Velodrome Bike Ride Great Adventure
Wow Sometime things just seem to work out better then you could ever plan them . This Saturdays Vancouver Bike Club at the spur of the moment decided to bike to the Burnaby Velodrome. Eleven Bike Club Members set out for a Saturday Bike Ride to Iona Breach club a tried and true destination but I would suggest something different a ride to the Burnaby Velodrome near Simon Fraser University I read on the net Velodrome Track was having a May Days event open to the public.
So at the start of the ride I took a vote 8 people voted to go the Velodrome. That was the Good News but there was a problem for me I did not now exactly how get to the our new chosen destination. Thats were the Team work came in Ben who came from his first ride in a while said he pretty much new the way. Also Cameron as always has a great sense of Bike Routs in the Greater Vancouver area. Neil had his maps and back up GPS system and it was time for the start the ride. It was Overcast sky's but the streets were dry.
We headed east thought the Adanac Street Bike Route to Frances/Union Bike way via Cliff Ave to Barnet Road to the Velodrome there were some hills during the ride but nothing too bad. As we approached the Velodrome there was a short steep hill we had to climb to enter the Velodrome Parking Area. The lot was full of cars but we did not see a any sign of bicycles and there were no bike racks to lock up to. We locked the bike to some posts and into the Velodrome bubble we went. After a short walk to the viewing area I saw my first ever in person bike sprinting going on live in front me.
There were about 25 Riders in Bright Colored Jersey's Speeding around the 200 meter Track in Fixed Gear Bikes as a team member did a hand off they (there were Women and Men on the Track at the same time) would push the other rider forward like a small catapult. The Club watched the racers and got some snacks and turned the whole proccess around for the most part and where back in Vancouver by 1:30 it was about a 45k ride total and I am really glad I did it.
