Superdrome Century

We've put together a 100 mile ride at The Superdrome to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer research. This event is piggy-backing off the 100 Miles of Nowhere proposed on www.FatCyclist.com and our registration is benefitting his efforts to raise money for the LiveStrong Challenge.

Superdrome Century Information

Event t-shirts are available for PRE-ORDER ONLY and will be on sale through May 19th, 2009. Please help us out and order a t-shirt. $15.00 0f every t-shirt sales goes direct to the LAF!

100 Miles of The Superdrome

Yes, you are reading correctly. This is a non-racing event; it is a fund raiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We propose to ride 100 miles (644 laps) at The Superdrome, and we would like to invite anyone else that is track certified to attend!

The idea was influenced by FatCyclist.com and the 100 Miles of Nowhere that has been proposed as a means of raising money for the LAF. We would like to encourage you to sign up through FatCyclist.com because this will benefit his fund raising efforts for the LiveStrong Challenge. His proposed event date is May 23rd, but that is Texas State Crit Champ weekend so we're riding May 30th.

We only found out about the FatCyclist.com plan today (4/29) and sign-up through his website is only open through 5pm April 30th... We know this is insanely short notice, but if you sign up now you can get a bunch of cool swag through his promotion (there is another option).
Check it out: 100 Miles of Nowhere
A cool t-shirt, some water bottles, chamois cream, etc is part of his bundle package.
Sign up is $75 with $50 going straight to the LAF and $25 will help pay for the swag bag.

We do not want to discourage anyone from signing up and participating so we have contacted fatcyclist.com and will work with him to donate all donations to the LAF. Getting an extension on his swag offer is not possible (deadlines for t-shirt production) so we will offer another means of signing up (donating money) and we are also seeking alternative swag options. More details and a proposed donation amount to come.

Here is what we know:
- Ride location: The Superdrome
- Event Date: May 30th
- Start time: TBD
- The initial idea is courtesy of FatCyclist.com, we are simply expanding on it
http://www.fatcyclist.com/2009/04/23/register-now-for-the-100-miles-of-nowhere/
- This is a Fund Raising event and donations are required for participation
- Even if you don't think you can make it 100 miles at The Superdrome, we could surely use some pulls! Please come out and show your support by lending a wheel to suck at a friendly pace
- We are proposing a sane pace, 18 MPH, that will allow anyone to sit in the line, take some pulls and ride 644 laps in a reasonable amount of time
- You are responsible for tracking your own laps/miles (Garmin, cycle computer, etc)
- There are no prizes, awards or officials
- You must be certified to ride at The Superdrome. If enough interest exists from folks who are not certified, we'll propose a development class to SMG for mid-May

If you need additional information or would like to participate please contact me or Will Swetnam so we know what to expect... gresam(at)gmail(dot)com and/or will(at)willshootphotos(dot)com

Pista 2008 - Rounds 1-3

Friday March 28th
The 2008 Superdrome race season opened with a bang. A bumper field of nearly 50 riders was welcomed back to the track by race officials, a smattering of cold-weather resistant fans and enough adrenaline to keep most of us warm for much of the evening. By evening’s end we had four photo finishes, some new winners, a spate of team tactics and separate races for Cat 3, 30+ men, our women racers and the largest-field-of-the-night honors going to the 35+ men!

For my own part the evening provided an amazing mix of team tactics and an onslaught of attacks, both of which were working hard against me in the form of GS Tenzing. The quartet of Tenzing riders were all competing in two categories (30+ Cat 4, Cat 4) but this didn’t stop them going for wins in both classes. In fact, they swept the podium in 35+ Cat 4 and were denied the same in Cat 4 by my solo effort for Metro VW. A collection of independent and affiliated riders, including Junior racer Cody, comprised the balance of the Cat 4 grid and provided plenty of action and close racing.

