Ed
Rudolph Velodrome Northbrook, Illinois
Right here in the backyard of the HarperRide
is this long, smooth, shallow track--with great racing every week.
Whether you have a fixed gear or not, head out to the track to ride,
race, or spectate!
Washington Park Velodrome
Kenosha, Wisconsin
The oldest continually operating velodrome
in the country is only a 60-minute drive from Harper. Set into a
hillside, a Tuesday night at the track is a great cycling experience.
(Watch out for the double apex in Turn 4, though!)
The HarperRide @ The Track
When you race on
Thursday evening at the Northbrook Velodrome, after a particularly
hard night, you still feel it in your legs on Saturday morning
at Harper--even after a good recovery ride on Friday. With
the Northbrook Velodrome only a dozen miles down Palatine/Willow
Road from Harper College and with racing every Thursday, there
is no better way to fine tune one's speed or get in some high
quality racing. While fewer HarperRide cyclists taken advantage
of this as regulars than did ten years ago, there are still
a number of HarperRiders who are also key protagonists on the
smooth, banked surface of the velodrome.
Of course, to race on the track,
a special bicycle is needed--one gear, no breaks. Track bikes
are very lightweight, very stiff, and with few parts to break.
Pictured here are three newer track bikes--all aluminum frames
with threadless headset systems and dual aero wheels. Obviously,
a certain Indianapolis-based brand dominates the wheel choices
among these track riders. (In these pictures, the two different
styles of handlebar taping on the track are also in evidence.
Vince has fully taped bars, and Rich and Dan only tape the
bends at the bottom of the drops.
Dan's Bike--2 Zipp Wheels
Vince's Bike--2 Zipp Wheels
Rich's Bike--2 Zipp Wheels
In addition
to these HarperRide cyclists, Ziggy is an even more regular
track
rider than HarperRide cyclist. Other cyclists who have been
know to ride one or the other include: Tim, Tom, Doug, and
Robert. In the early and mid-1990s, there were often 10,
12, or even 15 HarperRide racers represented in Northbrook
on Thursday evenings. These riders won countless track races,
including numerous State Championships.
Ziggy starts a race.
Tim flashes by, mid-bunch.
Each track night
includes three sessions of racing, and during the 2006 season
a special Masters 40+ race is also held each night as part
of the season-long Garner Cup. Often times, it is a bit windy
during the warm-up and session 1. It can also be quite warm
and balmy. Yet, the temperature can change quickly, and by
the end of the night, it is not uncommon to see riders head
out on the track with full gloves, arm warmers, and leg warmers!
One of the necessities of successful track racing, then, is
the use of a home trainer between races to keep the legs warm.
Most riders bring a rear wheel mounted magnetic trainer, like
the one below on the left. One rider, a HarperRide monster
named Dan, insists on the trainer below on the right. Dan argues
that dragging this trainer back and forth from the parking
lot provides additional exercise.
Normal Trainer at the Track
Not-So-Normal Trainer at the Track
Just like the HarperRide
is blessed to have great roads, the riders of the HarperRide
are quite lucky to have this track so nearby. After the fundraising
of 2003 and the re-building of 2004, the track has burst to
life in 2005 and 2006. Get a track bike and try it. It's just
like cruising down Ela.
