Velodrome
A velodrome is a sporting arena purpose-built for track cycling, ie: racing on bicycles.Modern velodromes feature steeply banked tracks, consisting of two 180-degree bends connected by two straights. The corner bankings are designed so that, at typical racing speeds, the inertia of the bicycles, the propulsive acceleration provided by the riders, and the gravitation force pulling them towards the bottom of the track are balanced. The bicycles then naturally follow the track around the corner at a constant radial position. This allows the riders to concentrate on other matters (eg: race tactics, etc) rather than forcing their bicycles to turn.
Modern velodromes are typically 250m in circumference. Older velodromes are often much bigger. Many were built around the outside of athletics tracks or other sports grounds and any banking on these was usually quite shallow.
Modern velodrome surfaces are of wood or smoothed concrete. While outdoor veldromes used to be the norm, new velodromes tend to be indoor venues, particuarly if they are to be used for high-level competition. A velodrome will usually be among the facilities constructed for major events such as the Olympics or Commonwealth Games.
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List of velodromes
United Kingdom
(outdoor, unless stated)
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