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Is track racing dying out in the US?

Old 10-24-19, 09:51 PM
  #51  
gycho77
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Originally Posted by himespau
How do you get to that level if you can't ever use the track?
Here are some options
- your parent is a professional track cyclist
- attend a high school or college that has official track cycling team(very rare)
- or pass Keirin test and become a professional keirin racer(test is very tough)
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Old 10-24-19, 10:12 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by gycho77
Here are some options
- your parent is a professional track cyclist
- attend a high school or college that has official track cycling team(very rare)
- or pass Keirin test and become a professional keirin racer(test is very tough)
Japan has gotten a lot better in the 10 years since I started riding here. There were always a handful of public tracks, but they are building more these days. Also, pro track, while not officially open to non-pros, are more and more often having "club days" when an organized club can invite people to ride, and there are the occasional "try the bank" open races.

But even so, none of these are just show-up-and-ride. You do have to jump through some hoops, but that's ok. The alternative, as Carleton rightly pointed out, would be chaos.
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Old 10-25-19, 10:20 AM
  #53  
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I’d be willing to bet big money that the Chunchon track is open to the public 24/7
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Old 10-25-19, 10:37 AM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Rajflyboy
I’d be willing to bet big money that the Chunchon track is open to the public 24/7
And DLV in ATL as well as Kissena in NYC are open to the public 24/7

That doesn't mean you can just hop on when you want and do what you want.

A public park is 'open to the public' 24/7, but if a scheduled kids soccer match is going on, you can't just hop on the pitch/field and throw balls with your dog.

Rules exist for a reason. We live in a society that has rules at every turn in our lives. What makes you think that rules should not apply to you in this case?
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Old 10-25-19, 01:48 PM
  #55  
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Gate open

no signs saying closed

we riding !

Keep in in mind that track was not well maintained in the 1990’s. There was grass growing up through track.
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Old 10-25-19, 02:23 PM
  #56  
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love 2 have someone who's not a member of this community come on in and stir up **** with dumb arguments. can we all agree to ignore the troll?
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Old 10-25-19, 03:53 PM
  #57  
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I second the motion.
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Old 10-25-19, 03:58 PM
  #58  
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This is also the guy who thinks road racing would be purer without domestiques, as if there were a way to change that.
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Old 10-26-19, 03:26 AM
  #59  
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i like that detroit livestreams races. i caught a madison last night that was really entertaining. what's the word on that cycling league with the proposed teams? *just found the site https://worldcyclingleague.com/

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Old 10-26-19, 03:10 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by carleton
Real talk, if the hardware these ladies brought home over the years wasn't enough to ignite some passion for building tracks, I don't know what will:



I know I'm a Debbie Downer in this thread, but I just want to speak honestly so that we see things as close to reality as possible.

I absolutely love this sport. I just don't know how to grow it...or if it's even possible.
I never knew of this story until after I got into track cycling. Also, I never knew what a velodrome was until I learned about Fixed Gear Crits. No one I personally know even knows about track cycling.
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Old 10-26-19, 11:02 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by sergioflorez
i like that detroit livestreams races. i caught a madison last night that was really entertaining. what's the word on that cycling league with the proposed teams? *just found the site https://worldcyclingleague.com/
The WCL held at least one race on Los Angeles a few years ago but I do not recall any further races. I hope for success of the WCL however I do feel that the proposed structure is unworkable considering the time and cost of facilities and moving teams and equipment around the USA (or the world) between venues.
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Old 10-27-19, 08:07 AM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
This is also the guy who thinks road racing would be purer without domestiques, as if there were a way to change that.
Thats a fact jack
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Old 10-27-19, 08:16 AM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by 700wheel
The WCL held at least one race on Los Angeles a few years ago but I do not recall any further races. I hope for success of the WCL however I do feel that the proposed structure is unworkable considering the time and cost of facilities and moving teams and equipment around the USA (or the world) between venues.
every 3 or 4 months they send out their "monthly newsletter," riddled with typos, announcing a new partnership, something or another. but it seems to be no closer to holding another event.
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Old 10-27-19, 08:48 AM
  #64  
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Sounds a lot like this The Lost League
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Old 10-29-19, 11:36 AM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by sergioflorez
i like that detroit livestreams races. i caught a madison last night that was really entertaining. what's the word on that cycling league with the proposed teams? *just found the site https://worldcyclingleague.com/
That is cool that you found the livestream. I think the last race I checked had about 100,000 viewers. Dang!

