Track Racing

Bicycle track racing in the United States dates back to the 1880’s. By the late 1880’s, track racing was rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S. and Europe. In 1893 cycling had generated a following large enough to justify holding the first world championships. Just three years later, bicycle racing made its way into the first inaugural modern day Olympic Games. The sport continued to grow, and by the 1920’s indoor track racing became one of the most popular spectator sports in America. The popularity of U.S. track racing peaked in the mid 1930’s, when 6-day relay races were held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. By this time, every major city had a velodrome, as well as local professional teams. Bicycle racing was the number one spectator sport in the U.S., a long disregarded fact in U.S. sporting history. Several motion pictures were made documenting 6-day racing; one of the most famous was 1934’s “6-day Bike Rider,” which starred the famous actor Joe E. Brown. The cycling races had inexpensive admission prices and provided great entertainment during the height of the Great Depression. The modern track event “Madison” refers to a two-man relay cycling race, which is a shorter version of a 6-day race.

 

Track racing began to decline in the late 1930’s due to World War II and an increasing interest in motor sports. American racing has not since recovered; all indoor tracks closed by the late 1950s. Europe, however, was able to restart professional 6-day track racing after World War II. European 6-day track racing regained popularity though the 50’s and 60’s and then began to decline again due to the “Grand Tours” of bicycle road racing.

 

Currently in the U.S. velodrome track racing has garnered renewed interest. Many cities have invested in and built new velodromes within the last 10 years. Cities such as Los Angeles (which has 2 tracks), Seattle, Boulder, Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta and Frisco, TX. have completed construction of velodromes. In addition, many more velodromes are being proposed in such cities as Portland, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque.