First Race Tips?

RedRider2009 said:

Hi everybody, tonight I will be in my first race. It is at the velodrome...does anybody have any tips?

Whatever you do, don't crash into anyone else! Seriously it is a little too late to be asking this question now. You should have asked this question when you signed up for this event. Any tips that we give you now will most likely be forgotten as soon as you begin pedalling. However if you had incorporated the tips into your training, they would have become second nature to you by now.

kdelong said:

Whatever you do, don't crash into anyone else! Seriously it is a little too late to be asking this question now. You should have asked this question when you signed up for this event. Any tips that we give you now will most likely be forgotten as soon as you begin pedalling. However if you had incorporated the tips into your training, they would have become second nature to you by now.

I strive to avoid any crashes during any ride. It is amateur night at the local velodrom, and technically I have not signed up yet...anybody who wants to race just needs to go there and sign a waiver and such...it is not very competitive, but many people who I ride with who now race professionally at the track began with amateur night like this. It is every monday night...so tips will still be appreciated.

Well, at the amateur Downer's Grove Race there was a crash and Colnago owner got really [censored] at some who cause a crash that broke his $$$ fork. Be prepared for bike damage.

You're racing in a circular velodrome, - this should be real easy compared to a twisting criterium. Crit turns - always keep your hand near the levers so you can brake if needed.

You can try wearing lipstick to look good, and if you wear a skirt = guaranteed no one will draft you!

Well, ladies, gentlemen, and both, I went to the race and took 1st place in the first race and 2nd place in the second race...so I am content with those standings. I plan on spending some time working on lines and speed shenanigans a few times this week before the races next monday. Does anybody know if a helmet mounted mirror is legal or illegal in a race like that? I took second because I didn't realize that a guy whas sucking my wheel and then he shot out at the last minute.

Congratulations on your fine first night.

I don't know about the rules in relation to a mirror, but I have never seen anyone using one, so I would say to skip it, and just work on knowing where your competitors are.

I have never raced, but I have watched enough racing to know that if you are in the front, especially on a track, someone is almost always sucking your wheel, unless you are riding a pursuit. It happens often enough that you should assume that someone is there.

If you want to win consistently work at tactics which can be to ensure you are the second rider into the last corner, and then slingshot around for the win. Or develop enough strength to accelerate and beat the person coming out from behind you. This last one may only work well in lower levels of racing.

What type race were you riding?

It sounds like when you are not riding, you need to be sitting at the track watching the races... You would have surely known that there is always someone in the draft if you had watched more than a handful of races.

Racing is about speed, but it is also about tactics.

Congratulations! Take what you have learned to keep up the good trend.

RedRider2009 said:

... I took second because I didn't realize that a guy whas sucking my wheel and then he shot out at the last minute.

Forget the mirror and learn to glance under your arm and always, always, always know where you are and who's around when racing track. There's nothing like a good miss and out to teach you to know where you are all the time. Sounds like you had a great opening night, but stick with it and your skills will improve and you'll learn the different tactics that apply to points races, scratch races, miss and outs, win and outs, etc. Track racing can teach you a lot about riding in a group and gives you a lot of opportunities to try out different race strategies.

Congratulations and good luck,
-Dave

Thanks everybody...I will keep your suggestions in mind...I am hoping to get a chance to create a mock race at the track before next monday.