FAQs
Hellyer Mailing List Informaton
Hellyer is a mailing
list, currently hosted at groups.google.com/group/ncva ,
for those interested in the
Hellyer Park Velodrome located
in San Jose, California. Most
anything goes: discussions about
upcoming events, race results,
equipment, technique, etc. are
all welcome.
To subscribe:
Create a Google Account at http://groups.google.com or
click for a
direct
link to NCVA group.
Your Google Account
gives you access to Google Groups
and other
Google services. After you
have a Google Account, search
for “NCVA” inside
Google Groups. You will be asked
to apply for membership to this
group.
I'm interested in racing
on the track, how do I get
into it?
The best way to start is
by attending Saturday
AM beginner sessions. These
are every Saturday morning
at 8:30 a.m. You may
rent bikes and will receive
basic track instruction.
$5 track usage fee, plus
$5 to rent a fixed gear track
bike if you don't have one.
Three Saturday morning sessions
are required to race any
mass start racing event as
a Cat 5 track racer. Tuesday
nights are focused on newer
riders and Wednesday features
longer events, with the focus
being on riding fast, in
a pack, for a lot of laps.
Once you have entered ten
race days as a Cat 5, you
are eligible to upgrade to
Cat 4. The qualifying
race days must include mass-start
events. The Sprint Tournaments
do not qualify as a race
day for upgrading to Category
4.
What
kind of races are run at
the track? See Race
Descriptions
Do I need a special bike
for this? Does it really
have no brakes?
There are occasional special
training sessions in which
the track is open for riding
with "road" bikes. However
to race and do the majority
of the training sessions
on the track you'll need
a special track bike. And
yes, they don't have brakes
but you can still control
your speed by resisting gently
the motion of the pedals
and by adjusting the path
of the bike on the banked
surface.
Are there special sessions
for Juniors?
Yes. They're both
described HERE
The most important facts
specific to riders under
18 are:
1) Parents/Legal Guardians
must sign a release annually
on behalf of minors who use
the track. See Juniors Page
2) Juniors can ride the track
for free, and get free use
of the fixed gear rental
bikes for training.
How big is Hellyer Velodrome?
Each lap is 335 meters -
or about 0.2 miles. The corners
have about 25 degrees of
banking to them.
Fees:
The cost to ride the track for most training sessions
is $5.00 per day. This pays for the insurance the
County requires for its continued use, and contributes
to the NCVA pool used for maintenance, utilities,
etc. Enhanced training sessions or special events
may have additional fees.
Parking:
Hellyer County Park charges $6.00
per day per motor vehicle entry. A "Venture Pass" (this
parking permit allows entry into all
other Santa Clara County parks which
charge an entrance fee for 12 months
from the month of purchase) is $80.00.
The vinyl windshield sticker can be
transferred between vehicles within
your household. An inconvenient alternative is to park
your car outside the park and walk or ride in.
Sessions:
Rain cancels all track sessions. All open training
sessions are open to all riders, category restrictions
may apply (e.g. Advanced Training Category 1 to 3).
The supervisor at any training session has the responsibility
to make sure that the session is held in a safe manner,
and that all riders in any given session can ride on
the track together safely. In addition, the scheduled
session for any time frame takes precedent over unscheduled
activities. Be sure to check with the session supervisor
on scheduled activities. Supervisor or Promoter contact
information for every session is available on the Track
Calendar
Note:
The NCVA Track Calendar is subject to change. Be sure
to check the Calendar for
up-to-date information on any session. Be sure to also
subscribe to the NCVA Google
Group for up-to-date information.
Still have questions? Please e-mail a Board
member