IchbinJay

Are there any? If so what is the closest one. I get the idea that there really aren't that many.

go4broke44

thursday nights
MIT running track on vassar st in cambridge
10:30 pm
be there to race for CASH PRIZES!

bostontrevor

Which, of course, is not the same as a velodrome. There's endless talk of a 'drome around Andover (the Pioneer Valley Velodrome) but I hear they're still short of cash to refinish the boards.

So for now the closest you got is Kissena in Queens, NY.

IchbinJay

Yikes! Are there any other track race teams/clubs that make use of school tracks in the area?

p_ill

the mit race is more of a "**** its the cops" type event.

there arent any boston schools with track programs, every once and awhile i'll see bu kids out on fixies training...

2manybikes

Apparently the building the bike show was in, was a velodrome at one time. It seems small to me. I saw the big black and white photo they had there of the old days. I could not find out much about it though.
Do you know anything about the history of that building? I guess the door we all went in was the back at one time. Is there a lower floor that may have had a larger diameter?

bostontrevor

No, the building was a "cyclorama" which was a mid-to-late 19th century affectation. Large paintings would be done "in the round" as they say and then displayed in a similarly round building.

I believe Boston's displayed a painting of the Battle of Bull Run.

Oops, no Gettysburg. Here's more info: https://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/CYCLORAMA_BOSTON.html

Hmm... The above says that it is reported to have hosted racing at one point, but there aren't any details. AC Sparkplugs (as in the AC in AC Delco) was founded out of that building as well.

Anyhow, if the bike racing story is true, it would be wicked fast for the kind of turns. I know taking a loop on the test track at the show was pretty tight.

2manybikes

[QUOTE=bostontrevor]No, the building was a "cyclorama" which was a mid-to-late 19th century affectation. Large paintings would be done "in the round" as they say and then displayed in a similarly round building.
QUOTE]

Thanks for the link. It's a pretty interesting history. I had no idea what it was. I had not even heard of a "cyclorama" before.

BTW - when I was in grade school my father took me to the athletic field of the local high school. This must have been about 1963 - 65. There was an outdoor wooden track. I was told it was for bicycle racing. It was almost an oval with two straights. the straights were flat and the corners were banked. I remember it being about two car lanes wide at the most. It was just in a grass field. There were no walls or fences around it. It was looking old at that time, it's long gone. The planks ran perpendicular to the direction of travel and were not much bigger than 2x4's.

pinky

Closest thing you've got to track racing in New England right now is up in Londonderry, NH on the speedway up there, haven't raced on it, but its supposed to be banked asphalt...

IchbinJay

Interesting indeed. Boy, it would be nice if there were some stuff around here though, Londonderry is a bit of a haul to go ride a bike. Are there at least any official outdoor track races anywhere?

IchbinJay

Although...how does one goto/participate in these races in Londonderry? I guess since it's summer I've got some time. What days of the week do they race on? Anyone have any more details?

-=(8)=-

Hope *this* helps.
Im going to be there when I get my upcoming move to Vermont handled !

IchbinJay

Wow, that looks pretty cool. I think maybe next season I'll head up there and check it out.