velodromo:
Cement pour for the 1984 Olympic Velodrome
Photo © CSU Dominguez Hills Photograph Collection
Helene Dutrieu
Helene Dutrieu
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec publicity poster from circa 1890s, Constant Huret riding with a Simpson chain behind the Gladiator tandem pacer at the Velodrome de la Seine.
“Track bikes have a fixed rear cog that doesn´t freewheel, and they don´t have brakes. You will need a track bike if you are planning to compete, but many velodromes allow riders to use conventional road bikes. The tracks of a velodrome are oval, consisting of two 180 degree bends connected by two straight passages. They are usually composed of wood, concrete or asphalt. They are steeply baked at angles ranging from 18 degrees to as much as 50 degrees. Tracks may vary in lenght; the shorter the track, the steeper the banking. The pitch of the track allows riders to remain perpendicular to the surface while travelling at speed. The banking compensates for the way bicycles naturally lean into a turn, keeping them from being forced outward.”
—Mastering Cycling, john Howard.
“In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, track racing was more popular than baseball. Many tracks had standing room only, and six day races were attended enthusiastically. Cicling stars, such as Mayor Taylor, Eddie Bald Floyd McFarland, Alf Goullet, Jimmy Walthour and Alf Letourneur, stormed the ovals to cheering crowds, making between $500 and $1000 USD a day. Interest in traack racing waned with the emergence of the automobile and the economic hardships of the Great Depression.”
—Mastering Cycling, John Howard, p.75
“Velodromes can only be used as training centres or for cyling races. Therefore,most cities do not have such facilities prior to games. For Munich 1972 and Seoul 1988, the velodromes could be used by the public but rather by clubs and for cycling events. In MOntreal the velodrome was used as an exhibition hall because it was not possible to cover operational costs by a mere utulization for sports. After 1989, the MOntreal Velodrome was converted into a museum. Today it is a biodrome. In Atlanta, the velodrome was temporary and later moved to Florida”
— The economics of staging the Olympics: a comparison of the Games 1972-2008
Holger Preuss
The economics of staging the Olympics: a comparison of the Games 1972-2008
Holger Preuss
