I live in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire; the Team GB cyclist Ed Clancy lives just down the road. Before London 2012 I’d see him out on the roads when I was riding. A few weeks later, he was winning an Olympic gold medal. I remember watching it on TV and thinking, “I want to do that.” My dad was a keen track cyclist already and took me along to the Manchester velodrome with him. Three years later we were racing against each other.

There are lots of different events on the track, from the scratch race to the Madison. I specialise in the points race: there’s a sprint every five laps and you accrue points by either placing in the top four in a sprint or lapping the entire field. There’s a lot to think about – not easy when the adrenaline is flowing and you’re going at 45mph.

Riding inside a velodrome is very different from cycling on the road. The tracks have incredibly steep sides, known as the banking. When you’re at the top, you’re almost horizontal – I found it a bit scary at first. In theory, you’re just riding in a straight line, but it never gets boring. You’re always at the limit of how hard you can go, always planning your next move. You have to concentrate; there’s a lot that can go wrong, especially as the bikes don’t have brakes – you can only slow down by pushing back against the pedals or swinging up the banking.

People often think of cyclists as being skinny, but you’ve got to be quite muscly to be a track rider. My thighs are pretty big compared with most of my friends’. In a points race, you’ve got to be able to sprint as hard as you can, rest for five laps, then sprint, over and over again. Towards the end, your legs are on fire.

I love riding on the track, and my dad loves that I’ve got into it. We compete in the same league every Friday. I usually do better – I’m first overall and he’s third – but sometimes he’ll still beat me. It’s just nice to be able to race alongside him.

My weekend workout

How often do you ride? Six times a week, between the road, the track and the stationary indoor turbo trainer.
How many races have you won? I’ve lost count.
Favourite pre-race meal? I’m a big fan of my mum’s pasta with tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Five ways to get started

1 Track cycling is more accessible than ever. There are six indoor velodromes in the UK (Glasgow, Manchester, Derby, London, Newport and Calshot) and outdoor tracks, too. Find your nearest at britishcycling.org.uk.

2 You can’t ride your regular road or commuter bicycle on a track, but most velodromes will have bikes for hire. Outdoor tracks often have a club attached which will lend bikes to beginners, provide a support network and help structure your training.

3 Track bikes have a single, fixed gear (you can turn the pedals in both directions, but can’t freewheel) and no brakes. To stop, you simply pedal more slowly until you come to a standstill.

4 Track etiquette is similar to driving on the roads. The convention is to pass on the right, always taking care before changing direction. Look over your shoulder, then signal which way you want to move by flicking your elbow.

5 Don’t be intimidated by the power and speed of athletes at the Olympics. Every velodrome has a track league, so you compete against people of a similar level.

• Phil West, technical director at Revolution Series

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