Derny Paced Track Training

Derny motorbikes are used for training as well as racing & are good speed work for riders. During the summer we run training sessions one evening a week. Riders must have British Cycling silver membership for insurance purposes.

Derny Protocol

A number of changes have now been made to the running of Derny Paced training sessions, in order to make better use of our limited resources, and improve the safety element. Riders and pacers must be British Cycling members, and produce evidence of this at signing on, which must be done before joining a paced session.

Riders and pacers must all attend a briefing before the sessions commence.

Sessions are for Derny Pacing only – sprint, Madison or pursuit exercises are not permitted. Warming-up, for riders only, is permitted before the session start, when possible, & riders should be ready to train as soon as the first session commences. If riders do not have time to warm-up, then they should join the slowest group until ready to join a faster one in the following sessions. All sessions will be of approximately 15 minute duration, during which no-one will be permitted to join the track, or just roll around. An experienced rider from each group will be nominated as the lead rider for that group, to assist in maintaining group discipline and adherence to Derny pacing rules.

No more than 4 Derny paced groups will be on track at any time during paced sessions. Sessions will commence with 2 slow laps to allow the Derny’s to pick up their riders, the pace then gradually increasing to that designated for their group. Once all of the pacers have indicated to the timer on the infield that they are ready, the session will begin. Riders are not permitted to change from one pacer to another during a session. Should you find yourself in a group slower than you would wish, you have to remain there for the full session or drop out. Should you find yourself in a group which is too fast, then, using the correct protocol for leaving a paced group, you can of course drop out, but you must leave the track on the inside. Under no circumstances are unpaced riders allowed to cruise around the track during paced sessions. Whilst it is OK to commence riding from the fence, when leaving the track, it must be done to the inside, on the blue (Cote d’Azure’) section, as in racing conditions, and thence the grass. Continued circulation on the blue is not permitted.

At the end of the session, the fastest group first, will make their 5 lap run to the end of their session (indicated by the pacer), if conditions permit, increasing pace gradually to the final sprint for the line. As soon as riders cross the line, they should go down to the Cote d’Azure to clear the track for the other groups to finish. Once the first group have commenced their final 5 laps, the timer on the infield, will then indicate to the remaining groups at 2 or 3 lap intervals, their turn to commence their 5 lap finish, in order to avoid more than one group finishing at the same time. Maximum speed of any group shall not be such as to prevent the above lead rider changes. At the end of each lap, the lead rider in the paced group slightly increases their speed to catch up with, and ride alongside of the pacer, by which time, the second rider in the group, will then be immediately behind the pacer. The rider alongside the pacer then reduces their pace slightly, to be overtaken by the rest of the group, and when reaching the rear, pulls in, becoming the last in the group.

Do not swing out, or up the banking, once you are alongside the pacer. Apart from being very dangerous on a track where there may well be a number of paced groups, this is not the correct practice for Derny-paced training. If you are in a paced group, and wish to leave it, you follow the same procedure as the above, gradually pulling alongside the rider in front, and then dropping to the rear, and then off the back of the group, and when safe to do so, to the inside of the track, and then off the track completely. Again, do not just pull out of the group, and under no circumstances, swing out.