It's Friday

[Mich the Tester]

Picking up son from University tomorrow, back to the smoke Sunday afternoon as I have a pile of kit and a bike to take down with me that won't be practical on Monday Morning.

have you ever done any bicycle track racing ?

[Halo Jones]

You just wanted someone to ask what car it is? Didn't you!!!

LOL, Am I that shallow? It’s nothing special just a golf estate, practical over posing I’m afraid

[SimonMac]

have you ever been in a Turkish prison ?

FTFY

[darmstadt]

Well mine started Wednesday as Thursday is a holiday here so no working Friday either. Was going to go to Düsseldorf but FrauD has to work Saturday so drove over to Luxemburg yesterday to pick up Napoleon bonbons, mustard and 800 cheap fags. Today its, Frankfurt for food followed by the town followed by Kegel and football and then pub. Tomorrow will be Biergarten with football and Sunday is stay at home to help the wife write her CV as she gets made redundant shortly and then drive to Münster as I have an early start with IBM stuff on Monday. Jolly weekend everyone...

[DaveB]

have you ever done any bicycle track racing ?

I haven't. Road only for racing, although always quite fancied it. Track bikes are mad though. One gear, no freewheel, no brakes.

[Mich the Tester]

I haven't. Road only for racing, although always quite fancied it. Track bikes are mad though. One gear, no freewheel, no brakes.

I was hoping you could advise on a good track bike; looking at a Dolan Precursa, a Zannata Z92 and a Ridley Oval, but I guess you don't know any better than me.

I tried it a couple of months ago; went to 3 beginner sessions at the Apeldoorn indoor velodrome. Brilliant fun and I shall be doing more this winter, probably sprints and 750metre time trial ('masters' do 750m instead of 1k). That, seeing as my shoulders are now too knackered for rugby or discus. Trouble is, the hired bikes at velodromes usually have a weedy low gearing so you have to pedal like mad to keep up. Good for training, no good for racing.

Go and try it; absolutely great fun; you'll get used to the bike very quickly, but yes, you do need a slight loony streak to ride one. Actually the lack of freewheel or brakes is a safety thing; if you're all riding at 60kph or more and one person slows down suddenly then everyone will smash into him. Which provides a good laugh for spectators.

[BoredBloke]

download festival in the rain

[Scrag Meister]

The wife and I will be driving all the way down to near Lands End and back, to see the Mother-In-Law for her birthday.

650 mile round trip.

[DaveB]

I was hoping you could advise on a good track bike; looking at a Dolan Precursa, a Zannata Z92 and a Ridley Oval, but I guess you don't know any better than me.

I tried it a couple of months ago; went to 3 beginner sessions at the Apeldoorn indoor velodrome. Brilliant fun and I shall be doing more this winter, probably sprints and 750metre time trial ('masters' do 750m instead of 1k). That, seeing as my shoulders are now too knackered for rugby or discus. Trouble is, the hired bikes at velodromes usually have a weedy low gearing so you have to pedal like mad to keep up. Good for training, no good for racing.

Go and try it; absolutely great fun; you'll get used to the bike very quickly, but yes, you do need a slight loony streak to ride one. Actually the lack of freewheel or brakes is a safety thing; if you're all riding at 60kph or more and one person slows down suddenly then everyone will smash into him. Which provides a good laugh for spectators.

Hmmmm, Track Cycling at Calshot Activities Centre

[Mich the Tester]

Hmmmm, Track Cycling at Calshot Activities Centre

Go for it; but that's a real loony track, 142 metres, and I guess the banking must be more than 50 degrees. Apeldoorn's a world championship track, 250 metres with 42.5 degree banking.