Riding the Boards

This week I had a chance to do something I have always dreamed of - riding a bike on a velodrome. Our school is in Perth for District High School Country week, a week of sporting events and cultural experiences for our students. One such experience was an hours training by the state TID coach Mr Peter Robinson. Peter was great with the kids and I was wrapped that I could finally live out a dream.
I'm a roadie, so the track was totally new to me. Fixed gears, no brakes, hold on and pedal like hell. I managed the "pedal like Hell" part, but I forgot you can't coast and almost lost a leg. Once that was sorted out, I was doing okay and managed to get to the blue line. A few laps later though, some of my students were ducking and weaving in front of me and after I threaded the needle, I figured it was time to quit. By now I had managed to slow down without amputating my legs.
The bottom line: I am scared shitless about the thought of doing this in competition, but I have the greatest respect for those riders that ride the boards. If you have never seen an event on a velodrome, it is magic. I also learned that there is nothing that I could ever tell my daughter about riding on the track. I thought I knew a few things, but no, it all looks easy from the stands, totally different from the track.
I tried it, I didn't fall, but I think I'll stick to the road...

Cheers!