2012 Velopark

And another thing; I did have a very small part in the consultation for the design of the Velodrome. It was always designed to be a resource for all the branches of cycle sport and not to become BC's base in London.

One idea was that the park became the place for clubs to meet up before club runs and also that old Eastway events like the Tuesday Tens should return to their home. I think Lea Valley CC may even have dibs on Tuesday nights already!

@ Peter Carter,

I've come to this discussion fairly late and I probably don't know half as much as I could or should on the subject. So apologies if I sound like I'm telling anyone whose been involved in campaigning for better cycling infrastructure and amenities, how to suck eggs.

I did try to couch my previous post with lots of I assume's to make it clear that whatever I was posting had probably already been thought of and discussed at length before this thread was created.

But the man asked for thoughts so I gave them. Looking forward to seeing what plans are being made and how we as a forum can be involved.

I would like there to be an opportunity for things like the forum track days we had at Herne Hill, where people like myself who are too slow and rubbish to race at Herne Hill regularly and have too much going on in their lives to ever organise regular training nevertheless are not excluded, and get their day to race.

I am sort of worried that the pros and serious track riders will tie up the velodrome in a way that excludes the rest of us more casual enthusiasts.

Corny said "with the swelling of numbers at herne hill (which is a good thing) those who want to be slightly more committed need a place to ride...", but actually for me, with the limits on my free time and living where I do, it would be turning up at Herne Hill which requires the greater level of commitment. Lea Valley is round the corner and would be much easier to train at. I'd be far more likely to do it.

And I am sorry if I sounded like I was teaching egg sucking...

I think the debate on how the park and velodrome will be used is worth reviving. Michael , and what was the old Eastway Users Group , would welcome it.

Absoilutely agree with anyone who's on here to digest and think about ways to contribute to the debate. All comments are welcome, as long as you're prepared to actually do stuff before you just turn up and ride!
There's a lot of 'churn' in the people who are committed to cycle sport at any one time. This is totally normal and I would like to think I remember how it was my first time at Eastway with my then 8 or 9 year-old son, when my jaw dropped to discover such a stunning place that was so little known. I would want to have been heard then, if the circuit was to be demolished because that's where we learned the most about riding and the fun of all the different disciiplines.
The second that velodrome opens there will be lots more new people along and they all need to have a say in what could be put on for people to take part. There possibly should not be too much place for the 'way things were' because that wasn't always terribly successful or inclusive. (We're not all rose-tinted here...)
Organisers and promoters should have to fight their corner to be be the best, but if they are simply having to compete against things like corporate days, elite national squad block-outs or 'Etape intensive training' on track or road circuit, it's obvious they won't have the money.

• Hence the reason for ideas and dialogue now, same as ever was.
  
  

Couple more thoughts:-
Gravesend CycloPark's biggest earner is the StreetSkate area, then it's the BMX, then the road and MTB trails.- Largely inverse relation with the building costs.
In terms of revenues serving the capital assets, it's hard to see how you can make a £120m+ velodrome hit payback unless you work the public seating for all it's worth, which means a range of events in the schedule that will bring a degree of disruption to participatory sessions. The intention now is to keep the velodrome just for cycling events and to take the capital cost on the chin, but who's to know what could happen as finances later come under scrutiny?

I rode it on tuesday. It was good.

I rode it on Tuesday too. Then I woke up and had to work. Might ride it again tonight.

Quality info Plurien.
Good to have this depth of posting on a topic thanks.

Well if I have read this link correctly, the Velodrome is in the North Park and the North Park is due open: (click link)

http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/the-park/north-park/

If true this is good news indeed.

Not to piss on your cornflakes, but I think you might have got a bit jumbled...

The North Park will begin to reopen from late 2013, providing a valuable area of open green space for the neighbouring communities of Hackney Wick and Leytonstone. It will be a place for jogging, kickabouts, children’s play and family picnics.

Only 247 more days!

