Out in the heart of Queens there is a little known velodrome buzzing with track racers from the area. We rode out there this past Sunday to watch the New York state elite finals. Though most us of didn’t know the first thing about track racing (no brakes, no gears), a racer from MIT was kind enough to explain the matches and the rules.

[More photos are on Flickr. Were you on the ride? Add photos to our group pool! Our map of the ride is on Ride the City.]

That's MIT Mike on the right.

We learned a little something, got to watch the 20 lap races and meet some fantastic people on our way. Post ride we even had our second #bikenyc tweetup at Berry Park. As one of our riders put it, “cycling must really be marginalized if this is the big state event and you can’t even get a sandwich.” It’s true. We could all stand to support our local cycling community a bit more and I definitely recommend you check out the Kissena velodrome. They have some upcoming labor day events. It’s unlike anything you’ve seen.