Have you ever tried riding at a velodrome?

For those of you who have, you know that there’s no other feeling like it. Spinning your heart out as fast as you can, maintaining control with no brakes, feeling the whip of the steeply banked turns in the track… mmm, yummy goodness.

As a Southern Californian, I am very fortunate to have two world class velodromes in my backyard: Encino Velodrome and the LA Velodrome at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Where are all of the other velodromes in the world?

Funny you should ask because when I get any crazy ideas about leaving California, I always take a good look at where I can get my ride on in another city. A simple search for “velodrome” on Google Maps will get us what we need.

What do you need to ride at a velodrome?

Well, a velodrome for starters, a helmet, shoes and a track bike! (That’s no brakes/no gears, my friend. No road bikes allowed!) Don’t have a track bike? No worries! Many velodromes have excellent track bike rentals. This way, you can try things out, then realize you LOVE track riding and can’t do without it… next thing ya know, you will purchase another bike for your stable.

Support your local velodrome(s)!

Next, I must evangelize about supporting your local velodrome(s).  After you get HOOKED on track riding, the next thing you must do is support your local velodrome! We don’t want them to go extinct! To support the cause, you can volunteer your time, offer monetary donations or even have your company sponsor your local velodrome in trade for advertising.

Support Encino Velodrome today by donating online, purchasing some swag, or by contacting them to find out about volunteer opportunities.

Encino Velodrome Swag with Pedalphilia Artwork! Proceeds benefit Encino Velodrome.