This bit of O'Grady got me thinking: is ther no track racing in the U.S. becasue there's no velodromes, or are there no velodromes becasue there's no track racing?

Would you use a track if there was one nearby?

Here's the text: http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13822.0.html

What Goes Around Keeps Going Around Mobius Strip with Single-Cog Cluster:
All the communities that suddenly "need" their own velodromes. C'mon, guys, there are, what, like three track racers in the United States? An uptick in fixie sales does not a track resurgence indicate. Instead, think clueless 20-something fashionistas doomed to challenge the laws of physics by trying to share the same space and time with cab doors, clueless pedestrians and truck bumpers while frantically squeezing brake levers that aren't there. Chasing a velodrome is an exercise in futility on par with opening a Boca-burger-and-chai stand at the Daytona 500. You want the gift that keeps on giving, build a crit circuit enclosing a 'cross park, a BMX course and a brewpub.

build it and they will come... whether they keep at or become high level is another thing

There's a velodrome where I live (Sandy Eggo) and I race on it.

When they built MTV in Indy back in the early 80's, there was substantial support and it drew some great fields on a weekly basis. As time passed, the support has see sawed, as well as the fields. Before, you would see up to 30+ riders in just the pro/1/2 classes at some of the Friday night race's. Now days, not so many.

From a developmental perspective, several Nat's champions, and some olympians were either home grown or moved and trained here extensively when Roger Young was running the program. So yes, you build one, put good staff there, run a strong program and you'll see new talent emerge.

I think it comes down to how dedicated the community is, and how it's run/ promoted. T-town was built a little earlier, but in the same era as MTV, but its support network has thrived where as ours sort of stagnated.

There's been a steady upswing in participation at Alpenrose and Marymoor that I've seen. The intro or beginner races at both are drawing a lot more people and there are plans to build a few more here in Oregon. Obviously every fixed gear rider won't become a track racer but many have tried it and a bunch are sticking with it so I see the fixed trend definitely helping track racing's cause.

Also there are programs (Blaine?) that have big audience/spectator numbers. Maybe riding fixed on the street will create a captive audience for track racing and turn it into Nascar for the younger generation, who knows.

Im personally about to try a little experiment. We have a local car speedway that has a decent surface and decent banking. Last year that were very open to having cycling events and even let me rent the track so that I could have a private track training session with a few friends. This year I plan on trying for reg. training session with motor pacing and see if we can have some track racing. I hope build enough interest to have regular track events at some point like the Ashville mellowdrome (which BTW is a great example of getting people interested in track racing).

The "Go Fast, Turn Left (http://www.sprintclubrva.org/gofast06.html)" series is also on an auto track and pretty successful so there is definitely precedent.

The "Go Fast, Turn Left (http://www.sprintclubrva.org/gofast06.html)" series is also on an auto track and pretty successful so there is definitely precedent.


Yeah I did a couple of those good fun and low key. Great to pay 15 bucks and get to race all day.

I've ridden and raced at the closest track (Hellyer Park) even though it is a couple of hours away, would ride one regularly if it were local....

I would definitely try it if there was a velodrome closer to DC. It seems like the sort of thing I'd like. I don't know if I actually would like it and do it regularly, but I'd certainly go enough times to find out.

Velodromes are to tracks as riding is to running....boring in most respects. I love riding and running and never go to a track to run...give me a trial in the woods or some scenery every time. I can go fast anywhere I please. I think riding in circles is a close second to riding rollers or a trainer and getting nowhere.

Velodromes are to tracks as riding is to running....boring in most respects. I love riding and running and never go to a track to run...give me a trial in the woods or some scenery every time. I can go fast anywhere I please. I think riding in circles is a close second to riding rollers or a trainer and getting nowhere.
It's not riding, it's racing! - TF

Velodromes are to tracks as riding is to running....boring in most respects. I love riding and running and never go to a track to run...give me a trial in the woods or some scenery every time. I can go fast anywhere I please. I think riding in circles is a close second to riding rollers or a trainer and getting nowhere.

BIg difference between riding and racing. Sounds like you little idea what you taking about.

Personally I think there is room for all forms of cycling without me having to point out the parts I don't wanna do.

I would definitely try it if there was a velodrome closer to DC. It seems like the sort of thing I'd like. I don't know if I actually would like it and do it regularly, but I'd certainly go enough times to find out.

