Cycling sports facilities - design guide - Sport England · PDF fileCycling Sports Facilities 2 Cycle racing tracks and velodromes The provision of a new track, or the refurbishment

Cycle Sports Facilities – Design Guide

Facilities

Guidance Note

Cycling 06:10:03 17:58 Page i

Cycling Sports Facilities

Contents

Introduction 1

Cycle racing tracks and velodromes 2

Closed road racing circuits 18

BMX race tracks 22

Cycle speedway tracks 31

Mountain bike courses and trails 36

Cyclo-cross circuits 39

Grass tracks 45

Road racing and time trials 47

School facilities 48

Multi-use facilities 51

Cycle sport for disabled people 56

Appendix A – Health and safety 57

Authors 62

Useful addresses 63

References 64

Acknowledgements

Sport England and British Cycling would like to thank the followingcontributors to this design guide:

Ron Webb of R V Webb Consultants for the section Cycle Racing Tracksand Velodromes

Bob Howden and Don Wiseman for their contributions to Closed RoadRacing Circuits

Peter Elmy and Keith Brookes of Colchester Stars Cycle SpeedwayNick Day of Colchester Borough Council and David Hemsley for theircontributions to Cycle Speedway Tracks

Andy Ballentyne and Mark Burchett for their contributions to Grass Tracks

Ron Akass for his contribution to Health and Safety

This guidance is supported by:

Cycling 06:10:03 17:58 Page ii


1

Introduction

This design guide covers the design andplanning of facil i t ies for all the cyclingdisciplines embraced by British Cycling. Thefacilities cater for all levels of participation andinclude the following:

● cycle racing tracks and velodromes

● closed road racing circuits

● BMX race tracks

● cycle speedway tracks

● mountain bike courses and trails

● cyclo-cross circuits

● grass tracks

● road racing and time trials

● school facilities

● multi-use facilities

● cycle sport for disabled people.

While there will always be a need for access to roads and rights of way, purpose-builtfacilities will be of increasing importance inthe development of cycling.

The purpose of this guidance is to provide an introduction to the design and planningrequirements for each type of facility, however itis not a comprehensive manual of constructionspecifications. Any individual or organisationseeking to develop any of the facilities includedin this guidance will need to employ specialistswith experience in the design and constructionof cycling facilities.

If you are considering the provision of a newcycling facility, you are advised to consult thefacility officer at British Cycling at the earlieststage for advice on the type of facility required.You should also hold early consultations withthe appropriate regional office of Sport England(see Useful Addresses).

This design guide complements the earlierFacilities Strategy for Cycle Sport in Englandproduced in 1999 by the then British CyclingFederation (BCF) and Sport England. Thestrategy aims to provide a comprehensiveframework for the development of facilities forcycling in England at national, regional andlocal levels. The strategy is concerned withensuring that the right facilities are provided inthe right place at the right time.

Cycling 06:10:03 17:58 Page 1


2

Cycle racing tracks and velodromes

The provision of a new track, or the refurbishmentof an existing one, will normally be motivated bylocal cycle racing clubs intent on furthering the standards of the sport and the developmento f youth ta len t towards na t iona l andinternational competition.

A purpose-built track can also benefit usergroups not currently involved in organised cycling.A project to enable schools to adopt trackcycling as an optional sport would involve countyor borough education departments, which couldbe of value to the community and augur well forthe future of the venue.

Youth and adult leisure schemes are possibleadded activities. Persuading leisure cyclists toexchange public roads for a dedicated cyclingvenue is a forward step. Riding a bicycle on apublic byway is an intimidating experience andthe hardy few that persist are only a smallpercentage of the number of people in the UKwho own a bicycle.

Therefore, when deciding on a track buildingproject, it may be necessary to consider notonly the specification of the cycle racing track,but other community leisure pursuits that couldbe incorporated in the scheme. Cycle trackscome in several sizes and there is flexibility toinclude local needs within the central arenaarea. Local authorities should consult British

Cycling on the best specification for theirparticular area. The project in your area couldbe an important part of the overall facilitiesscheme being developed by Sport England.

This document is intended as a guide for local authorities when initially considering theconstruction or refurbishment of a cycle track.The types of track and the variation of sizes areaddressed on the following pages.

New tracks

● Cycle tracks can be built indoors or outdoorsin a variety of materials and in differentsizes.

● New tracks are now constructed based onthe metric distance of cycling events:

250m track is 4 laps = 1km

333.333m track is 3 laps = 1km

500m track is 2 laps = 1km

● Smaller tracks are used for indoor trainingfacilities and in multi-purpose stadiums tostage annual spectacular professional Six-Day Race promotions.

● The popular sizes for small tracks are166.666m (6 laps = 1km) and 200m (5 laps =1km). For world championships andOlympic Games, the smallest acceptabletrack is 250m. At national cycling centreswhere elite representative teams aretrained, tracks should ideally be 250m.

