Another cool attraction some Cities have

[AMP]

Noticed the drawing of the Velodrome in Queens, New York on the map on the wall in a Subway Sandwich shop tonight.  

This would be a cool attraction at Mohawk or Chandler Park where they have acres of open space.    

http://www.bikecult.com/works/kissenatrack.html

[Jtolive]

Just moved back here after living in West Houston. Lived real close to Alkek Velodrome.  Olympic tryouts were held there at one time.  Very busy place with races several times a week.

Very interesting kind of bike races too - usually very strategy focused.  Very steep banks - a lot more than that picture looks like.

Good idea - would not think in the scheme of things an outdoor one is all that expensive.

Jay

[Conan71]

Hey AMP- is it all about racing to you? [][}:)]

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by AMP

Noticed the drawing of the Velodrome in Queens, New York on the map on the wall in a Subway Sandwich shop tonight.  

This would be a cool attraction at Mohawk or Chandler Park where they have acres of open space.    

http://www.bikecult.com/works/kissenatrack.html

Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike, I want to ride it where I like!

[sauerkraut]

I dunno I don't have much of a intrest in bikes. I'm into running myself. I enjoy races of the foot. I'm a hard core running nut myself. It was 95 degrees outside and I had to go for my jog work out. I came back after my run coated in sweat. I wish Tulsa would build a big network of jogging trails like other cities have. Omaha for example.

[Ed W]

Trexlertown, PA, has the Lehigh Valley Velodrome, a joint public/private project.  The city owns the land and the track leases it, if I recall right.  They have 2 race nights each week.  The track spurred the development of surrounding businesses.  It's very successful.

I had the opportunity to watch the last of a six-day series on the Detroit portable track.  It was 140 meters around, and had a 47 degree banking.  The track was set up in Cleveland at the smallest venue it could fit.  We were literally on the top rail within a few feet of the racers.  It was like watching a race inside a salad bowl as the riders went through the banking pulling 3 gees.  Since the Detroit track was plywood, we experienced that old time 'thunder on the boards'.

And that's the beauty of watching track races.  Everything happens right in front of you.  We watched as match sprinters played out their cat and mouse game.  We watched two-man Madison teams as one guy literally threw his teammate forward into the pack again and again.  It's a spectacle unlike any other.

[AMP]

Speaking of the "Thunder of the Boards"  A few years back I produced an AMA Pro-Am Arenacross in Oklahoma City at the Myriad.  We were told by the management company that we were not allowed to bring in more than 10" deep of dirt on the floor, as it had a 250 pound per square foot load limit.  The floor is hollow underneath as there is a parking garage below the arena floor.  

We designed and build metal frames which were wrapped with several pieces of flexible thin plywood contoued to the same shape as the face and landing of dirt ramps on the motocross tracks.  

Took the riders a few dozen laps to adjust to the wooden forms, but once they mastered them they rocked over the course.  It was a thundering audio and visual production that still amazes me to this day.  Professional announcer Dr. Jach Rhodes made the comment that we made history with that circuit.  Never before had we read of a wooden motocross circuit being run on earth.  

The sound of the bikes landing on the wooden ramps was similar to a Jung Jung and a Djembe African drum at times.  

Our eyebrows raised at the fact that the building engineers would not allow us to stack dirt more than 10" deep, but we were allowed to drive an 18 wheeler with lowboy trailer loaded down with a Front End Skid Loader onto the arena floor.  We also drove the large dump trucks loaded with dirt onto the floor and dumped out the dirt in 6 to 8 feet tall piles.

When the large transport truck drove onto the floor with the heavy skid loader, one could feel the floor move.  ? ? ?

The next year we used styrofoam that was replaced from the local area lakes. This old foam was used to support boat docks.  We cut it to form the jump contor, then burried it with clay material 10" to 12" thick.  

It worked perfectly, and the riders had no indication the foam was under the dirt.  I still liked the sound of the wooden formed circuit.

[Ed W]

There was a time that any town of decent size wanted to have a track, not unlike the arena craze these days.  And the track featured both bicycle and motorcycle races - again - thunder on the boards.  There are some photos of board track motorcycles here:

http://www.virginiawind.com/byways/history_03.asp

Board track motorcycles and modern track bicycles do not have brakes.  That makes riding a track bike very exciting.  I don't think I'd attempt a brakeless motorcycle, though.

[TheArtist]

I would think a Velodrome would be neat somewhere on the OSU Tulsa campus. It would be near where the Tulsa Tough contest is and we could sponsor races on it at the same time. It could also connect to the river, cherry street, midland valley trail, etc. Plus I really want to see OSU Tulsa have some sports venues to become a full fledged college campus. Thats another reason why I would support a soccer stadium in NE downwown or just N of the Inner Dispersal loop. OSU Stillwater can be known for its American "football", OSU Tulsa, real football. [8D]

[Aa5drvr]

I would suggest a multiple use track so as to include Roller Derby.