MediaVelo Hit the Boards of Lee Valley
Media Velo recently secured an exclusive track taster session at the Lee Valley Velodrome, in Stratford, East London. The venue, purpose built for the 2012 Olympics – said to be the fastest indoor circuit anywhere in the world – was recently opened to the public.
Less than three weeks after opening, on bank holiday Saturday, Media Velo members (and some close friends) found themselves at the top of the huge grandstand looking down on what looked like an impossibly steep track, for the first MV exclusive track session.
The view of the track from up there in the grandstands is amazing, and if you’re nearby please do pop in and see for yourself, regardless of if you’re interested in cycling. The track sits beneath you, in full view like a gladiatorial ring. Wherever you are, you’re standing on top of the action, almost close enough to touch.
Moving down through the tunnels and stairs to get to the infield, the sense of place sort of overwhelms you a little bit. You can be forgiven for hearing the din of an actual crowd, so atmospheric the empty stadium feels. Walking into the infield, for a cycling fan like me, was frankly spine tingling and looking up at the stands from the centre of the stadium, you feel like a two-wheeled Russell Crowe.
More than 20 MV members had pitched up, most with no experience of track riding at all. In my case I’d never ridden a fixed wheel bike and my wife Katie had never ridden in clips before, so there was enough to think about even before we contemplated the 46 degree banking, which has to be seen to be believed.
The instructors were on hand to help with everything and get us set up on the awesome Condor Track bikes.
The bikes (and kit) were a real surprise. I sort of expected a ‘local authority’ style rental bike, but Condor have supplied pukka track bikes in a special livery, which just add to the authenticity of what at this point, in this venue, seems more of an ‘olympics’ taster session than a ‘have a go at riding’ type event.
“If anyone needs the facilities, the Chris Hoy toilet is just down here to the right. He’s not on it.” Says the lead instructor as he welcomes us to our session, and brings us back down to earth for a proper safety briefing.
In two groups we set off on track, steadily increasing speed and increasing our progress up the banking. With no brakes and no gears, pedalling steadily, increasingly faster is the name of the game, but with the boards of the track physically shifting under your tyres and the banking increasing from flat to pretty steep almost immediately, you needed a steely nerve to progress.
That steely nerve was demonstrated in spades by virtually everyone there, but especially from the ever-ready Richard Church who’s trademark buccaneering spirit led to a spectacular tumble from the top of the track, taking out another rider on his way down. The track equivalent of gravel rash is not recommended and I’m pretty sure the tattoo like mark on his now exposed backside was caused by a tyre.
Within one or two sessions, most people had mastered it and nearly everyone was spinning around the track above my head, literally. Once up to speed the knowledgeable instructors had us riding as a group, and even racing towards the end.
Another cracking MV event and if this is what an Olympic legacy looks and feels like, we want more please!
