The Track Cycling Velodrome Essay Example

designed for the Olympics must adhere to a standard length of between 250 and 400 meters, allowing for one or half the number of laps to make a total of one kilometer. Major events typically utilize a 250 meter length, but velodromes can be as short as 133 meters or as long as 500 meters. For example, the Calshot Spit Velodrome in Hampshire, UK is only 142 meters due to its design to fit inside an aircraft hangar. Similarly, the Forest City Velodrome in London, Ontario, Canada is only 138 meters as it was created to fit within a hockey arena. Despite their short lengths, both Calshot and Forest City feature steep banking.

In the past, race tracks or large areas with shallow banking were used for building tracks. The banking degree depended on the length of the track, with a 250m track requiring a 45-degree banking and a 333m track needing approximately 32 degrees of banking. Different materials, such as timber, synthetics, concrete, macadam, and cinder, can be used to create the surface of these tracks. Olympic-style shorter tracks are typically made using timber or synthetics, while concrete, macadam, and cinder are used for older and less expensive tracks with longer lengths.