Martin, come on out. Some of the most hard-core trackies are messengers and they’re strong as hell. One of the many great and truly refreshing things about Kissena is the diversity of the racers. Leave your preconceptions and stereotypes at home, and leave your heart and lungs on the track.

Big shout to Campocat for all his great work in making this real for us all.

At the same time, I think the hipster fixie thing is net good for cycling, especially as the guys who the hipsters are looking up to (the messenger community) get out and race. In turn, their friends come out and support them by watching, cheering, taking photos and chatting and posting across non-roadie and non-cycling-only web channels.

The support these guys have far outstrip anything I’ve seen at a road race. Further, publications like Fixed Magazine are mixing the buzz of fixed with the cool of track racing. It’s building, and to my eyes building in a broader demographic than road racing. The messengers see they can compete, and they are organizing trips to Nyack and talking about racing in Charlie’s PP series, so there’s some cross-over. It seems a big impediment to the road races are the entry fees – at the track it’s $5 and alleycats are free.

The more the merrier! It’s definitely a start…

Guys, the more kids riding track bikes the better. Period! Whether they are doing it for fashion chic or whatever who cares. It sparks more interest, generates word of mouth, and before you know it, these kids are headed out to Kissena. Instead of busting on all the hipsters riding FIXED, why not bust on the road racers who ride crits all year long but can’t make it to one track event. Those are a huge pool too. So let’s stop labeling and get back to racing. Kissena Velodrome, all are welcome!

What excitement. I waited a long time toraceagainst Mary. What a great guy too. You can ask him anything. Special thanks to Bucky for doing this event. Thanks to campo cat too for requesting me and Plucky to sprint against Marty. It was fun. Sorry I didn’t play cat and mouse. Some people you can do that with. But not Marty.. My only chance was to keep the big gear moving. It was a fun day… Where are the race results?

great work Campo. Congratulations

Charlie, I think you’re right. I’m sure all the roadies I know would LOVE track racing, but it means yet another bike in the stable. As far as price points and marketing, IRO cycles hits great price points with their nice bikes, and could make a further hit with a Kissena promotion. The economics would be tough, but the marketing would be great.

Someone said to me yesterday “it seems like track racing is like the best parts of road racing condensed” and it is in a sense. It is good fun, and a good scene. I encourage more local racers to attend……

We will have the results by tonight-tomorrow. Sorry about the delay guys. The whole committee has been extremely busy. Any minute now. ROAR.

Big respect to Charlie I. but I don’t don’t think that roadies stay off the track because they don’t own a track bike or don’t want to shell out for one. Hell, the dudes in CRCA race in Saturday club races on $1500 wheelsets and use headsets. In my 19 years racing I’ve encouraged many riders with a certain riding style to come and race on the track. I remember for instance telling Mike Gacki he’d be a good track rider (he reminded me of a young Gibby Hatton.) Some did show up, but even the bravest among them, the sprinters, were put off by riding bikes with no brakes where they had to control their speed in a way that was so new to them. One said to me after his first race (as he threw the bike down angrily on the grass) “Y’all are f**kin’ crazy!!”…..Needless to say, I never saw him again at the track….Be safe this season. It’s a blood sport, but it doesn’t have to be. Peace.

hey ZEPH. I once saved Gacki’s life in a CP night ride. he and i were away and he nearly slammed into the back of a horse carriage as he was taking a long pull w/his head down. but i digress, bicycle racing is a very difficult and demanding sport and not the easiest thing to jump into. The dude with the sideways baseball hat profiling on his decked out DeRosa probably has little interest in riding 9W in Feb. or motor-pacing on the LIE (thats for you Issendorf). so how do you get more people involved @ the track? The messengers are a good place to start, thats how i got into it, but what about more cross-promotion @ the NY park races and tri-state crits? These are people that are getting up @ 4:30 a.m. on weekends and train regularly to begin with.

Bigger prize lists. Need I mention the Pocono Tri-Oval?

