Q: “Id like to race on the track… how do I get into it?”
A: “Join a club”
If you would like to get into any sort of competitive bicycle racing, the best place to start is joining a club. Most bicycle clubs offer training, guidance, specialised coaching, group rides and organised racing.
If you have never been on the track before, start at step 1… otherwise use the following as you see fit…
Step 0: Get Involved
Get out and get involved. Come down and watch the racing at your local velodrome. Introduce yourself to the club members and find out who to talk to about signing up.
Step 1: Come-n-Try
Watch the club, state and national cycling websites for “come-n-try” days where you can ride at a velodrome with the guidance of coaches and experienced riders without having to commit to a ride-it or racing license.
Step 2: Join a club
Join a cycling club.
If you plan to just train and learn the ropes first you can get a “Ride-it” license. This gives you club membership and cover for training rides and coaching sessions. If you want to race you’ll need a racing license - the one to get will depend mostly on your age.
Step 3: Race
Over summer club racing is held at outdoor tracks all over the country. Some clubs run indoor meets over winter (check below for more info).
Come down to Tuesday night training (6-8.30pm weekly) to get the low down on the racing and the base skills to get you out in the novice class. Best fun on two wheels!
Also worth mentioning: Alf (from Brunswick) runs training sessions over summer (until about April) Saturday afternoon at 2pm and Monday evening at 5pm at the Brunswick outdoor velodrome. These sessions are fairly relaxed but you get to ride around and learn some good skills. The Monday evening session is followed by madison training from 7pm.
Riding the outdoor tracks is great for bike handling and the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed than down at DISC - I highly recommend it. Just rock up and have a chat to Alf or Dave.
Blackburn also have a Thursday Night Training for beginers as well. Starts around 6:00 PM if i rmember correctly and runs a 1.5 hrs or so. Not a bad run for about $5 with a coach and on the beginer friendly BBN Velo.
All year round: First Wednesday of every month out at the Superdrome. Sign on by 6pm, racing starts at 6:30. Seniors A, B and C grades. Juniors A and B as well as ‘pocket rockets’!
Summer: Every Friday night racing at Edwardstown outdoor velodrome (behind castle plaza).
Beginners come and try the Superdrome on Friday nights all year round!
Check out cycling SA website for more details or send me a PM.
Hi all, really new to cycliing. Was wondering what the go is.
I have had one session on the track and am hooked.
It seems differant clubs use the same track at differant times, if I work strange hours is it wrong to try to get to the track when I can or do you sign up with 1 club and just do there thing only???
See above (particularly step 0). Your racing license lets you race with any club - as already mentioned, different clubs offer different things, so introduce yourself, ask questions and get involved. Read above posts. Join a club.
Thanks for the reply, realised i didnt mention that at this stage i wasnt gonna race. Had first planned to train and learn track rules, didnt want to be one of those frustrating pain of the ass newbies getting in the way of the faster riders. was considering the “ride it” type licence to start.
Be aware that you can purchase a Ride It licence ($55 I think) (which will allow you to ride at DISC) and then, if you decide to upgrade to a racing licence, you simply pay the difference so you haven’t done your dough on the cost of the Ride It.
Like car rego, most of it goes to insurance. Some of it for admin (THEM knowing who YOU are). Racing license is usually paid together with a club fee (so your club can live, thrive & survive).
I just joined my schools cycling club and really want to do track racing, they seem to be considering letting me do it for a sport at darebin indoor velodrome. For the moment I just train and have to do the downhill mountain biking because I ride Flatland Bmx. Makes no sense but im okay at mtb so…
while doing it with your school would be rad, you should still come down to either DISC or the brunswick velodrome and check it out. on tuesdays at DISC there is junior racing from 6.30 - if you’re interested it’d be a good place to start.
I live in brunswick so I might ride round but until I get money I won’t have a fixie. I have a mountain bike and a Flatland bmx bike atm so…
I want a job badly cause I don’t get any handouts nor do I want them, all my money now is getting me a new wheelset which is about 400 for the bmx, after that I can sell my mountain bike and get a fixie cause I don’t really like gears.
thats cool doesn’t sound too expensive. Maybe I should head down. I have already looked at track cycling rules, are their lots cause I just got a vague outline about the lines and stuff