For me, race two provided the best learning experience, although my worst result. I had more fun finishing third in this race than winning the final of the evening, and worked far harder in the process. At 16 laps in duration I expected more of a slow crawl to get things started, but almost immediately I was out off the front with one of the GS Tenzing riders as we looked to lap the field. This never materialized, and only a few laps into our early push I found myself all alone at the front as the GST rider (Rob) dropped back to get help from his teammate, Jim. Out front, I pushed hard to stay out alone but ultimately made the mistake of looking back to check their progress. This kiss of death only worked to slow me down, and the pair of teammates caught me with about 5 laps to go. We slowed dramatically in a game of cat and mouse allowing the balance of the field to catch us and even things up going into the final laps. From there, Rob and Jim would alternate their attacks in an effort to break one rider away for a sprint to the finish. I responded to every attack, sometimes twice in the same lap, and found myself locked on Jim’s wheel when the bell rang and we gunned for the final sprint. Into turn three I swung wide to break the draft and slingshot past, but Rob had the legs on me and motored around the outside, closing my window and boxing me in behind Jim as we approached the line. The tactics were well executed; I immediately saw my folly and chalked it up to a great learning experience.

April 4th
Having already lost the first two races to riders half my age (14 and 16) I decided that I would need to depend on my warped sense of race tactics. I don’t normally take much pride in losing, but this week was quite exceptional. In the final race of yet another evening long battle with the forces of GS Tenzing I found an impromptu teammate in young gun, Josh Wade. Josh and his father Ron had driven five and a half hours from Kansas to race that evening as well as at several road races in Mineral Wells. Having been stomped by GS Tenzing and Cole, an impressive independent racer from Oklahoma, Josh and I turned from foes to friends in the third race of the evening and decided to work together on the fly. We made a quick plan and I told Josh to be sure and stay on my wheel, reduce his work and I would do all I could to set him up for the sprints for points.

Our plan, which was probably a better plan than any I had ever hatched for a bicycle race, ended up working quite well. In the end we stole enough points between us to take 1st and 3rd in the race, as well as in the Omnium.

April 11th
In one of the biggest Cat 4 fields of the year I found myself working alone, yet again, and fighting aggressively for track position. In an effort to work on my leg speed I successfully picked the wrong gearing for the opening scratch race. The mistake cost me dearly in the race one and I managed to go from leading the race on the bell lap to being completely out sprinted and out gassed by eight other riders. The unceremonious trouncing was enough to make me add two teeth and get back to the business of mashing, at least in track terms.

Race two brought the excitement of a 25 lap point race with sprints every five laps. The point payout is 5-3-2-1, and the challenge of enduring the event as well as sprinting hard for points adds a welcome dimension to the event. From the start four of us made a break off the start and opened a very nice gap over the field. We worked well together for the first ten laps, allowing me to take a single point in the first sprint and winning the second. From there we began to fall apart and were caught by Cole and a rider from GS Tenzing who had bridged up and brought the pack a bit closer as well. From there everything is a bit fuzzy, but I think I managed to take a few more points before a miscommunication created an interesting issue with lapped traffic. The traffic was comprised of the ever impressive women’s Cat 4 racers and Cody, who normally races as a junior. With the bell ringing 8 riders sprinted for turn 1 in a large mass and quickly ran up on three riders low in the sprinter’s lane as well as one up high above the Stayer’s line. Needless to say it was difficult to judge the gaps, and with one rider going well high on the banking for a diving sprint I managed to create an opening and then hope for the best. In the end I crossed the line sixth, taking another single point and second in the event.

Race three brought forth the lung shredding joys of an unknown distance race. This is where the referees make an executive decision that is a careful balance of their appetite, relative temperature and desire to be evil. You start the race as usual, but the bell lap can fall anywhere between 20 and 50 laps. Have fun. For this we also saw the combination of the Cat 4 and 35+ Cat 4 fields, which meant we started the event with a monster field of some 20+ riders. Having struggled with track math in the past I never tried to count, but we didn’t really all fit on the rail without some curious amount of overlap. Off the start I made a break with Royce from GS Tenzing. His lead out felt as though we’d been fired from a canon and it was all I could do just to hang on to his wheel. From there we swapped pulls every one and half laps and put an easy half lap on the whole field before the inevitable… someone’s team orders dictated that they crash. Now, I don’t know if that is entirely accurate, but it does make me smile so I’m sticking with that as my reason. We heard the hollow thwack of a carbon bike landing on the boards and were forced to slow as they neutralized the race. Sitting at the rail with 10 laps down we knew we wouldn’t get away with it again, but once they whistle blew Royce and I tried anyway. It didn’t work. In the end, after 29 laps, I think I managed a 4th in class.

