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40-626: The first velodromes were constructed during the late 1870s, the oldest of which is the Preston Park Velodrome , Brighton , United Kingdom, built in 1877 by the British Army. Some were purpose-built just for cycling, and others were built as part of facilities for other sports; many were built around athletics tracks or other grounds and any banking was shallow. Reflecting the then-lack of international standards, sizes varied and not all were built as ovals: for example, Preston Park

80-525: A 1 mile tricycle handicap, with a 2 shilling entry fee and prizes of up to £7 for first places. In 1893 a concrete retaining wall was erected to support the embankment on the North West corner of the track at a cost of £50. A wooden grandstand with seating for 500 people was opened by mayor Horace Aldrich on 18 October 1930, paid for partly by a gift of Benjamin Saunders. In 1936 a tarmac surface

120-399: A curve, which can easily result in a crash. 20 centimetres (7.9 in) above the blue band is the black measurement line. The inner edge of this 5 centimetres (2.0 in) line defines the length of the track. 90 centimetres (35 in) above the inside of the track is the outside of the 5 cm wide red sprinter 's line. The zone between black and red lines is sprinter's lane, which is

160-485: A full calendar of regional racing events organised via the Sussex Cycle Racing League. At the heart of this are weekly racing events throughout the season from March to August, including the Sussex Cycle Racing League on Wednesday nights, Vets and Women's racing on Friday nights and women's racing on Sunday mornings. The velodrome is also used for National-level racing and regularly hosts rounds of

200-561: A length such that a whole or half number of laps give a distance of 1 km (0.62 mi). The velodrome at Calshot in Hampshire , England, is only 142 m (466 ft) and has especially steep banking because it was built to fit inside an aircraft hangar . The Forest City Velodrome in London, Ontario , Canada, is the world's shortest at 138 m (453 ft). Built to fit a hockey arena, it too has steep banking. The smaller

240-412: A regular occurrence, typically organised by Brighton Cyclist Club, Brighton Stanley Wanderers Cycling Club or Brighton Mitre Cycling Club, which would feature handicaps and scratch races over half mile, 1 mile and 3 mile distances, often with some athletics races alongside. Some sources put bank holiday race attendances as high as 10,000 spectators. St Peters Cricket Club, formed in 1883, has been using

280-476: A single fixed rear gear, or cog, that does not freewheel. This helps maximise speed, reduces weight, and avoids sudden braking while nevertheless allowing the rider to slow by pushing back against the pedals. Modern velodromes are constructed by specialised designers. The Schuermann architects in Germany have built more than 125 tracks worldwide. Most of Schuermann's outdoor tracks are made of wood trusswork with

320-477: A specific radius. Most events have riders all over the track. Team races (like the Madison ) have some riders at speed and others riding more slowly. In match sprints riders may come to a stop by performing a track stand in which they balance the bicycle on the sloped surface while keeping their feet locked into the pedals. For these reasons, the banking tends to be 10 to 15 degrees less than physics predicts. Also,

360-426: A specified arrangement. Some other tracks also follow these protocols, but others have a different arrangement of lines to suit their facility and to assist riders in holding a straight line and in avoiding drifting onto the flatter section below the bankings where they risk their tyres sliding out. Between the infield (sometimes referred to as an apron) and the actual track is the blue band (called "côte d'azur") which

400-521: A surface of strips of the rare rain-forest wood Afzelia . Indoor velodromes are built with less expensive pine surfaces. The track is measured along a line 20 cm (7.9 in) up from the bottom. Olympic and World Championship velodromes must measure 250 m (820 ft). Other events on the UCI International Calendar may be held in velodromes that measure between 133 and 500 m (436 and 1,640 ft) inclusive, with

440-417: A time of 1 min 15.4 secs in the 1,000 metre, standing-start time trial. He also competed at the track on 4 August 1952, comfortably winning all three of his races against Arie van Vliet (Holland) and Sid Patterson (Australia). Harris returned to Brighton in 1957 in different circumstances as the driver of a 1904 Raleighette vintage car in the annual London to Brighton vintage car run. The velodrome hosts

