But we’re talking like, 8 inches. Probably more now.
I’d love to learn that this is normal FWIW.
I think like because it’s banked maybe
With Cervelo at the time yes? Y’all were also at MASH IIRC the day we landed in the bay area. That was a fun as hell trip. Glad to run into you again.
Ah you are speaking of Jon Woodroof-- He and I are acquainted but not close. I was speaking of another Jon who still resides in Atlanta.
OMG I can’t believe this is my first time seeing this document.
It’s true that the black line at the bottom should be level, but everywhere above that loses and gains elevation due to the change in banking between the straights and the turns. At the top of the track, there’s a huge difference, maybe a couple feet. But what goes up also comes down at the exit of the turn.
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Even though it’s a loop with no net elevation change, the variation in elevation around the lap isn’t a zero-sum game because of air resistance, particularly because power lost to drag goes as velocity^3. So the deceleration going uphill exceeds the acceleration going downhill. If it’s a match race, it doesn’t matter, but if it’s a time trial, don’t expect to see record times.
Time trials are ridden at the black line, the one place with no elevation change
Many track races are won by the rider up track who took the longer line, but timed their sprint to use the downhill effectively as a run to the line.
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Hello Atlanta person.
How long have you been around there? I moved out in 2015 but before that I worked at Peachtree Bikes, Bike South and helped start SoPo. Are we acquainted?
Welcome fellow no man-person, I’m glad o found this weird little nook of tubes on the back of trucks.
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For clarity our black line has a noticeable hill on the final straight.
Unlikely. I started riding bikes in late 2015 when I started at GSU. Though we likely know a lot of the same people (Kenny, Andrew both now formally of Bike South & the Spindle bros Ezz and Sharif) I did work at PTB for a short time around 2017/2018 and boy oh boy that was an interesting crew. They got bought by Atlanta Cycling who is owned by Trek so there’s a dose of Atlanta gossip for ya.
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My ATL tenure ended in 2013.
I did get to know Earl in Madison, WI. He was at PTB briefly and now has his own shop.
Ah-- small world! I helped Earl open Earls Bike Shop. I was with during his time at PTB and then stayed when he took over at 1000 Marietta St.
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I was no longer with cervelo at that time but there were some of my former colleagues at the show who were in the bay beforehand and probably went to MASH because graphic design team.
Speaking of wonky velodromes, forest city is a fun one. Has a little speed bump in turn 3 iirc that makes things a bit spicy. It’s also inside the footprint of a hockey arena at 138m and 51deg banks.
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Wow, I hadn’t thought about Atlanta Cycling in a looong time. I worked there sometime around 2000. From what I recall it started with a guy buying the Vinings bike shop for his son to run and then expanded from there?
Frankly thats outside the scope of my knowledge. I don’t know much of the 2000-2015 Atlanta bike gossip outside of the No Brakes, Loose Nuts, Spindle sphere of influence.
Regardless its sometimes pleasing that the bike world is so small. I guess I knew more people here on Tarck than I expected.
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Welcome @emory you may be happy to know that your old Waffle House jersey gets lots of positive commentary our here in SoCal where there is no Waffle House
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it’s good for a velodrome to have character. keeps you on your toes.
the velodrome i learned to race on is actually impossible to ride on the black line around the entire track at any kind of speed above 15mph or so. the only way to ride the turns at the black line was to ride at the red line on the straights, then cut in slowly in the turn and get down to the black line at the apex and through the middle of the turns, then cut back up on the exit back to the red line.
they mostly had fixed the speed bumps with some new cement sometime in the early-mid '10s. now it’s closed. RIP.
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so a stick speed of like, 21mph? focuses the mind!
Depends on how sticky your tires are, they used to maintain a list of tires that were not allowed because too slidy.
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this is the only velodrome i have ever ridden and it was a blast. unfortunately i was in college (aka dumb) at the time and didn’t realize they wouldn’t heat the hockey arena so i was freezing cold the entire time