Day 7: Monday June 9
Race weather on Sunday was sunny and warm, but a line of thunderstorms rolled through around 7PM (long after racing was completed) and it's still overcast and damp now. Big Italian dinner and drinks last evening so I'm a bit sluggish this morning. I gotta pack up for departure in a couple of hours. Lots of laundry to catch up on this evening!
Transitioning back into cycling mode with a short drive to the velodrome at Bromont http://www.cyclisme-bromont.ca/. It’s the one of Canada’s National Centers for Cycling and includes the track, plus a BMX course, mountain bike trails, and lightly trafficked roads for training.
I enter the building and inquire about riding the track, only to be told it’s closed for repairs! They had completed a set of races over the weekend and were taking advantage of the weekdays to fix up some loose panels on the track. So, another disappointment - no track time for me.
I spoke with Richard who runs the track facility. He described their range of programs but seemed especially proud of the school kids’ programs – a full day including BMX, mountain bike, and velodrome time. They also host some regular weekly local races, in addition to some larger weekend open races.
I got permission to walk the velodrome. It’s listed as 250 meters, 47 degrees max banking, and seemed to be quite wide. The engineering is pretty simple: trussed steel beams radiate outward and upward from the ground at the inside (apron), supported by upright round steel beams at the outside (top). Smaller square steel beams, space about 3 feet apart, connect the trusses around the circumference. Composite plywood panels approx 2 X 6 feet lay into this grid, again in a radial pattern. The track is not in good shape, with lots of weather damage, rough surface on the panels, many patches, and some gaps between panels. Sorry to say, as the track that was built new for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, it has seen better days. I linger, taking photos and talking with another rider who is disappointed that the track is closed.
Race weather on Sunday was sunny and warm, but a line of thunderstorms rolled through around 7PM (long after racing was completed) and it's still overcast and damp now. Big Italian dinner and drinks last evening so I'm a bit sluggish this morning. I gotta pack up for departure in a couple of hours. Lots of laundry to catch up on this evening!
Transitioning back into cycling mode with a short drive to the velodrome at Bromont http://www.cyclisme-bromont.ca/. It’s the one of Canada’s National Centers for Cycling and includes the track, plus a BMX course, mountain bike trails, and lightly trafficked roads for training.
I enter the building and inquire about riding the track, only to be told it’s closed for repairs! They had completed a set of races over the weekend and were taking advantage of the weekdays to fix up some loose panels on the track. So, another disappointment - no track time for me.
I spoke with Richard who runs the track facility. He described their range of programs but seemed especially proud of the school kids’ programs – a full day including BMX, mountain bike, and velodrome time. They also host some regular weekly local races, in addition to some larger weekend open races.
I got permission to walk the velodrome. It’s listed as 250 meters, 47 degrees max banking, and seemed to be quite wide. The engineering is pretty simple: trussed steel beams radiate outward and upward from the ground at the inside (apron), supported by upright round steel beams at the outside (top). Smaller square steel beams, space about 3 feet apart, connect the trusses around the circumference. Composite plywood panels approx 2 X 6 feet lay into this grid, again in a radial pattern. The track is not in good shape, with lots of weather damage, rough surface on the panels, many patches, and some gaps between panels. Sorry to say, as the track that was built new for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, it has seen better days. I linger, taking photos and talking with another rider who is disappointed that the track is closed.
I departed and made only 420 miles from Bromont. Lots of rain, wind, thunder and lightning made driving a tiring job, and I stopped to catch some sleep at Guelph, about 120K short of next destination: London, Ontario. The only hotel with any available accommodations was a bit more expensive than the Sleep Inn I was scheduled to stay at. Sorry to have spend more money on the hotel, but I was too tired to drive any further.
Total driving for the day: 420 miles
(images: Bromont Cycling Centre signage, Bromont engineering views, Bromont tunnel views, Bromont velodrome views, Bromont track surface)
Total driving for the day: 420 miles
(images: Bromont Cycling Centre signage, Bromont engineering views, Bromont tunnel views, Bromont velodrome views, Bromont track surface)
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