Young track cyclists – Herne Hill, London

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 2


3

Existing tracks

There are many 400m tracks in existencearound the world and quarter-mile tracks, whichwere once an accepted standard, can be foundin the UK. Such tracks originate from timeswhen sport was less concerned with worldstandards and town councils tended to build acycle track around a football pitch.

Changing attitudes have seen sports develop amore elitist approach to their needs. We alsonow accept that certain sports are not suitableto share venues. However, British Cyclingappreciates that some quarter-mile – and largertracks – can still play an important role in thedevelopment of the sport’s grassroots and can cater for the increase in leisure cycling.Where certain older tracks are marked forredevelopment some changes to the geometryin order to conform to metric distances mightsuit the identified user groups.

A local authority may need to make a decisionon the refurbishment of an existing track. Thetrack may be situated in an area that is nolonger ideal for its intended use, or the land mayhave more important considerations for townand country planning. In other cases, therefurbishment of the existing track may requirecomplex and expensive engineering solutions.In such situations it may be a preferred optionto consult with cycle clubs and British Cyclingwith a view to building a new track of moderndesign on another site.

A local authority may consider that an existingcycling facility has not been well used in recenttimes due to the condition of the venue and theamenities. Ongoing dialogue between theauthority and user groups is essential. It is inthe interests of the authority that the venue isused more often and it is in the cycling clubs’interests to attract more leisure activities to thetrack. Leisure cyclists may, in time, becomeactive club cyclists.

The National Cycling Centre, Manchester

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 3


4

Indoor tracks

Velodromes, such as the Manchester NationalCycling Centre, house a track built with a timbersurface decking, usually Siberian pine, supportedby a timber understructure. Indoor tracks built tohost a world championship will be either 250mor 333.333m. It is now considered the norm tobuild 250m tracks.

The popularity of the 250m track stems fromthe fact that racing on it is more spectacularthan on the larger 333.333m track. The designoffers better racing lines for cyclists, andspectators feel they are closer to the action onthe smaller size track.

The 250m track is the better of the two optionsto build indoors. The overriding advantage ofthe smaller track is the lower cost of the buildingto house it and the spectator accommodation.

The velodrome building to house a 250m trackwill require a free span structure of 120m. Theheight of the building will preclude most urban sites.

To gain a perspective of the cost of building avelodrome such as the National Cycling Centreor the Sydney Olympic Velodrome, it is soberingto note that the cost of the 250m timber cycletrack – the visual centrepiece of the stadium – canbe less than 2% of the total cost of the facility.

A 333.333m track requires a much largerbuilding footprint and span. To achieve this, theoverall volume of the building increases out ofall proportion to the increase in the size of thetrack. Funding a velodrome with a 333.333mtrack is prohibitive.

The National Cycling Centre is a showcase forinternational cycling events in Britain. It isunlikely that another velodrome of this size andcost will be built again in the UK unless a Britishcity is in a position to bid for an Olympic Games.

There is, however, a need for several indoorcycle tracks to be built as training facilities. Theprice of these venues can be kept to a minimumwith a cost-effective building shell providing asmall volume of spectator/educational trackside

The Superdome, Adelaide

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 4


5

seating for up to 500 persons. Simple, provenbuilding designs are available. For the nationalelite training plan, a 250m track is desirable.

Where space is limited or a high-profile buildingis unacceptable to local planning authorities,thereby jeopardising a project in an area ofstated importance to British Cycling, then a200m track is a good compromise for generaltraining and racing. The geometry of the designcan be developed to accommodate the desiredtraining programme without any great adjustmentto the cyclist’s orientation.

In the UK climate, indoor tracks are needed forthe training of elite national cyclists, but theyare also essential to provide all-year-roundactivity. Schools will be encouraged to placetrack cycling on the list of recognised schoolsports, but year-round availability of the venuemust be guaranteed.

Tracks can be smaller and fill an important rolein activity centres. At the Calshot ActivitiesCentre in Hampshire, a track is situated in therestricted area of half an aircraft hangar. The

timber track is 142.857m or 7 laps = 1km. Thetrack is part of Hampshire County Council’seducational and leisure facility, providing sportsfacilities for up to 200 school children per weekplus evening and weekend adult cycling.

A disused airfield hangar or similar shell may besuitable for a training/competition track of 166.666m.

Lighting

An ideal solution for both lighting and PAsystems is a rectangular catwalk suspendedfrom the roof structure. Of simple box designwith handrails at 1200mm and mesh sides, thecatwalk should follow the length of the trackstraights, directly over the inner arena edge ofthe safety zone, this being about 3.5m from thetrack edge. The short sides of the rectangularcatwalk will then be well inside the semi-circularends of the arena. Though these sides aredistanced from the track edge of the curves, thelighting value on the track surface will be similarto that above the straights due to the banking ofthe curves reflecting light and by directionaladjustment of the lamps.