Thankyou all for your support, much love and best wishes to everbody. For me and Del Roy, Jarred, Don, John, Alan, Bucky, Cynthia, Diedre, Charlie, Brian, Ian, Andrew and all the volunteers the have gotten their hands dirty at the bumpy.

We have track bike sponsors for 300 dollar bikes

Iro-Bianchi-NYCbike-Fugi and others up to Griffen at 1000 dollars off list price. It is my job as track director to help people gain access to track racing among other things. If anyone calls me 212-431-9732 and they often do from all quaters of the world, I provide either a bike from our container of hook them up with someone who can get them a bike. The bike is not the Issue. You can make up a million reasons for not coming out. It is not something I worry about our care to read about, it is obvious what has to be done for the sport and the track. We don’t have to beat it into the ground. The things people worry about never really happen anyway, Action is better then Reaction. Volunteer – We need small things like brooms sealer, caulking. It has taken me 21yrs to start a junior program while people have been talking about it for years but no one would think of bringing their children to a race. Bring your friend to the track and I’ll put them on a bike Sat.- 11am to 3pm The programs are here, now, take advantage of them… No one is making any money offering or putting on these programs. My homey’s have a lot invested in this place, and reason being is, we love what we do. Sat. I paid 10 dollars for 8 races of all kinds, and got home with over a hundred dollars tee shirts, food, tunes, books, feeling in top from for having raced with the US team. How do you feel after a pounding as packfiller for 2 hours. I am having more fun now then I ever did eating horse pucky on the potholes in CP at the crack of dawn.

Miles Davis used to tell me ‘Just get on with it, son. If you got something to say, put it in your music.’

Your Humble Track Director,

Campocat

PS, remember there is no ‘YOU PEOPLE’

It is not my track, it is your track, use it.

BTW- The Ashley Kimmet photo and Jackie Simes Jr. photo are from the madman Will Sherman. Check his site: http://www.untitledname.com

I’m new to track racing so my question might sound stupid to many of you, but I’m ready to take the slamming.

When the field gets to be 25+ riders like the B race I was in last Saturday, why not split it so silly crashes like the one I got caught in are less likely to happen?

Kam–

T-Town will split fields (at the discretion of the officials) at 25 riders. Kissena is a wider, shallower track, and the decision was made (mostly by me) to not split the fields and slow down the event for 27 riders. To fit in an extra 4 races for the second B field would have required cutting even more races than we did.

Steve glad to see you are Okay, and you were having a good time. You are riding strong, come on back. I have been in many crashes over the years and if someone came up to me with footage of it as I was geting carted away I’d take his telephoto lens and check out what he had for breakfast. When you find out who he is let me know. Cat

Sebistian your point is taken and we are painfully aware of our situation as it pertains to corporations. This stage is not to grind axe’s but to chop wood. We would much rather not go to corporations for funding for underprivilaged children and racing programs in general, but the sad fact is we never recieved your check. So we had to dance with the footwear maker. Come on folks… I know somebody out there has a positive suggestion? At this point even a joke will do. Did you hear about the horse that came into the bar.

Charlie you are the best. Finally a positive suggestion. OK

1) It was Al, Lou, and Pete put this sucker here not me. I’ve been coming here since 84 on the F-train at 4pm with out a brake and I was a rank beginner to start out here and Al didn’t treat me well being from CRCA. I have had Women (Nancy Modica, and others) on track bikes for the first time and riding from Manhattan to Prospect Park – no brakes in a one day session. This week I have had a 12yr old do a 15second 200m the first time he ever got on a track bike, and he is 4feet tall.

