LFGSS Ladies Do....BMX!!

Just signed up, can we get Alex to sort us all out?

I've signed up too, and emailed them my membership number and story of yesterday quoting Alex's name.

@clefty Glad you had a great induction... you might of noticed us arrive? We wandered on to the track only to have a very unfriendly member of staff rudely telling us that it cost money to ride the place, as if we couldn't afford it. After we informed them that paying was a non issue they proceeded to roll out as many reasons as possible why we still wouldn't be allowed to ride.. "You don't have a helmet!" "It's in my bag".
Basically jobs worth nobodies talking down to people. Hardly a great way to be greeted, I don't know what it is about BMX tracks but they attract a certain kind of power hungry under skilled cretin.
Sorry to bring negative vibes on to this thread, really great you guys had fun, it makes a nice read too, just really soured my day and I sure as shit aint going back to be taught how to "pump" or roll round a berm... pointless bureaucracy, another thing BMX tracks attract.

That's revolting treatment and I understand you not wanting to go back there. I would, however, encourage you to write/email a letter to the higher ups detailing what happened yesterday, with names of staff or physical description, where possible. This shouldn't be allowed to go by with no action.

I still can't figure out how 7 year olds get round that track. Are they all taller than 4'11? LOL

@cafewanda thanks. It was the kind of treatment you get all to familiar with when riding a bmx - getting treated like some sort of teenage punk from a broken home who is out to cause trouble, which even teenage punks from broken homes shouldn't really be treated like, but it really irks when you are slightly over weight middle aged working a regular 9-5 looking to utilise local facilities you have often dreamt of over the last 20 years riding bmx... Might be time to pen a letter.
I assume you ladies know about the haggerston track too? Fun place for all abilities and no crazy bureaucracy.

oh! ninja edit alert

Thanks for tips re: Haggerston, but seriously, I'd make a complaint - I'm afraid I didn't notice you show up so couldn't really comment....

I look forward to being treated like a teenage punk!

Haggerston have hire bikes too I'm pretty sure...
Also, if a couple ofyou have BMX's you could always take it in turns... small pump style tracks such as mile end are too small for more than a couple of folks so you could switch bikes while supping red stripes (we/myself and my friends, prefer to ride with a beer in hand).

I sure as shit aint going back to be taught how to "pump" or roll
round a berm... pointless bureaucracy, another thing BMX tracks
attract.

With regard to this bit I can actually understand why you've got to be able to demonstrate you are safe/competent for the rock up and ride type sessions. It's a public facilty, publicly funded and imagine the outrage if some awful accident was caused by someone turning up who had never even gotten on a bmx before? I'm sure that wouldn't happen, but y'know, this is the age of 'elf and safety innit.

Ha! Yesterday I was saying that a beer beforehand, just the one mind would have been the perfect tonic to take the edge of the absolutely terrifying experience of going round the baby nursery track :D

I'll give it a day or two/let the dust settle and I'll drop an email to Lee Valley to fond out what the coo is.

I see what you are saying...

But there is no similar thing in place for the mtb course, and when we went and explored the rest of the Olympic site we found a fun climbing wall, which had no safety nets etc, next to the canal, and a kids playground...

In the meantime.. some inspiration for ya all... a pal down peckham...

Oh, doesnt work.

Just after I'd hit post on that it occured to me that there isn't any requirement for the road track either! Oh well!

Peckham is next on my bmx to do list!

It sort of makes sense, but anyone who rides bmx can pretty much tell if someone is capable of riding a track by the way they sit on their bike - a 1 hour induction session is far from needed.
And the staff were damn rude.
Complained on Twitter and they have already contacted me regarding the situation.
Apologies again for the minor derail ladies, best of luck with your bmx adventures.
For what its worth I'd recommend riding places you are less scared of, build up your confidence, then hit the big stuff slightly over confident and you'll prob get away with more... ha. If that makes any sense.

Glad to hear the complaint has garnered action from LV.

Your final words do make sense. A few of us possibly scared ourselves needlessly and I'm still happy with my BMX war wound.

Cool, let us know whether you get a reply and I'll do the same.

The fear was good yesterday. We all felt it and dealt with it.
Facing it and overcoming it makes for an exhilarating experience.

yep, super fast just got one 10 mins ago, they've added it to my account, ready to not die and not get stitches weneva I want

I'm thinking staff aren't particularly keen on people climbing over the fence and either interrupting sessions that customers have paid to ride in, or smashing themselves up on the track so those members of staff have to administer 1st aid and wait with the injured trespassers until the ambulance arrives.

@RPM I'm thinking nothing was interrupted and manners cost nothing. But thanks for the input...

No worries.
Regarding inductions, that's something most tracks do, including Peckham and Cyclopark. There needs to be a balance between accessibility and safety. These days very few people have an accurate estimation of their own abilities, allowing everyone a free reign without some kind of basic assessment/training is asking for a bloodbath. The LV track isn't quite as rollable as Peckham and it's very easy for inexperienced riders to get into big trouble very quickly.

@RPM
Lets not ruin these nice ladies fun thread...
As you were.
Go girls!

The fear was good yesterday. We all felt it and dealt with it.
Facing it and overcoming it makes for an exhilarating experience.

I'm liking that! ^

I think it's @pops and @clefty there

i thought the staff were bloody lovely. sorted me out quickly (not that i remember much of it) and made sure i was happy even if i didn't know what the fuck was going on or where i was for the first fifteen minutes. even a carob bar which adhered to my dietary requirements! (i'll replace that, i feel terrible for stealing it - was it alex's or someone else's?) really on the ball throughout the session too, alex totally made sure everyone was in their comfort zone but not bogged down with things to remember, always on hand if we had a question. she also made sure i was aware the cones in the rear wheel of my own bike needed sorting - what a gem!

i really enjoyed learning how to handle a different bike, always happy to pick up those skills. not having any foot retention really creeps me out though haha. i've got a really sore neck today but so keen to go again! mega enjoyed the fear because i tend to try things first and think about it later, otherwise i dither like a pro. snaps for such a supportive group of ladies! the peckham one is over the road from me and a lot cheaper i think (?) which would be a massive dealbreaker for me because i'm now a officially a poor styooden' again.

i'd happily try any ridiculous activity that we could pretend is even tangentially related to "improving bike handing" or "skills" or failing that just "close proximity to pub"