six day bicycle track racing

**guychampeau** · July-09-11, 08:43 AM

i just read that the first six day bicycle track race event was held in detroit in 1879...would any-one out there know where the velodrome was located??..thanks.,..

**gnome** · July-09-11, 06:26 PM

Did a quick look of Friend Palmer and Silas Farmer and couldn't find anything. However I do know that the Detroit Wheelmen were very active politically and socially from the 1890's to the 1920's. The 'good road' movement started with them and eventually morphed into AAA.

The Wheelmen's clubhous was on Grand Circus...east Adams and Witheral [[ ?) ... I think.

Sorry about the sketchy info, I know there are smarter folks here who would have better info.

lilpup · July-09-11, 06:58 PM

Did a search of the 1879 Free Press and didn't find any mention of a six day race. Do you have any more information? There was a small, short event at Recreation Park - five starters - 3/4 mile long, best two out of three heats. The distance was the same as the trotting horse races held that same day and there's no mention of a velodrome or separate track for the bicycles.

lilpup · July-09-11, 08:02 PM

Maybe this is it?

In April 1882 a young woman, Elsa Von Blumen, attempted to ride 1,000 miles [[virtually guaranteeing a minimum of 800 miles) in six days on a track built under the galleries in the [[old) Music Hall - 15 laps to a mile. Infield seating was provided for spectators. It's unclear if there was a race proposition from the start or if one arose during the event but after a couple of days another rider joined in with a purse of $100 offered by the promoter. This rider, a man named Robertson, was spotted some mileage due to his late start. Toward the end of the week a spectator interfered with Von Blumen, causing injury when she fell into a steam heat radiator. She had already been behind her planned pace but the fall quashed any chance of making the 1,000 miles. At the end time limit she finished with 850 miles and 3 laps. Counting the mileage he had been spotted Robertson finished with 863 miles and 3 laps. Robertson was "presented by his employers with $100" - sort of sounds like it was turned into a race after the start in order to stir public interest. The event was a financial disaster and some admirers held a benefit day of racing for Von Blumen at Recreation Park a few days later.

**guychampeau** · July-09-11, 09:15 PM

here is the link where i read about detroit and six day racing..

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/featu...d=2004/six-day

lilpup · July-09-11, 09:29 PM

I haven't found anything definitive yet for it being in Detroit but have seen advertisements for "bicycle tournaments" at Recreation Park. Chicago definitely had a six day in November 1879 at Exposition Hall.

It's possible most tracks out here weren't velodromes per se. They're often described as "cycle tracks" as compared to when some other sites are mentioned specifically as "velodromes."