July 1, 1893 – It was a beautiful day for a bike ride! At least in San Francisco where on this day they opened the first American wooden bicycle race track. Velodrome is the proper name of the venues that started popping up all over the world in the late 19th and early twentieth century as people racing bikes around a wooden oval track was all the rage.
According to Wikipedia, the first such cycling stadium was built in 1877, the Preston Park Velodrome in Brighton, United Kingdom, constructed by the British Army. Some of these sites after that were purpose-built just for cycling, and others were built as part of facilities for other sports; many were built around athletics tracks or other grounds and any banking was shallow.
We have talked about football fields being placed in the infield of these velodromes on many of football history podcasts on SHN.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
1968 Detroit Tigers (A Historic Championship Season)
With baseball season in full swing, I thought I’d take a break from my
NFL Dynasties of the Super Bowl Era
NFL dynasties of the Super Bowl era (Photos sourced via Sportslogos.net) The NFL has
How Baseball Has Changed Over the Last 100 Years
Rule Adjustments Baseball has experienced numerous rule adjustments that have reshaped the sport. The
What Offense From the 1970s Would Best Fit In With Today’s Offenses?
Offensive football as we know it today employs a pass-first approach, and that is
(4 All-Time Weightlifting Greats) Paul Anderson, Tommy Kono, Ken Patera, and Naim Süleymanoğlu
Here’s a quick look at some of the accomplishments of four great weightlifters from
College Sports Betting Scandals in History
Today, over 30 states have legalized online sports betting, all with college sports teams,
Paddy Driscoll’s Almost Perfect Season
Back at the beginning of the National Football League in 1920, one of the
Historical Sporting Events That Helped Shape the Sports Betting Industry
The sports betting industry is massive. A multi-billion-dollar industry. So big, in fact, that