….Team JMC’s ‘Big Kid’ Andrew McHugh is loving it…

The robotic voice barks “cRIDERS READY… RANDOM START… WATCH THE GATE…” beep, beep, beep, beep, BANG!
The gate goes down and you are off!

The voice in my head screams “Don’t touch the brakes!”, but then self-preservation cuts in and I scrub off a bit of speed before the first jump propels me beyond my bravery/skill limit and hurls me towards A&E.
Welcome to the National Cycling Centre indoor BMX track. 400m of concrete and adrenalin built to train Team GB’s finest, but accessible to anyone. They’ll even lend you a bike, helmet and body armour. For about £20 each you and 15 others can hire the place and all of the kit for a couple of hours.
I’ve only been doing this for just over a year, but my monthly sessions have become something of a highlight in my cycling life. It brings back memories of messing about with my mates as kids on bikes combined with the riskier aspects of messing about with my mates as adults on bikes.
You should give it a go.