Jump to content

How to...start track racing


Alan McLean
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Committee

Be at least a Youth B (age 12) and get advice from club coaches if you are starting as a youth.

 

Get track accreditation. See elsewhere on forum and Braveheart for hints how to get this quickly. This is a compulsory six hour programme to ensure a minimum safe standard.

 

If you can pass accreditation and hang on behind a 50kph derny you can race

 

Get a British Cycling race licence, around thirty to seventy quid depending on add-ons.

 

You must have a BC licence, the coms (referees) are checking this at the track

 

Apply online through the BC website with your BC race licence number and credit card (£10 for senior, £5 for younger riders) by 1800 on the Sunday before.

 

Apply to enter Group D. Although this is nominally the "starting group" the organisers mix up the groups a fair bit so there are some pretty experienced riders in it.

 

Arrive at track by six to sign on. You can hire a bike for the evening for £10-£15. If you arrive by six this gives you time to sign on, change and warm up for 20 minutes. Last sign on is 1840 so you can still get there from work.

 

Find the JWCC group in track centre and set up rollers if you have them.

 

Racing starts at 7. There are currently five groups, A,B,C,D,Youth with four races each so you may have 20 mins between races. Youths race early and finish by 2030ish. Seniors finish about 2150.

 

Check the program and get to the starting gate 5 minutes early for your race.

 

Follow the coms instructions. Drink water. Have fun. Cheer clubmates.

 

Post a report.

 

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Committee

James

 

I did the maths on this a few times before giving in and buying track bikes.

 

You could only convert a bike to the track if it already set up for single speed/fixed riding with track (rear facing) dropouts. You would need to Dremmel off all the redundant cable mounts. The BB would have to be high enough to clear the banking. You would need a track wheelset. You could just about manage with a road chain ring and road chain but it would be pain to find the correct hub and sprocket etc.

 

Even assuming you find a frame I think you would be much better off buying either a complete track bike new or second hand, or a proper track frame and adding bits.

 

It might be worth posting on Braveheart wanted forum.

 

Good luck.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...