Calshot Activities Centre, Hampshire

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 5


6

Indoor track construction, Sydney Olympic track

Construction detail, National Cycling Centre, Manchester

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 6


7

The lights are directed at the blue track line, atmidway on the width of the track surface. Thelights should be positioned about 8–10m apartto ensure an even spread of the light value onthe track. The direction of light fittings andspeakers can be fine tuned and repositioned forvarious arena spor ts and functions by oneperson, even during track use.

This structure is a far better solution than anoval ring of lights above the track, which willrequire the use of a cherry-picker vehicle tochange a light fitting.

Surface light values for an indoor track are 300lux for training or general activity and 600 lux forracing events. A cut-in emergency lightingpattern, battery powered, of 150 lux is anecessity. Should television lighting be required,extra lighting can be added to the catwalk tobring the surface light value to 1200 lux. Thegoal is to illuminate the track for the cyclistswithout throwing shadows, a dangerousdistraction when riders are in bunched races.

The catwalk should be about 12–14m above thearena floor.

Semi-roofed tracks

Tracks can be built with a roof that extends overthe spectator accommodation and at least 5mpast the inner perimeter of the track safetyzone. These velodromes afford protection fromnormal rainy weather and could possibly beused for all-year training and a schools activityprogramme.

In some countries existing concrete tracks havebeen semi-covered to ensure regular cyclinguse. If a semi-covered stadium were built withthe track made of timber, the track surfacewould need to be hardwood.

The stadium is cer tainly still open to theelements. Wind-driven rain may reach parts ofthe inner track surface and, in winter, extremecold may deter cyclists from serious training.

If you have limited funding, a semi-coveredvelodrome is a compromise solution. Theargument against semi-covered tracks is the

cost of the engineering solution. Structures arecantilevered or have building trusses supportedby masts in the central arena. Experience hasshown that in most cases it would have beenbetter to go the whole way and roof the entirestadium. If a decision to roof the centralopening is made at a later date the engineersmay be compromised by the original design.

Despite the extra funding required, a completeroof cover offers the valuable bonus of a usablecentral arena area and the venue becomes amulti-purpose stadium.

Lighting

Light fittings and PA speakers would bepositioned under the cantilevered roof abovethe track safety zone. Lighting in the curveswould not be as intense as the value over thestraights, thereby avoiding pools of light.

Outdoor tracks

In order to maintain TV coverage in all weatherconditions the Union Cycliste Internationale(UCI), the controlling body of world cycling,prefers world championships to be allocated tobidders with covered velodromes. If a trackworld championship is awarded to an outdoortrack in the future, it will surely be in sunnyclimes.

Semi-covered track, Cottbus, Germany

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 7


8

Outdoor tracks may be used for other importantevents, such as World Cup, Grand Prix andjunior world championships. The minimum sizeof 250m still applies though there is no maximumsize for an outdoor track. The maximum inpractical terms is 500m.

An advantage of an outdoor cycling stadium is that after the track, terracing and basicamenities are in place, further infrastructuremay progress as funding becomes available.Should an important event be planned in theearly days of the stadium, temporary seatingand equipment storage can be hired for thepromotion. Landscaping can also be developedin the long-term plan. There are not thedemands on an outdoor cycling facility to be aninstant reality. On the other hand, an indoorfacility must be funded and complete when thedoors open.

Building materials

Three types of cycle track are built outdoors:

● timber

● concrete

● asphalt.

Timber tracks

These tracks are very appealing to racingcyclists as the timber surface produces veryfast racing speeds. The timber profiles of theprefabricated understructure ensure that theshape of the finished track is true. If the originalcomputer-aided design is precise, then thefinished track will be perfect.

However, an outdoor timber track does havedistinct disadvantages:

● A timber track using proven suitable woodwill have surface timber of either afzeliafrom West Africa or merbau from Borneo orthe Malaysian peninsula. Afzelia has beenused on many tracks and is a very densetimber resistant to moisture absorption.Afzelia has the disadvantage of varyinggrain lines, which can result in a length oflath containing both long and short grain. Insuch cases the wood is prone to splitting,with the lath breaking at the short grain.Merbau is of similar weight and density toafzelia. The laths are far more likely to havecontinuous long grain. Merbau is easier towork with, easier to obtain and lessexpensive than afzelia.

● Building a hardwood track is hard work. Thewood must be drilled before nailing and thetimber laths are difficult to bend and twist tofollow the form of the track transitions.Constructing timber track Taichung, Taiwan

A completed timber track Wanganui, New Zealand

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 8


9

● The managers of venues with hardwoodtimber tracks will find them expensive tomaintain and in constant need of repairs tosurface defects. Local authoritiesconsidering requests to construct outdoortimber tracks would be wise to inspect anexisting venue that has been in use for fiveyears or more and to obtain annualmaintenance costs.

● Outdoor timber tracks have an outstandingappearance when in good condition andproduce record times, but are not cost-effective in the long term.

