Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially-built banked tracks or velodromes (but many events are held at older velodromes where the track banking is relatively shallow) using track bicycles. Bicycle racing encompasses many forms in which Bicycles are used for competition Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively A velodrome is an arena for Track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights A track bicycle or track bike is a bicycle designed for racing at a Velodrome.
Track racing is also done on grass tracks marked out on flat sportsfields. Such events are particularly common during the summer in Scotland at Highland Games gatherings, but there are also regular summer events in England. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage especially England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
Many individuals ride a fixed gear or fixed wheel bicycle for regular transport and have adapted the track bike (usually with a front brake added) as an alternative to the multi-geared freewheel bicycle. A fixed-gear bicycle or fixed wheel bicycle, is a Bicycle without the ability to coast
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Riding position
The bicycles are designed to reduce aerodynamic drag caused by the machine itself and the rider's racing position. The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind In Fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called fluid resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a Solid object through a Fluid (a
Handlebars on track bikes used for longer events such as the points race are similar to the drop bars found on road bicycles. The riding position is also similar to the road racing position.
In the sprint event the rider's position is more extreme compared with a road rider. The bars are lower and the saddle is higher and more forward. Bars are often narrower with a deeper drop. Steel bars are still used by many sprinters for their higher rigidity and durability.
In timed events such as the pursuit and the kilo, riders often use aerobars or 'triathlon bars' similar to those found on road time trial bicycles, allowing the rider to position their arms closer together in front of their body. Bicycle handlebar or often bicycle handlebars refers to the steering mechanism for Bicycles the equivalent of a Steering wheel. This results in a more horizontal back and presents the minimum frontal area to reduce drag. Aerobars can be separate bars that are attached to time trial/ bull horn bars, or they can be a one-piece monocoque design. These aerobars are only allowed in pursuit and time trial events.
Formats of track cycle races are also heavily influenced by aerodynamics. If one rider closely follows, they draft or slipstream another, because the leading rider pushes air around themselves; any rider closely following has to push out less air than the lead rider and thus can travel at the same speed while expending less effort. A slipstream is a region of reduced Pressure produced behind an object as it moves through a fluid medium (usually air or as that medium moves around an object This fact has led to a variety of racing styles that allow clever riders or teams to exploit this tactical advantage, as well as formats that simply test strength, speed and endurance.
During the early 1990s in individual pursuit events, some riders, most notably Graeme Obree, adopted a straight-armed Superman-like position with their arms fully extended horizontally, but this position was subsequently outlawed by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the sport's ruling body. The individual pursuit is a Track cycling event where two cyclists begin their race from a stationary position (nowadays held by gates in the past riders were supported by Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK is a Scottish Racing cyclist. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI is a Cycling association that oversees competitive cycling events internationally Recumbent bicycles can actually be ridden faster, but are banned from UCI competition. CNC Cruzbike 2007jpg|thumb|300px|Cruzbike Sofrider (a PBFWD recumbent and woman at end of the "Ride Across North Carolina" 2007]] A recumbent bicycle is a Bicycle The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is a separate organisation that runs recumbent races, including the human-powered speed record. The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is an association dedicated to promoting the design and development of Human powered vehicles It was founded in 1978
Main centres
Track cycling is particularly popular in Europe, notably Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom where it is often used as off-season training by road racers (professional six-day 'Madison' events were often entered by two-man teams comprising a leading road racer and a track specialist). The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Six-day racing is a Track cycling specialism which - as the name suggests - involves racing over six days
The sport also has significant followings in Japan and Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It is part of the Summer Olympic Games, and there are UCI Track World Championships as well as circuits of professional events in many areas. The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of World championship events for the various disciplines and distances in Track cycling and are regulated by
