MCR Accreditation help needed

walsht1105 wrote:

The accreditation process is a joke, I started back in August – I got the first slip in my second session (which was directly after my first). I’m still not accredited yet. It’s over subscribed with riders that can’t actually ride in a group so instead of learning the track specific side of group cycling/racing you end up being part of an ‘inexperienced group rider lesson’ where the group of 15 has 12 riders that don’t know how to go through to the front with out flying off it or slowing down.. As well as riding with 12y/o lads/gals that are riding the banks so slow that you’re nearly sliding down them…

It’s very hard to show your safe to ride in a group when the group itself is not safe and the majority are riding unexpectedly (i.e. coming off line for no reason, slowing right down for no reason). I’m a 2nd Cat roadie with two seasons of racing, I’m able to enter the Track league because that’s run under british cycling regulations – but I want to gain experience before I jump in to racing for everyone else’s safety as well as building my own confidence. Instead of being supported in this, I’m paying £10+ for a 1hour session to do 20mins of riding at 12mph where the instructors spend the other 40mins explaining through and off and how to go around cones.

One thing I’m not clear on is whether I have to do an induction session and then an accreditation session, these are only held once a month so really it’s going to take me at least another 2-3months assuming there is enough space for me on the session, so it could end up taking me 6months or a year! So just be aware of that, it’s going to take you a long time.

There should be a separate process for those holding a racing license with history of riding, full on, race, group events.

Rant Over.

It's a relatively simple process.

Taster >> Taster Improver >> Skills >> Induction.

Blue, Pink and Green slips.

It's very very busy at the moment, viva la Olympics. You can attend Fri night track league without accreditation, anyone with a racing license can rock up. I have BC Gold + Racing License, but I don't race at the moment. So, technically, I could rock up on Friday and race if I wanted to. You'll be grateful of the skills you learn and the SQTs you can eventually go on to experience a good 2 hours training following your 'going around cones'. Just stick at it. It should take <6 months. There's no fast track. If you can't crack it yet, you can't. It's as simple as that.

The process is straight forward on paper, but getting the first two slips largely depends on who turns up on the day (as in the riders that you ride with). I know how to ride in a group, in road racing, that invovles going down hill, dodging pot holes, oil patches, cars and all the other obstacles the random outdoor environment can throw at you. In road racing you have an expectation of the riders that are all around you - when riding with people of similar experience you can anticipate what the rider in front is going to do. If someone is riding eraticly you wouldnt sit on their wheel. You would avoid them. Now if you take a group of 15 where 12 of them are riding eraticly - thats not a group ride and there is no way to appear safe or confident in that group.

On the taster improver sessions, riders turn up that cant ride in a group. They aren't safe to be there, it's not the coaches fault but the process needs updating because its based around the fact that most riders turning up will have experience in a group through club/group rides elsewhere.. But the whole 'learning from club rides' is being lost and that is affecting the Road Race scene as well. If a rider clearly doesn't have the basic group skills they should be referred to a different session off track, like a day workshop on a close track out on the road, because they need to learn how to ride in a group first before they can learn to ride on the track. That will open it up for people that can already ride in a group safely to get on their way.

I really appreciate the idea behind the accreditation process, I totally agree with making sure people are safe before you let them cause trouble in the SQTs, but I think it needs to adapt to the change in who is actually trying to get on the track because its not the same audience as it was before.

So I'm guessing that there is a group of you that all book on the same taster session and run the hour as you please, an informal SQT between you guys? I'm from newport (south wales) and I know people that ride the track down there (but I haven't), seems the session they go in is a club hired block and it's run by the club so to ride that you don't have to be accredited but they aren't afraid to turn people away, if they don't think they are safe.

For me the track is a tool I'm going to use to help me on the road, so I'm not using it with the idea of being the next track superstar because it doesn't suite my abilities (that's why I want to use it - to work on my weaknesses). I have identified the track as something that I want to do, so I know I will get accredited because I don't give up. But I have seen a lot of people that have tried to get along with the track (3/2/1/elite roadies) and they just found the accreditation process too obstructive.. IMO that is a shame for the track because it's losing riders that can bring quality (in terms of level of fitness) and their experience to sessions, making the whole environment more competitive which would improve the level for everyone involved, that's not to say it isn't competitive already.. Just having more people at a high level means the basic level is pushed up.

I'd just say to anyone thinking about getting accredited, the process looks easy/straight forward on paper but it can be quite drawn out with sessions being over subscribed, the Skills and Induction session are one month apart, it will take at least two months then account for possible interruptions for restrictions on public access to the track (i.e. competitions). But I guess if you really want it, you're prepared to wait.

Sounds like the accreditation process has gone downhill since I did it a year or so ago, but as mentioned above, the Olympics/Worlds/Revolution will really do that at this time of year so if you really want to persevere it's something you have to deal with.

As I see it they only want you to gain accreditation to ride the SQT's because they don't want unsafe riders on there mixing with academy guys (who do attend these sessions at times). If it's racing you're after and you're confident on the track then sign up for the regional league on a Friday where accreditation isn't needed, I generally find that this is actually safer because everyone is really paying attention to what everyone else is doing, but if you're not then you may as well stick out riding with rookies until you're happy with what you're doing. It's not fair to bully the newbies though, how would you feel trying to pass your driving test on roads full of other learners at a 42 degree tilt?!