While in London, Dustin finally got a chance to redeem his last years Christmas present from my parents - a beginner course at the London Velodrome. D spent the better part of 2.5h doing drills and riding around the oval while we watched in awe. It was pretty cool (and a bit nerve-wracking) watching D and company ride around.
While D is used to riding, he learned a lot while riding the velodrome. The bikes used are a lot different than D's bikes. First off, they don't have brakes or gears; you control the speed only by pedalling. You also ride completely in the drops (the lower part of the handle bars) where D doesn't usually ride. It makes you more aerodynamic, but also a little more unstable. Apparently, doing the drills and riding the oval taught D a lot of new bike handling techniques.
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| D is the guy at the end in red - sorry for the weird light changes... |
After completing about an hour of drills, D (and the rest of the newbies) spent approximately another hour and half riding the oval. The group was lead by a pacer, who mentioned to D that, at their fastest, the group was probably doing 36+ km/h. And of course, the track isn't flat. While the "flats" (the long sides of the oval) look flatter they are actually banked at 17°. The ends are banked at 50°. The London Velodrome is unique as it is one of only 4 indoor tracks in North America and the shortest track in the world.
It was fun to watch D and did really well. It was a great workout, as he slept for about an hour that afternoon. And I think he would do it again. Great, another bike we are going to have to buy and find room for in our house!
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| Getting higher... |
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| All the way up to the white line! |
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