In the United States, track racing reached a peak of popularity in the 1930s when six-day races were held in Madison Square Garden in New York. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. The word "Madison" is still used as the name for this type of race in six-day racing. Six-day racing is a Track cycling specialism which - as the name suggests - involves racing over six days
Race formats
Some of the most common race formats include:
- Individual pursuit
- Team pursuit
- Team sprint
- Sprint
- Track time trial
- Points race
- Madison
- Keirin
- Handicap
- Miss and Out, elimination or 'Devil Take the Hindmost'
- Motor-paced events, such as Keirin racing - cyclists draft behind a derny, sometimes using specialized track bikes called stayers
- Scratch race
- Omnium
Track records
In addition to regular track racing, tracks are also the venue for many cycling records. The individual pursuit is a Track cycling event where two cyclists begin their race from a stationary position (nowadays held by gates in the past riders were supported by Cycling The team pursuit is a Track cycling event similar to the Individual pursuit, except that two teams each of up to four riders compete start The Team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a Track cycling event The sprint is a Track cycling event involving a one-on-one match race between opponents who unlike in the Individual pursuit, start next to each other In the track time trial, a Track cycling event Cyclists compete individually against the clock to record the fastest time over the specified distance from a standing A points race is a mass start Track cycling event involving large numbers of riders simultaneously on track The madison is a team event in Track cycling, named after Madison Square Garden in New York, and known as the "American race" in French is a Track cycling event in which racing Cyclists sprint for victory Miss and Out, Devil Take the Hindmost or elimination race is a massed start Track cycling distance event is a Track cycling event in which racing Cyclists sprint for victory A Derny is a Motorized bicycle designed and built for motor-paced Track cycling events (e A scratch race is a race in which all contestants start from scratch (on equal terms An Omnium is a multiple race event in Track cycling in which all contestants compete against each other in five different disciplines These are over either a fixed distance or for a fixed period of time. The most famous of these is the hour record, which involves simply riding as far as possible in one hour. The hour record for Bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one Hour on a bicycle The history of the hour record is replete with exploits by some of the greatest names in cycling from both road and track racing (including, among others, Major Taylor, Henri Desgrange, Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser, Miguel Indurain and Tony Rominger). Marshall Walter ("Major" Taylor ( November 26 1878 &ndash June 21 1932) was an American Henri Desgrange (b Paris, January 31, 1865 &ndash d 16 August 1940 Beauvallon was a French Bicycle racer Angelo Fausto Coppi ( September 15, 1919 – January 2, 1960) was an Italian racing Cyclist. Jacques Anquetil ( 8 January 1934 &ndash 18 November 1987) was a French Road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to Edouard Louis Joseph Baron Merckx ('merks (born 17 June 1945 in Meensel-Kiezegem, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium) known as Eddy Merckx, is a former Francesco Moser (born June 19 1951 in Palù di Giovo, a Province of Trento) nicknamed " Lo sceriffo" (The Sheriff Miguel Ángel Indurain Larraya (born July 16, 1964, Villava, Navarre) is a retired Spanish Road racing cyclist. Tony Rominger (born 27 March 1961 in Vejle, Denmark) is a Swiss former professional Road racing cyclist who won major Originally, attempts were made at velodromes with reputations for being fast (such as the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan). Velodromo Vigorelli is a Velodrome in Milan, Italy. It is currently used mostly for american football events Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. More recently, attempts have moved to high-altitude locations, such as Mexico City, where the thinner air results in lower aerodynamic drag, which more than offsets the added difficulty of breathing. High altitude are regions on the Earth 's surface (or in its atmosphere) that are high above Mean sea level. Innovations in equipment and the rider's position on the bike have also led to dramatic improvements in the hour record, but have also been a source of controversy (see Graeme Obree). Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK is a Scottish Racing cyclist.
Links to Individual Velodromes
- See also: Velodrome
Cities that host the Summer Olympic games usually construct a new velodrome for the event. A velodrome is an arena for Track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International World-class competition quality tracks not yet included in this section are located in Moscow, Seoul, Barcelona, Sydney and Athens.
