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Had a few hours to kill today (or rather needed a break from shite at work else someone was going be killed). Saw that the National Cycling Centre was only a few miles away, so thought I'd try the the Beryl bike hire and take a spin over there to take a look.
Bike unlocked ok, the cycle there was eventful, it started to rain, a fair bit, I slipped off the pedals nearly going under a passing car (despite wearing a pair of 5:10s), come off on the wet slippy (very green with slime) canal path. Made it to the Velodrome, see big writing on the side 'Velodrome Cafe' thought that I could do with a coffee and a place to dry off. Receptionist said that the cafe is closed, great! But the Velodrome is open to viewers and team GB were due on, perfect.
Watched an unknown (to me) rider in full GB kit being moto paced by an eletric motorbike at incredible speeds wish I knew just how fast as I love the details.
After my pootle back (now stopped raining despite plenty of big puddles), I dropped the bike off at one the bike stations, where I saw I'd been charged £10 for dropping the bike off outwith a drop-off station, it was promptly refunded once I challenged it. Now having a very nice coffee, nursing a sore hip and trying to hide my green coated trousers.
I thought I was alright on a bike, can manage black graded trails just fine, but my god the hire bikes are tricky to ride on wet cobbles, the tyres are incredibly hard with little grip, even less than a 2005 wire bead Continental Velocity. And the weight makes my Hello Dave feel like a world tour bike, what a workout!
Maybe I should buy that Brompton, like I've been thinking about all them years but get distracted by more exciting bikes, every time.
Apologies if this is a bit long and more like a midlife crisis but felt like I needed to share.
If you love the details so much you would have timed them on a lap and worked out the speed 🙂
Hope the hip isn't too bad!
It's not that difficult or expensive to get yourself booked on a introductory session and ride yourself rather than just spectating. It's excellent fun. https://www.nationalcyclingcentre.com/track/intro-2-sessions
As is the BMX track actually.
My first velodrome session was the Manchester intro for a mates 40th.
Sir Chris Hoy popped in to laugh at us.
Sir Chris Hoy popped in to laugh at us.
My best time along the black line for a flying lap was about the same time that SCH could do at the very top of the track while building up to his full gas sprint. 😳
It’s not that difficult or expensive to get yourself booked on a introductory session
I don't live down here, but I have accompanied my son for his accreditation visits to the Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow so don't really have any reason not have a go other than "the fear!"
Oh, you should definitely try it. The sessions are very structured and careful. Just DON'T STOP PEDDLING! 😁
I think I only paid £20 for a track taster session including bike hire. Instructor was great and once I'd completed a couple of laps they kind of left me to it. Was amazing going up high (well it felt high to me!) and then swooping down.
Definitely don't stop pedalling! It looks like smooth polished wood from a distance but up close they're just thin, unvarnished strips. One guy came off during a race I watched and had a 6inch splinter!
"One guy came off during a race I watched and had a 6inch splinter!"
Our club chair famously had to go to A&E to get part of Derby velodrome removed from his backside
"DON’T STOP PEDDLING!"
Or pedalling.
Take the positives… you went over to Wastelands in East Manchester and you’re still alive and weren’t even mugged.
We (the Monday Night Pub Ride crew) have done the BMX taster sessions and velodrome sessions on a number of occasions and they are excellent! The long-suffering instructors are even patient enough to put up with a gang of middle-aged bell ends like us
Get yourself booked on one. There’s few better ways to spend an evening
I take my daughter on a Saturday morning for the BMX sessions with the club, the cafe is never open unless something else is on which is a shame because they have hash browns!
I thought I was alright on a bike, can manage black graded trails just fine, but my god the hire bikes are tricky to ride on wet cobbles,
In fairness I went arse over tit just walking to work down the canal in Manchester this week. My Under Armour boots are lethal in the wet.
But I forgot there was the velodrome there. As I’m up there for work for a bit, I’ll try and check it out.
Track experiences are great. But… if you get hooked your cycling will cost you £12 an hour. It’s like no other cycling though, SQT sessions are like square dancing on a bike. At 42 degrees. I’m still enjoying them. And racing track league to no success whatsoever. I’ll be at the Good Friday Track Meet at Lee Valley next week
Of course I ride a fixed a lot (100km yesterday), and am used to bunch racing, but even so, it took a few sessions to be accredited and used to the banking. Then it gets fun.
Did a taster session with my boys a few years back, one of them was incredibly hung over at the time, which was entertaining 😯
Had a hand in designing one very small part of the Manchester velodrome but I've never been there.
Yes. Get the Brompton.
Don't try using it on the velodrome though.
As is the BMX track actually
They have the first two days of the national series there this weekend.
Can be good to watch
Yeah my son’s racing 20 and cruiser this weekend. Some absolute rippers riding in the afternoons if you want to see what precision on a bike looks like - so impressive watching the elites go off the 8m hill and then float 30ft+ jumps 8 abreast on bikes that are pretty hard to ride in a straight line on the flat.
Don’t try using it on the velodrome though.
Spoilsport.
Best of luck to your boy, Ian.
My two aren't quite there yet but will probably be watching on YouTube if they do the live stream again.
Good adventure. To be fair, the cobbles on the canal are lethal. The rumours of the canal pusher due to the number of people who have been found in the canal, could just as easily be explained by people falling in. As for east Manchester, while there are plenty of rough areas, I used to cycle to a girl friend in Oldham from my work in the centre of Manchester and I had worked out a lovely quiet route and was one of the most pleasant commutes I've had. I was warned by her to avoid the canal though, because of the "pusher".
I've never tried the Manchester hire bikes though, I don't trust the app, don't like the pricing structure, and your experience hasn't helped me overcome those views. You've done well to find a working bike to be honest.
I thought I was alright on a bike, can manage black graded trails just fine, but my god the hire bikes are tricky to ride on wet cobbles
I went base over apex on the flagstones along another part of the canal through town just the other week, and that was on Minions at 20psi. They're as slippery as snot after some rain.
The track and BMX taster sessions are HUGE fun...
My first time of a velodrome was piloting a tandem for paralympian try outs. We did a bit of moto pacing, sprints, rolling k's, pursuits. It was brilliant. Tracks are so dam quick, and on a tandem....