Coney Island Velodrome remembered at museum exhibit

A group dedicated to the preservation and continuance of New York City's bicycle culture is remembering the life and times of track racing in an exhibit entitled “Strong Backs, Weak Minds: The Saga of the Coney Island Velodrome.”

The exhibit put together by NY Bike Jumble features actual track bicycles from the period, as well as programs, tickets and photos, like the one at left autographed by a cyclist named Tom Duffin Jr.

The velodrome was the last commercial bike racing venue in New York City, opening in 1930. The 1/8th-mile track wooden track with 45-degree banked corners had seating for 10,000 people.

Says NY Bike Jumble founder and curator Harry Schwartzman,

“At one point, New York had multiple velodromes that drew ten of thousands of spectators. Cyclists today are not recent additions to the public consciousness, but are continuing a rich tradition within New York City's history.”

Built for track cycling, the arena also featured motor-paced cycling in which cyclists rode in the slipstream of a motorbikes traveling 50 mph or more. Promoters also held boxing matches at the track.

The year 1950 marked the final bicycle race at the park, and the arena was eventually torn down to make way for public housing in the mid-50s.

The exhibit will be held at the Old Stone House at 336 3rd St., Brooklyn. It opens at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 8, and will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays through June 30.