To the Track!

WHAT ARE TRACK NIGHTS?

With the days getting shorter, arranging a ride after work isn't really doable in the winter months. Luckily for us, York has a 1km long circuit of only the most exquisite tarmac reserved exclusively for cycling. As such we'll be running track nights on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings- way better than a turbo trainer!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

York Sport charge £4 per session (£3 concession), and you can just pay on the night- by cash or by card.

YOU SAID TRACK...DOES THAT MEAN I NEED A TRACK BIKE?

Thankfully no- the circuit is separate to the Velodrome where the track bikes are normally more at home. Just bring your regular road bike and you'll be fine.

DO I NEED MUDGUARDS?

The track is clean and drains remarkably well, and so mudguards aren’t essential. That said, if it’s raining particularly heavily and you’re attending, it might be nice for those you’re riding with.

DO I NEED LIGHTS?

You don’t need lights for the circuit as it’s floodlight. Indeed, lights on the track can be dazzling (particularly rear lights) and so should be switched off. You will need lights to ride to and from the track.

WHY HAVE 2 NIGHTS?

York Sport run a couple of different sessions through the week- Tuesday nights are reserved for group cycling and chain ganging. The track is open to the public, and so you'll generally find a few speedy riders out there! As such, it's more conducive to running "training" rides, where the pace will be a bit higher. On the other hand, on Wednesday the track is open to friends and family- the pace will generally be more relaxed, and so it's the perfect opportunity to spin out some laps and have a catchup with clubmates.

DO I HAVE TO STAY FOR THE FULL SESSION?

Not at all! The beauty of riding along a relatively short track is that you're free to join on and drop off at your leisure- you can even take a lap or two off for a breather and just join on again, fresh as a daisy (so I'm told). You'll probably get more out of the Training Tuesday ride by getting there on time though, as the group might run a bit of a training schedule.

WHEN YOU SAY "TRAINING"...IS THIS A FORMAL COURSE?

No- it's just a way of breaking up the 90 minute session to keep things fresh and ensure everyone gets more out of it. A typical training session might involve a warm up, then some tempo riding, with some sprinting and chasing down riders thrown in for fun. The aim is to make the evening a good training session that is fun.

IS THERE PARKING?

Yes- you can park at the adjacent gym if that's the best way for you to get to the track. There’s space for 250 cars so you’ll always find a parking spot

ARE THERE TOILETS AVAILABLE?

Yes- York Sport Village gym next door has toilets in the entrance.

IS THERE A CAFE STOP?

Sadly no- there is a café at the adjacent gym but this closes at 19:30 so is for preloading only. We will try to apply political pressure to York Sport to correct this glaring omission- although maybe coffee and cake isn't the best idea at 8pm!