The Erie Trustees recently approved plans for the Boulder Valley Velodrome, which could be operational in as little as a year. This would be the first velodrome built to Olympic guidelines in the United States since 2004, and it certainly could be of interest to the world’s cycling community. While single speed and fixies have become popular in recent years, the fact remains that there are woefully few places across the country to actually compete, or even to learn the ropes.
This might not seem so unusual, but lost to time is that until the advent of radio, track bike racing was actually one of the biggest sports in the United States. According to Peter Nye’s book Hearts of Lions: The History of American Bicycle Racing, “in 1920, eleven football teams that would eventually form the National Football League went on sale for $100 each. One could have bought the entire NFL for $1,100. The better bicycle racers made almost that much – $700 to $1,000 – in a good week.” How the times have changed. Today, football is with baseball an American pastime, and track bike racing is virtually an underground sport at best.
But with the addition of another Olympic standard track maybe things will turn around for the fixed gear racers.
Fast Facts on the Boulder Valley Velodrome (Source: Erieco.gov):
- Definition: Velodromes are arenas designed for track cycling featuring steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straight-away sections. The straight-aways transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement curve.
- Boulder Valley Outdoor Velodrome Size: 250 Meter
- Clubhouse/Administrative Office 1,600 Square Feet (2 story building)
- Typical Hours of Operation: 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Main Cycling Season Use: April through November
- Off Season (weather permitting use): December through March
- Maximum # on Track at One Time: 24 Cyclists
- Maximum # on Track in One Day: 360 Cyclists
- Anticipated # on Track in One Day: 200 Cyclists
- # Employees: 3 Employees
- Portable Bleachers: 250 Spectator Seating
According to Daily Camera, the track in Erie will join Boulder Indoor Cycling, a smaller indoor velorome that opened just two years ago in east Boulder, and the 333-meter 7-Eleven United States Olympic Training Center Velodrome in Colorado Springs that was built in 1982. For those interested in trying the track the Boulder Valley Velodrome will keep a small fleet for fixed-gear track bikes for riders to use.
Colorado could well be poised to become the fixed gear Mecca, at least in the United States.
Did you hear rumor of the Boulder fire out there? We were able to see it around DIA as we flew in today. I am shocked surprised that the fire doesn’t alter air traffic in DIA.