Track Season has Begun

By the time you read this the track season will have already begun. Evening practice sessions will be underway and the Superdrome will be gearing up for The Matrix Cup on April 19th and 20th. So, what is The Matrix Cup? Is it a massive Stanley Cup style trophy to adorn one’s kitchen counter? Is it a brilliant golden chalice used for drinking the sweet Accelerade of victory? To be perfectly honest, I have no idea.

What I do know is that The Matrix Cup comprises two full days of track racing at the Superdrome, and promises a pay out of $10,000. If that doesn’t get your attention and make you want to dust off your track bike, I don’t know what will. And if you have not taken the required Development Class yet, you have no need to worry. The Superdrome staff is holding a special Development Class on Friday night, April 18th. Not only that, but rental bikes will be available as always for anyone who takes the class but does not have the time or fiscal fortitude to plop down the cash on a track bike.

The big question now, of course, is what possible reason you could have for not attending. Even if you don’t feel like racing, you might as well make the trek north and show a little support for bicycle racing. The action is all right there in front of you, there is no gate fee for spectators and it will be a good excuse to get out of the house and do something a little different with your Saturday evening. The races are family friendly and not only offer a racing program for youths, but we’ll have apron races for the kids during intermission. What could be more fun for a kid than racing around the apron? Heck, I’m tempted to bring along my own BMX bike and join in if they’ll let me!

For those of you who are seeking to get a little more from the track than just friendly advice and weekday workouts, we’re also holding a series of clinics at the Superdrome that will provide you with a wealth of knowledge and training geared to specific goals. Here’s a brief breakdown on what is happening in the months ahead:

Track Skills Clinics
• April 5th kicks off our exciting 2008 schedule of track skills clinics with Stefan Rothe’s curriculum covering Endurance track racing events.
• April 26th continues the track skill clinic series when 2002 U.S. National Track Cycling Champion Jeff LaBauve drops into the lane to teach the finer points of Sprinting.
• May 11th brings Christian Williams’ Fitness Clinic, an invaluable resource tailored specifically for new cyclists seeking to use the track as a training and fitness tool.
• May 31st former sprint champions Tim and Suzie Goodwin welcome riders to the track for event specific training. Standing starts, flying 200s and other timed event techniques will be tailored to every rider’s individual needs.
• Later in the season we’ll have Nathan Rogut on hand to teach track etiquette to racers at all levels of experience.

Other clinics are planned as well and we’re looking forward to adding to this diverse schedule. Not only are the clinics taught by knowledgeable racers, but class size is limited to ensure more one-on-one instruction during the clinic. You do not need to be a seasoned veteran to take advantage of these clinics, and many of the skills and training techniques will also apply to other disciplines of bicycle racing.

American Track Racing Association

2008 Track Season Brings a Dedicated New Board to ATRA

The American Track Racing Association (ATRA) has been reborn for the 2008 season with a new executive board, website and National track racing calendar boasting over $100,000 in prize money at 30 events held around the United States.

ATRA’s 2008 Executive Board
President – Pete Antonvich
Vice President – Tim Goodwin
Secretary – Leigh Barczewski
Treasurer – Mike Murray

A Base for Growth
Starting with the 2008 season, ATRA’s dedicated board of executives seeks to grow track racing in North America. By offering economical insurance rates, creating continuity and opening communication channels among all member tracks, ATRA seeks to develop a base from which to build a strong track racing community in North America. In addition, marketing services will be available to member tracks for events as well as public and corporate relations. Having recently filed for incorporation, the board will also be seeking 501(c)(3) or non-profit status as a next step to securing long-term growth.

www.RaceATRA.com
The recently launched website (www.raceatra.com) has been redesigned with additional member track information. The website will also feature news from member tracks across the continent and provide information for non-member tracks who wish to join ATRA in the development of track racing. A complete listing of all 28 North American velodromes can be found on the website, along with a National track racing calendar. Encompassing over $100,000 in prize money, the calendar spans 6 months and features major races at 14 member tracks in 11 States.