Source Endurance Clinic

The first track clinic of the year was the Endurance Clinic with Stefan Rothe of Source Endurance. April 5th brought 18 riders to the Superdrome for a four hour session concerning tactics and training for endurance races at the Superdrome. Mercy teammate Mat Stephens assisted Stefan throughout the day and brought an excellent dimension to the clinic with real life examples and detailed explanations that complimented Stefan’s own accurate coaching.

After starting the day with a brief classroom session we took to the track for a long warm up. Pace lining the Superdrome with 18 people of varying skill levels is quite difficult, but the exercise taught us to pace ourselves, keep the line together and pay extra attention to those around us. From there we split the sessions into two groups to keep things more enjoyable and certainly to learn more by watching others mock race. Throughout the day I was able to gain insights regarding gear selection, proper training and goal setting for both training and racing. In particular, I learned that my impression of good track gearing was well off the mark and that I desperately need to achieve much better leg speed, or cadence, if I want to remain competitive and still have the legs to last an entire race.

To end the session Stefan and Mat took the track along with Chris and Aaron for a demonstration of The Madison. Having now seen the event for the first time in person I came away with a renewed respect for not only riders of this amazing event, but also of the tactics and exceptional timing each teammate must have to successfully compete in such an event.

All in all the Endurance Clinic provided an excellent opportunity to discuss training and racing tactics with an established track racer and professional coach. While the clinic did not reveal any dark secrets it did shed light on a number of key facets of the sport, opening my own eyes to my next set of goals while training for track racing. With several more clinics scheduled for this year, one taking place before you read this article, the opportunity to learn from true professionals should not be missed.

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.

2008 Superdrome Press Release

The Superdrome at Frisco Texas proudly announces their racing schedule for the 2008 season.
This year sees the return of the Richardson Bike Mart Superdrome Points Series (SPS), the Moritz Sprint Series, the Matrix Cup, Texas Cup races, a Masters Regional, an Elite National Qualifier and Collegiate Conference racing. The Superdrome Development Program encourages youth participation in the sport by including heats for junior racers during each of the SPS events. For 2008 we will also introduce a series of skills clinics taught by National track racing champions.

Development Classes
Given the Superdrome’s 44 degree corner banking and open air design, the Superdrome staff hosts regular Development Classes to help new racers understand track racing at such a unique facility. Classes are conducted on Saturday mornings by experienced Superdrome staff and create a safe learning and racing environment for everyone participating in practice sessions and race events. Development Classes are scheduled for March 22nd and April 18th as well as throughout the 2008 season.

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 and seasoned 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.

Endurance Events: 4/5 Noon-4pm with Stefan Rothe
Sprint Clinic: 4/26 noon to 4pm with Jeff LaBauve
Fitness Clinic: 5/11 2pm to 4pm with Christian Williams
Timed Events: 5/31 8:30am-11:30am with Tim and Suzie Goodwin
Track Etiquette: Date TBA with Nathan Rogut

2008 Superdrome Race Schedule

March
14 Practice Race (2 pm)
21 Practice Race (2 pm)
28 SPS

April
04 SPS
11 SPS
18 Matrix Devo Class PM
19/20 Matrix Cup Sat / Sun (TX Cup D1 each day)
25 SPS Moritz Sprint (TX Cup D2)

May
9 SPS
16 SPS
17 Moritz Sprint 2
23 Festival Of Speed 1 (TX Cup D1)

June
06 SPS
07 Moritz Sprint 3
13 Masters Regionals Weekend
27 SPS (TX Cup D2) (Tx Cup D1) *Exact date TBA

July
11 SPS
18 SPS
19 Moritz Sprint 4 (Tx Cup D1)

August
15 Festival of Speed 4k Weekend

Sept
12 Race TBA
19/20 Superdrome Elite Qualifier & Collegiate Regionals Weekend (exact date TBA)
26 FCC Track Racing On Speed (TX Cup D2)

Oct
3 SPS
10 SPS (TX Cup D2 makeup date if neded) (Texas Cup makeup date if necessary)

Nov
26 Tx Cup Awards Night / Makeup Date

Never a fee for spectators, food and drinks welcome but please leave glass at home
Friday Night Superdrome Points Series (SPS) races start at 7:30 pm, registration closes 7pm.
Races for all categories, juniors, youth and apron races for kids
Race schedules, updates and information posted online at http://www.superdrome.com/

The Intentional Destruction of Muscle Fiber

The rhythmic *thunk, thunk* of the boards reverberates off the walls and ceiling as I walk with my partner through the infield tunnel toward the claustrophobic vastness of the Superdrome paddock. Silently we watch together as the track reveals itself in pieces as greater portions come into our line of sight. My partner, a freshly built EAI Brass Knuckle, is ready for the battle I am to face against this most intimidating opponent.