Yeaahhhh, right.

It's not exactly a hive of activity up there at the moment, and if it snows this winter you can add on even more time. I'm not being deliberately awkward about this, but it's clear to anyone with a pair of eyes and ears that there's little or no sense of urgency to get this up and open

Shame really. Glasgow's managed to get the Commonwealth venue up, running and hosting events in advance of the Games... All this faff with the park around the venues is going to be the thing that gets in the way of just getting out on a bike!

Dear potential VeloPark user

I am following up on the many meetings that have been held regarding the future use of the Lee Valley VeloPark once the legacy works are complete

As discussed, at this time we are looking for your ideas and requirements for any events corporate or sporting, so that we are able to put together a reasonably accurate calendar for the first months of opening of the VeloPark next January

If not already done so then If you would care to visit our webpage www.visitleevalley.org.uk/velopark and complete any one of the various forms there this will help with our planning.

We are not particularly looking for any firm commitment at the moment however the more information we can collate the better our understanding will be of what our potential clients will be looking for. If you have specific events/ideas or dates then please do indicate this

In the next few weeks we will be sifting through the many hundreds of communications we have had, after which Lee Valley will be in touch with those who have submitted their requirements again

If you have already submitted a form or have had specific discussions with me then please file this email in your “recycle bin” !!!!

.

.

better

Too late, dicki. :)

A quote from the Lee Valley Website

http://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/london2012/velo-park/

The 6,000 seat Velodrome: world records broken, seven of 10 medals won by Team GB at the London 2012 Games, award winning for its architecture, designed for the very highest level of international cycling competition and from early 2014, open for cyclists of all abilities to enjoy. Track cycling has never been the easiest sport to simply ‘try your hand at’, but at the Velodrome, taster courses will mean that everyone can have a go. Who knows, you could be ‘discovered’ by the Velodrome’s resident talent scouts!
[B][/B]
So now we know why it is taking them so long to open to the public. Having stripped out the Olympic element, they are constructing social housing for the newly created posts of resident talent scouts.

But there is hope. The above LV statement does say, *'and from early 2014, open for cyclists of all abilities to enjoy.' *

Being of a somewhat egostitical and eliteist dispostion, I read this as 'cyclists who have never ridden a steeply banked track will have to wait until the official opening, early 2014, though we will be inviting experienced cyclists to use the velodrome as part of our soft landings approach to opening the facility to the public, this avoiding the debacle that occured when the White Water Centre opened to the public and we were overwhelmed.
[URL="http://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/london2012/velo-park/"][/URL]

It's going to be nuts beyond nuts, we know that for sure.
Highlights the importance of getting the right people to run the place.

I'm not quite sure if the 'talent scouts' bit is a little joke or not! You don't need talent scouts, you need experienced and knowledgeable coaches and staff who can safely run a very busy venue and give every rider a great experience at the best velodrome in the world.

Being of a somewhat egostitical and eliteist dispostion, I read this as 'cyclists who have never ridden a steeply banked track will have to wait until the official opening, early 2014, though we will be inviting experienced cyclists to use the velodrome as part of our soft landings approach to opening the facility to the public, this avoiding the debacle that occured when the White Water Centre opened to the public and we were overwhelmed.

I was speaking to a nice lady from the Lea Valley Development Agency at a dinner before Christmas about the VeloPark. I think your interpretation may not necessarily be correct. Wish it was though - can't wait to have a go.

UNOFFICIAL sources from a friend working in the park say that the north side including the velodrome is now expected to open in june/july this year. too good to be true? has anyone heard anything?

Part of the north park will be open in summer along with the copper box (multi purpose sports).

Velodrome scheduled for Dec 2013.

Jan 14 actually.

read that in westfield yesterday summer opening for the north park and 2014 opening for the rest / south section

As you've probably seen, the Velopark will be opening 4th March 2013.

So, will there be a winter track league?

Yes, there will.