Beginners start with such basics as tire changes, and the intermediate session covers such complex work as wheel truing and frame alignment. Classes are held at the Freewheel bike shop on the West Bank. The National Sports Center Velodrome is offering beginning track-cycling classes for most of the summer. The four-week basics course is taught at the Velodrome in Blaine, one of the fastest bike tracks in the nation. Classes are held once a week, and rental bikes and helmets are available.
Track cycling is hard work and attracts experienced cyclists.
The emphasis is on group riding and dealing with traffic, although about half of the students go on to race. The program, intended for serious riders, also has an intermediate level and sessions for women. Organizers also are trying to put together a class for high-school riders. The Gopher Wheelmen and County Cycles have just started a skills clinic for road riders. Like the St. Paul course, it is intended for serious riders and emphasizes group-riding technique.