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
1969 New York Jets (A Year After The Guarantee)
Much has been said and written about the 1968 New York Jets, and with
NBA Rivalries: Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Most rivalries are decades old. They begin when the team is created or moved
1978 – The Second “World’s Strongest Man Competition”
In my last article, I wrote about the first World’s Strongest Man contest in
Lawrence McCutcheon and the 1975 Postseason
The featured halfback for the Los Angeles Rams in 1975 was Lawrence McCutcheon, a
Super Bowl L (Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl 50, held on February 7, 2016, between the second-time
1977 – The First “World’s Strongest Man Competition”
Mostly everyone, whether a fan or not, has seen some footage of the World’s
Masters of Delusion: Big John Studd and Dutch Doogan
As far back as I remember I always wanted to be six foot ten.
Madison Street Agreement (Between Chicago Bears and Cardinals)
No one knew it existed. But suddenly, there it was: a dusty, withered document,