Don't get me wrong, it's impressive, I'd probably love a go, and they are all very good and remarkable athletes, and if I had a go I would almost certainly be A) rubbish and B) injured.
But its a bit silly really. Not something you'd do for fun... is it?
Who came up with all the different competitions?
#awaits the fire...#
Certainly not as stupid and pointless as football or golf is it?
I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to have a go a few weeks ago. One thing I will say is, it's [i]bloody [/i]hard work.
Not something you'd do for fun... is it?
Why not?
Exercise.
Friends.
Teamwork.
Competition.
Idividual effort.
What's not to like?
why not do it for fun?
Is effort too much for you?
I like track cycling and I [u]Still[/u] don't understand the Madison...
That "devil take the hindmost" event is brilliant though, I'd watch track and pool versions of that.
All sport is rubbish if you dont get ir or enjoy it.
no more pointless than any other race over a distance be it on foot, boats, or bikes
Is effort too much for you?
Not at all, I jiggered myself today taking in climbs for no reason other than they were there. But riding round and round in circles, on the same ground... no differing terrain. No, it escapes me. Road cycling I do get, and I'm often tempted. But no, I do not see it.
I'll watch it... I am watching in replay now... but it is odd [to me].
It's not riding round in circles (ok, it is, but)
it's about beating the others.
What don't you get about that.
JY sounding a bit more positive there. Maybe he's getting Olympic fever.
it's about beating the others.
What don't you get about that.
I get that, but [and I'm struggling to explain this] if its a race from A to B, then Yes, Go, Go now, get to B before those other people who are trying to to B before you... totally.
Even if it was a road circuit. But the velodrome, they're all the same, its like Nascar for cyclists. And things like the madison its like they built a big thing and then had to think of stuff to do in it.
But like I say, still watch it. But with bewilderment and incomprehension on my face. Can't just be me surely.
Even if it was a road circuit. But the velodrome, they're all the same
Except they're not, are they? I think this is the reason they have competitions, but I'm not too sure on this. 😛
Cycling in its purest form
There is no hiding on the track.
But what about the pursuit ones where they don't even race to begin with and just go round slowly almost falling off till they decide to race-not quite like he 100 metres athletics sprint or any other race in other sports is it??
Perhaps that's the attraction.
That's the sprint not the pursuit? The only sport where the sprinters go as slow as they can at first!
I think you mean the sprint, I can't remember a pursuit where they didn't race from the gun
Beaten by the gun again
Drive a hundred miles to a forest.
Ride slowly, stopping several times to push,in a circle on a bike worth several thousand pounds.
Eat your own body weight in saturated fat whilst lying about how fast/far you rode.
Drive a hundred miles home.
Not silly.
you won't be buying this then?
I'd love a go anyway (on the real thing)
Other races have tactics as well to ensure or maximise your chance for being first over the line
There used to be no limit on track stand times now limited to 3 secs iirc
I went years ago and we finished off with a fastest flying lap each and my brother puked trying to beat my time. We were hitting the banking that fast you could feel the compression in the corner on the black line. IT WAS AWESOME.
If I had the time I would love to try proper racing. its not a ride from a to b and it's not just riding in circles, its balls to the wall racing as fast as you can
I went years ago and we finished off with a fastest flying lap each and my brother puked trying to beat my time. We were hitting the banking that fast you could feel the compression in the corner on the black line. IT WAS AWESOME.If I had the time I would love to try proper racing. its not a ride from a to b and it's not just riding in circles, its balls to the wall racing as fast as you can
Hmmm... that has made a me a little more appreciative. And I also get the purity bit (on some of the races they do, others I'm not convinced).
Re Above. They must surely all be the same or World Records couldn't work.
However, I had an idea. They shouldn't be! Bugger that its boring. Instead all velodromes should be interesting shaped. Corners each way, Up and down. Yes? Or too much wine?
As a great man once said "I'm probably a little tipsy to talk about this now..."
However, I had an idea. They shouldn't be! Bugger that its boring. Instead all velodromes should be interesting shaped. Corners each way, Up and down. Yes? Or too much wine?
Well done that man, you've just invented BMX.
Back to velodrome speeds, chuffing AWESOME.
Well done that man, you've just invented BMX.
no, no, no, no... Oh yeah I have haven't I. 😳
I think it looks very good indeed and I would certainly like a go. I agree with the above that some events are complicated for the uninitiated. The main problem though is that you have to get to the velodrome and there are not that many around, plus the bikes seem to be quite specific(no brakes, gears). Unlike road biking you cant easily start from the front door.
I've started track racing this year and it's strangely addictive, can be quite hairy if you've not raced in a group for over twenty years and yet even rolling around on the blue line chatting away is quite theraputic. There is more to it than just going around in circles tactics vary and even getting used to going around a banking at a smooth pace without forcing people behind to kick back is beyond some. It can be a pain getting to a track but fortunately for me I'm near Herne Hill and people store bikes there and they hire track bikes. For Herne Hill the first bike I used was my stripped down langster commuter, total spend was about £8 on a small sprocket. I bought a second hand track bike and got a decent racing bike for a few hundred quid. If you ever get the chance to try Newport, Manchester or one of the outdoor tracks give it a go. I would add that it can be very hard work as well.
