The club have booked the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit for a ½ day training session on Monday 1st May (May Day Bank Holiday) from 8:30am to 12:30pm. We ran this session for the first time last year, and it was really successful, with lots of positive feedback from the 30+ attendees.
This year the session will be run by Ken Buckley and his team at BPC Coaching, who will be able to provide first-hand experience and expertise of pack-racing, time-trialling and bike-handling skills. If you’ve never been there before, Hillingdon is an excellent location for training…it’s a dedicated venue with a high quality, fast-rolling tarmac surface, and you will be able to gain a lot of confidence on handling and cornering without having to worry about potholes, drain covers and the normal hazards of the Chiltern roads.
The plan is to run two groups; the first group will be focused on the more basic skills of pack riding and racing (close-quarter riding, moving around bunches, cornering smoothly at speed), while the second group will be focused on more advanced racing skills (efficient racing, tactical positioning, dealing with sprints and surges). The day will end with a short race, where you can put your new skills into practice! The two groups will be able to ride on separate loops on the circuit, providing plenty of space, allowing you to focus on the session in complete safety.
There will be two 1-hour practical sessions on track, with a starting brief, and a break halfway through as well, before the grand finale.
While the day will be really useful for those who race, or are thinking about giving it a go, however it will also be very useful for improving in any group-riding scenario such as club rides. It’s also a chance to quiz Ken on some of the more technical aspects of cycling…he’s an expert in power and lactate testing, aerodynamics and time-trialling. If that wasn’t enough, I’ll be providing a supply of cakes to aid in recovery.
The club is subsidising this event for all members, however we will be charging a nominal fee of £5 for the session. We will have access to the circuit and clubhouse from 8:30am (for tea and coffee), and the introduction will be from 9am. There is plenty of free parking at the circuit, and the Goals centre next door, while the clubhouse has toilets, changing rooms, and a small kitchenette to use as well.
