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  • Manc Velodrome – tell me about it s’il vous plait!!!
  • iamsporticus
    Free Member

    Bonsoir

    I am planning a trip oop north to visit the family sometime over the summer

    Ive never done the velodrome thing but like the idea of jumping on the cycling badwagon suddenly sweeping the country
    Well that and maybe bumping into Vix and Nix at the Coke machine in the foyer – or something 🙂

    So Ok then I have a few cycling pals who live an hour or so from Manchester

    Can anyone tell me what a first time trip to the velodrome involves and if they thought it was worth it?

    There will be maybe 8 of us interested
    Can you book a beginner group for a smallish number and what do you need?

    Would we just have to turn up with our roadie shoes/pedals and riding kit and a towel for the showers or what?

    I honestly have no idea
    The website isnt massively helpful

    So who’s done the Manchester Velodrome wth a few mates, what did you need to bring, what did it involve and how much did it cost?

    Cheers

    samuri
    Free Member

    I go a fair bit. If you’re a newbie then you need to book a taster session. If there’s enough of you , you can book a group taster session with just your mates and a trainer but it might cost more than you think. Just try and get a taster session with all of you at once but phone and ask for best results, expect a long waiting list.

    They rent shoes and helmets and bikes. Take gloves, your own helmet, riding clothes and changing/washing things if you want. They have a tap by the track but take a water bottle anyway.

    IIRC with about 12 people it cost about 25 quid each for a couple of hours with a trainer. You’ll not be bumping into anyone special. I must have been 30 times now and never seen anyone famous.

    Depending on the trainer, you may well get to do a 1 lap solo sprint, maybe even a bit of a race but that depends on how confident the trainer is with you and how good the people with you are. If it’s all fat mountain bikers who can’t hold a cadance or a line or who don’t understand fixed bikes, it’s unlikely you’ll do more than ride round in circles.

    It gets warm, very warm. Take a towel and spare clothes.

    colnagokid
    Full Member

    saw vicky p first time I went. She wasn’t famous back then tho 🙂

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    wellhung
    Free Member

    Second what Samuri wrote, but i’d only go with experienced cyclists i know.

    I went with a group of 12 it was good fun as a taster found it a bit nerve racking at first constantly thinking i must keep pedaling .

    Found riding in a large group nerve racking as well especially when the rider in front stops pedaling for a split second.

    Overall well worth doing though with a group of mates

    r0bh
    Free Member

    You’d be best off ringing them up and booking you and your mates on a taster session. It was very busy through the winter with quite long waits for track time, might be quieter now though.

    Once on the track, don’t stop pedaling! It’s almost inevitable that in the first 10 minutes you will try to freewheel a couple of times, normally you’ll get away with it though.

    Always look over your shoulder before changing your line. That and riding too slowly on the banking are what might make the coach a bit anxious (i.e. shout at you)

    Once up on the blue line riding in a line you need to think about riding at constant speed (cadence), not constant effort. So as you come out of a bend you can ease back a bit as you are going downhill, conversely going into a bend you need to press a bit harder as you are going uphill. If people don’t do this then everything goes pear shaped as the people at the back of the line who are coming out of a bend will be going quicker than the people at the front going into the bend, and will catch them up. Bad news.

    Joxster
    Free Member

    Never go under another rider always go over them, just think which way gravity works. When you swing up flick your elbow, then look over your shoulder. The safest slow speed is around 15mph, but there is very little notice given to safe slow and off. Keep pressure on the pedals when going up the banking and you’ll be safe. The steepness of the banking is the same on the black line as it is at the top of the track.

    Most important is to relax.

    wellhung
    Free Member

    Never go under another rider always go over them, just think which way gravity works. When you swing up flick your elbow, then look over your shoulder. The safest slow speed is around 15mph, but there is very little notice given to safe slow and off. Keep pressure on the pedals when going up the banking and you’ll be safe. The steepness of the banking is the same on the black line as it is at the top of the track.

    Most important is to relax.

    But the fall from up there is further even if not steeper 😆

    whytetrash
    Full Member

    Done it a few times and its great fun, it has been very busy!(Hoy effect) only sunday we could book it was mothers day! A group of mates is the best way to do it, if you’re ok you should get some races in.

    The new bike fleet still runs on old look pedals not Keos

    Its dry in there, take plenty to drink

    Relax

    Dont stop pedalling

    Beware it’s addictive!

    wellhung
    Free Member

    What they’ve had new bikes when i went they looked very similar to skip find bikes.

    shortbread_fanylion
    Free Member

    Had our xmas do there last year – was good fun. There was a revolution meeting on at night so was awash with track cyclings a list!

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