“I think I’ll stick to cycling on the road.”
That’s the short version of my brief dalliance with cycling at the velodrome in Manchester!
We’d bought Louis, our friends son, a taster session at the velodrome for Christmas and booked in last Friday. I’ve been to the track a few times, but never to cycle and I hadn’t really appreciated just how steep those banks are.
I’d also forgotten that the track bikes are fixed wheel…no brakes…strapped pedals. The result is that you can’t get your feet out (without smashing your shin), can’t stop pedaling (without breaking your leg), can’t freewheel and have to control your speed. Gulp.
So, when the nice chap, Geoff I think, greeted us with that information the trepidation levels went through the roof. Truth is I’m a bit of a wuss, but I can handle a bike and tend not to fall off. However, I’d never ridden fixed. The other truth is that Louis is only 9 and isn’t as confident on a bike as I expected.
A couple of laps around the inside of the track and Geoff pointed me onto the cote d’azur – the light blue ring just below the track itself – for a few laps, telling me to get my speed up. I was bricking it, as all you can think about is falling off, not being able to stop and having to just keep pedalling.
I just kept going round and round, waiting for Geoff to tell me what’s next. You have to be going a certain speed to get on (and more importantly, stay on) the track. Round and round.
As for Louis, he was wobbling and juddering all over the place. Grabbing the rail and generally not enjoying himself.
Eventually, Geoff boomed “Oi – get on the track!!” really loud. Seemed he wasn’t waiting to tell me, he’d just expected me to be less of a wuss and just get on it. So I did.
Those banks really are quite steep you know. My nerves went from thinking about falling off to thinking about not sliding down the track…considering I was only about 3 feet up it, the chances were unlikely, but still…ya know…I’m kind of a wuss.
But, in all that I’d done it. Ridden the bike on the track for a good few laps and felt what it was like.
To be honest, I didn’t like it…in case you hadn’t guessed and I don’t think I’ll go back.
Louis? After I’d stopped he came hurtling past me and threw himself off the bike, into the glass in the middle of the track dragging the bike behind him. It really was very funny. Poor sod.
He doesn’t want to do it again either.
This year, I think we’ll get him a crocheting course for Christmas. Wusses like me can cope with that. Just.
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