My first visit to the velodrome was amazing. Here was an incredible track, surrounded by its own ten thousand seater stadium, in the middle of Barrio La Vega, with no sign of anybody riding it. I was going mental that I didn’t have a track bike, and three months later I’m still going mental. That beautiful track is just sitting there, 30 minutes away, and I can’t ride it.
Velodromo Teo Capriles, Caracas, Venezuela.
Priority number one was to get a track bike. Shouldn’t be too hard, I thought to myself. After all, in my local bike shop the other day I saw a CSC Team Soloist Carbon Cervélo, with full Dura-Ace and Zipp 303s. If that can exist here, then surely I should be able to get a simple track bike, right?
But I haven’t been able to find one… not an acceptable one, at any rate. Only two shops I called even knew what the hell I was talking about. One of those said it could order me in the London edition Langster (not a track bike, and irredeemably ugly). The other shop is a Felt dealer, and they carry TK2s… for about $1,000 more than they are in the US. I don’t even want a TK2, let alone for that price. Turns out they didn’t have any in stock anyway.
So, I’m thinking that my best bet might be to get a cheap Sparton frame shipped to Caracas from Chile, where they are made. That probably won’t cost too much, and then I can try to have parts shipped to me from Ben’s, our team shop. I dunno, it’s the only plan I have right now.
Velodromo Teo Capriles, Caracas, Venezuela.
But even if I put a bike together, would I be allowed to ride it at the track? The last time we were at the velodrome, where the Venzuelan Cycling Federation have their offices, Amy kindly talked to the people there about me riding the track. At the time, no one had any real information they could give us, but they did give us the name of the guy in charge of the track program, so we decided to give him a call. I say we, when of course I mean Amy. My Spanish is what you might call non-existent. And so, with me in the background prompting her with questions I wanted to ask, Amy called the VCF. Of course, the guy wasn’t there… and it emerged that he wasn’t just the head of the track program, but the head of the entire national cycling federation… and then they gave us his cell phone number. Wow. Still haven’t called it, but it was nice of them to give it to us! Oh, Venezuela.
The bank of turn 3, Velodromo Teo Capriles, Caracas, Venezuela.
They were able to tell me one important thing. There are, apparently, daily practices at the track, from 4pm to 6pm. They’re run by a mysterious character called Prof. Pirella. I have no idea who the practice is for. It could be for the national squad, but it could also just be for whoever shows up. You never know, they may even have some loaner bikes. If so, I might finally get out on the track…
10 comments:
Simon: why don't you go there at 4PM today and see who shows up??
Also: BFFGSS may be able to help. You never know.
That is the plan, my friend. I should have an update soon.
As for BFFGSS... shudder... I haven't heard of anyone from Venezuela on there, or on the Track board for that matter. But, maybe I should bite the bullet and post.
goodluck on your quest...i guess asking questions at the actual school would have been the logical thing but you already took care of business. don't forget...ask about where to get a pista bike and not a track bike...peace.
i meant to say...bicicleta de pista.
Thanks j.dot, bicicelta de pista is what I've been asking for, but still not many shops really know what I mean. Oh well.
julio, stop posting as anonymous, it makes you seem like more of a creep than you already are.
why don't you have someone ship your track bike from chicago? on the slow boat, it probably wouldn't be that much.
jessie...please leave my city quietly...peace.
bicicleta de tarck
immediately theyll know wut you mean!
¿Dónde están las bicicletas de tarck con los arrospoks?
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