As the Wednesday night Sussex Cycle Racing League (SCRL) draws nearer, we can start to think about the track cycling season. We will be running a number of track bike sessions through March and April for anyone who is interested in racing at track league. As well as having fun, acquiring new skills and learning to ride track bikes safely, we are aiming to help riders achieve track accreditation which is required for any riders who wish to race in the league. For more info on SCRL see https://scrl.co.uk/
Inner Ring sessions
We will be incorporating track bike activities into Inner Ring sessions, currently planned for 30th March and 6th April. Due to the limited numbers of smaller track bikes, we will aim to have one of the three groups (about 8-10 riders) spending an hour on the club’s track bikes under the guidance of a specialist track coach, before getting back on their regular bikes to join in the final race at the end with the rest of the group. The other two groups will do activities on their normal bikes for the whole session.
It typically takes at least 2 sessions over multiple weeks to get accredited and priority will be given to those riders who want to race at track league. Please let one of the coaches know if your rider wishes to do this.
All Inner Ring riders should just turn up as normal at 8.45am with their regular bike and the coaches will sort out the track group at the start of the session. A reminder will be sent out during the week beforehand.
Outer Ring sessions
At Outer Ring, we will alert riders and parents during the previous week of upcoming track sessions, but we are currently aiming for those same dates of 30th March and 6th April. At OR, all riders will be on track bikes so there is no need to bring road bikes at all. Please bring your own track bike if you have one. We will split into two groups so that less experienced riders have a safe space to learn before being allowed into the main group.
Outer Ring track sessions will be accessible to all riders who enjoy riding their bike, whether interested in track racing or not. For riders who require a loan track bike, please arrive a little bit early to ensure you are able to have a correctly sized bike and are therefore able to start the session on time at 10.30am
Weather dependent
Track cycling is weather dependent, so if the conditions are very damp or wet, we cannot use track bikes and an update will be posted on the website prior to the session. Therefore please do check the website for the latest information on the morning before leaving for the session each week.
Track bike season loans
PPYCC has track bikes in three wheel sizes: 24 inch, 650C and 700C.
We have plenty of 650C and 700C bikes so once you have completed accreditation, if you are planning to race SCRL weekly then you can take a bike home for the season. This will save time with bike fits each week. Please do NOT ask for a track bike loan unless you are planning to race most weeks at track league.
We only have a few 24 inch bikes though, so the 24″ bikes are NOT available to loan and need to be kept at the track and used by whoever needs them.
As usual, no charge applies for bike loans but you are responsible for general maintenance of the bike and keeping it in good working order, replacing consumables like bar tape, chain and tyres when needed.