So you were one of the heroes who helped with rescue or rebuilding? Thank you for your service!

Kissena has lots of problems, and I don't want to be disrespectful or ungrateful. And forgive me if I get the history wrong. What I know is that it was built in 1964 for the World's Fair. It's on a swamp. They didn't lay a proper concrete foundation. It's paved with asphalt. The asphalt develops cracks and ripples, so the surface is rough to ride on. And Turn 4 has some weirdness to the curve which is too subtle to see with your eye, but it swings the rider around as if they're in a slingshot. And it is in a very windy spot. And it is not regulation size; it's actually large. I think it's about 440 meters instead of normal which I think is 333 meters. And it's in a remote location. Driving through Queens is hard enough, and it takes an hour and 20 minutes to get there in normal traffic, even though it's less than 13 miles from my home. I usually rode there on my bike, and that also took an hour and 20 minutes. Sometimes I took my bike on the subway, and that also took an hour and 20 minutes! Argh! And riding a track bike through all those hairy city streets is quite fatiguing. If I go back this summer to race again, an idea I am remotely entertaining, I'll get a ride with someone if possible. Or I might do something weird like tow my track bike with a road bike.

Still, it's an institution with a warm crowd using it. Somehow they raised the money to repave it a few years ago, but because of the swampy location and lack of foundation, the surface started deteriorating immediately. It's our beloved velodrome. We know there aren't any others between here and the National Velodrome in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. I have friends who would DRIVE DOWN FROM BOSTON to race at Kissena, because it is their nearest velodrome! They drove back that night.

Please do come and visit. I'll make you a mean brunch and give you an amazing bike or walking tour of NYC.