BYE-BYE MR. BUMPYFACE
Penrose Park Velodrome completes major renovation.
By David Fiedler
D
id you know we have a velodrome here in St. Louis? One of fewer than 30 in the country, Penrose Park on the city's north side contains our very own "cycle-racing track with steeply banked curves." Tucked in where North Kingshighway Boulevard hits I-70, the track is a living, breathing part of the St. Louis cycling community. And it's recently received a significant facelift after being offline for a year, bringing a new energy to St. Louis track cycling. Originally located in Forest Park, the velodrome was relocated to Penrose Park in the 1960s after Highway 40 was routed through the former. It has served as a unique bike racing venue for decades, even drawing a number of nationally prominent racers. But after years of use and exposure to the elements, the track was damaged to the point that cyclist safety was becoming an issue. Cracks big enough to catch a bike wheel had opened up, making it dangerous for racers. Additionally, the rough surface created a slower ride, jarring rattling riders' teeth as they careened around the oval. The track wasn't nicknamed "Mr. Bumpyface" for nothing. Once it became apparent that a major renovation was necessary for the velodrome to continue, two people stepped forward. The first was Julie Carter, who is both Lindenwood University head cycling coach and the president of the Metro St. Louis Velodrome Association. The other was Scott Ogilvie, a cycling booster and, at the time, alderman in the City of St. Louis. (Ogilvie has since moved on to become transportation policy planner with the City.) For Carter, the problem was a practical one. Once the velodrome became essentially non-functional, it became much more difficult to recruit track cyclists to the Lindenwood squad. "How can you have a competitive track cycling team without somewhere to practice?" she asked. The team found itself husting over to Indianapolis on Thursday nights, trying to fit in a few precious hours at the velodrome there, the closest one to St. Louis. The time was beneficial, sure, but the team found itself frustrated, spending far more time in the car than they did on the bike. But Carter's interest in making the track functional went beyond just her Lindenwood team. There were plenty of other cyclists in St. Louis who found the 1/5-mile track to be a special slice of the local racing scene, a place where Thursday night sessions throughout the summer brought people together in a special way. "When you have a facility like this where people go regularly to train and race, you see the same people again and again," said Carter. "It's a great community, where you find this incredible support and encouragement." Ogilvie agrees. "Track racing is such a spectator- friendly event. The races are short, so you have multiple events where things move quickly. It's people hanging out, really just a fun vibe." Well-known as a biking advocate, and a strong cyclist in his own right, Ogilvie was able to access dedicated sales tax funding earmarked for city parks to help bring the velodrome project to completion. But don't think for a minute that this was
14
terrain July/August 2019
biking
THE VELODROME IS TRULY AN IMPORTANT CITY ASSET
Previous Page