Author Topic: What makes a successful race track? (Read 2203 times)

Bushwacked · « **on:** December 03, 2008, 08:44 AM »

I'm working on a paper to submit to the loca council about building a BMX track in the Cheltenham area, they have a piece of land ear marked for it but there are some reservations on what is going to be built there..

The paper we are working on is to show what could be done and how it could benefit the community.

I'm after your input on what makes a successful track interms of both the track itself (something for beginners and more advanced riders) and how to put the infrastructure together to make it a long term success (training, racing etc)

We've got the support of British Cycling (their regional guy says Gloucestershire is missing from the map in this respect) and the local cycling club is keen to take this under its wing especially with the Olympics round the corner...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Zippy · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2008, 08:51 AM »

If your local cycling club is involved make sure the guy from the club has knowledge of BMX.

sweetbeats · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2008, 09:05 AM »

Might be worth one of the lads on here compiling a dvd of regional meets (busy ones) to get the bmx community thing across and also positive media coverage on events that have happened across the country.

Fingers crossesd

se-bmxer · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2008, 09:09 AM »

First off your really need someone like Steve Jenks to do a site assessment so that you can find out what can be built as to size/level of track for the funding you
will have from the council, you don't want them building it for you, you deffo need someone with experience to build it right first time.

As for infrastucture well BC should be able to tell you that, if not get intouch with Bristol or Burnhams bmx club for advice. Myself and a few others have just got
Hereford bmx club back up and running and waiting for funding to rebuild the track but as Zippy says you need someone with bmx knowledge and like your BC guy
said theres nothing around your area.

But first find out what money you have to pay with, a good track regional standard will not be cheap around £50,000 or more

Bushwacked · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:18 AM »

SE-BMXer - what have been the biggest struggles you have faced getting your club up and running?

Who's Steve Jenks?

se-bmxer · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:28 AM »

Quote from: Bushwacked on December 03, 2008, 10:18 AM

SE-BMXer - what have been the biggest struggles you have faced getting your club up and running?

Who's Steve Jenks?

We have had no struggles yet, ours is just a waiting game for funding, luckly the old Hereford bmx track is still there so soil is not
an issue and we have planning permission which can be the kick in the butt. We now have our committee members and im a coach
so its all fell into place easily for us but thats because most of us on the committee are bmxers

Steve Jenks is an official BC track builder, he came and assessed the land we have and also drawn up plans for us