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480-591: Is 579 m (1,900 ft) long and features four straights linked by banked curves, while the 536 m (1,759 ft) Portsmouth velodrome , in Portsmouth , has a single straight linked by one long curve. The oldest surviving regular velodrome two-straight oval tracks is from 1889, located in Brno , Czech Republic. Early surfaces included cinders or shale, though concrete, asphalt and tarmac later became more common. Indoor velodromes were also common particularly in

520-669: Is an outdoor velodrome in the north-east corner of Preston Park in Brighton , United Kingdom . It is the oldest velodrome in the United Kingdom having been opened on 30 May 1887. It is also thought to be the oldest, working velodrome in the world that still uses its original track design. The only known older working velodrome is the Andreasried Velodrome in Erfurt, Germany which originally opened in 1885 but

560-407: Is typically 10% of the surface. The blue band is not technically a part of the track; although it is not illegal to ride there, moving into it to shortcut another rider results in disqualification. During time trials, pursuits or other timed events, the blue band is obstructed with sponges or other objects. The blue band is a warning to cyclists that they may scrape their pedal along the infield when in

600-949: The Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan , Italy ; "CDOM" in Mexico City, Mexico ; "Velodrom" in Berlin, Germany and The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. They also designed the track for the World-Training-Center CMC of the Union Cycliste Internationale in Aigle , Switzerland , a 200-meter wooden indoor track. Schuermann also designed the "Viking Ship" , the speed skating venue for the 1994 Winter Olympics , which can also be used as

640-486: The 1970 and 1982 Track Cycling World Championships ). Since 1990, such events are usually held on velodromes with 250 m (820 ft 2.52 in) laps. London's 2012 Olympic velodrome and a new velodrome in Turkmenistan 's capital city Ashgabat both have a 250 m track and a 6,000-seat spectator capacity. Banking in the turns, called cant , allows riders to keep their bikes relatively perpendicular to

680-707: The National Youth Omnium series, as part of the British Cycling National Track Series, providing opportunities for the country's most promising youth riders. Notable, Laura Kenny (née Trott) placed 1st at Preston Park in 2007 before going on to win consecutive Summer Olympics gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Historically, attendees of 3000-5000 spectators were a regular occurrence with the largest recorded attendance reaching 8,000 on August 4, 1952 to see world champion Reg Harris in action. Bank Holiday open race meetings were

720-583: The Stanfords' ownership, this use being transferred to the park's playing fields upon purchase by Brighton Corporation. A retaining bank in the north-east corner of the park was constructed to level the site in 1885. The entire arena was dug out by hand by the British Army, the cricket pitch being surrounded by a cinder path. The cinder path was converted to a cycle track in Spring 1887. The original 'Preston Park Bicycle Track' plans dated March 1887 show where

760-562: The Summer Olympics of 2012 and 2016 . Reg Harris (five times World Sprint champion and double Olympic silver medallist) raced at the track in the 1950s. On 7 August 1950 Harris rode his last race there before defending his World Sprint title in Belgium the following week. He was reportedly in fine form, beating Belgian sprint champion Franz van Looveren and American sprint champion Jack Heid in each of five encounters and recorded

800-512: The Sussex Cycle Racing League. A successful Save Preston Park Cycle Track campaign was started by cyclist and local Brighton photographer Rupert Rivett, which was supported by former Tour de France cyclist and Team Sky sporting director Sean Yates . This was attended by many riders along with hundreds of supporters from the wider cycling community, demonstrating the value of this important amenity not just to cycling clubs and racing leagues but to local families and recreational cyclists who all use

840-432: The arena since moving to Preston Park in 1889. In 2013 the club agreed a 20 year lease with Brighton and Hove City Council for both the clubhouse and the upkeep of the two cricket squares. The arena has also been used for athletics meetings, including an England versus France international on 25 July 1925. Brighton Spike Community Club (BSCC) have been using the arena since establishing at Preston Park in 2023. In early 2024

