Cycle speedway
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Cycle speedway is a form of bicycle racing which takes place on short oval outdoor dirt tracks, typically around 70-90 metres in length. Like motorcycle speedway, riders use machines without brakes or gears but, unlike motor speedway, the object is NOT to slide their bikes round the turns.
Cycle speedway is normally an individual, pairs or a team sport. Each race is usually contested by up to four riders, and a match normally consists of between 8 and 24 races. Points are awarded for placings in each race. A race day fixture might take in up to two, three or more matches. In a team event, the winning team will be the one with the highest total at the end of the match.
Races involve up to four riders racing anti-clockwise round four laps of the track, the winner being the first one across the line. The number of laps in a race can be adjusted with, for instance, under-10's competing over three laps. Each rider uses a light-weight single-speed bicycle (equipped with a freewheel mechanism, and usually based around a stripped-down mountain bike frame), and riders usually slide their left, 'inside' foot along the track as they race round the turns. Physical contact is both legal and often necessary; clothing will usually cover the whole body from the neck down, with padding for knees, elbows and hips; helmets are also required.
Despite the contact nature of the sport, serious injuries are very rare, leading to a very exciting, physically demanding and yet relatively safe off-road cycle sport.
Countries who are actively affiliated to the International Cycle Speedway Federation include England, Scotland, Wales, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands and the United States, although cycle speedway is known to exist in Sweden, Ukraine and Russia. Riders from other countries including Austria, Germany and even Malta have been known to try their hand at cycle speedway with Ireland now regularly represented at full international level.
In the United Kingdom, cycle speedway emerged during the early post-World War II years when motorcycle speedway was also enjoying a boom. In 1971 the British Cycle Speedway Council was founded as its governing body. Today the sport is managed and administered by British Cycling, the governing body for all cycle sport in the UK. A management committee, known as the Cycle Speedway Commission, advises on discipline-specific racing rules and competitions. All cycle speedway riders and referees are required to be members of British Cycling.
UK competitions are run annually, world championships biannually, alternating with the European championships. There are approximately 40 clubs in the UK.
References
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