Cycling: Meadowbank the focus for cycling hopes

Lothians cyclists inspired by the Olympic Games exploits of Sir Chris Hoy and his Team GB colleagues are being offered a chance to follow in the great man’s wheel tracks.

Allister Watson, a coach and former Scottish champion, is teaching basic track craft at the Meadowbank Velodrome where Hoy learned his trade.

Watson said, “This session is for novices who can ride a bike and have a good degree of 
fitness and a sense of 
adventure. It will suit individuals who want to know what 
riding a velodrome is like as well as those who are thinking about taking up cycling and crossing over from another sport.”

The two-hour sessions 
include a half-hour bike fitting and safety briefing. Watson added, “We will go through the essentials of speed control, manoeuvring on the banking, riding in a group, a track 
tour with an experienced
track racer, some start practice then on to a bunch race with lap board and bell for the last lap.”

Weather permitting, the next session will run tomorrow from 6.30pm and interested riders can book a place by emailing details of height, age, cycling experience and stating whether they have automatic pedals on their bike to [email protected].