St. Louis Penrose Park Velodrome

[icepick_trotsky]

Track may be yesterday's news, but St. Louis has a shiny new velodrome based on the dedicated efforts of a few people, mostly one St. Louis Alderman who is himself a pretty avid track, road, and cross racer. Part of this was funded by St. Louis Parks and part by private donations through a go fund me page.

Penrose Park was first built in 1962 and hosted the nationals that year. It since fell into disrepair and was lovingly/begrudgingly referred to as "Mr. Bumpy Face."

I might have to get a track bike again.

Old:

https://i.imgur.com/hHFGPY1l.jpg

Repairs:

https://i.imgur.com/udwNoWZl.jpg

New:

https://i.imgur.com/xU2m2dTl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UVNly03l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gvHcgcgl.jpg

[Andy sti]

That is so awesome! It looks very much like Northbrook, probably originally built around the same time.

Yes, of course you need a track bike. Track racing is so fun.

[m_sasso]

Nice, are plans to keep it open the entire year?

[CDollarsign]

Very cool. I rode my old track bike on it once 7 or 8 years ago and mr bumpy face indeed. Really was mr bumpy thorn face.

[jtbadge]

I recognize these people!

Really exciting to see this finally come to fruition.

No way this is open for racing more than 6 months or so a year. St. Louis weather isn't really cut out for it.

[Plum Hill]

And such a nice neighborhood.

[mt2u77]

That is awesome! I’d love to see a resurgence in track. The rest of cycling is trending off the roads. Let’s do track too. I’d be all for an off the road, speed focused racing option.


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[dirtdigger88]

ok I get the history and all but why spend the money on this location. this will be an ATV track in no time and be sure to lock up everything before you ride.

[Shoeman]

ok I get the history and all but why spend the money on this location. this will be an ATV track in no time and be sure to lock up everything before you ride.

Truer words have never been spoken!

[Louis]

For the guys who are complaining about the location, how much were you going to contribute to buy the required land to make this happen in Frontenac or Ladue?

The location was already available, so all the money could be put to improving the track. I've driven over a few times to ride and watch others race (back when it really was bumpy) and never felt unsafe. Yeah, it isn't my part of town, but nor is Huntleigh.

[CDollarsign]

For the guys who are complaining about the location, how much were you going to contribute to buy the required land to make this happen in Frontenac or Ladue?

The location was already available, so all the money could be put to improving the track. I've driven over a few times to ride and watch others race (back when it really was bumpy) and never felt unsafe. Yeah, it isn't my part of town, but nor is Huntleigh.

Thank you Louis!

[icepick_trotsky]

Re: location. This is in a public park and its been there for over 50 years. Maybe the people who live there will want to use it, too, and maybe we should encourage that enthusiasm.

Not everyone who rides or wants to ride is white, well-off, and suburban.

[Joel]

This is wonderful to see.

I have many fond memories of riding there as part of St. Louis Cycling Club.

[jthurow]

I've taken a few laps on the track on my road bike after they finished paving it. It's wonderfully smooth, especially compared to what it was. I can't wait to get my old centurion fixed up as a track bike to really give it a spin.

[Joel]

St. Louis Cyclists,

Is the St. Louis Cycling Club still around and active?

For those of you who might know history of St. Louis cycling, the Nelsen family had three generations on Olympians. Chester Sr., '28, Chester Jr. '48 and Don '64. To say we were welll coached is an understatement

Through some strange twists in life, I have ended up with Chester Nelsen Sr.'s track bike from late 20's/early 30's. And Chester Nelsen Jr's 1946 track bike.

Both have been restored and have been on the road and ridden hard on the track (Ft. Lauderdale).

I rode the '46 as a kid on Penrose. Sacred the piss out of a 15 year old!

Penrose is a wonderful place steeped in history. For those of you have Sloane's 'The all new complete book of bicycling' you can find a picture of action at Penrose page 329 depending on edition and a rider from STLCC on page 330 (depending on edition).

Many smooth laps to those of you in STL!

Joel

[KJMUNC]

Very cool......I went to HS (which one?!) in west county and never heard of this place, as I did all of my riding out in Wildwood and beyond before that area blew up (late 80s/early 90s).

I'll have to check this out next time we are back in town for holiday/family visits.

[jtbadge]

Re: location. This is in a public park and its been there for over 50 years. Maybe the people who live there will want to use it, too, and maybe we should encourage that enthusiasm.

