50-70 laps Points Race, Unknown Distance or Scratch Race).  Racing starts at 7:30pm and usually ends around 9:15pm.  Located in a residential area, a large crowd of neighborhood spectators make for an exciting night of racing!

A special thanks to Mr. Stephens for allowing the use of this article as part of promotions for the East Point Dick Lane Velodrome located in East Point, GA (7 miles south of downtown Atlanta). www.dicklanevelodrome.com