This is the "league" you were referring to. American Cycling League. Big plans, but its kinda new.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/categ...4378847004067/

The Madison race is the top video post on there now.
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Old 11-05-19, 08:58 AM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by AmahlAmahlAmahl
I never knew of this story until after I got into track cycling. Also, I never knew what a velodrome was until I learned about Fixed Gear Crits. No one I personally know even knows about track cycling.

Hopefully you are getting some use out of the Baton Rouge velodrome
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Old 11-07-19, 10:04 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by DMC707
Hopefully you are getting some use out of the Baton Rouge velodrome
No, but I race at TTOWN.
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Old 11-28-19, 08:46 PM
  #68  
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I am now a former track racer, who might still be racing had my local track (Frisco Superdrome) not been closed two years ago. It was about 60 miles from my house, and I was willing to drive that distance twice a week to train and race. Now the nearest track (Alkek Velodrome) is over 200 miles away, and at my age I am just not sufficiently motivated to drive that distance in order to continue riding and racing. I would estimate that participation in track racing in Texas has declined at least 80% since the Superdrome closure, and this year they didn’t even bother to hold an Elite state championship. They did hold a combined Junior and Masters state championship, but only got about 30 total participants, and just about all of the Juniors were children of the Masters participants. If I were a multi-millionaire I might move to Carson, Ca close to the Olympic Velodrome, but until then I have to be content to ride my track bike on local roads with a front brake for safety, and make believe I’m still a track racer.
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Old 11-28-19, 09:36 PM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by AmahlAmahlAmahl
No, but I race at TTOWN.
Just curious, is there a reason you don't ride at your local track? They have a Facebook page and it seems like there is some activity at the track there.
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Old 11-30-19, 07:37 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by Baby Puke
Just curious, is there a reason you don't ride at your local track? They have a Facebook page and it seems like there is some activity at the track there.
For one, lack of programming.

Race season was only for a month with races once a week.

Two, I moved to Baltimore in the summer.
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Old 12-01-19, 07:54 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by AmahlAmahlAmahl
I moved to Baltimore in the summer.
Lucky you ! T Town is one of the few remaining shining lights of US track racing.
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Old 12-01-19, 09:36 PM
  #72  
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Originally Posted by AmahlAmahlAmahl
For one, lack of programming.

Race season was only for a month with races once a week.

Two, I moved to Baltimore in the summer.

First, welcome to Maryland. Second, good bye.

Let me explain, I live ~30 miles west of Baltimore and have been driving to T-town every summer weekend for the past six years, so I decided to give up that weekly 260 mile round trip...

Originally Posted by TejanoTrackie
Lucky you ! T Town is one of the few remaining shining lights of US track racing.
and head towards that shining light. We’re closing on a lot this month. Once our house is built, we’ll be a whopping three miles from the track.
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Old 12-02-19, 05:16 AM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by dunderhi
and head towards that shining light. We’re closing on a lot this month. Once our house is built, we’ll be a whopping three miles from the track.
Congratulations Dave! It'll be good to see more of you during the race season!
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Old 12-02-19, 08:18 AM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by dunderhi
First, welcome to Maryland. Second, good bye.

Let me explain, I live ~30 miles west of Baltimore and have been driving to T-town every summer weekend for the past six years, so I decided to give up that weekly 260 mile round trip...



and head towards that shining light. We’re closing on a lot this month. Once our house is built, we’ll be a whopping three miles from the track.
And I assume you're building a few extra bedrooms for all of us to crash in when we venture up there?
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Old 12-02-19, 08:43 AM
  #75  
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Nats '20 Home Takeover.
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