THe Go Fast Turn Left series in in Richmond - not exactly close but maybe close enough for a day trip esp since they make it worth your while by have 3-5 different events in one day. Like it enough and T-Town is close enough to you to drive up to as well I know some local DC clubs have track learning sessions at T-Town my wife rode the track for the first time at T-Town while she was part of the Coppi team.

When they built MTV in Indy back in the early 80's, there was substantial support and it drew some great fields on a weekly basis. As time passed, the support has see sawed, as well as the fields. Before, you would see up to 30+ riders in just the pro/1/2 classes at some of the Friday night race's. Now days, not so many.

From a developmental perspective, several Nat's champions, and some olympians were either home grown or moved and trained here extensively when Roger Young was running the program. So yes, you build one, put good staff there, run a strong program and you'll see new talent emerge.

I think it comes down to how dedicated the community is, and how it's run/ promoted. T-town was built a little earlier, but in the same era as MTV, but its support network has thrived where as ours sort of stagnated.

I raced at MTV on Thursdays last summer. We easily had 20-30 most nights. I was surprised to meet racer from OH, Louisville, and Chicago. I also met a guy from NC who races at the Mellodrome who came to race one night (he was avoiding in-laws). I haven't been out to a Friday night but I know several racers were upgraded over last summer so that will breathe new entusiasm into those races.

Part of the issue I see with MTV is its part of Indy Parks and gets its funding from the city. Ken, the resident pro, and the staff do a great job of keeping the place functioning on a shoestring.

My opinion is that you can build it and attract some but you have to continue to get new riders on the track.

You can pay a visit to the fixedgearfever boards and read some very long and heated discussions regarding the state of track racing in the US.

we've been averaging about 150 spectators on thursday nights at Blaine the past couple of years. It doesn't make our track anywhere near self-sustaining or profitable, though. Our facility was a gift from the state and the management of the sports center (the larger facility which includes soccer fields and ice rinks) has generally been ignorant of what's going on. They've neither helped us nor hurt us, but they are starting to become aware of the fact that the track is second-biggest (in spectator draw) to the main soccer stadium, in popularity. (the soccer stadium hosts an MLS team) But how much revenue do we bring in over the course of the year? $10k-12k.... which is about a third of the "operating expenses" that we're assigned with. 150 spectators a night, avg - but we're still only managing about 50 racers per race night and only 40 or so season training passes (at $100 each) and 35 or so season bike storage slots sold (at $60 each).

our track is OK for now, but it's wood, outdoors, and 17 years old. Invariably it's gonna get condemned at some point. A lot of us are hopeful for a new facility. We even have a local cycling leader who is working (in his professional capacity as an architect) with a group who wants to build a new sports training facility and is pushing them for an indoor track. No matter what way you cut it, a track is not self sustaining on cycling alone. T-Town is an abomination - I am glad it exists. It's the pinnacle of what a velodrome program can be in the US, but to try to duplicate it is pointless. Gotta start small, and it's hard to start small with an expensive indoor facility.

O'Grady's rant is hyperbole, obviously, but it's somewhat grounded in truth. I'd love to see a concrete 333m track in every city in the country, and a indoor wood 250m in the major population centers - but these things are just not financially viable. Right now, in the midwest - on a single weeklong trip, one can feasibly race at MTV, Northbrook, K-town, here, and maybe COS if you add another week. I'd like to see tracks in KC and StL as well (aside from Penrose). Unfortunately I just don't think it's feasible. More or less, I think (with the exception of a few areas like AZ) we have a saturation of tracks in the US, for the demand that exists. Build any more, and eventually some of these tracks will see lesser use, fall into disrepair and get leveled.

My $.02

T-Town is an abomination - I am glad it exists.

I'm guessing you meant aberration?:p

You make a good point about saturation. Another outdoor 'drome in Cincy, Louisville, or Columbus would probably pull a good number of racers away from MTV. It would be interesting to see how an indoor track with winter racing would do in the midwest.

I don't know the financials of Major Taylor. Unless Marian College is kicking in some serious cash, I doubt racing pays the bills. They do the ride fast, turn left thing, open the track to RC racers, and its part of a larger parks complex including BMX, soccer, etc. Its a concrete track so that maintenance isn't too bad. I do know the 10 bucks to race most Thursday nights in the summer is a blessing and I wouldn't be upset if it cost a couple bucks more.

