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Summer Heat at the Velodrome

By Amy Vance

In the words of Hyun Lee, director at the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond, Wash., “Track racing is like NASCAR on two wheels.” Think of it as “the last 20 minutes of a road race,” cutting the four-hour warm-up and getting straight to the competition. The sport has many forms, with mass starts such as the Miss and Out, the Scratch and Points races, individual races like the Sprints and Keirin, as wells as other events like Team Sprints and the Madison.

Photo courtesy of Marymoor Velodrome

Miss and Out is basically an elimination race where the last rider to cross the finish line after one or two laps — a stipulation based on track length and the race commissaire’s decision — is pulled while the others continue on until three to five remain. These last riders then sprint two laps for the finish.

Scratch races are uncomplicated and classic, where all the participants start together and ride a set number of laps determined by the event’s style. Multiple attacks and counter-attacks keep the pace high and the race exciting. Placing is based on the finish order as they cross the line.

Points races combine the ideas of the above events. At the completion of every five to seven laps, depending on the size of the track, cyclists receive five points for first place, three for second, two for third, and one for fourth. If at any time a rider gains a lap on the field, he/she receives 20 points while any rider dropped and lapped by the pack loses 20. The individual with the greatest number of points wins. Although officials calculate the scores, riders must also keep track to figure out the proper strategy and how to spend their energy most efficiently.

Photo courtesy of Marymoor Velodrome

Riding the track in not as scary as it may look. Take a class and you too will be able to ride in close quarters without brakes.

The most popular mass start race, the Madison, sees teams of two individuals relaying to cover the distance and gain points. Exchanges can be made by pulling alongside one’s partner and simply touching them or more advantageously by a push or hand sling, transferring the speed from one rider to the next. These exchanges usually occur in high traffic areas at the bottom of the track with many teams engaging in this maneuver simultaneously, adding to the excitement. Each team determines the duration of time their individual riders spend racing. While one is racing, the other recovers by cruising at the top of the track. A team usually has a sprinter and an endurance rider and the goal is to have the sprinters out on the pre-determined bell laps to collect points. The team with the greatest point total wins.

Team Sprint is a fast moving event where two squads of three men (two for the women) start at once. Each member leads one lap before pulling out. The time stops when the last rider of the team finishes his/her lap. The race format showcases two teams at a time, each starting on opposite sides of the track. Spectators can easily discern the leading team.

The Keirin, a spectator favorite, takes after a sprint competition with riders battling to cross the finish line. Different from most races, the Keirin begins with contestants gradually gaining speed behind a pacer, a motorized bike or derny, before being released to sprint the set number of laps (usually totaling 600-700 meters) to the finish. Positioning behind the lead out gets ferocious at times. Head butts and shoulder rubs are frequent — making the race exciting even before the riders get released.

Each of the events takes place on an elliptical track with banked turns, up to a 48-degree incline, called a velodrome. They are made from wood or concrete and range from 200 to 400 meters in circumference, approximately six meters wide. Each velodrome has its own measurements with outdoor tracks being slightly longer and more shallow than indoor facilities.

Photo courtesy of Marymoor Velodrome

The early stage of Keirin racing.

Riding a track is unique, bearing few similarities to road cycling. Part of the sport’s strategy lies in gear selection. When riding fixed-gear bikes, no brakes or freewheel are used, and depending on the wind or speed of the race, selecting the proper gear is vitally important to the success of the rider and the ability to stay competitive within the pack. It requires endurance and a good strategy to get ahead. As Lee puts it, “The wheels are turning as fast as the legs are going, you can’t stop, and you can’t coast,” while traveling at the average speed of 15 miles per hour just to stay upright in the corners. The simple yet intimidating design of the track and bike make the sport fast, exciting, and spectator friendly.

Track racing, like all else, begins with trial and error, intensive practice and unending patience, not to mention knowledge of what to do and how to do it while trying to avoid a collision. The Northwest’s four facilities, the Burnaby Velodrome (located inside the Harry Jerome Sport Center and is the only indoor facility in the Northwest) can be found in Burnaby, B.C.; the Juan de Fuca Velodrome in Victoria, B.C.; Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond, Wash.; and Alpenrose Velodrome in Portland, Ore., have developed specialized hands-on educational programs to teach riders of all ages how to approach and ride the track.

