AQA - any questions answered - Track Edition

Taster session booked for January.

1. What is best to wear? Just dress like a summer cycle ride? Can I use my own cleats and helmet? Is baggy T-shirt a no no?
   
2. Is the majority of the hour getting used to a track bike? Would I have a bit of knawledge having ridden fixed?
   
   

Really looking forward to it. :)

You need bibs and a cycling jersey. You can go LS jersey but you'll soon see that cycling around a track with that banking is like cycling uphill - you will get warm. Definitely bring your own helmet. They use Look Keo pedals so unless that's what you have on your shoes you'll need to rent shoes, £6. I'm not a fan of trainers and straps.

My taster session was the health and safety bit for 5-10 mins, then a couple of laps all together spread way out, then a few on the cote d'azure, then red line then blue line. The coach was pretty chilled though so he said if you're confident, go for it and move around the track as you see fit. So then it was basically a free-for-all for about 25-30 mins. Then we did a flying lap which was fun as they put up the times so you "compete" against the others. I'd say if you are going with friends who are also experienced get organised and take turns on the front in a paceline etc, you'll get more out of it (if you have done it before obviously! If you haven't ridden in a paceline on the track this isn't the time to experiment around other potentially total fixie n00bs). Experience riding fixed will definitely be a benefit. It's such good fun, you'll love it

That's useful, thanks! I'll maybe try to get some Keo cleats then.

The rental shoes aren't bad at all tbh. Cleats would be at least that much, but remember you won't have the pedals to fit them correctly. As it's a one-off I'd just say rent

The rental shoes aren't bad at all tbh

Depends on where you're riding. Unless replaced during the refurb the Manchester ones are many years old and have seen lots of feet! The cleats are replaced frequently though.

Is the majority of the hour getting used to a track bike? Would I have a bit of knawledge having ridden fixed?

Can only speak for Glasgow but this generally only takes 5-10 minutes so you’ll be at a slight advantage but not much.

Try to explain/discuss riding Fixed and it could fill the hour easily but chuck people on bikes and get them riding around the apron and it becomes pretty natural pretty quickly (for most people anyway).

Baggy clothing is fine if you don’t have lycra but expect to be in the minority.

Ie if you’re self conscious about wearing it you’ll stick out more if you don’t.

Lots of people do bib shorts and a technical type t shirt.

Thanks! Watched a few Youtubes about taster sessions yesterday that helped too.

Taster session done. So much fun and less daunting than imagined. Would love to start the accreditation maybe in the summer. Thanks again @youramericanlover and @M_V !

Would love to start the accreditation maybe in the summer.

Just beware that the track is very seasonal and this can make it harder to get the numbers to run accreditation sessions in the summer. Between about April and September a big part of my job is phoning people to tell them their accreditation session is cancelled and moving them on to the next one.

If you can, do it while the weather's shit and everyone is thinking about being in a nice warm velodrome.

Thanks, good to know.

A year later, stage 2 done!

Went to my first taster session at HHV, really loved it. Want to get accredited so I can race in the summer.

I can’t find a Pre Cursa in my size in London. Would a Längster work for track or is that purely a commuter frame?

Wait for a not a langster to pop up would be my advice.

Definitely seen the odd Langster on our track. Was there a Langster 'Pro' or something that was a bit more track and less fixie orientated?

The Langster Pro was indeed more track orientated (well, more Redhook, but a few people used them on the track). Not as aggressive as many full-on track bikes.

I've seen a couple of people on Langsters on the track. Strictly speaking, you're meant to tape over any braze-ons before using it on the boards. I'm not sure what the geometry is like. BB drop is important. I prefer 50mm drop and wouldn't ride anything with more than 55mm drop

Personally I'd wait for a different bike.

Still no luck finding an entry level/price track bike.

It's still a bit out of budget, but would this work for track with drops?
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/390946/#comment17210120

It's got a shallow BB drop and tight angles, so yes. Mavic Ellipse are also decent.

Shallow BB drop is really important on 250m tracks, less so on bigger ones. Angles and geometry do vary on track bikes. You'll need to ride a few to know what you get on with best.

Looking for two bits of help,

1. I have someone looking for me to build them a training wheel to go on an Argon TKO so I'm looking for hub options. The fork is 12 x 100mm I think but so far the only non disc hub I've found would a Hope RS4 plus adapter kit. Wonder if there's anything else or..

2. How the 'Bolt-On 9 x 100mm M6' kit that supposedly comes with the frame works. It looks like it needs a female threaded axle?

Phil Wood front track hub which (I think) will be compatible with the bolt-on kit.
I think that bolt-on kit might only be usable with that style of hub not the more traditional style with track nuts.
From what I understand AUS track team uses Phil hubs on their training wheels on Argon TKOs.

Top right of this pic is an idea of how it works. Uses two rings into the TA holes and then two countersunk M6 bolts to screw onto the hub.

I’d email Velobike to be sure. They make a kit for that fork similar to the included one.

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I’d seen that little diagram yeah.

I was thinking there might be a fair choice of female threaded axle hubs but I guess a lot will actually be a male axle that sits in the dropout with internal threads for bolts securing, rather than what I’d consider a true female threaded axle that stops on the inside of the dropouts and it’s the bolts that bear the weight.

Phil will likely be out of the budget but I’ll suggest it.

Interesting budget limitation considering the frame! 😅
I think you can see here that Matthew Richardson (AUS sprinter) has Phil’s on his training wheels.

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A touch cheaper: Profile Racing Track hubs might work.

Interesting budget limitation considering the frame! 😅

Haha very true. However, I suspect AusCycling provided the frame, the wheel and the even the skinsuit in that photo and that’s definitely not the case for the rider I’m dealing with. Up here in Scotland the ngb might just about stretch to a skinsuit for Jack Carlin if he’s ever racing for us as opposed to team GB but that’s about as far as it goes. We have no actual Scottish sprinters on the squad which is a horrendous legacy for Circus Hoy to have left behind.

Goldtec track hubs were also threaded although I can't remember the size.