This bit of O'Grady got me thinking: is ther no track racing in the U.S. becasue there's no velodromes, or are there no velodromes becasue there's no track racing?

Would you use a track if there was one nearby?

Here's the text: http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13822.0.html

What Goes Around Keeps Going Around Mobius Strip with Single-Cog Cluster:
All the communities that suddenly "need" their own velodromes. C'mon, guys, there are, what, like three track racers in the United States? An uptick in fixie sales does not a track resurgence indicate. Instead, think clueless 20-something fashionistas doomed to challenge the laws of physics by trying to share the same space and time with cab doors, clueless pedestrians and truck bumpers while frantically squeezing brake levers that aren't there. Chasing a velodrome is an exercise in futility on par with opening a Boca-burger-and-chai stand at the Daytona 500. You want the gift that keeps on giving, build a crit circuit enclosing a 'cross park, a BMX course and a brewpub.


while i doubt it has everything to do with it, take a look at the results of the british track team since they built the manchester velodrome.

I'm guessing you meant aberration?:p

Yeah, thanks. :)

You make a good point about saturation. Another outdoor 'drome in Cincy, Louisville, or Columbus would probably pull a good number of racers away from MTV. It would be interesting to see how an indoor track with winter racing would do in the midwest.

Yeah, I agree. An indoor track in Chicago, StL, Indy, crap, even Quad Cities - would be a boon to track racing in the US. The Pac NW has one (Burnaby), SoCal has one (ADT, even though arguably they don't need one), if one gets built in PA like discussed, the east coast would have one, so the MW would make a lot of sense. I would love to take a few weekend track training trips in winter but flying out to LA each time just doesn't work.

That's all personal preference talking, though. Hopefully the possibilities that exist up here in mpls become reality, since the site is ~ 4 miles from my house.

There are 2 in Texas - Dallas (Frisco) and Houston. I've been racing road in the state since the 80's but have never once been on either one of those 'dromes. And I live about 45 minutes drive from the Frisco 'drome.

But, I understand they each get decent turnout for their weekly series although I doubt either is covering costs. Luckily for Houston it's concrete, but Frisco is wood and was almost abandoned a while back but for a massive re-planking effort by volunteers.

+1 that the the biggest success factor is the managmenet / promotion / marketing / community outreach. I know both of these 'dromes have been criticized for being elitist, e.g. not having a bmx kids series, not allowing open riding times, etc.

Let's compare/contrast to other facilities like skate parks, bmx parks, soccer fields, baseball fields. They are usually wide open, show up and play, maybe a small fee or a liability waiver for the skate/bmx parks. If you feel like a pickup game of soccer at 6pm on a Wednesday and the field's available, have at it. Nobody cares, nobody will hassle you as long as the fields not reserved.

I know you can't say that for either of the TX tracks.

Then there's community outreach. Every school age kid gets recruited via the schools for community league soccer; every office has a softball team, every community has a little league (beyond the school teams). Meanwhile here in TX one guy has been working tirelessly to get a high school racing league started (on the road). One guy.

Me, I've held a racing license and raced road mtb and cx off and on for the past 25 years. Not once have I ever been contacted about racing track. Heck if I wasnt a web time waster I'd not even know the local 'drome existed.

Its like anything else... you gotta sell it.

Manchester IIRC is federally funded. I think Dunc Gray in Sydney is as well. While both programs have done wonders for their respective countries on the world stage, I don't see that happening in the states.

ADT has tapped into the corporate money pit and I think that gives them a big leg up over most programs here in the states. Only T-town and maybe the OTC drome do as well with non local funding.

The questoin that keeps coming up for me at least is, what effect, if any, did the split between ABR and USA cycling have on the local scene here in Indy as well as some of the other tracks around the midwest? Kenosha runs their weekly races under ABR license, and they seem to be fairing well. MTV still runs all races under USA cycling, would more attend if they ran ABR sanctioned races?

I know one of the biggest reasons for the split was the feeling that USA cycling wasn't doing anything to help the smaller tracks with developmental programs or funding, and in some instances this appears to still be the case. JMO, not my intent to open that can of worms again.