Lee Valley SQT Sessions

Just found this group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LVVPvelodromeusers/

Looks like a good place for picking up unwanted SQT sessions!

Anyone else here doing the 6pm SQT tonight ?

Just an update to this from Scottish Cycling - apparently Glasgow have decided NOT to be part of the shared accreditation agreement so riders have to go through all four stages of accreditation at Glasgow regardless of accreditation at other tracks.
I'm told it's a financial decision....

Financial suicide decision...

I'm guessing there won't be many people travelling up to race there if they need to do another accreditation process.

This. Glasgow was 2nd most likely city for me to ride as I've got connections up there.

Yeah - if that is their thinking it seems pretty short-sighted

Thats shit about Glasgow. I was half thinking of going up there to visit a friend in the late Spring and check it out while I was there.

Fucks sake.

Really lame. I guess the financial decision is to make more money off accreditations. In the time I have been here I know of only one guy that managed to bypass the accred plan. He was an aussie sprinter with a big personality, and even bigger legs, probably just kicked off and they didn't know how to handle it so just let him in….

Did the 08:00 Saturday "intermediate" SQT whatever that means. It was early, but the frost that morning meant I was glad to be riding indoors. Warmup in pairs on the blue, then into a paceline for half lap changes. Two Italian pursuit races, then Sean's game (with most people not watching for the train and just rolling around the top) and finished with a 15 lap devil. Riding in 15 minute blocks meant by the time you were getting warm it was time to come off the track.

Sounds like the other SQT sessions which are split with the sprinters (20mins on/10mins off) are a better bet. Guess I shouldn't be so lazy and take my rollers along to stay warm too!

I did the session at 10am on Sunday...didn't feel like I was able to push as hard as usual as we did two team pursuit drills so had to adjust pace to keep the groups together. Still good fun mind...

Anyone else doing the SQT tonight ?

I was crashed into last night by a rider falling from the top of the track in the turn. Morons.

Anyone know what LVV policy in on this, for accredited riders? Do they get kicked back down to level 3 and have to do their L4 test again?

It was in the fucking warmup as well, if you can believe that. And the coaches didnt seem too bothered about reprimanding the offending rider - he was up in the next 15 min exercise. Maybe I missed any dicussion at the track side when I was cleaning myself off with the antiseptic wipes, but I didnt see the coaches telling him off for not pushing on when changing in pairs.

Thankfully I wasnt too badly injured - skin lost at the elbows and flank, sprained right hand (I hope it is just a sprain), cuts to my knees, and my front wheel will need a small bit of trueing. I tried to do the next exercise but my hand hurt too much. But a young lad, I think he was 13, it was his first SQT, got taken out as well and landed on his back and hurt himself, and his night was over. I felt really sorry for him, shit introduction to a session of what is supposedly meant to be confident, approved bike riders.

I know one of the guys involved from my club:
'My group was warming up, riding two abreast in two lines of six or seven, changing each lap (the front two drive up to the top of the banking and then try to slot onto the back of the bunch). We'd been doing this for five minutes or so when it was me & my partner's turn again, I was on the right, he was on the left, so he drives up the banking in front of me, BUT he then suddenly eased off while I was pushing hard. I had nowhere to go, crashed into him, went tumbling over headfirst and then plunged down the full height of the banking into the bunch taking out at least three other riders.'

Nearly happened to me last wednesday during the warmup (not really that close though) but I yelled er... 'forcefully' at the guy in front to push on.

Yes, thats how it went, I put the blame entirely at the feet of the guy who almost came to a complete stop at the top of the track, causing your pal to go into the back of him.

Saw your post in the LVVP users group - I think the problem is probably that people who don't have much track time/experience can be coached through the accreditation process, then don't have that instinctive way to deal with things when their brain isn't fully warmed up/switched on. I think it's quite a high-risk warmup for people without experience, as it requires instant communication with what could be a total stranger.
My skills group last week took nearly the full session to start talking/shouting properly to each other.

I'm not aware of anything you could do that would require you do get accredited again...

To be honest I haven't seen any crashes yet in the SQTs, but definitely plenty of dodgy riding - it is often in the changing in pairs warmup, probably because it's the first thing you do on the night. A couple of weeks ago one guys back wheel was sliding all over the place - the bunch basically shouted him out...don't know whether it was tyres or technique though...

Agree with the above. This is a stressful warm up for the first exercise of the evening.

I was there for a private session last month and while I was waiting for ours to start I saw 3x people fall off separately in the same warmup - was utterly ridiculous. Really put me off bothering with SQT's.

I did two Saturday 8 a.m. SQT sessions in January, several of the same people were at each one and I saw at least three familiar faces from Herne Hill so it gave me a little more confidence that people generally knew what they were doing.

At last Saturday's SQT we did usual warm-up in pairs above blue but there was new instruction on changes. The lower rider dropped down the track, upper rider went up.

This is safer when there are inexperienced or unfit riders on the track, who have somehow slipped through accreditation.

Anyone going tomorrow...?

It'll be my first time on a bike since getting smashed into three weeks back. I feel like I've gained about half a stone in weight.

I passed stage 3 yesterday, still feel like I need a lot more track time to beat the nerves though.
It all got a bit squashed during stacking with swearing/leaning/elbows etc!

I passed stage 3 yesterday

Well done, hopefully see you at an SQT soon then...!

Hopefully sooner rather than later, although I have nothing booked at all for the moment!