Obviously I'm late to the party here, but I use the SD Velodrome a lot and am really disappointed to hear about this. Sure, the damage is just cosmetic, and before long it will be forgotten, but for those of us who care about the place there is more to it than that.

Our track is a little different from some others - it is a little rough around the edges, but it's home to a thriving local racing scene, a great program for juniors, and a number of classes that have brought many new riders on to the track. There are scheduled sessions where the track is open to anyone on any bike. It's the sort of place where a new rider with a question can easily approach a former olympian, national champion, and/or many other accomplished riders and coaches for help. It's also the sort of place where we have a beach cruiser race and a pinata on the last night of the season - we're about fun.

For those of us who care about this, we happily pay the modest membership fee for access to the track (and this is a bargain compared to some tracks where you have to pay every time you ride), pay entry fees to race, and otherwise try to support the place by buying food, donating prizes, etc. It's worth it for what the track offers.

It's because we value the track, and try to take care of it, that we get pissed off when people decide they can just hop the fence and have the run of the place. It's like stealing - they use the place without assuming any of the responsibility. This kind of attitude - take what you want regardless of how it affects others - is what makes people angry, and what contributes to the eventual loss of valuable resources like the velodrome.

This is unbelievable (not the skid marks, but the fact that people from every corner of the globe are commenting about skid marks in San Diego).

What I can't understand is that some are apparently blaming the velodrome subculture. Sadly, I am either not cool enough, or not un-cool enough to be in their group. Also, I eat meat.

These are not the kind of people that would crap where they live (they enjoy the velodrome, and have not once keyed my car even though I gave them permission).

Note: These vandals have left skid marks on my chamois as well.

-Gary.
San Diego Velodrome Announcer

(Recently inducted into the Track Race Announcer's Hall of Fame... ...Until the Porta-Potty company came to reclaim the "hall" from the infield).

PS: Maybe this was just a cross-promotion for "Skid Marks, the movie" which was produced in San Diego (now showing)...
https://www.skidmarksthemovie.com/

wow. i cannot believe this is a 9-page thread.
aren't there any issues of substantial consequence in the world for everyone to wish justice upon?

It's not concrete.

do you think in an effort to show solidarity that i should go skid my bike on the portland velodrome? i mean, we could then be brothers in arms

Argumentum ad hominem. I volunteer from April to September refereeing the racing there. I act as track steward on Saturdays all year. I empty the trash. I fix things, paint, landscape, answer questions, maintain a working relationship with the City, and encourage the development of young riders. I only ask for reimbursement for my expenses. No pretense here. This is the way a non-profit, volunteer organization works. So if someone here has done something to offend you somehow, why don't you come down on a Saturday morning, say 11 am, and we can discuss it? Thinking hard, I can only think of a couple of people who frequent the Velodrome who are pretentious. Did you possibly come by on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday morning? I can see how you might have come into contact with one of them, but he's easy to ignore, just don't come then. He's usually always alone, so I'm not clear about who this group is to which you refer. Otherwise, I think we're all pretty easy to get along with. We only hang out over here because the nearest other velodrome is in L.A., 110 miles away. It's a new indoor Siberian Pine track. It's also a great deal more restricted than ours. You can't just climb over the fence. People who race there are just fast. There is no pretense there either.
On Saturday, I'll make sure you feel welcome and we can talk about riding track or whatever else is on your mind. Even Marty Nothstein got busted for throwing rocks into Lehigh Valley Velodrome when he was a kid, so I'm hopeful that the kids who did this might grow up and come back to train and race. It was kind of sad to see the skid marks on our new track markings. Thanks for your concern, OP, but painting the track markings for Collegiate National Track Cycling Championships last month was a tedious, meticulous 100% volunteer effort. The only cost outlay was for paint, tape, and supplies. Future surface repairs will obliterate the skid marks over time. I would like to remind the cycling community that the police, park rangers, and the Wackenhut security guards are aware of the incident and will be extra vigilant. Anyone arrested for trespassing or vandalism will be prosecuted.