As I make my way up the ramp I swing my head to follow a rider, bringing me face to face with the seemingly vertical wall that makes up turns three and four. From where I stand the top rail is easily thirty vertical feet away and nearly straight up. The rider, at full song and addressing the track with an assault of brutal aggression, enters and exits my field of vision in only a fraction of a second. While the railroad clunk and bump of the boards and helicopter whoosh of carbon spoke wheels waxes and wanes along with the rider, one final impression manifests itself and strikes a deeper chord: the sound of power; real human power. If you’ve been curbside at a criterium you undoubtedly know this sound, but here at the track it comes to life like no other place.

The sound to which I refer is one of a tire trying to part ways with the road. My love for motorcycle road racing conjures visions of Valentino Rossi exiting corners with fistfuls of screaming throttle on a sliding, spinning and smoking rear tire, but here the raw sound of power translates into unbelievable speed and acceleration at the expense of the textured surface of the Superdrome as small flecks of paint pepper the apron following his concerted effort to destroy muscle sinew.

Moments later the rider enters turn three again, this time finished with his attack and riding on the apron. The only effort being made is enough to keep the bicycle upright and stop from revisiting lunch right there on the track. Turning to continue my trek to the myriad of blue benches in the paddock, I release my white knuckled grip on the bars and wipe the sweat away from my palms.

Recycled plastic benches litter the covered paddock, providing convenient spots for bikes, gear and bodies. Attendance tonight is sparse, but it is only Tuesday and the mercury is lounging in the high 90’s. That night I began the first of many utterly unfocused nights of training at the track. I was getting more joy and excitement out of simply riding around on the high banking, allaying my fears and figuring out how best to utilize the different chain rings and cogs in my improvised track bag. My layman’s vocabulary increased exponentially over the coming weeks along with my grasp of a proper warm-up and focused interval training. I would eventually become comfortable in pace lines, better understand methods of shedding and increasing speed using the steep banking and was finally able to unclip and stop without hitting a pole, bench or the pavement.

My plan was to stay out of racing until the 2008 season, but several people urged me to give it a shot while I was still fresh on the learning curve. I wasn’t sure at first, but it was quickly apparent that direct experience in a pack was the best way to learn and increase my awareness of track etiquette. The fun factor went through the roof and the little switch in my head that makes me ultra-competitive got flipped to a near permanent ON position. Inspired, informed and full of energy I began to attack my workouts with renewed determination and no loss of humor. I was still making a slew of mistakes, miscalculations and otherwise forgettable errors. Along the way I had friendly advice and encouragement from everyone I met in the paddock, which was much appreciated and listened to in great detail. I wanted information, and they had it in spades. My workouts improved dramatically and my performance accelerated right along with it. To everyone who helped me through those first five Friday nights of racing, I offer a humble thank you.

And now, come the final weekend in March, the 2008 racing season will begin at the Superdrome. Please come out and enjoy an evening of racing from the stands, or better yet from the saddle. Admission for spectators and advice for new racers is always free.

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.

Racing into 2008

Every New Years I begin to get a little reflective, thinking about what has happened in the previous twelve months. I try not to make any judgments about what was or what could have been, but instead simply look at what I gained in either knowledge or skill, and how I will apply it to the New Year at hand. Several things remain at the top of my mind, fighting for space in my daily thought processes with meaningless tasks like working, eating and sleeping. What does fall into the scope of this article is the little subject we seem to cover quite well in this monthly magazine: bicycle racing. Or, more importantly, what types of racing we’ll be doing in 2008.

There are so many choices, aren’t there? Mountain biking, Road racing, Criterium, Track, even BMX exists in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Some readers, I hope, are not racers at all but may perhaps be considering bicycle racing as a progression in their hobby or evolution of their current involvement in charity events around the region. I’m sure most people are looking at mountain bike, criterium and long distance road race events as the most obvious ways of getting, or staying, involved in this wonderful sport, but I want to call some attention to the Superdrome. You know, the high banked wooden track that is tucked away in a little hamlet called Frisco.

