I haven’t been on a track in decades, but…it was like riding a bicycle

The last time I rode on a velodrome I lost the elite national individual pursuit championships in spectacular fashion. By that point you might say I was used to it. I had been in the finals twice before, always with the fastest qualifying time, without fail I managed to screw up the race for the gold medal. To be fair, I was pretty good at losing national championship jerseys, almost specializing in it.

One year I got second in the under-23 cyclocross nationals, second in both the under-23 road race and time trial, and, another second in the elite pursuit (there was no under-23 on the track back then.) Basically, I excelled at losing.

Anyway, on that fateful day I was riding against my friend Alexander Cloutier from Quebec. I was feeling great, and with a lap to go I heard someone say I was leading. I remember feeling a surge of euphoria that finally, (finally!) I was going to win the stupid pursuit. But then I made the cardinal sin of looking across the track. It was then I lost the race. I heard the gunshot signalling he had crossed the line, and a millisecond later, I heard the one for me.

Built for the Pan Ams

So yeah, it’s been a while.

The Mattamy National Cycling Centre was built in 2015 for the Pan Am Games and it was a welcome addition to the tracks in Canada. I’ve ridden nearly all of them–-although some, like Bromont, have been updated or replaced. The newly opened Centre National de Cyclisme de Bromont is another indoor velodrome in Canada, with one more on the way in Edmonton. Calgary has the Glenmore Velodrome, a 400-m track made of concrete.

Edmonton velodrome officially breaks ground

There is an indoor velodrome in Burnaby B.C., and an outdoor one in Victoria. Forest City Velodrome is a 138-m track, also an indoor facility, located in London, Ont. Then there’s the Wind-Del Velodrome, a 250-m outdoor concrete track in Windham Centre, Ont., but it’s in rough shape and hasn’t seen much use in years. There used to be an indoor velodrome in Montreal, built for the 1976 Olympics, and before WW2, there were indoor tracks set up across Ontario and Quebec–even in Maple Leaf Gardens. Vancouver had its own outdoor track until 1980. The 250-meter track in Dieppe, N.B. has also gone to velodrome heaven, having been demolished in 2018.

There once was a track in Winnipeg and it was was sort of hilarious. It was 400 m long and had way too much banking for that length: 38 degrees. It’s long gone now, but the other thing was the concrete used on the track was full of bumps and irregularities. Rumour has during the build, nearby construction rattled the concrete when it was setting.

Certification process

To ride on the track in Milton, you have to do a certification process.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve ridden other tracks, everyone needs to. (Steve Bauer even did it.) This two-part program begins with a two-session course, which serves as the initial stage. Tailored for beginners without prior track cycling experience, the program comprises Part A and Part B. The objective is to acquire track cycling skills, working towards achieving certification at levels A and B, ultimately gaining the certification to confidently navigate the track. If you don’t own a track bike yourself (and if this is the first time riding the track, why would you) Argon-18 bike rentals are available free of charge for those doing the certifications. My ride du jour was a steel Mariposa loaner bike, which felt great.

Get comfortable on the banking

I spent many, many, many summers living in Trexlertown, Penn. riding the track there, so it took 200 m to feel comfortable again on the track, but it still felt briefly odd hitting the banking. But you just have to remember that physics is on your side and you’re not going to slide down the banking. When you’re riding slower it can feel jarring to ride on the banking as you feel the need to overcompensate, but just keep pedalling (not that you have a choice) and you’ll be fine. Once you’re up to speed you’ll feel even more comfortable as your bike will angle its way over slightly.

Practice makes perfect

Most of the drills we did involved the basics of riding on the track, which all revolve around safety. When there are multiple groups riding the velodrome it may seem chaotic–but it’s not. It’s organized and with rules. One of the biggest things to remember on a track is that you always have to be predictable with every movement. The other is to communicate. If a group is overtaking another, the lead rider will yell “stick” as loud as they can, and it means just that: do not move. If you’re in the middle of an exchange, keep riding where you are. If you’re about to do a pull, wait until the group has safely passed. Our two instructors, Scott Laliberte and Rick Froner, did a great job of explaining. It took a few times for everyone to nail it down, but everyone eventually got the hang of it.

Drop-ins

During drop-ins at the track, there will be groups of varying abilities. So the slower riders will ride on the black line, close to the blue apron. The faster ones will stick on the upper blue line. We tried this as well at the end and it was organized and safe.

The facility itself is great. Changerooms, lockers for bikes and ample seating for friends and family come watch you ride around the track. There’s parking galore, snacks and friendly mechanics who can help you out.

Great way to train

Riding the track is a great way to get mix up training, and it’s also a great way to get speedwork done, especially in the winter. If you’re not looking to do some superfast riding, you can find a group and do laps on the black line, the same way you’d get a workout in at your local pool.

You’ll also notice that after riding the track your pedal stroke is much more fluid given that you are using a fixed gear. Plus, it’s fun! And it’s also highly possible you’ll see some of Canada’s finest ripping around the track. It could be it Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell, or multiple world champion Dylan Bibic. They have used the Milton facility over the years extensively and credit it to their growth as top-level cyclists.

To learn more about certification, check out Ncievolution.com