Not everyone who rides or wants to ride is white, well-off, and suburban.

+1. Yikes, you guys. Some of this reads worse than an RFT comment section.

It's been fine there. It's gonna be fine there.

[Plum Hill]

It’s not really in a public park other than by name. It’s contained in a triangle of land between Kingshighway, the on-ramp to I-70, and the TRRA railroad tracks. It’s accessed from Kingshighway.

I was out there years ago on a Trailnet ride. A number of local kids came over to see what the crowd was about. Some riders loaned their bikes out so the kids could ride a few laps. All seemed to enjoy the experience.

As for safety, you can’t get past the fact that north city is dangerous. If you think it isn’t, take a look at what goes on in nearby O’Fallon Park.
I ride through Brooklyn, Venice, and East St. Louis. One has to be aware of their surroundings. Awareness doesn’t insulate you from the possibility of getting hit by an errant bullet.

As for the STLCC, Dirk Sprogoe of Billy Goat Bicycle Company is keeping the organization going. For the uninitiated, the STLCC is the oldest continuous bicycle club in the US.
https://m.facebook.com/StLouisCyclingClub/

[jthurow]

Penrose Park has more amenities than just the velodrome, https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/parks/parks/browse-parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=70&parkName=Penrose+Park Just sayin'...

[azrider]

Neat !!

I had never heard of it but I showed my brother the pics and he apparently used to ride/race/train there when he rode for St. Louis Rockets......then later for St. Louis Cycling club.

He got a kick out of the pics but added "too bad they couldn't move it to better part of town".....and shared few stories that supported that notion

[jtbadge]

The residents of a "better part of town" (again, better for whom? :rolleyes:) spoke and refused a new velodrome on donated land a couple of years ago:

https://westnewsmagazine.com/2017/09/28/86908/velodrome-drama-ends-in-wildwood-as-potential-land-donation-gets-pulled

Also I think it's funny (well, odd) that the residents complained both that it would make traffic and crime worse and that no one would use it. That adds up!

[azrider]

The residents of a "better part of town" (again, better for whom? :rolleyes:) spoke and refused a new velodrome on donated land a couple of years ago:

https://westnewsmagazine.com/2017/09/28/86908/velodrome-drama-ends-in-wildwood-as-potential-land-donation-gets-pulled

Also I think it's funny (well, odd) that the residents complained both that it would make traffic and crime worse and that no one would use it. That adds up!

I think the Chesterfield bottoms would be an ideal place for Velodrome, plenty of open space, close to other "sport(s)" venues, trails for riders to warm up cool down on (instead of riding around in city), somewhat close to International airport.......

[Plum Hill]

This Chesterfield bottoms:
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/bf/0bffab02-e883-5668-8695-2d67ee25a41f/5b6093421d8fa.image.jpg?resize=620%2C418

[Louis]

This Chesterfield bottoms:
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/bf/0bffab02-e883-5668-8695-2d67ee25a41f/5b6093421d8fa.image.jpg?resize=620%2C418

We aren't there yet, but Centaur Rd (which I typically use daily) is under water, so I have to take a detour.

The valley is basically a bathtub right next to the MO river and they pump the water out into creeks that take it to the MO river. However, the river is rising, and those creeks are backing up big-time. Eventually they won't be able to do that, because the river will just be too high, but I'm pretty sure that unless we get a lot more rain and the river rises a lot more, it won't come to that.

Part of the bike trail down there runs on top of the Monarch levee, which is now greatly improved over what it was back in '93 (when that picture was taken).

[azrider]

This Chesterfield bottoms:
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/bf/0bffab02-e883-5668-8695-2d67ee25a41f/5b6093421d8fa.image.jpg?resize=620%2C418

Yes.....even though that picture is from August ‘93

They invested millions in repairing the levee that safeguards the area and it hasn’t flooded since.

It’ll be put to test this year for sure tho....

[Louis]

The MO river at St Charles:

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lsx&gage=sclm7

https://water.weather.gov/resources/hydrographs/sclm7_hg.png

[azrider]

432,000 cubic feet per second?????

Am I reading that correctly? Goodness that’s a lot of water.....

[Louis]

432,000 cubic feet per second?????

Am I reading that correctly? Goodness that’s a lot of water.....

Yup

Check out the Mississippi - it's an insane amount of water.

https://water.weather.gov/resources/hydrographs/eadm7_hg.png

[Plum Hill]

A video shot last year for local PBS program Living St. Louis.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zJwKRkupJOY