six day racing
There's always been an appeal to me in riding the 200m indoor velodrome in Burnaby. I got on the first time, was scared shitless, and by the third time riding there, I'd bought a full membership. My fifth night at the track, I'd bought a track bike. A year later I was VP of the facility, this year I managed to find myself as President.
Don't ask.
But for an avid road cyclist, track has always had a certain mystique, a certain history about it. Fixed gears, no brakes, tubular tires, steep wooden boards... it all seems to be part of an elaborate time machine that takes us back to an era in cycling history where the stars of the sport were paid as much (and sometimes more so) as the baseball and basketball players of the day.
Hard to believe, I know, but true.
Names like Torchy Peden come to mind. The famous Victoria BC born athlete was one of Canada's best ever cyclists. "Torchy who?" you ask... He was a superstar of a sport that hit its peak in the roaring twenties, the track cycling races known as Six Days.
And at the zenith of the raging SixDay scene, races that yes, were actually held consecutively over a six day period, was the amazing Madison. An event where two teammates race, each individually, then trade-off turns by hand-slinging each other into the race.
The Madison got its name from you know where: Madison Square Gardens in New York City. Racing was commonly held there on a sharp, fast, and tight indoor velodrome. An amazing spectator sport, years before anyone imagined roller derby...
And so it is, that I've been learning the ancient skill of Madison recently, in preparation for the Burnaby Velodrome's Six Day that starts next week on Monday December 12th. And it's not the first one that we've had in this part of the world. Apparently there was a Six Day race 71 years ago in Vancouver, in the velodrome inside the arena at Denman and Georgia (wrap you head around that one...)
The Six Day will have some mass-start events, like the Points and Scratch races, but will also have a healthy dose of hand-slinging action. Me and my partner Jeff will be racing it, suffering like dogs in the A Group at the hands of pro cyclists Marsh Cooper and Christian Meier of Symmetrics and others.
So the last couple of weeks, I've been trading hand-slings with my teammate Jeff. The method is simple, but full of technique. The faster rider (the racing rider), zips around the track at speed (45kmh to 55kmh). The slower rider (the exchange rider), noodles around the stayer's line at the top of the track. On the signal of the racing rider, the exchange rider drops down to meet the racer. Staying above the racing rider on the track (let's say the red line), the exchange rider places his left hand on his left hip, while keeping his right hand in the drops. The racing rider extends his right arm straight out, while placing his left hand on the tops near the stem on his handlebars. The two riders are closing in at speeds of 20kmh difference at this point.
If all goes well, the racer makes contact with the exchange rider's hand, and grabs it, as he flies past. The racer's arm is now behind him, as the two swap positions, and the exchange rider's arm is now fully extended in front of him. At the point of furthest extension, the racer pulls his arm towards him, and snaps his forearm over, while the exchange rider grabs and pulls himself forward.
Slingshot complete, the exchange rider takes all of the racer's momentum, is now hopefully going 50kmh instead of 30kmh, and the racer's speed bleeds off entirely.
The two have changed places and the racing continues.
But now imagine a pack of 16 cyclists (8 racing, 8 waiting) all doing this at the same time....
And now you can see why it was the entertainment choice of the roaring 20's.
So, for those interested, it's from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM every night next week from Monday to Saturday at the Burnaby Velodrome. Admission is by donation, but it's worth about $10/night if you ask me personally... way better than a Hollywood blockbuster and it will put your Canucks ticket sporting value to shame.
Phew. Time for a Camel.
Note: Cartoons courtesy of the most excellent Thunder Bay Cycling Club's Six Day website. Cecil Yates appeared in Camel's cigarette pack's sometime during the late 1930's / early 1940's.
Don't ask.
But for an avid road cyclist, track has always had a certain mystique, a certain history about it. Fixed gears, no brakes, tubular tires, steep wooden boards... it all seems to be part of an elaborate time machine that takes us back to an era in cycling history where the stars of the sport were paid as much (and sometimes more so) as the baseball and basketball players of the day.
Hard to believe, I know, but true.
Names like Torchy Peden come to mind. The famous Victoria BC born athlete was one of Canada's best ever cyclists. "Torchy who?" you ask... He was a superstar of a sport that hit its peak in the roaring twenties, the track cycling races known as Six Days.
And at the zenith of the raging SixDay scene, races that yes, were actually held consecutively over a six day period, was the amazing Madison. An event where two teammates race, each individually, then trade-off turns by hand-slinging each other into the race.
The Madison got its name from you know where: Madison Square Gardens in New York City. Racing was commonly held there on a sharp, fast, and tight indoor velodrome. An amazing spectator sport, years before anyone imagined roller derby...
And so it is, that I've been learning the ancient skill of Madison recently, in preparation for the Burnaby Velodrome's Six Day that starts next week on Monday December 12th. And it's not the first one that we've had in this part of the world. Apparently there was a Six Day race 71 years ago in Vancouver, in the velodrome inside the arena at Denman and Georgia (wrap you head around that one...)
The Six Day will have some mass-start events, like the Points and Scratch races, but will also have a healthy dose of hand-slinging action. Me and my partner Jeff will be racing it, suffering like dogs in the A Group at the hands of pro cyclists Marsh Cooper and Christian Meier of Symmetrics and others.
So the last couple of weeks, I've been trading hand-slings with my teammate Jeff. The method is simple, but full of technique. The faster rider (the racing rider), zips around the track at speed (45kmh to 55kmh). The slower rider (the exchange rider), noodles around the stayer's line at the top of the track. On the signal of the racing rider, the exchange rider drops down to meet the racer. Staying above the racing rider on the track (let's say the red line), the exchange rider places his left hand on his left hip, while keeping his right hand in the drops. The racing rider extends his right arm straight out, while placing his left hand on the tops near the stem on his handlebars. The two riders are closing in at speeds of 20kmh difference at this point.
If all goes well, the racer makes contact with the exchange rider's hand, and grabs it, as he flies past. The racer's arm is now behind him, as the two swap positions, and the exchange rider's arm is now fully extended in front of him. At the point of furthest extension, the racer pulls his arm towards him, and snaps his forearm over, while the exchange rider grabs and pulls himself forward.
Slingshot complete, the exchange rider takes all of the racer's momentum, is now hopefully going 50kmh instead of 30kmh, and the racer's speed bleeds off entirely.
The two have changed places and the racing continues.
But now imagine a pack of 16 cyclists (8 racing, 8 waiting) all doing this at the same time....
And now you can see why it was the entertainment choice of the roaring 20's.
So, for those interested, it's from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM every night next week from Monday to Saturday at the Burnaby Velodrome. Admission is by donation, but it's worth about $10/night if you ask me personally... way better than a Hollywood blockbuster and it will put your Canucks ticket sporting value to shame.
Phew. Time for a Camel.
Note: Cartoons courtesy of the most excellent Thunder Bay Cycling Club's Six Day website. Cecil Yates appeared in Camel's cigarette pack's sometime during the late 1930's / early 1940's.
3 Comments:
Oh Gord. When you do finally post something, it's a doozy! 23 skiddoo!
By
Ryan, at 10:24 pm
Wow! I feel like I live in the wrong time after reading your piece. Good luck at the race. Don't let that madisson partner squeeze those fingers too tight, we like your posts.
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