For those of you who don’t know, the Superdrome is a 250 meter long, high banked (44 degrees in the corners), wooden surface race track on the Collin County Community College campus off of Preston road. The facility includes the equivalent of a Jumbotron, some really trick timing and scoring devices and is populated throughout the year by a band of very motivated, devoted and ludicrously fast cyclists who range in age from ten to 70. Something else that is nice is that the track is open for practice nearly every night of the week from March through October, weather permitting.

Something else that is both commonly known, and commonly misunderstood, is the fact that a track bike has only one gear, no brakes and you can’t glide. This, I’m sure, sounds incredibly archaic and torturous. Both of these are accurate adjectives, but I also like to throw in safe, structured, flowing and intense. The safety in this is that no one on the track is going to be changing their speed abruptly, and the structure of rules and courtesies creates an atmosphere that promotes controlled aggression and respect.

As a training methodology the track offers riders innumerable means of building massive power, incredible stamina and blindingly high cadence. All of these things can offer great benefit to a cyclist involved in any other branch of this faceted sport, but what I enjoyed most out of my 2007 track racing experience is the camaraderie and friendship that is so quickly on offer when you walk through the gates. Training advice, encouragement and friendship are readily available to those who seek a little more from this sport than sidelong glances, instant drops and gritty snarls during their rides. Of course, if you want those things, there’s plenty to go around during the Friday night races!

If you’re new to track bikes and fixed gear riding the Superdrome staff can help by providing a morning of instruction, a rental bike (even for races) and lots of advice. Honestly, there’s no reason not to try riding at the track, even if you don’t plan on racing.

To get things started, why not come out and watch a few races. When you get to the track, don’t go straight to the grandstand. Instead, walk up the two flights of stairs to the left of the timing building and take a look at the whole complex. If gazing down at the rush of riders from the top of the banking doesn’t drop your jaw and get your heart racing, then you definitely have some thrill issues. The season starts in March, and we’re excited to welcome a crop of new families and racers to the best kept secret in cycling.

For more information, please visit www.Superdrome.com.

The Kilo

“I know that I am going to sound like a supermodel, but my goal tonight is to throw up”, I excitedly tell my girlfriend before she heads up to the stands to join some friends. Her response amounts to a pat on the head and an “I’m so glad you’re cute, because that sounds so wrong” look that I am convinced of interpreting as optimism. We’re minutes away from my first timed attempt at the Kilo, and I have decided that regardless of how poor my time is, if I can at least achieve that one goal than I’ll know that I could not have pushed myself any harder.

I think it was April of 2005 that I rode my first MS150 from Houston to Austin. The event drew 13,000 cyclists and encompassed 180 miles of riding split over two days. I had trained well for it, rode regularly with organized groups and had set some reasonable goals for myself regarding time for completion and average speed. I was your average charity cyclists: a guy that was just out to enjoy cycling, raise a little money for a worthy cause and push what were then my physical limits with a two day, higher mileage event. I knew I was no racer, but I still enjoyed having those goals and pushing myself along with others during the event. At the overnight stop at some park 100 miles out from Houston I lay in my 90 degree tent trying to sleep off the feeling of having molten lead in my veins.

Three or four weeks later I rode another event, the MS150 from Dallas to Ardmore, OK. The event was far smaller but still provided a practical and challenging means to test my limits and enjoy a great ride. I wanted to ride harder and faster than my time in the first event and was determined to not only utilize, but require the massage tent at the pit stop. I accomplished that goal and spent another afternoon close to tears as my body reminded me that pushing to such a degree was followed by lots of lactic acid. Again I awoke the next day and pushed in those final miles.

Hotter ‘n’ Hell was a few months later and I enjoyed yet another strong ride considering my status as a guy on a bicycle. I knew I was not carrying any kind of speed comparable to a racer, but given my fitness I was quite proud of completing the event within my goal time. Again I felt the pain of acid after the event, but within a reasonable amount of time I was walking around the parking lot and chatting with friends.

