Author Topic: Velodrome cycling is very very dull..........yes or no ? (Read 7229 times)

Tim Hall · « **Reply #26 on:** 11 March, 2015, 10:29:56 pm »

Quote from: Mr Bunbury on 11 March, 2015, 08:30:33 pm

There's a new outdoor 250m track in York. I'm moving back to York with work. Hmmm, n+1 time ... where shall I put it?

Between the red and black lines I would have thought.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #27 on:** 11 March, 2015, 11:02:04 pm »

As a rider it is exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.

As a spectator I likes the keirin, me.

Ian H · « **Reply #28 on:** 11 March, 2015, 11:23:52 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 11 March, 2015, 07:20:03 pm

The problem is the same as for porn films. It is much more fun to participate than to watch.

And your qualifications for that statement?

bikenrrd · « **Reply #29 on:** 12 March, 2015, 09:31:32 am »

Quote from: Jaded on 11 March, 2015, 10:28:53 pm

Malaysia boleh!

marcusjb · « **Reply #30 on:** 12 March, 2015, 09:58:06 am »

Love it.

Road racing has become pretty dull in general these days, but the track is never dull.

Atmosphere in a Velodrome is incredible (lucky enough to have been at the Olympics among other times at the track).

Doing it is also rather a lot of fun and helps to highlight just how unfit you are pretty quickly.

Vince · « **Reply #31 on:** 12 March, 2015, 10:11:08 am »

Quote from: mzjo on 11 March, 2015, 08:27:58 pm

I don't know if anyone on here remembers the Cheltenham town centre races.

Remember it like it was ~~yesterday~~ quite a long time ago, both as spectator and competitor, cut the corners too tight and you could head-butt a tree!
I've spectacled at the Wembley Six, and more recently the Rotterdam Six and they were the most memorable cycling events.
Don't watch it on telly, you actually need to get trackside to appreciate it.

marcusjb · « **Reply #32 on:** 12 March, 2015, 10:17:41 am »

I really want to go to a 6 day.

Any ideas which is best for a first timer? Ghent?

I want the whole beers and frites experience.

Vince · « **Reply #33 on:** 12 March, 2015, 10:29:29 am »

Ghent has a good reputation.
I would certainly look for an event with a small temporary track, as the tight lines and short circuit makes for more exciting racing.

Veloman · « **Reply #34 on:** 12 March, 2015, 11:21:24 am »

Quote from: marcusjb on 12 March, 2015, 10:17:41 am

Any ideas which is best for a first timer? Ghent?

I want the whole beers and frites experience.

Then Ghent will satisfy your needs.

Does not get much better than Ghent IMO.

marcusjb · « **Reply #35 on:** 12 March, 2015, 11:43:08 am »

Flight and hotels only £200 pp for 3 nights over the correct weekend. Fly to Brussels and train to ghent. Or Eurostar it all the way.

I will suggest to Mrs. JB when she is back tonight.

Conveniently, tickets for the velodrome go on sale on Monday - http://www.uitbureau.be/default_uit1.aspx?lang=EN_UIT

Might make that all happen. Buckets of moules and piles of frites - bring it on!

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #36 on:** 12 March, 2015, 12:22:51 pm »

Take the Eurostar, it's a doddle.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #37 on:** 12 March, 2015, 06:22:08 pm »

Do they still run ferries to Ostend? Ghent is an easy afternoon potter on back roads and properly-surfaced towpaths.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #38 on:** 12 March, 2015, 07:03:05 pm »

No ferries recently but HK and I did an Ostend UAF 300 a few years ago. The ferry took motor vehicles only, no foot passengers or cycles.

marcusjb · « **Reply #39 on:** 12 March, 2015, 08:14:31 pm »

Done. We're booked in for a weekend of late night bikes and frites.

Should be fun. I like Ghent. Not been for 20 odd years, but they sure know how to party hard.

