terrifyingly fun!

yowza...I tried riding at the new Velodrome in town last night. SCARY!!!

Velodrome/track riding.
For those of you that don't know what this is - this particular velodrome is a 142meter (a mini velodrome -aka dizzydrome) wooden track with 45degree banked corners. Most standard velodromes are 400m. more here.

The bicycles used are brakeless fixed gear bikes. This means there is no coasting as long at the bike is moving the cranks are turning. And with no brake - this means you have to back-pedal to stop the bike.

Intimidating
The new Boulder Velodrome provides beginner training classes and track bikes. Of course I've been anxious to try it so when I saw they were having beginner classes @ 6pm - I was there!

I've never ridden a fixed gear bike (tho it's been on the list of things to do) and walking into the track with the steep banked corners - I was shaking in my bike shoes! I wanted my Mommy and to turn around and go home. (i'm such a wuss)

Riding a fixed gear bike
There were about 8 or 9 of us. 3 girls and the rest boys. the instructor asked "who has never ridden a fixed gear?" ummm...my hand was the only hand to go up. jeesh...great...I guess I'll be least skilled person in the class...figures...

They(Mike and Misty) broke us up into 2 groups and the more experienced people were taken out on the track and the rest of us rode inside the track to get used to the bikes.

Misty gave some great advice and encouragement for my first time on a fixed gear. I might have turned around and gone home if she hadn't encouraged me.

Riding a fixed gear is odd. I almost launched myself a couple of times and had a hard time stopping when i wanted to other times - but after about 15 minutes of practicing I felt decent...shaky but decent.

Round One
Mike ( a nice young man with a Kiwi accent) took us out. He said it was important to maintain at least 16mph so the centrifugal force would keep you upright on the 45degree banked turns.

Mike took each of us around (well except me because I chickened out) the track until each rider had a chance to get on. It was sight to see - the riders would be riding along near the roof rafters. Crazy!

Mike took pity on me as he saw how terrified I was and finally got me on the track. he was riding behind me telling me when I needed to relax my arms, when I needed to speed up and when I needed to smooth out my pedal stroke.

It was a awesome feeling being on the track...but scary too. My heart was pounding.

Getting off - panicking & almost crashing
Well...Mike had mentioned you needed to scrub off some speed before you got off the track. I finally decided I wanted off and came out of turn 4 in around lane 5 (halfway up the track) and tried to slow down by pushing back against the pedals.

Yowza! I was carrying too much speed for the next turn and saw I wasn't gonna be able to make the turn.

I panicked...bigtime.

I started trying to slow the bike down by putting more backward force on the pedals and the bike reacted by shaking violently from side to side. (sortof like when you get tank slap on a moto...ruh roh!)

I had a death-grip on the bars and the bike was wobbling like crazy.

I let up a bit on the bars and the pedals and focused on just riding it out. (i have my mtn bike skillz to thank for my controlled panic) I was able to come to a stop. WHEW!!! the rest of the class broke out into applause when i didn't crash.

Everyone was like 'nice save!'.

Mike goes 'I can't believe you pulled that off - i thought for sure you were *A* goner'. I wish my typing could duplicate his Kiwi accent - I keep hearing the phrase repeating in my head.

I had *massive* arm pump after that incident and thought to myself 'i'm good...i did it...i don't have to do it again'

Round 2 and 3

sigh...it was not to be...Mike wouldn't let me off the hook to stay off the track. This time I followed closely behind and emulated everything he did. He took me up to lane five and showed me the proper way to get off the track by winding down the lanes and scrubbing off speed. whew! It was so much better.

I was shaking with joy and fear.

again...Mike wouldn't let me off the hook to stay off the track. He goes "I'm going to clear the track for you and you'll have the whole thing to yourself for 5 minutes". Jeesh - this meant i had to get back on.

This time I did the whole thing by myself...wound up to lane 5 and smoothly got myself back down and off the track.

Aftermath
I was shocked on how much progress I made in 45 minutes. Everyone else was like 'good job'. Misty said 'you are a rock star - to have never been on a fixed gear, to almost crashing and then smoothly getting on and off the track - the progression was amazing'

Well...my progression was thanks to the great instruction from Misty and Mike.

I was so giddy afterward and so wound up I didn't sleep at all last night.

I'm heading back this evening at 6pm.