In 1973 the velodrome in St. Louis’ Penrose Park was barely 10 years old when R&B signer/songwriter Billy Preston had a #1 hit with Will It Go Round In Circles. But while folks were “riding high like a bird up in the sky” the cyclists were doing less riding in circles and more riding cross country. Track racing became less popular as touring helped fuel a 1970s bike boom. The 1973 oil shortage and long gas lines also led to increased bike commuting. Changing demographics (read: continued white flight) made Penrose Park at Kingshighway and I-70 less desirable to many cyclists.

On Thursday the Post-Dispatch reported, “Members of the area’s burgeoning cycling community, riding the wave of popularity Armstrong and others have brought to the sport, are seeking private funding and the city’s permission to repair the velodrome and restore it to its former glory.” While many in the cycling community (of which I consider myself a part) are elated by the effort to bring back the velodrome. I must admit I’m a bit torn on the subject.

About six years ago I used to work only a few blocks from Penrose Park and I commuted from my home in Dutchtown to work three days a week on a Raleigh mountain bike outfitted with a rear rack and front panniers. Sometimes at lunch I’d ride over to the velodrome for the fun of it. A guy in professional clothing riding a commuter bike slowly around a velodrome looks silly – trust me. But, it was fun.

This summer I was so happy I had the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) on my satellite dish – I was literally glued to the Tour de France coverage and Lance Armstrong’s record breaking sixth win. Every year I also enjoy watching the local racing scene at the Tuesday Night Criterium Series in Carondelet Park and the annual Gateway Cup over Labor Day weekend. I even put together a cute little video of the Giro della Montagna – the race held on the Hill as part of the Gateway Cup. Click here to see the video. Have I sufficiently established that I love cycling and racing? No? Oh yes, I wear my yellow Lance Armstrong ‘Live Strong’ bracelet everywhere. Satisfied?

I’m not yet convinced we should use public money to build sports facilities for professional sports. Do we have any precedent? Oh yeah, we built a dome costing hundreds of millions of dollars before we had a football team. Millions more on Kiel Center and the new ballpark village. OK, we’ve established a pattern. The P-D article says the cycling community estimates restoration costs of $40K-$50K. That is pocket change in the world of city officials used to giving away hundreds of millions.

But wait, the cyclists are raising private donations and asking the City of St. Louis for permission to restore a facility in a public park. What? Don’t they know how the system works? I guess local bike shop, Big Shark, that sponsors many events is not big enough to extort millions (or $50K) in tax dollars? So you are wondering if private money is being raised how can I possibly be torn on the restoration of this velodrome, right?

We’ve been down this road before. Well, not me personally – but over the years various efforts were made to bring back the velodrome. Each time a pitifully small amount of money was raised, the track was improved and it fell again into disrepair and eventual abandonment. I’m not sure anyone has stopped to ask why. Blame is being leveled primarily at the city park’s department. Sure, some blame lies here but citizens must voice their opinions for something to stay a top priority. Cyclists raise money, cyclists ride on track, track deteriorates, cyclists abandon track, cyclists bitch. Rinse & repeat until exhausted.

If it is going to work we collectively must figure out a way to restore the track and keep it in use and maintained. It needs to be become a valuable asset to the community. This is where I am torn. The velodrome is located in this little left over wedge of Penrose Park between train tracks, I-70 and Kingshighway. Access is awkward. The new Kingshighway bridge will, as I understand, be even closer to the velodrome. Active use of the velodrome for events will require quite a bit of parking because those boys (and girls) that race don’t commute – they come fully loaded with extra wheels, trainers and other gear. If we are really objective we’d admit this is not an ideal setting.

I don’t think the location on the predominately black North side is a problem. Other parts of Penrose Park would be much better suited to a veledrome. A larger park such as Fairgrounds Park, also on the North Side, would be even better for accommodating large crowds. A velodrome at the downtown trail head for the Riverfront Trail might also be a logical connection to make. I think I’ve convinced myself that if we want a velodrome in the St. Louis region we need to determine the best location for one, not just keep sinking money into one that was built in left over land because highway 40 displaced the old one. This will take more time and far more money.

The P-D article mentions Chicago cyclists are raising in excess of $200K to resurface a track in Northbrook and a rider that drives to Indianapolis to race at their velodrome. About 18-20 public velodromes operate in the US and I think one private velodrome is in Portland (part of Alpenrose Dairy). Again, I think bicycle racing is really cool and although I haven’t seen racing on a velodrome I’m certain I’d love it.

Indy’s Major Taylor Velodrome was built in 1982 and is part of their park system. I haven’t the slightest idea if it has been well maintained in the last 22 years, how their park system is funded, how much the velodrome receives in revenues verses expenses. I’d like to no how Indianapolis and other cities fund the maintenance of their velodromes.

Here is the bottom line for me: If we are going to have a velodrome then dammit lets have a useful velodrome that riders from other cities will want to drive four hours to ride on. A $50K facelift on the Penrose bowl, I’m afraid, is not such a destination. Maybe someone can prove me wrong?

Let’s go back to Indianapolis for a moment. I want to talk about the man for whom their velodrome is named – Major Taylor. For those that do not know about Major Taylor, he was the first professional black athlete in the world. In 1899 he was the world cycling champion. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King weren’t even born yet when Major Taylor was breaking records and fighting unbelievable prejudice. Taylor faced vicious hatred for daring to one up the white racers in his childhood home of Indianapolis. He also faced racial problems in St. Louis and southern cities. Although not free of prejudice he ended up living many years and with much greater acceptance in Massachusetts. He was widely accepted as a hero in Paris. Wait a minute, prejudice and hatred in the midwest and south but acceptance in Massachusetts and even greater acceptance outside the US? Sound familiar to anyone?

Sadly Taylor, as a black man in a largely prejudiced US, had a hard time securing work after his racing career ended. While he had earned huge sums of money racing professionally around the world he died a pauper in Chicago at the age of 53. I strongly recommend reading the 1972 biography entitled: Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer. Not only does the book give you an excellent understanding of this very determined man but also of the birth of the sport of bicycle racing. The St. Louis Library has a copy of this book in their collection. Recommended websites are: The Major Taylor Association and the Major Taylor Society.

Keep riding,

Steve