YOUR NIAGARA PAUL

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

FOREST CITY VELODROME, HITTING THE BOARDS

MARCH 2013


YOUR e-nemy BLOOPER SPORTS WEEK 

PICTURE THIS:

You drive up to an old building that looks like it housed a hockey rink one day because it did.
You get a sense that the maintenance program ran out a while ago.
The entrance is marginally inviting.
As you enter your first smell is sweat. Stale sweat.
From the hollows comes AC/DC’s muffled power anthem “For Those About to Rock”
Layered on top, literally above you is the groaning and pounding of wood.
You make your way through the tunnels, find the sign “Racers this way” and then:


We are at London, Ontario's Forest City Velodrome.

After Kate and I returned from New Zealand in early March, I went to have some fun going around in circles. Getting some bike time in my legs. Partial motivated by the upcoming P2A.

Not quite indicated through the photos, but the turns are STEEPLY banked. One is EXTREMELY motivated to ride 25-30kmp so as not to fall down(0r run over).

The speaker is pretty much cranking out to all:
ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE????


http://www.forestcityvelodrome.ca/assets/movies/sequence_1.mpg
CHECK OUT THIS SHORT VIDEO

Track cycling is a game on it's own. The specialised bike has a fixed gear. No freewheel. No coasting here. If the bike if moving, so are the pedals. Fun to clip in. 
Oh yes, NO BRAKES. 

My cycling cap off to Rob Good who put this all together, I believe in it's seventh year. They have a very intensive program throughout the winter. 

All smiles here. Early in my cycling season, and not having the luxury of just riding around, got some good lung cleaning. Expelled air that I probably didn't know I had.

There are programs for every level of interest. 

Here's one of Hugh's bike. Same fellow who built my touring bike.
No brakes?

For those about to rock,

I SALUTE YOU.



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