So it’s been a long time since the last post, way too long, but it has been time well spent. I’ve been travelling a little, first to the Fixed Gear Classic in Blaine, MN (top notch racing, big name racers, young talent, amazing promoters and staff, good prize money, awesome crowds, and so far the best velodrome I’ve ever ridden) then to the Colorado State Track championships (also top notch competition) doing everything I could to spread the word, shoot the breeze, and most importantly get advice on what it will take to not only get a velodrome built, but to develop sustainable and fun racing and training programs in Durango. All the talking with other enthusiasts and emailing back and forth to the ATRA has been very productive and I’ve come away with lot of good ideas. The business side of things has also progressed and we are about to submit the paperwork to apply for 501(c)3 non-profit status and we even have a (mostly empty) bank account. But the it hasn’t all been talk and paperwork either. In the past few days another couple of tons of dirt was pushed around and packed down at Dryside with impressive results. And by impressive I mean we’re almost ready. The track is shaped right, it’s mostly symmetrical, smooth, and even. We may attempt to get a grader out there to skim it, but either way in the next week or two we will be done with machines. And after the machines come the people – people with shovels, rakes, hoses, gloves, beer, baked goods, weed eaters, scooters/motorcycles/ATVs and a volunteer labor spirit. Enough people with tools and we should be should be able to finish the final manicuring and dirt moving in one good day (that will of course end with bonfire in the infield.) After that we need vehicles with big rubber tires to drive around the thing and maybe some occasional water sprayed until it’s packed and smoothed and we can work out the last imperfections. We have no idea how long this will take, we’ll just drive and spray until… until it’s ready for bikes; we’re that close. So get your shovel and your fixed gear ready and get ready to mark your calendar, the Dryside shovel party is coming soon and the date and official announcement should come in the next few days. As usual let us know if there is anyway you think you can help or would like to make a monetary donation (total cost to date for The Dryside Velodrome Project = approximately $56, pretty impressive but at some point we will have to spend some money.) Also please send us an email if you’re just excited about the project and following our progress, that’s really what keeps it going, I don’t like to think that I’m moving tons of dirt so that I can ride around in circles by myself, I’m trying to build the coolest front yard playground in Durango so that my friends will come out and have fun with something new and different. While you’re waiting check out the pictures of the progress on Facebook. They don’t really do just to the scale of the track and how steep the walls are.
Thanks for reading
Turn 3. The weeds are gone now and it's a lot smoother, but the view is still the same.
P.S. – Maybe some hard numbers on the specs of the track will help people realize how real it is and how close we are
Straightaways – 41 meters long x 6 meters wide with approximately 16 degrees bank
Corners – 19 meter radius with approximately 41 degree maximum bank
Total length approximately 200 meters.