Concrete tracks

In Britain, concrete is a common locally sourcedbuilding material, and its qualities and uses arestock-in-trade to British civil engineers. It islogical that, given specialist track design advice,local construction companies employingexperienced workers can build a cycle track.

A concrete track will be relatively maintenance-free and should have a lifespan of many years.Many concrete tracks around the world havebeen in constant use for 50 years or more.

In the past, many building companies have beenreluctant to undertake laying concrete anglesup to 45º in the curves of a 250m track or 38ºfor a 333.333m track. It is, after all, an unusualcontract to be offered.

The concrete surface is constructed by layingslabs in a ‘hit and miss’ pattern around theshape of the track. A practical slab size is8x8m. The screed cannot be finished from topto bottom of the bay. The curved shape of thebays demands screeding horizontally. All jointsare vertically cut and there are no longitudinalproduction joins. The angle of the track in thebanked curves restricts the concrete mixspecification to 40mm slump. This mix cannotbe easily pumped. Dumping, vibrating, levelling

Athens Olympic track – will be roofed for the 2004 Games

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 9


10

1 Compacted and levelled 2 Low slump concrete

3 Slab poured, tamped, vibrated and finished inone continuous operation

4 Horizontal screed and finish

5 Alternative bay construction 6 Surface finished and fence posts positioned

Concrete track: Stages of construction

Cycling 06:10:03 17:59 Page 10


11

and finishing of the 8m-wide bay must becompleted in one pour. To facilitate the trowelfinishing of the slab, the workers are supportedon a movable cradle across the track width.Tolerance on the finished slab is +/- 3mm.

A concrete surface is suitable for cycling butdoes absorb rainwater, thus preventing use untilsome time after the rain has stopped. If fundingis available, a 7mm topping of an epoxy-resinmix containing ver y smal l aggregate isrecommended. The material is trowelled ontothe finished concrete. This surface is imperviousto water, allowing racing or training to commenceimmediately after rain has stopped. The surfaceis also super-fast. Several record-breakingtracks in Europe have this surface and theHerne Hill track in London is an example.

The quality and success of the finished trackwill depend on the standard of the concreteworks and, in par ticular, the skill of thetradespeople doing the final finishing work. Therequired tolerances are essential for a goodtrack. The building work will require constantquality control at all stages.

Where construction budgets are restricted,project engineers may consider the advantagesoffered by fibre-reinforced concrete. The savingsin steel reinforcing mesh, transportation and thelabour content of the preparation present astrong argument for this material. The strengthof the fibre concrete lends itself to the twistingshape of the slab in the transitions of a bankedtrack. Care must be taken, however, that thefinished surface is ‘hairless’.

Lighting

An oval pattern of masts around the outerperimeter is a proven and cost-effective way toilluminate the surface of a cycle track. Themasts should be about 10m apart and, forsafety reasons, positioned approximately 1maway from the track fence. An arm of about1.5m in length reaches to just past the trackfence. Two lamps can be fixed to the end of thearm at angles to enhance the spread of light.The even spread on the surface is achieved bythe illumination from one lamp overlapping thelight from the lamp on the neighbouring mast.

The task is to illuminate with an even spreadover the 7m-wide surface of the track withoutdefinite pools of light.

The materials for the lighting system are readilyavailable. Masts, lamps and cables can bestandard street lighting fittings. The height ofthe masts should be about 6m. Cables for thelights can be run under the concrete patharound the outer perimeter fence.

Asphalt tracks

Asphalt surfaces are not recommended forbanked tracks of 250m or 333.333m andauthorities building a new, larger track shouldconsider other options.

Britain has many asphalt tracks built around afootball pitch or athletics track. These verylarge, flat tracks of 450 or 500 yards haveprovided British cyclists with great service forgenerations. It is important that the more valuedof these are refurbished and maintained inserviceable condition. It is appreciated that notall areas need or wish to build a modern trackfor national-level competition.

Renewing asphalt on a very large, flat trackdoes not present difficulties. Continuous rollingof new asphalt with a heavy road roller will –

Club cyclists in action on the asphalt HarveyHadden Track at Nottingham

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 11


12

providing there is no serious damage to thebase foundation – bring the track back to itsoriginal condition.

Asphalt is an ideal material for road surfacesbut demands continuous kneading to ensureflexibility and durability. On a roadway, dailytraffic provides the kneading process. Cycleracing tyres, as narrow as 20mm and pumpedto 120psi, cannot simulate this effect

Banked cycle tracks are not the idealenvironment for slow, heavy road rollers. On abanking angle of just 15º they would hardlywind up, even rocket assisted, to the centrifugalforce necessary to maintain friction and evendistribution of weight. It is logical that the fullweight of the machine will gravitate towards theinside edge of the rollers. Heavy rolling tocompact the asphalt is not possible. On someexisting tracks, it is probable that the job wasdone using light rollers or even by teams ofworkers pulling rollers up and down the banked

tracks. The effect can never be the same asheavy rolling.