| Country | Velodrome | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
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| Dunc Gray velodrome | Sydney, New South Wales | Constructed for 2000 Summer Olympics | |
| Silverdome | Launceston, Tasmania | First indoor track in Australia[1]. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass Banked. Built 1984. | |
 Canada |
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| Glenmore Velodrome | Calgary, Alberta | 39 degree banked, 400m outdoor concrete track. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada | |
| Forest City Velodrome | London, Ontario | 50 degree banked, 138m track constructed in 2005. The Forest City Velodrome is an indoor cycling facility in London, Ontario, Canada. London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor with a metropolitan area population of 457720 the city proper | |
| Burnaby Velodrome | Vancouver | 200m track constructed mid-1990s | |
| Juan de Fuca Velodrome | Victoria, British Columbia | 333m track constructed for the 1994 Commonwealth Games | |
 China |
Laoshan Velodrome | Beijing | Under construction for 2008 Summer Olympics |
 United Kingdom |
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| The Calshot Velodrome | Calshot (near Southampton) | Short steeply banked track | |
| Herne Hill Velodrome | London | a track in a shallow concrete bowl, constructed in 1891. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. The 1994 Commonwealth Games were held from 18 August to 28 August 1994 in Victoria British Columbia, Canada. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Laoshan Velodrome ( is a Velodrome that is located in Laoshan Shijingshan District, Beijing, China. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Calshot is a coastal village in Hampshire, England. A settlement at the site is believed to have existed since the fifth century AD The Herne Hill Velodrome is a Velodrome or Track cycling venue in south London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. | |
| Manchester Velodrome | Manchester | 250m track constructed in 1994 | |
| Wales National Velodrome | Newport | Welsh National Velodrome opened in 2003 | |
 United States |
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| Major Taylor Veldrome | Indianapolis, IN | MTV is a 333. Manchester Velodrome is an indoor cycle-racing track (or Velodrome) in Manchester, in the north west of England. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 34 meter outdoor track with banked turns of 28 degrees and straights banked at 9 degrees. Has been the home for many national and international competitions, including the 1987 Pan American Games. | |
| National Sports Center Velodrome | Blaine, Minnesota (near Minneapolis) | 333m outdoor wooden track, 43 degree banking; constructed in 1990. Blaine is a city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in the US state of Minnesota. | |
| Dick Lane Velodrome | East Point, Georgia (near Atlanta) | 323. The City of East Point is southwest of the neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. 4m outdoor concrete track, 36 degree max banking. | |
| The Alkek Velodrome | Houston, Texas | 33 degree banked, outdoor concrete track, 333. 33m. | |
| The Superdrome | Frisco, Texas (near Dallas) | 44 degree banked, outdoor wooden track, 250m. Frisco is a city in Collin and Denton Counties in the US state of Texas and a wealthy and rapid growing suburb of Dallas. | |
| Kenosha Velodrome | Kenosha, Wisconsin | 27 degree banked, outdoor, 333m; constructed in 1927. Kenosha (kəˈnoʊʃə is a city in and the county seat of Kenosha County, United States. | |
| Asheville Velodrome | Asheville, North Carolina | 4-8 degree banked, outdoor, 500m. Asheville is a City in and the County seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United Converted race car track. | |
| LA Velodrome | Los Angeles, California | 250m track constructed in 2004 | |
| Alpenrose Velodrome | Portland, Oregon | 44 degree banked, outdoor track. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers | |
| Marymoor Velodrome | Redmond, Washington | 25 degree banked, 400m outdoor concrete track; built 1974, resurfaced 2005. Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management's April 1 2008 estimate the city has a population | |
| Kissena Velodrome | Flushing, Queens (New York City, New York) | 400m outdoor; constructed in 1962, resurfaced in 2004. Flushing, founded in 1645 is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, ten miles (16 km east of Manhattan The City of New York [2] | |
| Lehigh Valley Velodrome | Trexlertown, Pennsylvania | 28 degree banked, 333m outdoor concrete track; built 1975, renovated 1996. Trexlertown (also Trexlerstown) is an unincorporated community in Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, United States. | |
| San Diego Velodrome | San Diego, California | 27 degree banked, 333. 3m outdoor concrete track, built 1976 | |
| Ed Rudolph Velodrome | Northbrook, Illinois (near Chicago) | 18 degree banked, 382m outdoor asphalt track, built 1959, renovated 2004. The Ed Rudolph Velodrome is a Velodrome in Northbrook Illinois used to host Track cycling events and soccer games Northbrook is a village located at the northern edge of Cook County Illinois. | |
| Hellyer Park Velodrome | San Jose, California | ||
| Penrose Park | St. Louis, Missouri | 28 degree banked, 322m outdoor concrete track, built 1962 (hosted Nat'l Championships in 1962), resurfaced in 1984 and 2005 | |
| New England Velodrome | Londonderry, New Hampshire | 14 degree banked, 318m outdoor asphalt track, the track is primarily used for karting, however track events are held twice weekly. Londonderry is a town in western Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. For other meanings see Kart (disambiguation Kart racing or karting is a variant of Open-wheel Motor sport with | |
| Encino Velodrome | Encino, CA | 28 degree banked, 250m outdoor concrete track. | |
 Hungary |
Millenáris | Budapest | 412m outdoor concrete track, built 1896 |
See also
External links
- The Velodrome (www.velodrome.org.uk), A home for Track Cycling on the web
- TrackCyclingSA.co.za - South Africa's first dedicated track cycling site
- USA Cycling - Track
- British Cycling track news and information site
- Number one source for Track Equipment, Keirin Cycle Culture Cafe, Berlin
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