Jump forward two years in time to the Kilo, an event run during the 2007 Elite National Qualifier. I have no chance of qualifying for Nationals and will be beaten by a member of AARP, but my desire to support the track and enjoy racing was strong enough to get me out that Friday evening. Aside from being an archaic form of torture, the Kilo time trial features a standing start followed by a one kilometer sprint. Or, as Mike Morris put it to me, “The race is won in the first 45 seconds. You have to give it everything you have for that first lap. If your butt touches the saddle before you get to turn three, you’ve already lost. Lap two continues the sprint so hold nothing back. On your third lap you need to maintain and not lose too much speed, but on the fourth lap all bets are off. It’s a battle against lactic acid and you just have to try and stay on the bike.”

Mike is a bit of an expert at the Kilo, as well as the practice of inflicting oneself with massive amounts of pain through cycling. Prior to meeting Mr. Morris I had never heard of an ice bath, seen someone push their cardio so hard they puked or realized that you could ride so hard for only 200 meters that it was necessary to rest, laying down, for a full 10 minutes.

Following my attempt at the kilo, complete with what my girlfriend Betty can only now refer to as “those hilarious grunting and screaming noises”, I found myself experiencing a level of pain unmatched in any of my previous riding. Not only could I not walk, but that night, despite my exhaustion, I did not sleep. I was back up at the track the next morning for my 200 meter time trial and spoke briefly with a rider from the Compliance Depot team that stated, “I never knew that I could ride only one kilometer and still be in this much pain 12 hours later. And now here I am ready to do it again.”

“Yeah,” I thought, “I didn’t puke either.”

Danish

Coming out of turn four I start to realize that I might actually have a shot, and perhaps my rudimentary strategy will work. I sit in the draft and watch carefully as two riders duke it out up front, neither wanting to lead and give the other the advantage of a draft, but neither wanting to slack off as they know the pack is just 15 meters behind.

While sitting in the paddock a few minutes ago I learned that the first race tonight is a Danish, which could also be called a Winner’s Out. The idea, I was told, is that after a given number of laps the bell is rung to signal the final lap. The leader, or winner of the race, is then pulled from the event while everyone else continues racing. Whoever “wins” the second lap is then pulled and awarded second place, but the pack continues to race for yet another lap to determine third and the remainder of the finishing positions through the pack. What this means is that if you sprint for the win and miss, you’re doomed to completing another lap while being chased by a seemingly rabid pack of riders.

“What’s your strategy?”
Raja is asking me a simple question, but my answer is far less than adequate.
“I think I’m going to try and pedal faster than everyone else.”
He smiles, but he’s serious now, “No really, what’s your strategy?”
Back in the Eighties there was this great John Cusack movie called Better Off Dead in which the main character was attempting to woo back his ex-girlfriend by winning a ski race. Sitting at the top of a mountain, his friend provided what I thought was a perfectly sound strategy:
“Listen to me Lane. I want you to go that way, really fast. And when something gets in your way… turn.”
I explain this to Raja with a variety of hand signals and pantomime movements, but he’s less impressed with my ability to reenact the scene than I was hoping.

We complete another lap of the 250 meter Superdrome and I hear the bell ring as we exit turn four. Frank and Sam are well out in front so I’ve resigned myself to waiting another lap to make my attack and, assuming things go as planned, will settle for second. Presently I am sitting in fourth behind Joe Crenshaw, one of the many great people I’ve met at the Superdrome. I’m grateful for all the guidance he and others have provided over the past couple of weeks as I have only just started racing on the high banked track. At twice my age and three times my chivalry I would normally feel ashamed to draft for so long before going for a crushing sprint, but he beat me in the Kilo a week or two earlier and I’m not feeling very charitable at the moment.

Frank wins the sprint and is the first person pulled from the race. Going into turn one I slip out wide and mash the pedals. Surging ahead of Joe I start to make ground on Sam. I’ve made my move a little late, but Sam is feeling the pain of having just sprinted for the win and lost by the slimmest of margins. We slice into three and Sam holds his line in the sprinter’s lane. My only option is to slide wide and try to out power him going to the line. He’s taken a bigger risk than me, and ultimately I take him as we approach the line. Winded, I stay out wide and watch from above the blue line while the field continues to race for the final positions. Not bad for my third race at the track, but Sam beats me handily in the next two races that evening. I’m elated with my results and thankful for all of the encouragement, but there’s still so much to learn.