A lack of heavy rolling is probably a majorcause of surfaces bulging or splitting. Frostdamage is an added hazard with asphalt.

Where a large track is well used and maintainedand of value to the community, refurbishment isa sound idea. However, for those tracks wherethe curves are banked and unsuccessfulattempts have already been made to resurfacethe track, it is probably advisable to consider aconcrete surface. If the venue has been inplace for many years and the basic foundationis well settled and compact, there may be noneed to demolish the old track. A bed of lean-mix concrete to a reasonable depth can becompacted onto the old track, before constructingthe concrete slabs over the lean-mix. Theredesign could also develop more suitablegeometry and the opportunity to reshape thebankings in the curves.

The asphalt track at Reading is a valuable asset for the grass roots of the sport

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 12


13

Completing the track project

Track fence

A track used for the highest standard ofcompetition must have a fully enclosed perimeterfence 750mm high. A continuous steel safetyrail on brackets will be fixed 250mm above thefence. The total height of 1m is measured fromthe top of the track surface at the fence. Thismeasurement will be constant around the fullcircumference of the track. This height isconsidered practical to help prevent a cyclistwho crashes into the fence from toppling over it.

On the public side of the fence the concoursewill be slightly lower than the level of the top of the track surface to conform to heightrequirements for a standing person behind abarrier. This can be 1100mm but may be higherfor some local authorities. A well-designedstadium would provide terracing to accommodateseated spectators. A recommended step for theterraces is 500mm and these steps rise as thetransitions of the cycle track rise. The depth ofthe terrace ‘going’ would be 800–1000mm,according to the number of seats planned andthe type of seating used.

On a track for regional events, school groupsand leisure activities, a cheaper alternative is afence clad with tongue and groove timberboarding on the trackside only, with a cappingand a supported steel rail.

On a track with no greater ambition than toprovide for cycle clubs and local communityactivities, the fence could be a tubular steelframe with plastic-covered fine mesh chainlinkfencing. It is advisable to fabricate a secondcontinuous rail at the top of the chainlink fencewithout any obstructions that might injure hands or arms. Along the bottom of the fence,trackside, there must be a well-designed andfitted kickboard to a height of at least 250mm.

Safety run-off

Where track surface and the slow run meet atthe bottom of the track, a curved run-off mustjoin the two different angles. The width of thisstrip on a concrete track should be 1m. This

Concrete safety fence, Cardiff

Enclosed timber fence and track lines at Herne Hill,London

Mesh covered fence at Gosling Stadium, WelwynGarden City

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 13


14

strip must be poured and finished at the sametime as the main slab with no horizontalconstruction joint.

Safety zone

There should be a sealed zone, minimum 3.5mwide, around the inside of the track. This zoneis a safe riding area for cyclists, and a pathwhere school pupils, or other first-time cyclists,can learn the skills of riding a cycle with fixedwheel gearing. If the central arena is grass, thisbuffer safety zone will ensure that use of thetrack is not restricted in wet weather by muddyconditions in the central area.

Perimeter concourse

A sealed path around the top of the trackperimeter, outside the track fence, should be aminimum of 1.5m wide and follow the contoursof the track profile. This path will provide awalkway for spectators and prevent rainwaterfiltering under the track surface. For a concretetrack, the strip is an essential building aid duringthe construction of the concrete track slabs.

Amenities

Cycling stadiums follow the normal guidelinesfor sport and leisure facilities. A suggestion isoffered here that changing, lockers, showersand toilets should be planned in module form. Ifunits are designed for up to 10 persons, thenumber of units can reflect the forecast volumeof competitors using the stadium. The advantageof the modular format is that the number ofunits open for use can change to meet male/female needs on each occasion. During trainingsessions, units that are not required can belocked. This imposed discipline reduces cleaningduties. Two rooms should be planned formassage and a limited gymnasium would begood for cyclists, and a possible attraction fornon-cyclist users of the facility.

Bicycle storage

Storage space will be required. If cycles are tobe left at the stadium by club cyclists, thestorage must be secure. If the track is of timberconstruction, space can be allocated under thecurves of the track, using ply sheeting to coverthe underside of the track trusses. For concrete

or asphalt tracks, storage should be a detailwithin the planning. A cost-effective idea foroutdoor stadiums is the use of steel shippingcontainers bought from the trade disposal marketand painted to blend with the background.

Car parking

Local planning authorities have specific car parkingstandards and these vary between authorities.

A regional facility is likely to require spaces forat least 50 cars while a stadium of nationalimportance will need in excess of 100. Parkingand turning space for coaches will also berequired. Consideration should also be given tothe occasional need for overflow car parking forspecial events. More details can be found in theGuidance Note Car Park and Landscape Design(see References section).

Track markings

UCI regulations for marking tracks used forinternational competition

Track records are only recognised if all UCIregulations for record attempts are compliedwith, including those for track markings as detailedin Table 1.

Paint: Best quality emulsion paint. Do not useoil-based paint.

