Back On Track

In 2013 I was introduced to the simplest yet most complicated and intense type of racing. A bike with one gear, no brakes, on an oval track going left for a couple of really fast laps. It might sound boring but its so far from it.

Track racing is an Olympic sport!! People think its dying in the USA but with the 2020 Olympics coming it’s been receiving a lot of attention. After two years of racing at my local track, Kissena Velodrome, I stopped. I felt like I couldn’t grow in the discipline back then. I was 19, heavier and car-less. I didn’t want to race the same 6 people repeatedly. Nobody I knew really seemed interested in going to other velodromes and I was getting really into road racing.

In the last couple of years track racing has grown exponentially. I started to see the numbers increase at Kissena and other velodromes, but I was too deep into chasing my Cat 1 in road to really commit to coming back, so I always blew it off. Last year I got upgraded to Cat 1 and I started to think about giving track racing another go. What better way to do it than to jump back in the year before the Olympics. So for 2019 I’ll be back on the  velodrome. Aside from racing the USAcrits calendar with Butcherbox Cycling, I’ll be chasing my Cat 1 on the track and trying to race all the UCI races at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, aka T-Town, the premier velodrome in Pennsylvania. I’m excited to mix it up again with track racers and change things up.

I've had my sights set on racing road so its been interesting to adjust my mindset, but I think being able to have more goals will help me stay motivated throughout the year. On top of that I will be teaming up with BikeLane Bicycle Store, run by Edwin Henriquez in Queens NY, for all my track bike needs. Edwin and I met at the skatepark when I was sixteen. He was this BMXer who would always get in my way. I knew him from a bike shop that sold skateboards, where we eventually became coworkers. There he taught me everything I know about bikes. We grew up to be great friends. He eventually went on to open his own shop— BikeLane. We’ve been part of each other’s journey throughout the years, supporting one another where we can. I wanted to work with him more this year, whether it was at the shop or helping him grow in the racing community. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together. Having the support of one of your best friends is a game changer. My season started off at Kissena's 6 Day series, and will continue with some local races, but I will be focused on the World Series of Bicycling Series and Pro-Am races at T-Town. Stay tuned for the full schedule.