Rules of the Velodrome

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A post shared by She TRIumphs (@shetriumphs) on Jun 11, 2019 at 4:27am PDT

"What are the rules here?" this Canadian woman asked me at the velodrome today. I smiled because I remember asking the same question on my first ride at one.

Warm-up, warm-down, easy and slow rides stay up top, above the blue line. It's wider here and can accommodate two riders side-by-side - nice for a little chat. 😃 At the bottom, inside of the track are the white and red lines. Fast, hard efforts stay between these lines. And the area between the red and blue lines is usually used for passing... either the fast or slow riders.

Obviously, everyone's version of fast is different😉; I use common sense. If there's several slow riders up top and only one or two fast guys, I'll do my fast intervals at the bottom and slide up for my rest intervals. But if there are several really fast people on the inner lane and not many up top, I'll do everything above the blue line.

It's really important to look behind you as you switch up or down the lanes in the track because - like the Autobahn 😂 - riders can zoom out of seemingly nowhere.

I love the velodrome because you can ride without stops. And unlike a trainer, you're still subjected to wind and the weather (good for mental strength 😅 and switching gears); you still have to steer while eating/drinking; and you can go with friends who ride at different speeds.😍🤗 (And yes 😂🤣, I did speed up the video!)