ACT Track League questions

Dane7

Hi,

Does anyone on here race this league, or any track league, I am looking for some information about what races there are on the night and how to get into racing.

I am new to track cycling and I passed the accreditation about 6 weeks ago at manchester, I have my own bike and BC race licence.

I am very keen to start racing and I've looked for information but there doesn't seem to be much out there.

I would like to race endurance events, what gear size would be best to use, I have 48 x 16 on my new bike and find that when we do practice scrath races in training I feel a bit undergeared and spin out. I bought a 15 T cog, but can't find a tool to change it if I were to.

I consider myself quite fit, I've done a decent winter and have been doing intervals 2-3 times a week and a chaingang 25+ mph into a headwind once a week too, am I fit enough to race?

Any information or advice at all is greatly appreciated, I'm not very good at asking for help when I'm there, although the coaches are excellent.

Eddy S

Each track league does its own thing so what we do at Reading is different to what happens at the ACT TL. You will probably be better off asking on the track section of Veloriders – quite a few of the regulars there race the TLs at Manchester. You might get a few pointers here - http://www.manchestervelodrome.com/racing/act/velo_act_main.html

You need a broader range of gearing – 48x15 is still only 86. You need to get 49 and 50 chainrings and a 14 sprocket as well – this will give you enough gearing options to experiment to find what works best for you. You will be able to sell what you don't need/use.

To change your sprocket, go to Hubjub’s site and get a Shimano TL-SR-22 which is the 2nd item on this page.

The “am I fit enough to race” question will only be answered by getting out there and racing. It’s not just about fitness as you will need to pick up race craft and there’s only one place to get that! 8)

Once you get in to the swing of racing, ask the other riders at the track for help and advice – most of them will gladly help.

Blonde

I have been to the ACT league at Manchester on Monday nights. You can just enter on the night - just go a a bit early. £15 registration for the year, £9.50 for each night you race. You get four races each night. They are all "endurance"; Devil take the hindmost, scratch, courses des primes, 30 or 40 lap points race. That's if you are a "senior".

If you're a youth, then they do a few different events from the seniors. Just email the organiser Neil Orrell for details - his contact details are on the ACT track league website.

If you can do the derny sessions on Wednesdays and hold on to the wheel in front til the last lap, or do the A-QST then you are fit enough. If you are good at looking over your shoulder before you change your line, and you do not do anything dangerous, then you will be fine. If you are on the front of the bunch and want to follow someone else's wheel, make sure you do not go up the banking then try to re-join in the bunch unless there really is a gap there - you may have to wait until the back comes past and tag on at the back. You wil get shouted at if you do something dangerous! Not so at the other track league on Fridays where you do not need accrediation to ride - but that makes it, erm... interesting! The Monday night league is the safest because you must be accrediated to take part.

I have a 90" gear on my track bike, but ride only a 69" gear on the road so I am used to spinning a high cadence. I was told though that for derny and sprint sessions (which are the ones I go to) that a 90" gear would be good, so that is what I have and that's the gear I have raced on. As said above, everyone at the league is really friendly and the atmosphere is very informal - so if you don't know something, just ask. I didn't know what half the events were till I showed up and asked someone what on earth the start sheet was all about!

Dane7

Thanks for taking the time to help, I raced on monday night and really enjoyed it. I had a lot of help from Harvey, who I am very grateful to, explaining how each race works, when to warm up and everything. Racing was great fun and the shorter (than road) nature of the races really suited me.

I know what you mean about the start sheet! I had all the races explained to me before the start and I got the tactics all wrong in the Devil, where I got boxed in! I enjoyed the points race, trying to do the maths in my head was fun whilst riding!

I'll be racing as much track as I can now, it was excellent! Can't wait for the outdoor tracks to open.

I raced on a 48x14 which is 92.5 I think, it felt fine, felt like there was a lot of top end speed if you pushed it, I was on an 86 48x15 before and much preferred the bigger gear, could see where a slightly smaller gear would be better for accelaration.