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880-841: The club renewed its membership for a second year. Schuermann Schuermann Architects of Münster , Germany , is a dynasty of architects specialising in the design of velodromes , cycle tracks and indoor athletics tracks since 1925. The Schuermann dynasty was founded by Clemens Schuermann (1888–1956), professional track cyclist and later architect, continued by his son Herbert Schuermann (1925–1994) and his grandson Ralph Schuermann (born 1953). They have designed more than 125 cycle tracks worldwide, among them many velodromes for Olympic Games , namely in Berlin in 1936, Rome in 1960, Mexico City in 1968, Munich in 1972, Seoul in 1986, Barcelona in 1990, and Beijing in 2008. They have also designed very famous world-record tracks as

920-916: The finish. There are a variety of formats in velodrome races. A typical event will consist of several races of varying distances and structures. Common types of races include: Team Sprint, sprint, Keirin, Kilo and flying laps are generally considered 'sprinters' races, which in track cycling equate to extremely powerful, muscular riders over short distances, resulting in some historic overlap between BMX riders and track sprinters, such as Chris Hoy . The other events are considered endurance events for riders with less outright power but greater aerobic ability, and such events have historically enjoyed an overlap with elite road racers, including road sprinters such as Mark Cavendish and Elia Viviani , Grand Tour legends Eddy Merckx , Fausto Coppi and more recent Tour de France winners Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas . Preston Park Velodrome The Preston Park Velodrome

960-531: The last 100 metres. It also has a ten meter section where there is no barrier at the top of the track, just a two-metre drop-off to the walkway below." Laura Kenny (four times Olympic champion and seven times World Champion) won the Preston Park Youth Omnium in 2007 in the Under 16 age category, having placed 2nd the previous year and later went on to win consecutive Omnium gold medals at

1000-676: The late 1800s came in all shapes and sizes. The velodrome and cricket ground are included in land registered under the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 within the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens by Historic England for its special historic interest. The site was listed within the Register as a Grade II Park and Garden on 25 March 1987. The velodrome is situated within Preston Park, Brighton , which

1040-586: The late 19th and early 20th century. For example, the Vélodrome d'hiver was built in Paris in 1909 and featured a 250 m (820.2 ft) indoor track with a wooden surface. International competitions such as the Olympic Games led to more standardisation: two-straight oval tracks quickly became the norm, and gradually lap lengths reduced. The Vélodrome de Vincennes , used for the 1900 (and 1924) Games

1080-662: The optimum route around the track. A rider leading in the sprinter's lane may not be passed on the inside; other riders must pass on the longer outside route. Minimum 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) (or half the track width) above the inside of the track is the blue stayer's line. This line serves in races behind motorbikes as a separation line. Stayers below the blue line may not be overtaken on the inside. In Madison races (named after six-day races at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, and also known as "the American"),

1120-625: The original Pavilion is still standing and the flint edged seating can still be seen around the North and Eastern sides of the track. Prestonville Nomads, a cycling club founded in 1933 were based at the track from 1948 to 1967 and used the Park View Hotel, adjacent to the velodrome on Preston Drove, as their club room. PPYCC has used the site since its formation in 1998, catering for over 100 young members aged 8 to 18 and meeting between March and October every Saturday morning. SCRL has used

1160-426: The race start lines were to be placed for the quarter mile, half mile, 1 mile, 5 mile and 10 mile races. Upon opening in 1887 the sports arena comprised a cricket pitch, surrounding cycle track, pavilion and open air, flint-edged seating for thousands of people. The velodrome was formally opened at a Whit Monday race meeting on 30 May 1887 with races including a 1 mile handicap, 3 mile handicap, half-mile scratch and

1200-473: The site since circa 2000, running a Wednesday night track league between April and August every year. This usually attracts between 60 and 80 competitors weekly and includes all types of events from scratch races, handicaps and points races to the more unusual keirins and devil-take-the-hindmost contests. Brighton Tri Club use the velodrome on Saturday mornings before attending ParkRun, also at Preston Park. A number of other regional cycling clubs regularly hire

