# Velodrome Technique.. Tricks of the trade
**URL:** https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955
**Category:** Fixed Street
**Created:** [November 4, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955 "2007-11-04T14:30:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@nexus](https://fixed.org.au/u/nexus)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/21 "2007-11-14T18:17:42Z")
Dropped by on Tuesday night for a look. Hopefully get around to having a ride myself eventually.
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### Author:  [@system](https://fixed.org.au/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/22 "2007-11-14T18:57:30Z")
> [@nexus](#):
>
> Dropped by on Tuesday night for a look. Hopefully get around to having a ride myself eventually.
I was there too, shooting the shit with Christof, I was the monkey with the 3yr old.
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### Author:  [@horatio](https://fixed.org.au/u/horatio)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/23 "2007-11-14T20:00:58Z")
> [@nexus](#):
>
> Watching the motorpace the other night, there were a number of guys riding on the tops of their bars rather than the drops. Is there a rule regarding that or do you just do whatever works best for you?
Officially I think it’s not allowed. In any case it’s usually just a sign of either bad technique or worse still, they aren’t trying hard enough! :evil: For gods sake, it’s a race! The only time I do it is when I peel off from the front of the motorpace and I have a few seconds to slow down marginally and relax before joining the back.
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### Author:  [@bdstorer](https://fixed.org.au/u/bdstorer)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/24 "2007-11-14T20:21:52Z")
> [@GarthMc](#):
>
> As in your front hub, or the person infront of you?
The front hub of the rider in front of me… and yep, I’ll satrt looking about 3riders ahead to keep an eye on what’s happening…
also did have someone mention not to look over my shoulder… I was doing it alot a swinging all over the shop… think I scared the shit out of the bloke on my tail in those particular races…
had a few hit outs on the track solo to try and work some shit out… but kinda learning more on the actually track meeting nights…
We only have two grades in Hobart… A and B… I’m one of three learners… anyway doing ok… placed 7th overall after two rounds! yeuw!
[http://www.track.hobartwheelers.com.au/html/overall.html](http://www.track.hobartwheelers.com.au/html/overall.html)
Keep the pointers going!
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### Author:  [@lats](https://fixed.org.au/u/lats)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/25 "2007-11-14T20:39:42Z")
> [@hjb1000](#):
>
> > [@nexus](#):
> >
> > Watching the motorpace the other night, there were a number of guys riding on the tops of their bars rather than the drops. Is there a rule regarding that or do you just do whatever works best for you?
>
> Officially I think it’s not allowed. In any case it’s usually just a sign of either bad technique or worse still, they aren’t trying hard enough! :evil: For gods sake, it’s a race! The only time I do it is when I peel off from the front of the motorpace and I have a few seconds to slow down marginally and relax before joining the back.
Either that or its a sign that they are quite relaxed
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### Author:  [@christof](https://fixed.org.au/u/christof)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/26 "2007-11-15T03:39:09Z")
> [@hjb1000](#):
>
> > [@nexus](#):
> >
> > Watching the motorpace the other night, there were a number of guys riding on the tops of their bars rather than the drops. Is there a rule regarding that or do you just do whatever works best for you?
>
> Officially I think it’s not allowed. In any case it’s usually just a sign of either bad technique or worse still, they aren’t trying hard enough! :evil: For gods sake, it’s a race! The only time I do it is when I peel off from the front of the motorpace and I have a few seconds to slow down marginally and relax before joining the back.
Wouldn’t it create a greater tunnel for the rider behind? I’ve often thought that it’s because that position might be more comfortable, until the pace picks up and you’d really WANT to be more aero.
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### Author:  [@LittleWheelsandBig](https://fixed.org.au/u/LittleWheelsandBig)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2007, 7:37am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/27 "2007-11-16T07:37:40Z")
> [@Wormz](#):
>
> > [@ndf](#):
> >
> > haha … I think Rhino is referring to the old knee under thigh body lift 🙂
>
> Yeah thanks for the demonstration the other weekend Nath, it’s scaaary!
You come up nearly alongside your target but definitely close enough to rub elbows, flick your knee out just as it begins the upstroke, your knee connects with their hamstring or buttock, the fixed gear keeps your knee moving and it flicks them up and sideways (over the fence if done well).
I don’t recommend you try it, unless you want to be banned from racing for quite a while.
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### Author:  [@LittleWheelsandBig](https://fixed.org.au/u/LittleWheelsandBig)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2007, 7:47am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/28 "2007-11-16T07:47:55Z")
If you are really new to track riding, find someone who is older and figured to be a smart racer who consistently gets results. Get on his wheel and follow it for the whole race. Do your 1/2 lap turns of course but get straight back on his wheel afterwards. Work out how he changes position, see when he does it and why. After the race, think about where you could have done better.
If you are a bit more experienced, guess how the race is likely to go before the start and who will be the 2-3 danger men. Watch them and stay near them. Try to anticipate their attacks and get yourself into 2nd or 3rd wheel with a lap to go. You’ll find yourself outmanouvered but analyse the race afterwards and work out what you could have done better. Did the race go as expected, did somebody unexpected win?
All of this presumes that you’ve got the basics sorted; how to ride a straight line while keeping an eye on the rest of the field, how to follow a wheel closely without getting taken down, how to wedge yourself into gaps in the field, etc.
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### Author:  [@LittleWheelsandBig](https://fixed.org.au/u/LittleWheelsandBig)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2007, 7:59am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/29 "2007-11-16T07:59:58Z")
> [@nexus](#):
>
> Watching the motorpace the other night, there were a number of guys riding on the tops of their bars rather than the drops. Is there a rule regarding that or do you just do whatever works best for you?
The motorpacer is making it too easy for the riders. The speed should be high enough that any gap makes it difficult to get enough draft. At this point, any wobbles when following the wheel gets amplified down the line and the last blokes get flicked off the wheel in front. Proper motorpacing is a world of pain.
Riders used to be told off for riding the tops during a race. Good riders do a 50km point score in the drops the whole way, just bending their elbows to get lower. If you can’t do that because of comfort problems, lift the bars a little.
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### Author:  [@system](https://fixed.org.au/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/30 "2007-11-16T21:55:26Z")
> [@LittleWheelsandBig](#):
>
> The motorpacer is making it too easy for the riders. […] Proper motorpacing is a world of pain.
Yeah that race was too slow for too long - once the pace finally picked up, all those guys were dropped 🙂 Now the week before was a different story.
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### Author:  [@system](https://fixed.org.au/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/31 "2007-11-17T19:22:53Z")
> [@LittleWheelsandBig](#):
>
> … this presumes that you’ve got the basics sorted …
Dave - any chance you could come to Melbourne to teach us rookies some skills?
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### Author:  [@LittleWheelsandBig](https://fixed.org.au/u/LittleWheelsandBig)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/32 "2007-11-17T20:47:44Z")
Victoria is loaded with old trackies, the best ones to learn from are 60+ year old ex-pros (just waiting for the comments 😉 ). Those blokes rode hard back then.
It sounds like Joe is doing a better job than I could anyway.
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### Author:  [@lisanne](https://fixed.org.au/u/lisanne)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/velodrome-technique-tricks-of-the-trade/35955/33 "2007-11-17T22:49:49Z")
I tried the looking at the front hub of the bike infront of me thing today - works well and I found my line improved doing that. I was all over the place this morning, having had several weeks off from doing rotating turns on the track has an impact when you are still new to track.
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