Yeah sprint not pursuit,there's me thinking the sprinters would hare off from the start and the pursuit would be more cat and mouse.What do i know? ❓
But the velodrome, they're all the same, its like Nascar for cyclists.
You#re going to be shocked next week, they've got Nascar for people who don't even have bikes!
often the pursuit can be cat and mouse, if you have two evenly matched riders then one can ride at a slighly too high tempo to fool the other into riding too fast early on and blow up, or riding just slightly slower, matching the other rider to save energy for the final push
tactics for sprint are completely different because it's all about who has the back wheel and when, the shelter makes a massive bonus as long as you have it at the right point coming into the back straight before the finish line
I have ridden at Newport track a few times and its great fun really fast and technical.Its a laugh if a few of you go
Certainly not as stupid and pointless as football or golf is it?
agree on the football but not on the golf - a lot more skill involved in golf which I would also have said is a lot harder mentally than grinding round a track.
REally fancy a go at the track... my wife has promised me it as a xmas present and an incentive to loose some weight.
Manchester isn't far so I'm looking forward to it already!
62kph on a bike, balls to the wind flat out racing without having to worry about needing to stop, traffic lights, dogs running out in front, cars, UPS lorries trying to kill you (like the arse that intentionally tried to force me off the road tonight) or even bother about what gear you are in.... just ride as haard and fast as you can! sounds good.
Just need to gather some more people who are up for it as well and it'll be great.
OK who am I kidding - 62kph? more like 32kph for us amateurs...
Hoy hit 62kph today for a new World Record - mental speed!
Hoy hit 62kph today for a new World Record - mental speed!
Damn right! I overtook a car at the bottom of my road once at 32mph,(slight downhill, following wind, big ring), on my old SuperVee. Turned off just afterwards and nearly threw up a lung.
It was worth it to see the expression on the face of the rear passenger as I went past, though. 😆
I can, barely, imagine what it takes to sustain those sort of speeds.
I was a lot younger and fitter then. 🙁
A full contact sport....
...with hints of speedway as well.
62kph is their average speed.
In competition in the keirin event earlier in the year hoy was measured crossing the line at 79kph.. Or 49mph......
I get what you're saying unklehomered - using the best thing ever invented to get outside into the country, [i]indoors[/i] to go round and round in circles... does seem a bit silly.
But to express such a deeply unfashionable point of view, on here..?! Oh no! 😉
Like most things in life, Track cycling came about as a means of making money.
As we've seen this week, you can't charge your viewing public when a race is on the road. (see the mass crowds at the Oly TT) But take the bike race indoor, say to Madison Square Garden, and you can charge an entance fee.
I think there are pro leagues in Japan ??
Cycling in its purest form
Nah mountain biking is purer
DezB - I'm a maverick... a lone lone maverick...
very lone.
Ro5ey raises an interesting point, also the only way of going to live event and seeing the [u]whole[/u] race.
Must admit I'd much rather watch a track race than a road race. If I had to, like. But that's cos I gets bored quick dun't I.
I think track cycling came about because at the time (late 19th century) the roads were terrible and you couldn't ride very fast on them, compared to a smooth wooden track.
Plus it's a much more enjoyable spectator sport on a track of course, money aside. Watching a cycle race from the roadside without TV or radio is rubbish.
As for it being silly - no sillier than athletics or swimming, is it? You're racing the other people. And you can end up shoulder to shoulder with your opponent, unlike MTB racing usually. It's all about the competition, and if you're not competitive then forget it.
If you are though, it's the cycling equivalent of speedballs.
It's about being permanently 1/2 an inch from utter death carnage, it's got speed, danger, tactics, grit, fetish wear, daft punk's headgear, and the spectators can see the whole race.
It's like watching suicidal trans-gender sperm riding Tron Lightcycles.
As far as Olympic cycling goes only BMX could be a better spectacle.
[i]I think track cycling came about because at the time (late 19th century) the roads were terrible and you couldn't ride very fast on them, compared to a smooth wooden track.[/i]
So you could get to the next village by avoiding the roads and cycling round and round inside a building. Ah, I see 😉
[i]As for it being silly - no sillier than athletics or swimming, is it?[/i]
They aren't on bikes.
So you could get to the next village by avoiding the roads and cycling round and round inside a building
Er, I meant that it wasn't as easy to have a decent fast race on them.
😀
They aren't on bikes.
Maybe they should be, I recently made the following misread when reading the BBC website
...
Canoeing Slalom
Canoeing Sprint
Canoeing BMX
Cycling Mountain Biking
...
sounds quite exciting...
As for it being silly - no sillier than athletics or swimming, is it?
Just the same, they even have indoor and proper events too (marathon and 10k swim). Just a slightly different balance between sports as to which ones most people do (eg. in swimming, most people don't do outdoor events, because they are all big girls blouses or something).
track cycling is awesome. There's nothing quite like unleashing everything you've got for a flying 250 and hitting the banking at such speed that your eyes wobble.. The feeling of speed on those things are immense
I love it