1240-542: The straights are banked 10 to 15 degrees more than physics would predict. These compromises make the track ridable at a range of speeds. From the straight, the curve of the track increases gradually into the circular turn. This section of decreasing radius is called the easement spiral or transition. It allows bicycles to follow the track around the corner at a constant radial position. Thus riders can concentrate on tactics rather than steering. Bicycles for velodromes, better known as track bicycles , have no brakes. They employ

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1280-441: The surface while riding at speed. When travelling through the turns at racing speed, which may exceed 85 km/h (52.8 mph), the banking attempts to match the natural lean of a bicycle moving through that curve. At the ideal speed, the net force of the centrifugal force (outward) and gravity (downward) is angled down through the bicycle, perpendicular to the riding surface. Riders are not always travelling at full speed or at

1320-412: The team's relief rider rests above the stayer's line by riding slowly until his or her teammate comes around the track and throws him or her back into the race. The finish line is black on a wide white band and near the end of the home straight. Red lines are marked in the exact centre of each straight as start and finish line for pursuit races. A white 200 m line marks 200 metres (660 ft) before

1360-702: The track, the steeper the banking. A 250 m (820 ft) track banks around 45°, while a 333.33 m (1,093.6 ft) track banks around 32°. Some older velodromes were built to imperial standards . The Dick Lane Velodrome in East Point, Georgia , United States, is 0.2 miles or 321.9 m. Velodrome tracks can be surfaced with different materials, including timber, synthetics and concrete. Shorter, newer, and Olympic quality tracks tend to be timber or synthetics; longer, older, or inexpensive tracks are concrete, macadam, or even cinder. Important cycling events are usually held on tracks which have lines laid out in

1400-526: The velodrome for coaching sessions including Brighton Mitre Cycling Club, East Grinstead Cycling Club and Crawley Wheelers. Geraint Thomas (double Olympic champion, triple world champion and 2018 Tour de France champion) writes about Preston Park Velodrome in his book, The World According to  G (2015): "As a kid it was all outdoor tracks, each of them with their own idiosyncrasies... The old stager in Brighton's Preston Park runs noticeably downhill in

1440-468: The velodrome regularly. In January 2016 British Cycling announced that it would contribute £110,000 of the £160,000 needed to repair and reopen the track, with the remainder of the required funding coming from Section 106 financial contributions made by developers as part of planning applications. The track reopened for racing in May 2016. The arena remains in use for both cricket and cycling to this day,

1480-550: Was 500 m (1,640 ft) per lap, while Antwerp 's Vélodrome d'Anvers Zuremborg , used in 1920, and Helsinki Velodrome , used in 1952, were both 400 m (1,312 ft). By the 1960s up to 1989, tracks of 333.33 m (1,094 ft) length were commonly used for international competitions (e.g.: the Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome used for track cycling events at the 1968 Summer Olympics , and Leicester 's Saffron Lane velodrome used at

1520-454: Was added, with the two banked corners added at the same time for safety reasons. In 2015 racing was forced to stop following a period when the track fell into general disrepair. Following rider concerns about safety issues it was deemed unsafe for racing by British Cycling in 2015 with the quality of track fencing being the main issue. While this didn't prevent recreational use of the track, it did mean that official racing had to stop, such as

1560-491: Was later reconfigured from 333m to 250m in 2006-07. As well as being the first track in the UK, Preston Park is also the longest at 579m (1900 feet). It is one of the few velodromes which is not the normal oval shape, instead comprising four straights and two slightly banked corners. This is because there were no international velodrome standards until after Olympic track cycling grew in popularity after 1900, so early velodromes from

1600-546: Was opened in 1884 following the purchase by Brighton Corporation of land from V F Bennett-Stanford in 1883 for £50,000. The entire park was laid out by the Corporation's Head Gardener, James Shrives and the Borough Engineer, Philip Lockwood, in 1883-4 and formally opened to the public on 8 November 1884. Construction then moved onto the velodrome and cricket ground site, which was previously a polo ground during

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