Colours: Common sense will prevail on asphaltor dark grey hardwood tracks. In these cases itis suggested that white replaces black, yellowreplaces red and light blue is used instead ofmid-blue.

Track area required

Figure 1 on page 16 illustrates a typical cross-section for a concrete track. Figure 2 on page 17shows the shape and the area required for atypical outdoor concrete track with a circumferenceof 333.333m.

This size track, 3 laps = 1km, is recommendedas a good solution to the need for generalcycling activities from beginner to elite level,and provides a central arena area to accommodatea wide variety of sports. This venue would bemulti-purpose.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 14


15

Track marking Colour Position

Setting out line The base line used during track construction

Track run-off zone Light blue Area below setting out line.Outdoors: width 1m

Data line Black 200mm above the setting out line

Sprinter line Red 900mm above the setting out line

Stayer line Mid-blue 2500mm above the setting out line

All Black, red and blue Black, red and blue lines are 50mm wide and painted on the full circumference of the track.The exact distance to measure track lines from the setting out line is:• to the bottom edge of the black line• to the top edge of the red line• to the top edge of the mid-blue line.

Finish line Background: white 7m or the full track widthpanel 7mx720mm

Centre line Black Width: 40mm

200m line Black Width:40mm 7m or full width of the track vertical from the 200m measurement

Pursuit lines 3.5m vertical from mid-point of the straights on the track axis; two lines

Distance marks Black 10m marks measured along the bottom of the data line:Width: 30mm centred on each 10m markLength: 200mm (joining the black line to the blue safety run-off zone)

Distance marks Black 5m marks measured along the bottom of the data line:Form: a black square 30x30mm centred oneach 5m mark

Track numbers Black Position: to the right side of each 10m mark lineHeight: commercially available stencils of180mm or 150mm

Table 1 UCI regulations for international level track markings

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 15


16

Figure 1 Section through track

Herne Hill Stadium, London

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 16


17

Concourse circumference 436mTrack circumference 333.333mTrack perimeter 373.5mTrack width 7mHighest angle 28ºLowest angle 5.5º

Figure 2 Velodrome cycle track

A 250m track would be ideal for dedicatedcycling use with a reduced central arena areacapable of accommodating a variety of sports.

Track (m) Length (m) Width (m)

250 116 78

333.333 138 97

400 181 104

The ground area required to build a track only,with a concourse 5m wide around the track butnot including seating or amenities, would be:

Table 2 Track dimensions

A 400m track should only be contemplatedwhere there is a requirement for a grass centralarea for hockey or football.

Where the need is to refurbish an existingquarter-mile track, consultation should takeplace to adjust the geometry to the dimensionsof a 400m track.

Author of section on velodromes:© Ron Webb – R V Webb Consultants(see Useful Contacts)

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 17


18

Closed road racing circuits

Closed road racing circuits serve two mainfunctions, both of which are complementary tothe development of international road racing:

● a means of training by competition insurroundings not affected by other roadusers – this is particularly important forunder-16s whose road racing is confined toclosed circuits

● a form of road racing that will attract thepublic, thus making it a spectator sport.

In many areas, circuits already exist in parksand recreation grounds or could easily beextended to provide a completed circuit. Fornew recreation complexes, consideration shouldbe given at the design stage to the constructionof access roads so that these complexes canbe used for closed road circuits.

Layout and dimensions

Small circuits at multi-use sites should be at least0.5km in circumference. These are suitable forintroducing newcomers to cycling and for basictraining (Stage 1 activities in British Cycling’sProgression Pathway).

Closed road circuits of at least 1km circumferencewill be suitable for most local and regional levelactivity, although 3–5km circuits are necessaryfor regional and national competitions. A circuitwidth of 6–8m is recommended. If the nature ofthe circuit restricts the width, a minimum widthof 5m will be acceptable. The finish area widthmust be 7–8m. Closed road circuits will be usedfor races similar to those on open roads andshould therefore simulate this if possible withhills and bends.

Site investigation

The opportunity to develop a closed road circuitwill often arise as par t of a regenerationprogramme, therefore the chosen site may wellbe classed as ‘brownfield’ with formation levelsconsisting of significant measures of landfillmaterial. It is essential that the characteristicsof the site be investigated to determine suitabilityfor use and the optimum construction methods.

A site investigation process should be undertakenby a specialist company to determine the following:

● presence or otherwise of hazardousmaterials

● evidence of insufficient compaction in fillmaterials

● water table level and ability to drain naturally

● allowable ground-bearing capacity to enabledesign of road construction.

Road design

In all probability the circuit will only be used bycycles, race vehicles, emergency vehicles andthose vehicles associated with site maintenance.Failures in paving layers tend to stem fromunplanned use by vehicles that were notoriginally intended to be there. Take such useinto account at the design stage if it cannot beprevented with physical barriers.

