Track Cycling Introduction & Guide

If you are a keen cyclist, and enjoy seeing the action from the Velodrome from the comfort of your own home - there’s nothing to stop you getting involved with some track cycling action.

If you cycle on the road regularly, you won’t need to buy too much extra kit to start cycling on the track. Usual jerseys & lycra will fit right in on the track, and your road cycling helmet and gloves will also work just fine. Although you are cycling inside, it’s still worth wearing some eye protection as these tracks can become dusty places.

Velodrome Cycling Benefits

Those taking the plunge to go on track, will enjoy the following benefits:

All Weather Cycling - Track Cycling is perfect for the winter months, inside and in a temperature controlled environment, velodrome cycling is a great alternative to jumping on the turbo trainer at home. Outdoor Velodromes are also surprisingly OK to use in cold weather, as you can use the time on the bike so much more effectively.

Workout Control- It’s easier to follow a training program when cycling on the track, as you are in complete control of your time - there’s no waiting about at traffic lights or being stuck in traffic.

Cadence Improvements - We will take a look at track bikes in greater detail later in the post, although cycling on tracks is a great way to improve cycling cadence - the reason for this is that track bikes only have one gear, so cannot coast, meaning you have to keep cycling.

Coaching - At any Velodrome there will be coaching staff, whose expertise and knowledge you can use to improve your cycling - both on the track, with results and gains which carry over to the roads.

Bike Handling - With no gears and no brakes - you have to continually assess where you are on the track, and who is around you. This translates to a massive improvement in bike control, which makes riding a normal road bike seem like a dream.

Road Bike VS Track Bike

Although road bikes and track bikes are loosely the same, but with stiffer frames and a more aggressive geometry - there are a few key differences to be aware of. Firstly, track bikes only have one gear - which is changed at the sprocket depending upon the type of cycling discipline carried out. There are no free hubs either, so these bikes do not coast - to travel forwards, constantly pedalling is required. There are also no gears on a track bike, so to slow down - just slow your legs down against the pedals and that’s all that is required.

Velodromes Near Me

There are plenty of Velodromes across the UK - so yours should never be too far away. You can find all of the UK Velodromes, here.