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
Which Team “Could” Have Beaten the 1972 Dolphins?
The 1972 Miami Dolphins established a standard that has not been equaled since. They
Monday Night Football Early Years (1979 – 1984)
Before we jump into Monday Night Football from 1979 thru 1984, if you haven’t
Monday Night Football Early Years (1974 – 1978)
Before we jump into Monday Night Football from 1974 thru 1978, if you haven’t
Monday Night Football Early Years (1970 – 1973)
On September 21, 1970, the first Monday Night Football game featured the 1964 NFL
John Henry Johnson and the Million Dollar Backfield
Once, during a Super Bowl halftime interview, the legendary Jim Brown said that this
Why CasinosAnalyzer Is the Go-To Platform for Transparent Casino Rankings
In a digital landscape where more than 3,500 online casinos compete for attention, players
Dogecoin Casinos and Sports Culture in the Streaming Era
Sports history used to live in box scores, radio calls, and grainy highlight reels.
Searching for the “Zest” of the 1931 Chicago Bears
Throughout the history of professional football, every so often you might notice a club