Wed Dec 04 2024
Admin
Shop
Sponsors
Marketplace
Register
Login
Register
Login
Toggle navigation
Events
News
Features
Reviews
Shop
Cities
Trails
Update Trail Status
Rules of the Trail
Trail Conditions
Trails
Trail Finder
New
Update Trail Status
Rules of the Trail
Trail Conditions
Bike Shops
Resources
Community
Join
Benefits
Portals
Blog
Reviews
FAQ
Ride Reminders
BIKEIOWA 'In the Wild'
BIKEIOWA
Contact Us
About
Tags
New
Mobile
RSS
Sitemap
Logos
Packing List
BIKEIOWA Magazine
Biking in Iowa
Marketplace
Iowa Bicycle Tourism
Things to Do
Need a place to stay?
New to Town?
Iowa Seasons
About Iowa
RAGBRAI
Advocacy
Iowa Bicycle Coalition
Ride of Silence
Bicycle Laws
Complete Streets
Bicycle-Friendly Communities
Bicycle-Friendly Businesses
Bicycle-Friendly Universities
Commuting
Commuter Guide
Employer Guide
I Want To...
Create
Event
News
Trail Status Update
Recap/Results
Review
Find
Trail Maps
Bike Rentals
Volunteer Opportunities
Shop for BIKEIOWA Gear
Shop for Pogie Lites
Advertise
Become a Sponsor
Donate
Sponsors
Admin
Join
Tags
Sponsors
Marketplace
Detroit's "Mower Gang" reclaims a velodrome
Sun August 15 2010
Posted Aug 16, 2010
7,449
Detroit, MI Velodrome is 1st success for group of volunteers BY BRIAN KAUFMAN FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Walking through a maze of shrubbery, trees, tires, paint cans and logs the size of wheelbarrows, it was hard to imagine that people raced bicycles there. "I cannot believe that this has been abandoned in time," said Tom Nardone, founder of the Mower Gang. The small group of volunteers was standing on the Dorais Velodrome in northeast Detroit on Friday. The motto on their shirts said it all, "Winning Detroit's Other Turf War."
WATCH VIDEO
Nardone, looking for volunteer work that was fun, started the Mower Gang to revive unkempt public land in Detroit. This was the group's first project. The goal at the velodrome was simple: clean up the track at Outer Drive and Mound. But the task seemed daunting. Twenty-some years of abandonment had created a patchwork of flora that covered most of the concrete. With donated power tools, the team set to work under a relentless sun. Slowly but surely, the banked oval began to resemble its former self. More volunteers showed up, many meeting for the first time. Bicycles began to appear at the track's edge and scattered under infield trees. By late afternoon, the velodrome was silent as the Mower Gang reaped its reward. "I'm super impressed with what they've done in just a day," said Jon Hughes, owner of Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop. His grandfather helped build the velodrome in 1969 and it was the first track that he rode as a child. He remembers when it bore national and world champions. Now, with a smile on his face, Hughes was riding the oval once again. The track was ridable for the first time in years. Large cracks made it more suitable for mountain bikes than fine-tuned racing bikes, but this day was about celebrating a forgotten Detroit relic and encouraging public use. "It's really not about getting some 45-year-old guy a better place to ride his bike," said Nardone, reflecting on the Mower Gang's mission. "It's more about getting 10-, 12-, 13-year-old kids a better place to spend an afternoon." The group's next project: Aug. 28 at Riverside Park, at the foot of West Grand Boulevard.
Read More...
Source:
Author:
Posted By:
7,449
views
SHARE
Portals
Culture
Race
City
Trail
Tag
Velodrome
Event
Related Sponsors
Advertise Here
Comments
No comments have posted.
Loading…
Leave a Comment
You must be signed in to leave a comment.
Register
Login
Sponsors
More →