Listen Up, Track Cycling Fans: Boulder Valley Velodrome Needs Your Help
The defunct Boulder Valley Velodrome is getting a facelift. Well, perhaps more accurately, it’s getting full reconstructive surgery.
The iconic red-walled velodrome—which has been closed for over three years and fallen into disrepair—announced via Instagram that they are under contract to be purchased by BVV Holdings LLC.
Once the Erie, Colorado velodrome is functional again, it will be operated by the Team Colorado Cycling nonprofit, who will also be in charge of the necessary repairs.
Team Colorado’s Todd Stevenson is quoted in the Instagram post, saying, “The list of needed repairs is long and expensive, but we are passionate about meeting the demand that exists for a cycling track of this caliber. Our first step is to tap into community support to help pay for needed repairs with the goal of re-opening full-time with weekly racing and other events starting early summer.”
The Instagram post directed people to a GoFundMe fundraiser, which, as of this writing and three days after launching, has raised over $20,000 of the group’s $75,000 goal. The fundraiser also lists the upgrades and updates Team Colorado Cycling is hoping to make.
Those updates as listed: strip the entire track surface and apron; board-by-board repair or replacement of the entire track; caulk, seal, and paint the track surface; mud jack (raise) four sections of concrete that have settled; paint the entire structure including, supports, vertical boards, concrete, and fencing; landscaping and general cleanup; track bike fleet tuning and repair; new rider lounge area in the bunker; new rider stretching and workout area in the bunker.
It’s a long list.
Of the twenty-five velodromes across America, Boulder Valley is one of just four that are the international standard length of 250 meters. And it is the only velodrome that is outdoors with a wood surface. Those elements, paired with the fact that Erie sits at an elevation of 5,130 feet, make it an ideal training ground for Olympic hopefuls and elite-level cyclists.
But Stevenson and his cohort see this iteration of Boulder Valley as more than just a track for racing bikes, with hopes and plans to host family-oriented events like concerts, ride-in movie nights, festivals, food truck rodeos and other community-oriented events.
Boulder Valley was designed and built by world-renowned architect Peter Junek, who is one of three active track designers in the world who is recognized by the UCI.
After breaking ground in 2011 and dealing with a major windstorm and cataclysmic flooding in 2013, the velodrome finally opened in 2015. Two years later, the original owners Frank Banta and Doug Emerson listed the track for sale, asking $4.7 million.
In 2019, they came to terms with a buyer who planned to buy the track for $1.9 million and demolish the facility. It was rumored the intent was to replace the track with a driving range. That deal fell apart in the earliest stages of the pandemic and Boulder Valley has sat dormant since. Hopefully with this initiative underway, it won’t remain that way for long.
You Might Also Like
