Burnaby has one of three covered Velodrome cycling tracks in North America. The wooden track is 200 meters in length, with a 47 degree incline at the ends of the oval. Our cycling group, "Le Peloton" was able to secure group lessons in November 2006 in order to qualify for riding on this amazing track. There are a couple of rather 'interesting' features to the custom light-weight bikes that are used in a Velodrome. They have only one gear. And they have no brakes. Pedals are attached directly to the drive train so that you slow down by simply pedaling slower. This makes stopping more predictable... a good thing. You never want to stop suddenly with so many other riders near you. Cyclists whip around the track in close formation, dropping down from the upper part of the track at the ends of the oval to gain speed. Someone once said that there are only two kinds of Velodrome riders: those who have crashed, and those who are about to. It's actually great fun. For more information about this unique facility, see their website at http://www.burnabyvelodrome.ca . There's some more interesting information about this hybrid form of cycling at http://www.cyclingnews.com/track/?id=trackoverview00 .
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