Jeremy Storie, program director for Burnaby Velodrome Club (BVC) explains that track riding, “is a completely different cycling experience and can make any racer, no matter what level, a better cyclist” through the development of handling skills, balance, awareness and coordination.

BVC offers a Learn to Ride (LTRide) course to youth and adults of all abilities who wish to get a taste of the track. This three-session program introduces participants to the basics of fixed-gear bike handling, entering and exiting the track, velodrome etiquette, and elementary race-oriented topics. After mastering the fundamentals, participants graduate to the Learn to Race (LTRace) series. Again structured as a three-session course, LTRace provides an advanced introduction into competitive cycling with race simulations, proper warm-up and cool-down, and demonstrations. Each class ranges from $25 to $35 per person with a valid Cycling BC insured membership.

Photo courtesy of Marymoor Velodrome

Teaching new riders the ins and outs of the track.

Catering to youth, BVC also instructs the basics of riding in a safe environment, away from traffic and unsupervised risks, and free of charge to anyone under 19 years of age. Storie believes that these classes “are not only instrumental in the development of youth as both a tool for teaching cycling skills to keep them safe while on the road or trail, but also as a tool for developing riding performance.” All of the classes and youth programs are available year-round for whoever wishes to get involved.

The Greater Victoria Velodrome Association at Juan de Fuca Velodrome offers a similar curriculum, with its own track-specific twist on the LTRide and LTRace programs.

Further south, Marymoor provides comparable options, working with children ages 5 to 8 in “PeeWee Peddlers,” and a 9- to16-year old program called “AdvancedVeloKids,” in addition to adult courses. Offered in four separate sessions throughout the year, “PeeWee Peddlers” teaches any child who can ride without training wheels. The class requires a fee of $20 and a commitment to spend one hour cruising the velodrome every Saturday for three weeks. Participants in VeloKids, and its successor, Advanced VeloKids, meet twice a week for three weeks to expand on training and racing technique while continuing to improve handling skills and control. These classes cost $100 per rider and facilitate hands-on, supervised learning. In addition to training sessions, the adult session requires participation in the Thursday night racing program.

At Portland’s Alpenrose Velodrome, the classes are open for whoever wishes to join. According to Meg Mautner, the track class coordinator for the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA), “There are no age limits, you simply have to fit a rental bike.” Running from April through August every year, classes coincide with weekly track nights. Each two-hour session costs $20. Riders are divided into groups based on skill level, with curriculum structured to fit each individual group. OBRA encourages participation from people who simply need to overcome the learning curve to those who have never seen a track before, providing an opportunity to get involved in cycling in a low stress environment.

Photo courtesy of City of Vancouver

Sprinting it out.

Once riders have completed the curriculum and shown themselves suitably knowledgeable, they become eligible to participate in weekly races. All graduates race as Cat 5 men or Cat 4 women after paying membership fees and events take over where the classes left off. For each sanctioned race a rider participates in, they can earn points that accumulate to move to the next subcategory. In most cases, it takes 20 points to upgrade. From the lowest category, Cat 5, one can work his/her way up to Cat 1, which is the designation for national and international level caliber athletes.

Each velodrome offers a racing schedule throughout the summer from mid-May through August or September (January-March at Burnaby) with specific nights for different levels. Designated category riders are able to compete in a myriad of events on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights at Marymoor, and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at Alpenrose and Burnaby. Monday through Thursday evenings are typically reserved for Cat 3-5 riders. Friday nights are when “all hell breaks loose” and most spectators come to watch. According to Lee, “it’s a great cheap date on a Friday night” with free admission for those who want to watch.

The Juan De Fuca Velodrome is organized a bit differently, showcasing all sprint races on Monday nights and group races on Fridays. These races are intense, where, as observed by Storie, “Everyone that throws a leg over the bike is looking to win.”

With up to 40 riders showing up every night to race and spectators numbering to nearly 200 at each velodrome, Friday track racing has become a popular summer activity for cyclists and race enthusiasts alike.

Check out schedules at the various venues at: velodrome.org (Marymoor), obra.org (Alpenrose), burnabyvelodrome.ca (Burnaby), and gvva.bc.ca (Juan de Fuca).