The best design solution incorporates a standard250x125mm kerb laid on its side to form theroad edge. The paved edge should be laid witha surface falling towards the verge, assumingthe verge is grassed. The inclusion of a positivedrainage system such as plastic pipe drains atthe edge of the circuit will assist in dispersingsurface water. This type of approach was usedfor the construction of the circuits at Eastwayand Hillingdon.

A cheaper solution would exclude the roadkerbs and positive drainage. However, this could

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 18


19

lead to roads that deteriorate quickly and needfrequent edge maintenance.

If the ground is likely to drain poorly, it will benecessary to consider a verge drainage solution,and a number are available. In the French drainmethod, a trench fill consisting of single-sizeshingle/gravel wrapped with a geo-textile willprovide a cost-effective solution where thewater table permits percolation. Alternatively,proprietary wick drain systems are availablethat require minimum excavation.

Remember that the verge should be firmenough to support narrow tyres. Where gravelfills are used they should be capped with astable material.

Consideration can also be given to the use ofporous asphalt paving that will reduce thevolume of surface water run-off and help toprevent standing water. However, such pavinglayers can be costly to lay and care will beneeded to ensure that the surface does notbecome contaminated with pore-sealing dirt,particularly where used in conjunction with off-road competition.

At locations where the circuit will meet othertypes of paving, the edge should be finishedwith a 150x150mm pre-cast concrete ‘square’channel. This should be laid to finish flush withboth paving layers.

Road construction

A major factor to consider is the initialexcavation. The road in a typical circuit may call

for the removal of up to 15000m3 of spoil,equal to 750 full lorry loads. In addition to theimpact on the neighbourhood of heavy trafficmovements, this can also be a costly factor,particularly with the increasing burden of landfilltax. Where possible, therefore, considerationshould be given to on-site disposal in the formof earth screening bunds; these can also beused to form contours for off-road activities. AtHillingdon, moving earth around the site formedthe contours of the circuit. However, care needsto be taken to ensure proper consolidation anddrainage and that bunds are not positioned tooclose to the road circuit, as the height of thebund could influence the local water table bycreating a pressure head.

If additional fill is required, it may be possible tosecure permission for controlled tipping. Thecontours of the final circuit at Eastway wereformed in this way and the charges levied paidfor the road construction.

The site investigation will highlight the ground-bearing capability of the underlying soils andsuggest a suitable sub-base depth. Beforecommencing the sub-base it is advisable toconsider the use of a geo-textile membraneover the excavated surface. As the constructionoperation will be ‘linear’, the sub-base will berequired to accept the load of all deliveryvehicles and laying equipment. The membranewill therefore help to prevent the sub-basebeing pumped into the underlying layer duringits loading, avoiding contamination of the stoneand consequent costly wastage.

Figure 3 Cross-section through closed circuit cycle track

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 19


20

The sub-base will lie within 450mm of thefinished level; this is determined as the maximumrange of frost penetration. Care should betaken, therefore, to ensure that the sub-basematerial is not susceptible to frost damage. Thiscan be achieved by choosing a specificationfor highways clause 803 type 1 granular sub-base. With modern screening techniques thisspecification is increasingly being met fromrecycled crushed concrete, a cheaper andmore sustainable solution, par ticular ly ifthe ‘brownfield’ site of fers the possibil i tyof obtaining the material locally, perhapseven from the site itself.

For low traffic use the sub-base depth willnormally be a minimum of 200mm, unless thesite investigation report identifies underlyingweak ground, in which case the depth shouldbe increased.

The choice of paving material should take intoconsideration factors such as rolling resistance,‘fall-friendly’ texture and potential to skid.Economy will also be a major factor but thisshould not be at the expense of performance. Itis invariably much easier to incorporate thecapital costs of a durable material into a projectthan it is to fund the repair or replacement costsat a later date.

A typical specification for the circuit-paving layerwith nominal vehicle use can be identified as:

Road base: dense base macadam to BS4987using 40mm thick coarse aggregate, averagethickness 75mm.

Base course: dense base macadam to BS 4987using 28mm thick coarse aggregate, averagethickness 50mm.

Wearing course: hot rolled asphalt (HRA) to BS 594 with 55% of l4mm thick coarseaggregate; average thickness 30mm; overallthickness 155mm.

Where surface markings are incorporated,consideration should be given to the potentialfor slip in wet conditions. The recommendationis to use a low-build chlorinated rubber markingpaint rather than thermoplastic markings.

Good practice

Preston Sports Arena – University of Central

Lancashire

The University of Central Lancashire hasdeveloped a 60-acre site to provide a new, high-quality outdoor multi-sports complex on landacquired for the purpose by the university. Acentral feature of the development is a 1.7kmx6mwide, tarmac-surfaced closed road circuit thatruns around the perimeter of the facilities.Other facilities include an athletics track, hardcourt sports area, grass pitches and a syntheticturf pitch. The complex has been built at a costof £12,272,081 with the aid of an award of£7,976,853 from the Sport England LotteryFund. All the facilities are available for joint useby community and university sports organisations.

