Anyone Else Racing on the Track tonight?

TinyExplosions

I'll be heading down to get humbled again, anyone else coming?

Chips Lovell

Brought my kit into work today and plan on racing come hell or high water. Will probably have to go straight back to work afterwards though. Sigh...

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

Brought my kit into work today and plan on racing come hell or high water. Will probably have to go straight back to work afterwards though. Sigh...

You work too hard mate!

See you down there though

dub_skav

Only a few spins left for me before the W200 so I'll be off up the mountains again today.

That track stuff does sound interesting, may give it a go after the 200.

Raam

where abouts is it? What time is it on?

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

where abouts is it? What time is it on?

Starts from half six (first race at 7), on the Sundrive Road track

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

You work too hard mate!

See you down there though

I see you're already listed on the league table. One week of racing and they're already classing you as S2:eek:

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

I see you're already listed on the league table. One week of racing and they're already classing you as S2:eek:

They're fecking crazy so -I wasn't quite last, but almost last week!

kenmc

where's the league table? what time is the last race? is it open to go and watch (and if so what's the bike parking like?)

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

where's the league table? what time is the last race? is it open to go and watch (and if so what's the bike parking like?)

tabel available to download here. Last race is around 8.30 ish (can't quite remember from last week). Plenty of space to park a bike in the centre of the track

ba

i'm going too. is it easy to sign on? and what is the general standard?

TinyExplosions

ba wrote: »

i'm going too. is it easy to sign on? and what is the general standard?

Just pay your money (if you've not got a license), and sign your name, easy as pie!

Standard is very mixed, from a scale of Great to TinyExplosions (great being the best, and TinyExplosions being me )

ba

how will i recognize you tiny? i have a license, so shouldn't be a problem

Raam

what format do the races take?

apart from going around in circles!

Chips Lovell

I think they vary the line up from week to week. First week was 10 lap scratch, reverse win and out, and 1km dash. I think TinyEx mentioned that there was a team pursuit last week (the 2nd week).

TinyExplosions

ba wrote: »

how will i recognize you tiny? i have a license, so shouldn't be a problem

I'll be wearing a Team Discovery jersey, and will be lurking around my blue Paddy Wagon, I also have large holes in my ears that are hard to miss

They do vary the races every week, but explain exactly what each is before you do it, so there's no confusion. They usually finish (so I gather) with a team persuit, or Italian persuit, which is that everyone on the team does a half lap sprint basically.

Raam

Presumably brakes gotta come off the bike?
What time do they normally finish up at?

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

Presumably brakes gotta come off the bike?
What time do they normally finish up at?

Yep, though you can rent a track bike from them for about a fiver (I do, and it's easier than takin my brakes off and flipping the wheel over to fixed.

Was over 8.30ish I think last week. Basically, it's as the light begins to go

TinyExplosions

ba wrote: »

how will i recognize you tiny? i have a license, so shouldn't be a problem

Also, my cap has 'TinyExplosions' on it -should have thought of that one first!

Chips Lovell

Um, that was hard.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

Um, that was hard.

So, you had fun?

TinyExplosions

It was great craic really Managed to come fourth in the Kilo, just couldn't hold on for the last 200m after leading from the front...

I think El_Tonto wasa a lil suprised at it all, but did well for his first time out -he didn't come last!

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

So, you had fun?

Kinda. But I sucked big time and was near the rear of the field on all my races. I've realised that there's going to be a bit of a learning curve and I'll need to train for this a bit more.

I found myself letting gaps open and I wasn't very good at closing them. I think I'm just not used to spinning up at those kinds of cadences and found myself gasping after a bit and eventually going off the back.

All the time I wanted a bigger gear, but in reality that may not be the quick fix it seems. From chatting to people there I get the impression that you've just got to train yourself to spin fast in lower gears because otherwise your legs will go too soon.

Still, I'm glad that I just got out there and got the first few races under my belt.

TinyExplosions did very well. Made a great break in the 1km dash and was off the front for ages. I thought he was going to go all the way but they caught him near the end.

kenmc

damn fixie junkies.... they've got an unfair advantage over 'normal' folk....

ba

el tonto, i didnt see you there. i did say hi to tinyexplosions tho. true, it was great craic alright. i surprised myself coming 2nd in the 5km B race and 3rd in the 4.5km race with the A's. i've never been on a fixe before.

tiny, i noticed last night that you always went too early. you've plenty of strenght, you just need to settle down a bit.

tonto, maybe you're in one of these images? thats me in the green jersey.

Raam

ba wrote: »

i surprised myself coming 2nd in the 5km B race and 3rd in the 4.5km race with the A's. i've never been on a fixe before.

