When Harry met Sally at Manchester's Velodrome

As a proud aunty to two amazing boys I always strive to buy them gifts to remember and last year I think I excelled. I treated my eldest nephew Harry, aged 9 to a cycling session for his birthday at one of the finest and fastest board tracks in the world. I met Harry in Manchester and after an energy-filled lunch we arrived at the Velodrome, excited about our forthcoming session.


We hired bikes, helmets and shoes and took to the boards with all the gear and hopefully a bit of an idea. The Velodrome opened in 1994 and is home to GB Cycling where the famous Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton train. Our session started slowly as we needed to gain confidence on a bike with no gears and no brakes! It then became fast and furious as we began to master the 250m track, which is not an easy task as not only are the straights on a 12 degree incline but the bends are a massive 42 degree incline – not for the faint-hearted.

Riding on the track was a little scary but totally exhilarating. Harry came off his bike on one of the bends in a breathtaking fall which left him sliding down the incline with bloody wounds to his knee, hip and elbow. I was so proud when he picked up his bike, brushed himself down and started to ride fast again. Every time Harry told the story of his experience and indeed his fall, the tumble turned into a crash, the slide got more dramatic and his wounds got bigger and rawer! What a great experience and a day to remember for both of us.