David Martin · « **Reply #40 on:** 12 March, 2015, 10:24:32 pm »

The first velodrome I rode around was Herne Hill as a student. It felt like a long way round.

Last night I was riding at Caird Park. Floodlit, no traffic, good banter, good training.

Went to the opening meeting of the Chris Hoy Velodrome with #2 son and we thoroughly enjoyed it - just hoping to be fit enough to do justice next time the club has track time (a scarce commodity).

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #41 on:** 12 March, 2015, 11:08:57 pm »

Quote from: David Martin on 12 March, 2015, 10:24:32 pm

The first velodrome I rode around was Herne Hill as a student. It felt like a long way round.

Snap, in 1983. Added another thirteen since then if the track in Preston Park (Brighton) counts as a velodrome. All of them on bikes with both gears and brakes

sizbut · « **Reply #42 on:** 12 March, 2015, 11:21:48 pm »

Road race is best on telly, roadside the whole peleton flashes past in seconds even when just cruising (can still be a great day out but only if you go for the event chatting with other fans, sitting in the sun, etc).

Trackside things like the points race and madison suddenly make much more sense and are much better than on the goggle-box. The only event that doesn't work on either is the keirin (they've tamed it too much).

David Martin · « **Reply #43 on:** 12 March, 2015, 11:35:55 pm »

What is even more fun is trying to commentate on the local track races. Nonsense on the microphone attempting to work out who is who.

sizbut · « **Reply #44 on:** 13 March, 2015, 01:11:48 am »

Sit in front of your telly. Pay attention to what proportion of your vision the screen actually occupies, mine its maybe a fifth. That's why when actually at a track your are able to follow what's going on so much better than the very same race shown on the a screen.

Plus if you get a good seat you are frequently within just a few inches of a mad Malaysian!

woollypigs · « **Reply #45 on:** 03 April, 2015, 03:48:26 pm »

I went to a few six days event in Denmark late 70s and early 80s. Jolly good fun, the noise, the speed and the unlimited hotdogs - was never allowed more than one on special occasions - made it for me as a wee nipper.

Gotta find out a day to go to Manchester, for a whole day of craziness.

ElyDave · « **Reply #46 on:** 05 April, 2015, 03:58:10 pm »

Until I went on the climbing wall at Calshott and poked my head over the edge of the track I had no real appreciation of the banking. Looks bloody scary. But generally a good spectacle.

Andrij · « **Reply #47 on:** 21 May, 2017, 08:17:25 pm »

Quote from: Andrij on 11 March, 2015, 08:25:32 pm

In Kyiv, local activists have grown tired of waiting for the authorities and developers and have begun to restore an outdoor velodrome themselves. Article (in Ukrainian) with picutres.

Local authorities final got involved and the velopark is now back in business.
https://www.facebook.com/Vitaliy.Klychko/videos/1930710390480838/

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #48 on:** 21 May, 2017, 11:30:38 pm »

Quote from: Andrij on 21 May, 2017, 08:17:25 pm

Quote from: Andrij on 11 March, 2015, 08:25:32 pm
In Kyiv, local activists have grown tired of waiting for the authorities and developers and have begun to restore an outdoor velodrome themselves. Article (in Ukrainian) with picutres.

Local authorities final got involved and the velopark is now back in business.
https://www.facebook.com/Vitaliy.Klychko/videos/1930710390480838/

Excellent!

I'd just seen your post from two years ago and was about to ask what the latest news was!

IJL · « **Reply #49 on:** 22 May, 2017, 09:35:56 am »

I think a lot of cycling is quite dull on TV, long periods of not much going on and then a few minutes of frenzied activity before the summit/ sprint. Track is much the same especially the long races which can be hard to keep up with on TV. Live is a different story, I have seen a few of the revolution rounds and even keeps my kids on the edge of the seat and their attention span is even shorter than mine.

Try riding on the track, its certainly not dull