Hippy's 1st Track Race...

The Bike:
http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/Track/1stRace/1stTrackRaceWeb_170_7041.jpg
http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/Track/1stRace/1stTrackRaceWeb_170_7042.jpg
http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/Track/1stRace/1stTrackRaceWeb_170_7043.jpg

If you don't mind a little blood:
http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/Track/1stRace/1stTrackRaceWeb_167_6790.jpg
http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/Track/1stRace/1stTrackRaceWeb_167_6795.jpg

What you don't see are the gouges out of my (bad) shoulder
and the "double-sized" puffed-up fingers with some pieces
missing... or the arl-length bruising .
The gore shots were taken AFTER washing all the blood
off so they don't look quite so impressive - sorry .
Continued racing that day though and raced this morning
(after a continental breakfast of Panadols and Ibuprofen)
and then went on to complete our 100k loop - so it's not
THAT bad. The codeine is working now, thank ch...
"chemists"...

Most people that know me 'assume' this kind of thing will
happen. Matter of fact, I said it would happen myself.
"Firsts" with myself and bikes always seem to end in pain.
For those who want the "how?", read on...

Method: I was the last rider in an Olympic sprint and I'm
doing my flying lap. Cross the finish line and onto the next
bend with almost full pace still on. In front, there's a rider
low, in my path. I decide to move up around him but he'd
heard me coming and moved up too.. uh oh... rider and
fence start making smaller and smaller gap and there's no
brakes on track bikes. This all happens in the space of 1
second, in a mental imagery, slow-mo, "hip, you're about
to eat concrete" cam.
I make myself as skinny as possible (stop laughing) but it's
not good enough.
Hit the wire fence, that was probably why I have chunks
missing from my fingers, and flipped the bike over,
face-planting into the concrete track. Slid a little, swore a
lot. Got up with the assistance of some race officials.
Little dazed and confused (I mean, more than normal)
and a bit bloody. The other rider was fine, I think, and
very apologetic (unecessarily so, I believe).

I've got track training on Monday so I've just swapped the
holed front tyre with a Michelin Axial Carbon that I bought
the other day. Sometimes being lazy pays off - not fitting
the new tyres immediately means I just saved $60+,
destroying the old tyre instead.
They're yellow-striped, btw which means they look quite
sexy with the, now half roo ted, yellow bar tape.

Other than that, the day went really well, even with low
numbers due to people racing at Vodaphone that night.

Track is cool!

hippy
"not shaving face for a while"

 

Well, if you don't crash once in while, are you really racing?

Get well soon-- it sounds like you're well on your way.

 

... but there's no real 'getting well' needed. I continued racing on the day. Raced a crit and did an easy 100k the next day and went back to track training tonight, albeit with very tired legs & lungs and many sore body parts!

Lots of scabs forming.. yay!

 

Nice one Hippy!

I scored myself a track the same time as yourself, but haven't had much time to ride it. I was wondering how you were going with it. Now I know!

keep peddling

 

Hey, Hippy, a month and a bit further down the track (so to speak), how's it going? Are you still having fun? Track is good.

Eoin C

 

We are in autumn now and the track season is over here until next summer. I've just been on holiday to Europe and so I've
not ridden on the track for a month. If I get some nice weather
and spare time I'll take the bike down, meantime I'll commute
to work and try some indoor training sessions.

I'd like to get myself a fixed gear bike setup for the road...

hippy

 

Try it....you'll like it. I ride my fixie everywhere.

Eoin C

 

What setup do you have for fixed road use?

I want mine to have brakes so it wont use a track frame.

I'm not sure if I should find something new or buy a used
frame or used bike. I haven't really looked yet at what's
available here...

hippy

 

Have a look around the bike shops for any old track bikes they may have sitting around. The one I have now I rode for a few years without brakes until she-who-must-be-obeyed forced me to put some on. The day I fitted them I crashed (and of course told her that it was all her fault). You don't physically need brakes on a fixed wheel (you can pull up basically as fast by holding back), but, if you want a brake, put on a front one. I have both as I ride on the hoods a lot, but I preferred the bike when there were no brakes.
Don't forget to watch your BB Height / Crank Length as you WILL be pedalling through the corners.

Eoin C

 

So how did you do in the race?

 

Other than the crash? Our team won of course!

For details of the street fixie buildup, there's a thread in aus.bicycle in the Cafe forum on this site.

hippy

 

Roadies should stay on the road and Trackies should stay on the track. I learnt they hard way.

 

How do you know which you are unless you try both?

hippy

 

Once you try both for most people its obvious. I know it was for me at least.

 

I enjoy and still 'do' most forms of riding. I've crashed
doing them all too. I guess there's a limit to the number of
times you get injured before you decide to quit though

I'll keep going for now..

hippy

 

hippy you are a star or a nutter - not sure which one

 

Maybe a star-nut?

hippy