track has died, track has risen, track will come again: Fyxomatosis' introspect, my input.

"With the insane increase in popularity of 'fixed' wheel bikes you'd think there would be a proportionate increase in the popularity of its origins. Take a look at the bikes showcased at the NAHBS and it would seem that every other bike is a track bike or 'fixy' inspired."

"All the momentum of interest in 'track' bikes is not being harnessed.  The saddest part is with all the squawbling, track cycling is the only loser. 

The dismal Austral crowd this year should be all the evidence needed. 

People tell me about the days of the outdoor track at Northcote on the same spot, packed stadium watching Neiwand, Pate duel for line honours.  The first year it was held at Vodafone it was a sellout.  You could not buy tickets.

This tells me that the interest in track racing as a spectacle is NOT DEAD.  

Australia has a WORLD ROAD CYCLING CHAMPION, numerous WORLD TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONS, WORLD GRAVITY BIKE CHAMPION, a good chunk of the European Pro Tour are Australians, so why aren't people attending?

The local newspapers are crammed 5 pages deep EVERY DAY with nonsense about football/cricket and most of it isn't event about the game!  It's about who they assaulted while drunk, slept with, or drugs used on and off the field with no recourse. 

Cycling is lucky to get a blip or byline. 

Why?"

i feel what he's saying. if you can recall, the london olympics of 2012 will cut some track cycling events. this makes no sense to me- there has been an ongoing emergence of interest in track bikes since the beijing olympics. that was 2008. since then every bike company has been pumping out fixed gears. yeah sure, alot of people lately have been going into the fixed freestyle segment but i guarantee more people will be watching track cycling because of the emergence of interest since 08.

i know that hellyer, the track in san jose has seen a great interest in track cycling. san jose has seen a sharp spike in interest at hellyer, and even in the track cycling community. on any given race night, high caliber racers, seasoned boulevard bombers, fixed freestyle buts, fixie N00bZ, and even just spectators are either in the stands or on the track. it's fucking beautiful. hellyer even sometimes lets the casual joe schmo onto the track (well they do it to the san jose fixed heads who show support). the community is growing, it's undeniable. but that's just one city.

track cycling is growing, but why is there an overbearing feeling of track cycling is dying? makes no sense to me. there still is a great interest in fixed gear bikes, even track bikes, and it's still growing rapidly. but when you cut off things that are of interest, of course less and less people will show that interest. i hope that through the year, the higher-ups will wise up to this and bring shit back.

comment up, i'd like to see how you people feel about the pseudo-lack of interest.

jmik