I can understand the concern but it can be done if you want it bad enough and I don’t see it as being any more or less dangerous then riding to Floyd and back with brakes. With the new stem configuration changing bars is easy. And many of my riders do just that. It takes someone with a little street smarts I won’t deny it. One of the reasons I was able to race and run Kissena is I brought a container to the park so I can store everything I needed to run the races, because I still ride (no brakes 94.6 inch gear hither and yon to and from the track with 40 lbs on my back). The track is for tough guy’s, maybe that is why only certian people show up? Riding with a front break is not my call it is the head offical’s business. Don you want to answer that? 2) Last year we had a full size bus leave from Manhattan for the Puma series al-la Chuggie Carter. We will look to do that again in the future as more funding becomes availible. Damian Nesbit has been handing out offers with his van…. To tell you the truth taking the air conditioned F-train with alot of very nice working people is a gas for me. I relax and rest in comfort, much better than sitting in a car in traffic. It is probably the best way to get to Queens. Kissena Bluvd has very nice resturants to eat at on the way home. I recommend ‘Valentino’s’. 3) Charlie I appreaciate all your help, you are doing a great job. Come on out! Deidre is looking for another paid coach for the kids program and I think you are the man. Please say yes, it doesn’t require much time at all. Yesterday we had 21 children from our afterschool Star Track program compete. The parks Commish was there and she told me she will be committed to help us and cycling get what we need to improve the sport. But to see the little ones in a successful cycling program on the track for the first time since 1964 brought filled me with pride. 10yr Marilyn Ortiz showed me what this sport could actually be when made to flourish as we have done; by circling the track in celebration holding the Columbian Flag over her head while riding her 24in bike (donated by Dave Perry) around the track in victory just like Victoria Pendelton did at World Championships. This is what this sport is about letting the kids tell us where it can go, just like you and George showed me in 84’…. and by the way you did a 4:14 -3000m in 87′. I got the sheet.

the cat

come on C.I…. you ever rode in the back of a $1 van? thats scarier than riding a track bike the entire length of Atlantic ave. But seriously folks, i’ve got to side w/Campo; take the train, sit in the last car, meditate and envision your winning strategies… before you know it you’re there.

*** I’ll be holding down the music selection @ Harlem this Sunday. The skinscraper takes no prisoners! Sound System provided by DOC TC5. don’t sleep. ***

Zeph, Campo, Charlie I,…glad to see that the track is going well. I am so happy that bicycle racing is thriving on all fronts in NYC. Many people have worked hard to make sure that We all have a diverse amount of racing to participate in. I would like to make special mention to John Campo, Charlie I for having a dream, ambition and the right amount of stubborness to make sure that the great venues at Kissena and FBF weren’t taken away. I miss you guys and NYC. However….if you want some REAL FUN TRACK racing…I invite anyone from NYC to come to the Frisco Superdrome, and feel the 250 meter, 46 degree, banked wood track that will push your eyeballs down with the g-forces at speed. In just 15 months I have discovered the Zen of track racing. If I would have known 15 or 16 years ago what I know now, I would have been a fixture at Kissena. These are great venues, get out there and race and take advantage of every chance you get to race your bikes.

Regards,

Michael Gacki

Frisco, Texas

ps…Zeph…I just won 4 state masters titles this past weekend on the track.

1st place…age 30-39 Kilo

1st place…age 30-44 3000 meter pursuit

1st place…Team Sprint with Al Whaley and Nick Chenowth

and set a new state record for the distance in the Masters age group

2nd place….age 30-39 Match Sprints, however the gent that beat me in the final (Kevin Matthews) is from Oklahoma, so I am the Texas state sprint champion.

can I come and visit?

Last Sunday 7/10 – CRCA put on a track race at the velo.

A lot of road riders tried their hand at track cycling for the first time on loaner bikes provided by me. A good time was had by all and some burning competition divided the fields into the rabbits and the non-rabbits. Missing the break requires one to work in a pace line (like it or not). Most found that chasing a three rider break by yourself is damn near impossible. But they tried and tried again only to see me take the fourth and last place on the final lap going at a steady rated of speed in the sprint lane, ( the shortest way around the track). Come on down CRCA is having another 7/17 – racing starts at 11:00am

Fun, food, drinks, music, and cash. It beats the road work on 9W.