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Structured Sessions: Track 2 Split the session up into two groups of 4-6 riders each. To begin, have the two groups start in the most efficient way for beginners: by lining up on the apron on opposite sides of the track, doing one or two slow laps until everyone is together, and then getting up on the track at the exit of turn 2, lead riders shouting “on” to alert those behind of their intentions. Let the riders get comfortable on the red and ensure they are maintaining a separation of 3-5 bike lengths. Then get them to work on some skills: • stand up on the straights, sit down through the turns • stand up through the turns, sit down in the straights • stand up for one lap • stand up for two laps • ride with hands on the tops • ride with hands on the drops • ride with one hand on the tops and the other on the drops • ride with the other hand on the tops and the first one on the drops • ride switching hand positions • hands on the tops, ride with one hand off the bars in the straights • hands on the tops, ride with the other hand off the bars in the straights • hands on the tops, ride with one hand off the bars in the turns • hands on the tops, ride with the other hand off the bars in the turns • hands on the tops, do laps with first one hand, then the other behind your back • repeat the last 5 exercises with hands on the drops, reaching down to your ankle with the free hand • do quick right shoulder checks while holding your line • do quick left shoulder checks while holding our line • shoulder check and change lines to the black (make sure they check over the correct shoulder) • shoulder check and change lines to the red (make sure they check over the correct shoulder) • slow down and ride on the coté, divide into 3 groups of 4. Lead rider accelerates and slows without warning. Followers attempt to hold on, not allowing a gap to form in the accelerations, and backpedaling and riding higher on the track in the decelerations Take a break. When riders are recovered, get them up on the track as before, ½ lap apart, riding on the black. On the whistle, the last rider in each line moves up to the red and accelerates over top of the group, slowing just past the lead rider to drop back down in front of the group. Keep repeating until all riders are comfortable passing over. You will have to explain this drill to them ahead of time, and tell them what to do if the overtaking riders come over too fast and create a gap: the following riders will have to sprint to catch up. To prevent this from becoming onerous, the following riders should be shouting to the overtaking riders to slow down as they pass over if it looks like they are passing over too quickly. Take a break. When riders are recovered, tell them that they are going to be going up and down the track in the turns. When they do so, it is important that they take a gradual line up the track and a gradual line back down. If, when turning up the track, they feel a bump and notice the front wheel jerking up, they have turned too sharply up track. Explain to them what they must do if there is an accident: maintain their speed and ride over the fallen or slowed riders, as they have just been taught to do. Get the two
groups up on the track as before, ½ lap apart. Begin by getting people to diamond from the
black to the red in both turns.
Instruction: “black on the straights, up to the red in the
turns.” Then get them going half way
to the blue. Finally get them going to
the blue. Be sure they are not taking
too steep a line up the track.
Starting from just before turn 1, riders should reach the blue line no
sooner than half way between turns 1 and 2.
Likewise for 3 and 4. The same
holds for going back down. Riders
should begin their descent from the point on the blue line halfway between
turns 1 and 2 and be back at the black line just at the point where it
straightens out. Likewise for 3 and
4. When ascending to or descending
from points below the blue line, riders should follow the same path they
would take if they were going to or from the blue. Be sure to also keep an eye on riders’ speed. Get them to work on the way up the track and slow the bike down on the way down. Have them stand up on the way up the track and sit down on the way down as a way of ensuring they do this. Once they have mastered the technique, have them sit down on the way up and stand up on the way down. Riders who have mastered going up to and down from the blue are ready to begin squaring. Have them do a few laps on the blue (Instruction: “up to the blue, stay on the blue”), and then begin squaring from the blue to the red. Instructions: blue on the straights, half way to the red in the turns,” “Blue on the straights, red in the turns,” “Blue on the straights, “black in the turns.” Riders will wait too long to square. They should be squaring from the point on the blue line just before it starts up to climb uphill to make the transition to the steep banking. This is a point about three paces behind the place where the blue line starts to curve. Stand at this point and give the instruction to start going down here. Take a break. When riders are recovered explain to them how a pace line works. Get the two groups up on the track as before, ½ lap apart, on the black line. Get a bike length separation between riders and get the riders moving to between 33-35 km/h. (When less experienced people are involved in a roll up, it is best to get the group moving at a higher speed. Inexperienced people will want to slow down to get to the back of the group. If the group is only traveling at 30 km/h, this can have unfortunate consequences.) Then get them changing the lead every second lap. Make sure they are signalling and shoulder checking. Also make sure they are not taking too sharp a line up the track. Starting at the beginning of turn 1, newer riders should not rise to the blue before the mid-point between 1 and 2. At sharper angles, they risk losing speed and control. Above all, make sure that they are maintaining 30 km/h while up on the blue. As people get more comfortable, work on getting them to go up and down in the right places. Riders should ascend from the black to the red a few paces in front of the point where the black line starts to curve around the turn. This skirts the dip that the black line takes as it goes around the turn. They should then rise gradually from the red to the blue over the distance between the point where the red line starts to bend and the blue line midway between turn 1 and 2. While up on the blue, they should attempt to time their descent so that they come down just on the rear wheel of the last rider. Continue by getting the riders to change every lap and then every half lap. Time permitting, have the groups do a pace line on the blue. Do this only if the groups have become expert changing the lead on the black. On the blue the lead should not change more often than every second lap. |