Sundrive Accreditation

With the racing and sportive seasons underway, don’t forget about the track! Now is a great time to get accredited at Sundrive Track – they’re running plenty of Saturday sessions over the next couple of months.

With the racing and sportive seasons underway, don’t forget about the track! Now is a great time to get accredited at Sundrive Track – they’re running plenty of Saturday sessions over the next couple of months.

Accreditation is needed before a rider is allowed train on the track, with a further session if you want to take part in races. It’s not a competition or measure of ability, but about safe riding on the track. You only need a Club Level licence from CI to gain accreditation for training.

This your opportunity to learn how to ride a fixed wheel (no brakes) track bike on a banked velodrome safely. The track coaches are very experienced in taking complete novices through to a competent level over the period of the Accreditation session.

The next sessions are running on Saturdays 16th March, 6th April, 20th April (and more after that – see link below). They start at 12.30 for youth riders (U12/U14), and seniors and U16 are on at 14.30. Sessions last about two hours.

The session costs €10, and if you don’t have a track bike, they can be rented at the track for only €5, with either Look Delta pedals or ‘rat trap’ pedals (flat pedals with straps that can be used with runners). For youth and unwaged, Sundrive offer the great price of €5 for the session, and bike hire for only €2. Get there early to make sure you grab a bike in your size, and can adjust the saddle height.

Work on the track is great for improving your top-end speed, pedalling style and cadence and sprinting ability. We already have a sizeable contingent of Orwell riders, and welcome more.

Later on in the year, the Track League will take place on Wednesday evenings, so you can put your training and skills to great use in races in Sundrive!

For more details, please see Track Cycling Ireland. The track is located on Sundrive Road, Kimmage. You can also contact Hugh Byrne at trackcyclingireland@gmail.com or 086 34 88 708.