Well done man!

Chips Lovell

I didn't realise that was you. Great performance there ba.

TinyExplosions

ba wrote: »

tiny, i noticed last night that you always went too early. you've plenty of strenght, you just need to settle down a bit.

Yup, always a lap too soon for me I'm afraid... I'm just not all that happy sitting back in the bunch, as I always feel like I won't be able to get the burst on -if I can get the endurance up for 1 more lap at a top speed I'll be flying!

and el_tonto was the one talking to me for most of the evening in an Orwell wheelers jersey.

You should have come over and chatted more, we thought it was you in the green, but my memory's crap, so we weren't sure!

kenmc

I hope there's no pedestrians, dogs and cars on that cycle track
Didn't realize it was outside - presumed it was inside like on the TV.

Raam

kenmc wrote: »

I hope there's no pedestrians, dogs and cars on that cycle track
Didn't realize it was outside - presumed it was inside like on the TV.

Cycling ain't that popular in Ireland! Although I think an indoor track is being built in the North.

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

I hope there's no pedestrians, dogs and cars on that cycle track
Didn't realize it was outside - presumed it was inside like on the TV.

It'd be nicer if it was inside, a nice 250m track with 42degree banking, instead of a 450 metre track with 20? degree banking

blorg

What sort of cadences would be normal in these races out of interest? Normal/sprint?

TinyExplosions

blorg wrote: »

What sort of cadences would be normal in these races out of interest? Normal/sprint?

As fast as you can!

Honestly, I wouldn't be certain of mine, but up around 100-120 maybe?

ba

there were a few heads from orwell there. who owns the Giant with zipp wheels? nice bike. then there was a girl from orwell too

TinyExplosions

ba wrote: »

there were a few heads from orwell there. who owns the Giant with zipp wheels? nice bike. then there was a girl from orwell too

He was the one on the Dolan with way too much seatpost showing, but cycling the very nice Wilier home

kenmc

lads what sort of spec are those track bikes, weightwise I mean.
I have an _old_(really) bike lying around in my mums shed which I was going to turn into a commuter. The lads on bikeforums classic and vintage have basically called me a heathen for wanting to put new stuff onto it (see thread here) but they didn't say anything about taking bits off and making it fixed :pac::pac::):D;):rolleyes::eek::cool::p (i think that's all the appropriate faces!)
I must weight the frame alone, then see how much it'd be to get a fixed rear wheel, and single cranks. Would definitely be cheaper than turning it into a commuter, and would possibly get ridden, which would be better than leaving in the shed.

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

lads what sort of spec are those track bikes, weightwise I mean.
I have an _old_(really) bike lying around in my mums shed which I was going to turn into a commuter. The lads on bikeforums classic and vintage have basically called me a heathen for wanting to put new stuff onto it (see thread here) but they didn't say anything about taking bits off and making it fixed :pac::pac::):D;):rolleyes::eek::cool::p (i think that's all the appropriate faces!)
I must weight the frame alone, then see how much it'd be to get a fixed rear wheel, and single cranks. Would definitely be cheaper than turning it into a commuter, and would possibly get ridden, which would be better than leaving in the shed.

They have a load of Dolans, which are ali, and pretty light, but guys race all sorts (even one on a Paddy Wagon!), so I don't think the weight matters too much. Make it fixed, leave brakes and tah off, and race it

kenmc

yeah that seems like a better choice for me than to renovate it and cycle a heavy ould clunker around for historical reasons, or to waste a load of money into turning it into a commuter with new components.

niceonetom

that's an interesting old bike ken. are the wheels 700mm or 27"? either way if it was mine it would be very fixed. much easier and cheaper way to make it a commuter than trying to modernise it or restore it.

a track bike it ain't though. it looks like it has very relaxed geometry and has a load of rake on the fork which would give it a strong tendency to want to stay in a straight line - less than ideal on a circuit.

the dolans are fine at the track but it's more or less pot luck what gear ratio you end up with and how well they fit.

kenmc

27"ers.
wouldn't dream of commuting on it fixed though, or even single speed - I like gears too much to do that - especially for accelerating from standing starts at roundabouts etc.

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

27"ers.
wouldn't dream of commuting on it fixed though, or even single speed - I like gears too much to do that - especially for accelerating from standing starts at roundabouts etc.

It's leg muscle, not gears that accelerate you from a standing start

kenmc

gears work for me though

kenmc

Update on the old bike actually (for anyone who cares): just been told by a classic enthusiast that it's nothing special, basically built after the marque had been sold onto other manufacturers who used to trade on the reputation. So nothing unique to destroy. Don't feel so bad now!