Olympic dreamers, everyday cyclists and youth new to fast, banked turns are steadily returning to Colorado Springs’ velodrome.
After months of uncertainty and controversy over access to the “bubble” dome at Memorial Park, a program is rolling out with a stated aim to significantly increase community hours that have lacked in recent years out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The track was said to be open to all for about 82 hours last year — sparking outcry among those recalling a much broader pledge by U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Going back to the 1980s, the agreement to build the velodrome on city parkland outlined “proper training facilities” for pros “as well as excellent cycling facilities for members of the community.”
Through December of this year, the expectation is closer to 600 community hours, said Robert Mayfield. He’s in a first-year role created by USA Cycling: the velodrome’s community program coordinator.
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Those 600 hours “more than meets the demands of the current ridership,” Mayfield said. “As the community grows and we continue to introduce new riders to the velodrome every week, I could see the demand for more hours increase.”
A former pro racer and coach, Mayfield described his “ultimate goal” to “grow the sport of track cycling and provide support to the local cycling community, which has suffered greatly in terms of numbers over the last several years.”
At a glance at the website where first-timers must register for “learn the velo” evenings, spots appeared to be selling fast for June.
Adults licensed and certified — a USA Cycling race membership for $110 plus the four-day “learn the velo” class for $40 — can then pick a $100 monthly pass or $25 day pass. Adult classes start at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and the same time for kids Mondays and Wednesdays. Open training for those licensed and certified is from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
Sign-ups and more information is at coloradospringsvelodrome.org.
Through a partnership with local nonprofit Kids on Bikes, youth programming is free. Also to the joy of Andy Sparks, select Friday nights in the months ahead have been scheduled as race nights — a return to a tradition known prior to the velodrome’s COVID-19 closure.
A longtime coach, Sparks has been among outspoken critics of USOPC’s handling of the velodrome in recent years. He recalled the organization’s pledge to city leaders in 2018, during a presentation to keep the “bubble” over the track. That presentation cited 1,200 hours of community hours every year.
Programming, which started in April, is poised to be half that. Sparks harbors another concern: Programming is running through December, not through winter, when the sheltered velodrome has appealed most to cyclists of all kinds.
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As for costs, “The main goal with the program is to be self-sufficient,” Sparks said, adding he saw the programming as a good first step.
“To me, it’s full celebratory mode, because we got more than what we hoped for in terms of this year,” he said.
He praised Mayfield’s appointment — a familiar coach Sparks called “super, super committed.”
USOPC has shifted programming to USA Cycling in an arrangement presented to the city’s parks board early this year.
“It takes money to do this,” USA Cycling’s Senior Track Director Craig Griffin said at the meeting, mentioning costly liability and the coordinator hire. “This person will always be trying to get sponsorships and develop strategic community partnerships.”
Kids on Bikes is an example. The nonprofit is hosting regular “learn the velo” sessions followed by more evenings alongside coaches. Kids on Bikes’ program manager, Emily Shields, sounded confident about expanding limited slots: “It’s really supply and demand, so we’ll open up supply with more demand.”
Said the group’s executive director, Daniel Byrd: “It’s such a unique asset, being there are so few velodromes throughout the country. To give kids this opportunity is truly unique.”
The opportunity comes as community access “is re-stabilizing, more or less, from what I can tell,” Byrd said.
The future, though, still seems uncertain.
Previously, Griffin spoke of a different, long-term arrangement emerging: “USOPC I wouldn’t say is hamstrung, but USOPC and USA Cycling isn’t really in the business of programming for velodromes. Our goal is to have some kind of velodrome organization that takes on that role.”
This summer is indeed “the first step,” Sparks said, “in hopefully showing this as a desirable asset, showing it’s got a positive impact on the community, and it can be a self-sustaining kind of organization.”
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