Mission Statement:
The American Track Racing Association (ATRA) is formed by United States and Canadian velodromes to advance the sport of track cycling, the capital improvements of our facilities and for the promotion of track riding and racing.

How do you Win a Bike Fight?

In December of 2006 I walked out of the local CCA (rough equivalent to Goodwill) dragging my new prized possession: a mid-80s Nishiki Sport that had been sitting outside someone’s garage for what must have been several years. The bike was complete with several baskets, all of which were full of leaves, trash and some unidentifiable –and thankfully deceased- insects and spiders. The rims were bent, the tires were flat and the drive train so rusted it refused to shift or even spin. It was, for my purposes, perfect.

I took the heap home and set to work stripping it, completing the easy part, disassembly, in a single evening. Armed with a tube of Pedro’s and a garage full of tools, what followed were several days of research and parts foraging that lead to converting the 20+ pound 4130 Tange frame into a hefty fixed gear bicycle. I started riding it, rather tentatively, at White Rock Lake. It took a few laps to stop attempting to coast and a couple of days to stop worrying myself with imminent death before I equipped it with Look pedals and became a regular fixture (bad pun intended) at the lake. I met numerous people riding that ugly little heap and became confident enough to start commuting to work on it in February of 2007.


Despite the heavy rains and curious way that my route to work became somewhat water logged, I continued to commute 18 miles each way on the Nishiki. I even learned to accept that it was not possible to keep the threaded headset (rusty, pitted and dented) tight for more than a day. I had a little rack on the bike and a bag just large enough to carry slacks, a dress shirt, socks and lunch. I left my dress shoes at work and had access to a shower so commuting was not only viable, it was amazingly simple. Unfortunately, the frame was a few centimeters too small and I decided it was time to replace it with another fixed gear frame, properly sized and equipped for commuting.


In May 2007 my task began with research for a frame and some components, but as I got into the project I started to think it would be neat to have a bike that I could, if I so chose, take to the Superdrome for some random riding. Betty and I visited the track that Friday night to watch the races and for me to introduce her to the Superdrome. By 10 o’clock that night the plan changed from building a new commuter to creating a race bike on a budget. I would continue to make due with the creaky Nishiki, after all it was just a beater for commuting, and build a track bike on the cheap.

The ad’s headline “How do you win a bike fight?” was too tempting to pass up. And at $300 it was hard to pass up the EAI Brass Knuckle as a basis for my track bike. Along with being a rather thoughtfully designed Taiwan knock-off, the bike is available in your choice of File Cabinet Grey or Sort-of Khaki. Not wanting to be reminded of work I decided to go with Sort-of Khaki, but in all honesty I think it is closer to Bamboo as the hue hints of green. Going cheap on the frame allowed me to spend some extra cash on other important bits of rotating mass like FSA Carbon Pro cranks. I also decided to equip the Knuckle with 3T bars and a Deda stem while having it professionally fitted at Richardson Bike Mart. I had also managed to locate a set of wheels in Plano for a whopping $100, which helped keep things cheap at the expense of rotating mass, snap acceleration and high strength. I know that sounds like a rather lousy trade-off, which it undoubtedly is, but I didn’t think it would matter much given my ignorance of racing. Armed with my track bike and an insurmountable amount of enthusiasm, I was unceremoniously rained out of the Development Class for two straight months.


In early January 2008, just a tick over a year since I had completed building it, I sold the Nishiki to a willing new home in Houston. I hadn’t ridden it in months and was becoming a little sad that it was missing out on a lot of potential mileage. In the seven months I used it for commuting I manage to put over 3,000 miles on the steel beast. It had served me well, started my spiraling roller coaster into fixed gear racing and needed to find a new source of love under the butt of a new owner. While I was sad to see it go I was relieved to learn that the buyer would be entering it in various Alley Cat races, which I found all too fitting for a bike that had introduced me to fixed gear riding and was largely responsible for starting my passion for racing at the track.


Flashback to August 2007 and having finally completed the required morning of instruction a few days prior, I was now ready to begin practice and training at the high banked, bowl of a circuit. Clipped in and determined to make an impression, I rolled out onto the track for only my second evening of training. But that tale will have to wait until next month.