with a thrill.
At the Forest City Velodrome in London, Ont., the best of all seasons is enjoyed through an exciting and challenging sport. Velodrome racing uses special bicycles that have no brakes and a single gear. Riders race at high speeds around a track that is banked at the corners for maximum speed. The steepness of the track can seem intimidating at first, but with proper instruction even beginners can learn to ride safely and enjoy the thrill of the sport. For more experienced racers, the track rides like a roller coaster. It’s a gripping, fast-paced sport for riders and spectators alike.
“We’re the home of year-round cycling training in Ontario,” says Rob Good, President of the Forest City Velodrome. “We started in 2005 with the help of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the local cycling community in London. Since then, we’ve been able to provide an outlet for people to ride recreationally throughout the year in a safe and dry environment.”
Forest City Velodrome is one of only three indoor velodromes in North America and the first to be built in Ontario in 30 years. Forest City Velodrome is attracting new people to the sport and getting the attention of racers from across the province and some in the United States. About 25 per cent of the riders using the Velodrome come from outside of the immediate area including Windsor, Toronto, Detroit, Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo. Their programming is for “kids” from eight to 78.
Thanks to Ontario Trillium Foundation funding, Forest City Velodrome riders were able to bring home 19 medals from the Canadian Track Championships held in Bromont, Quebec, in July 2006. They won seven gold, five silver and eight bronzes. Before then, Ontario hadn’t won a single medal in 15 years.
“For the last 20 years, our junior riders have been left behind in competitive racing,” says Good. “The Velodrome and OTF funding changed that. Junior Championship medals were all won by kids who began the program because of OTF funding. In just one year we literally jumped up 10 rungs competitively on the provincial ladder.”
2006 Junior National Championships Medalists Steven Meyer, left, and Ryan Crawford take a break from training at the Forest City Velodrome.
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Good adds that some of the riders at Forest City Velodrome are future Olympia ns. “My goal is for an Ontario rider to win an Olympic gold medal in 2012,” he says.
OTF funding also allowed the Velodrome to add new programs focussing on women and youth. According to Rob Good, women are generally underserved in the sport, so the Velodrome created programs geared toward them. They increased track time and added clinics and in 2006, two women with very little track experience were trained and given the chance to race at the Canadian Track Championships in Quebec. One of them won a gold medal.
“Ontario hasn’t won a women’s gold medal in years,” says Good. “Now, because OTF funding, we’re able to take riders with little or no experience, put them through our program and help turn them into champions.”
The youth program at the Forest City Velodrome – Velokids – was also made possible by OTF funding. OTF funding was able to offset much of the program costs – there is no cost to kids while they are practicing and learning how to ride – and Velokids memberships are only $100 annually. Track times were expanded, so that children could practice and hone their skills, and free clinics were added in the summer. OTF funding allowed the Velodrome to provide coaching and scheduling and give kids, who may not be able to otherwise, a chance to become involved. Velokids is the area of programming where the Velodrome has seen the most growth – an average of four new children a week.
Whether grooming competitive riders or attracting new people to the sport, Forest City Velodrome is igniting a passion for velodrome riding. They’re bringing out the champion in every one who experiences the track.