Pink slip - how hard!!!

[Paul_L]

Had my second taster improver session last night to try and get the pink slip. Gonna be a frustrating task me thinks.

I got my blue slip at my second taster session, but i think it's going to take a couple more attempts at the taster improver session.

I seem to find it much harder to ride half a bike wheel length behind the rider in front in a long line of 20 odd riders, compared to riding in a line of 4 at the taster sessions. You're much more susceptible to variations in speed with a bigger bunch.

I also find that at the taster improver sessions with a big group you are also judged as a group rather than an individual. Last night there were 21 in the group and no one got given a pink slip. There were some exercises where we were all over the place, lots of gaps and overlaps, and even though this was down to a few riders (possibly myself at times if i'm honest) the whole group gets marked down. Still, it was an enjoyable hour on the track and i especially like the slow exercises through the cones.

What are other peoples experiences of the accreditation process after the blue slip, taster sessions. They say this is the hardest step of all?

 

[festival]

If your thinking about it you will never achieve a natural feel for the track.
Pedaling should be fluid and instinctive when reacting to movement and speed. You should be looking through the bunch, not at the wheel in front of you, while being aware of everything around you. Not easy I know , it comes easier to those already used to racing in a bunch on the road.

 

[Andy_R]

pink is so yesterday, and ladies rarely wear slips now, so I think Marksies might be your best bet.

 

[Rob3rt]

I haven't ridden the track but ride in a group 3-4 times a week inc chain gang's etc and IMO, it will become natural to ride about half a wheel's distance from the wheel in front with practice, don't stare at the wheel in front too much, try to just relax and look ahead, it is unlikely that you will ride into the person on front! Unless the person in front of you is a very skinny bugger, you shoudn't be able to see much past them if you are in the right place, so learn to stop trying (craning your neck or riding offset out of the line to see), you are just causing yourself stress, you need to develop an implicit trust then the whole pace line/chaingang thing will start to feel fun, rather than a tense affair.

 

[Arsen Gere]

As pointed out look as far ahead as you can. I reckon being slightly off line and anticpating moves is less energy sapping than trying to respond blind. Riding blind leads to a packet effect like on motorways. Probably why the group failed.