Monday night race training

Same here. Good training though.

You were in until the end though. After leaving a gap at the start i had to bring it back together, then it was my turn on the front almost immediately. I couldn't get back on after that.

Scratch race was pretty tasty as well. Great thing about training with VCL youths is they just want to smash it all the time.

Great thing about training with VCL youths is they just want to smash it all the time.

So true.

What was the last thing we've done called again? It was a bit weird, it's like waiting for a train/bus for ages, then 2 come along.

'Sean's game' I think. It is just a drill for Madison awareness.

Last night was all brutal,thats the first time i've been with the fast group and its much quicker(obviously) but managed to stay in until the end on the scratch race, got my head kicked in in the pursuit and as for Sean's game....

What's this Sean's Game then?

Sounds like a variation on the Hunter exercise.

What's this Hunter Exercise then?

The way we played Sean's Game last night was as follows:

• Two pursuit groups of five riders set off round the track.
  
• The rest off the riders were set off individually round the top of the track.
  
• There could be no more than five riders in a pursuit line at any one time.
  
• At the end of your turn on the front you had to pull off to the top of the track.
  
• Riders circulating at the top could then join the pursuit line, as there was a vacancy in the group of five.
  
  

It teaches you how to position yourself on the track to rejoin a fast moving group, and the awareness when rider on the front is swinging up the track.

Training on tomorrow? I assume yes, as its in the calendar.

Can't be arsed. See you lot Wednesday.

You lazy sod! I was there by myself dammit! Was good session, wanted to do the experienced group Madison ride, but instead played the 'sandbagger' card and did points, group sprint and scratch races instead! Such fun! =)

I was in that last night Hoke, who are you? I'm the tall London Phoenix rider with stupid aero helmet

lol, i was on your team in the team pursuit! ;) riding the canyon dot com!

In that case then apologies for starting sooooo slowly in the pursuit!

I enjoyed the win-out last night. It was just about the hardest interval training I have done all year, as I ended up sprinting 5 times. #slowtwitch

Yeah that win-out looked pretty brutal

popped my head in to the track last night to have a look at the session - it was really blowing out there! Some strong riding going on.

Thoroughly enjoyed Monday's session. I have so much to learn in terms of positioning and tactics, but picked up a lot, and one or two of the things I tried worked :-) Many thanks to the coaches!

Felt like I was spinning out in the handicap sprints (on 48x15 ~88") - worth trying a bigger gear, or do I just need to get better at spinning? I normally stay over 100rpm on the road, and gearing felt comfortable in the scratch races.

Assuming you would be competitive in a sprint in the Bs with a finishing speed of 60 kmh, you would need 143 rpm at 88 GI. Assuming average race speed is 45 kmh, you would need 108 rpm for the duration.

On the face of it, you could gear up a little, but seasoned riders will tell you that track requires mastering the art of souplesse. Maybe train on a lighter gear to get used to the higher cadence and revert to 88 GI for racing?

Brilliant, that makes perfect sense. I'll banish all thoughts of higher gearing (until I know what I'm doing, anyway) and teach myself to spin faster. Many thanks!

48 x 15 is 86.4"
49 x 15 is more like 88"

(I'm looking at the velodrome shop chart)

Gaz - were you on the Roberts? Nice bike.

yes that was me... which one were you?
I was riding 86.1 (51x16), which seemed too spinny.
I have one spare cog and one spare chainring, so I'll be trying 88.7" (46x14) next week.

This week was my first Monday and I had a brilliant time.

(all still from the same chart, which I've now linked in properly)

I was on 50 x 15 and found it ok, didn't feel in danger of spinning out.
I was the windblock on the white Moda.