On 3^rd of June the keenest cyclists of the Geomicro group headed to the Velodrome to beat the centrifugal forces! A Velodrome is an arena for track cycling and the one in Manchester is a steeply banked oval track.

When everyone was strapped up and readily booted, we picked up our prepared bikes. Two of us were already standing out of the crowd: Ash & Will, completely dressed in cycling gear from top to toe!

After giving an emergency contact and signing a risk disclosure document, some of us were scared like hell. Luckily we had an instructor who guided us to the lane and distributed us over the railing. He explained to us that these are fixie bikes, which means we have to pedal ALL THE TIME, otherwise you will be thrown off the bike like a catapult.

Then we were allowed to get onto our bikes and the first exercise was to sit on them whilst holding onto the railing – no one fell, well done! The second exercise was to do 2 laps in “jogging speed” and slow down so that we stop at the railing again – again well done everyone! And the third exercise? No, there was none! Off you go! Ok, I decided to do a few laps on the basement first to get used to my bike, before I dared to go on the angled lane. I remembered to enter the lane only on the long flat bits. It took me a couple of attempts speeding up, entering the track, and going immediately back down, before I finally had the courage to enter the banking of the Velodrome. In this second I heard the instructor yelling at me “You need to go faster, otherwise you will fall down!” Faster! Ok! From that moment on, I pedaled at my maximum heart rate for one round, another, and one more. Then I was exhausted, but how can I go off the track? I was too fast (or too scared) to leave the lane on the flat bits as I was supposed to, but on the other hand I had to be fast enough to manage the curves. After a couple of laps I gained enough confidence and slowed down to take a break.

Sprinting

When I recovered from my first sprint, I went back on the track again, and managed eventually to get up to the highest points of the Velodrome and from that moment on I was actually enjoying every single round! I peered over to a few of our group and could see some of them still fighting with the banking, others enjoying the race on the track. It was incredible and a lot of fun. Will and Ash were chasing each other with a lot of confidence seeming to have the fun of their lives.

Then the one hour was over and we left the track with wobbly legs. Unfortunately there was no speed recorder, but you could tell we were all going at our limit, seeing all those weary faces after one hour on the saddle! My mind was spinning and my heart was racing, but I was really happy that I went on this unforgettable trip.

Gina Kuippers