hey man... having a good time!

i just got off a video chat with isaiah, george and len. kind of a trip...

how is this thread 9 pages long who gives a ****

plus shouldn't this **** be in the track forum anyway

Hey, I think you're on ta sumthin' there

n0 threads about skids

how to

best tires for

leg over bar

how to break into velodromes to hold skidding contests

are right at home in ssfg

There are some pretty sweet MTB trails all around the SD velodrome..........wait............maybe it was those damn offroaders

You know we all have seen those guys drinking and smoking, and just cuz they hang with alex does not mean one of his drunk friends cant get the idea to hop the fence and hold some cute skid contest at just the right place. It is pretty hard to find the velodrome unless you have been there. either way it will show up on guyspace

people drinking and/or smoking @ "hipster nascar" aren't necessarily bad people

some of us do love to ride...

And now they are finally gonna bulldoze all of Broadway (said outdoor mall) and develop it.... i can't wait to return to Eugene and see all the high end glass condo buildings there. It'll be complete with crying hippies and all the other bored Eugenians who are looking for a cause.

BTW Dutret, you live in Eugene??? How, in all my years riding living/riding there did I never run into you? (i'm quite sure I never did because I definitely never met anyone on a bike there who was as big of a dbag as you.)

I haven't lived there since the 90's.

How do I get ahold of anyone? The emails keep getting bounced back. BTW thank you for your help this year. I wanted to do some shirts for the Madison this week.

You're very welcome. Our webmaster left town recently with the passwords and left us holding the bag, so e-mails aren't being delivered. Our membership director is quitting effective Oct. 15. So far, no one has volunteered to help clean up the mess. Until we can get this sorted out, the best time to contact us is on Saturday mornings between 10 and noon at the track. This Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12-13 is the Invitational Madison. Friday evening's program will be similar to the Tuesday Night Racing format. Registration opens around 5:30. We'll be hanging out to socialize and otherwise celebrate the end of our season after racing concludes at around 9:30. Saturday's program will have more Madison and Keirin racing. Registration opens around 11 am. Another opportunity to contact us will be on Sunday, Nov. 4 at the Velodrome's Fall Swap Meet. It is larger than our Spring Swap Meet in April and invariably turns out to be one of the major social events of the local cycling calendar. Ask for Ray. I'll give you my e-mail address and you can use that to get in touch with us until we get the website working again. Ciao!

Ray PM me your phone or email so we can talk. I seriously want to do shirts for this weekends.

I've heard some of the racers there talking **** about the "kids" who come to watch and hang out. Several times. Some of them, individually are nice people... but when they run thier mouth like that, it lends to the perception that it is an exclusive place.

Despite, this, the damage, however slight, or not slight, was stupid. And wrong. Hopefully it will be a one time event. I took my daughter to the track a few times and she really dug watching it. There are some great people there, and I know a lot took offense. The hope is that some people don't take it upon themselves to single out others as "guilty" because they feel they look guilty.

This thread made it onto Bike Snob today.

whats up samsa, SDfixed, jody, thatcher, sky, and everybody else i haven't seen in a while?!

i can't believe i just read most of this thread. sad to hear about it, sadder that nobody volunteered to help repaint. thats a lot of track for 2 people to HANDpaint.

for the record, some people sit outside the track during tues night races because they want to smoke, whereas doing so in the tight quarters of the bleachers would be inconsiderate to other spectators who do not smoke (its literally shoulder to shoulder in there). but alas, its just a hangout spot- to kick it around some bikes, babes, dogs, racers, drink beers, race, talk *****, whatever. its all good.

could be worse- about 3 years ago, some "vandals" broke in, cut a hole in the storage containers, stole a grip of rental track bikes, and thousands of dollars worth of sound equipment. that sucked.

kenho!

what's up man? how's SF?

yes, i dont think most people who posted really even cared. I know i didnt.