Track Accreditation

ELV members regularly ride and race at the Olympic Velodrome at Lee Valley Velo Park. It’s a fantastic London 2012 legacy facility and we’re really lucky to have it right on our doorstep.

All riders who want to use the track, whether  for training sessions or  racing, need to first pass their accreditation. The best way to do this is with a club and the sessions laid on by the velodrome itself.

Summary of the Track Accreditation process

Track Accreditation consist of four stages, with the fourth and final being a test of the riders’ abilities with no direction from coaches. Each session is designed to help the riders feel at home and learn the rules of the track, progressively riding faster and making manoeuvres of greater complexity as they go.

Stage 1
Acclimatisation. Here you’ll be riding on the track with a bunch of other first-timers or those who may have tried a taster session or two. You’ll quickly get a feel for the brake-less, fixed gear track bikes and take on the banking with guidance from the velodrome coaches. There will be some unstructured riding too.

Stage 2
Getting serious. Riders have to wear bibs at this stage to be identified by the coach. You’ll perform more complex tasks such as riding in pairs and peeling off. Expect to go high on the banking and get closer to the riders around you.

Stage 3
Faster and closer. In this session, you’ll be bibbed-up again. Further, complicated manoeuvres will be thrown in the mix and less instruction will be provided by the coaches. Instead, commands for maneuvers will be called out; they could include stacking, paired riding or paired sprints. Lots of riding above the blue line here.

Stage 4
Accreditation Test. Like a driving test. This session is what it all comes down to. Don’t miss a single look or you’ll fail and have to re-test. The session is fast but lasts for approximately two hours. So good fitness will help keep you sharp when following the coaches commands in the test.

At ELV, you’ll meet club members with a depth of ability on the track, from seasoned racers to those who are only just beginning their journey on the boards.