Gene is correct, I remember the track well as it was done in masonite and
the tight turns made it nice and steep.
I think it was out on 8 mile rode in the Ukranian ethnic area.
I remember Gene well. He was a little younger so we didn't ride in the same
category, but we rode against the Detroit gang often, and they were always
good tough competition. Chicago and Detroit are only about 275 miles apart
so travel between to compete was regular.
Those small tracks were fun, I can distinctly remember the frames twisting
and bending at speed, but one learned to absorb and control the give with
ones body and leg speed.
If not, then a guy would drift up just a little and if one timed it
correctly as the guy backed off a little or moved up just enough a quick
kick and you were through and past him.
HAH!.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
>I live near and ride The Velodrome at Bloomer Park regularly. Last year I
>put more than 1500 miles on that track using mostly a one year old welded
>aluminum aero tubing track bike but a number of the miles were on my 1965
>Paramount (See # 389 on The Fixed Gear Gallary) The turns at Bloomer are 44
>degrees and the streights are 13 degrees. The track is 200 m at the measure
>line. The transition from the middle of the turns to the apron is abrupt
>but from the 13 degree streight the transition is quite easy. You can dive
>off of turn two full out and with any kind of leg strength at all you can
>be going slow enough coming out of turn four to drop onto the apron and
>safely leave the track by the back side exit to the infield. The first
>track I rode on was built just north of Detroit by a gentleman named Fred
>Cappy if I remember corectly the turns were 67 degrees and I think it was
>12 laps to the mile. Ted Ernst may remember it. I don't know all the math
>to design a velodrome but the angle of the turns has more to do with the
>turn radius than the length of the track. We have our first work day at
>Bloomer this Saturday and weather permiting our first ride of the season
>afterwards. Take your vintage track bike to your local velodrome and
>exersise it and yourself.
> Gene Diggs
> Rochester Hills , MI
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tony & Shellie Welch <tswelch@indy.net>
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 21:10:05 -0500
> Subject: [CR]Pic of the Day - Delhi (Ontario) board track 1952
>
> Was it ten laps for a kilometer on the Delhi track? There must have
> been some particular concerns on a track that small. Was there a
> problem getting stopped? I rode the 200 m track at Detroit recently and
> had problems with that.
> The banking was only 50 degrees? I thought tracks that small were at
> least 55 degrees. The track at Indianapolis in 1937 was one twelfth of a
> mile with 56.5 degrees on the curves and 32 degrees on the straights!
> Was it heated? It looks like guys were wearing short sleeves.
>
> Tony Welch
> Indianapolis, IN
> USA
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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