The provision of an off-road cycle track wasrecognised in the Cycling Development Planproduced jointly by all key partners. Cycling is awell-established road-based sport in the areaand the lack of an off-road facility that wouldprovide a safe environment for young peoplewas identified as a priority. The facility isimmediately adjacent to the canal towpath andlinks to the future Sustrans cycle route. Thefacility also links to a series of cycle waysdeveloped by Preston Borough Council throughthe town.

This project demonstrates that it is relativelyeasy to incorporate a cycle facility into a multi-sports facility. Careful planning and programmingare essential when planning a multi-sportsfacility to ensure minimal conflicts of interestbetween different sports.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 20


21

Figure 4 Closed road cycle circuit at Preston Sports Arena

Aerial view of Preston Sports Arena

Cycling circuit

Cycling 06:10:03 18:00 Page 21


22

BMX race tracks

BMX race tracks must adhere to the minimumrequirements of British Cycling and the UnionCycliste Internationale and be of a high enoughstandard to host a regional event. Such racetracks have a separate start and finish and areconstructed with various corners and jumpsthat are designed to be challenging while takingaccount of riders’ safety.

The star t hill, as the name suggests, is adownhill gradient with a start gate at the top.The riders start with their front wheels pressedagainst the start gate, which is hinged anddrops forward when released to start the race.The average BMX track will be 300–400m inlength with a hard, smooth surface. The trackdesign will include obstacles constructed atstrategic points to add excitement and an extraskill factor to the racing. There are also bankedturns (berms) to help riders maintain maximumspeed during a race

Track design

Starting area

The starting area is one of the main focal pointson a track. A paddock area should be sitedbehind the start hill to allow racers to come onto the star t gate in an efficient and orderlymanner. It must be large enough to allowcompetitors to line up before their race. Theaccess to the start hill should incorporate ashallow incline so that riders can push theirbikes up while waiting to race. Access to thegate should allow riders to line up behind thosealready on the pad and should be wide enoughto give access to the pad and gate. The materialfor this part of the track should be the same asthe surface of the track to stop foreign materialfrom being impacted into the race surface fromriders’ feet or tyres.

A track with a tarmac start hill requires a sub-base and a top surface dressing of tarmac.Concrete can be used for the surface butexperience has shown that over such a largeand sloping area the settlement of the hill willcause cracking and in some cases requirecomplete replacement within a few years.Tarmac on the other hand wil l, to somedegree, move with the settlement and reducemaintenance costs.

The height of the hill should be at least 2m,preferably higher. This will be the highest part ofthe track and its visual impact on local residentsmust be considered. From the start gate the hillshould extend for 12–13m before reachingnominal track level, with a smooth transitionbetween the two. This can be achieved bylaying the tarmac below track level with the finalsurface laid up to the tarmac. The pad to whichthe gate and release mechanisms are attachedshould be made from reinforced concrete toensure solid and permanent fixings. The startpad must be at least 10m wide and 2.5m long. Itshould have a rough ribbed finish to provide gripfor the competitors’ tyres (scoring across thesurface will provide extra grip) and should beset at an angle of at least 20º to the horizontal.The start pad should be at least as steep as thestarting slope, preferably 5–10º steeper.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 22


23

The height of an obstacle

is dependent on the speed

of the riders – small in

slow sections, larger in

faster sections.

Obstacles on slower parts

of the track should be

steeper than those on

faster sections.

The transition of the

slopes is very important.

A gradual slope from the

ground getting steeper

towards the top is required.

The total length of an

obstacle is dependent on

the speed of the riders

and the location on the

track.

Figure 6 Details of mounds in BMX circuit

Figure 5 Details of start grid in BMX circuit

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 23


24

The gate should be constructed of a goodstrong tube or box steel, but can be constructedin light alloy if available. It must be a minimumof 8m wide and 50cm high and perpendicular tothe slope of the pad when in its upright position.

The gate release system should be made to fitthe gate and, if manual, enable release of thegate with hand or foot pressure. It is preferableto have an electrical or pneumatically controlledstart gate, and essential for a national event.

To prevent unsupervised children from trying tolift the start gate, as a minimum precaution itshould be padlocked.

In competition use, the starting positions shouldbe clearly marked 1–8 on the gate. If automaticgates are used for competition, appropriatelycoloured lights must be provided and positionedin such a way as to be clearly visible to allriders, without disadvantage in the ‘pedalsready’ position. If using an automatic gate theremust be provision for a mechanical operation incase of failure.

Start or first straight

The start or first straight should be a minimum40m long and start with a width of l0m, taperingdown to 6m as it enters the first berm. As the first straight is usually where the mostspectacular obstacles are sited, a generouswidth is recommended.

Jumps

One of the first jumps or obstacles on the trackwill often be a large set of doubles. The riderswill approach these at speed and hence theobstacle should be made wide (approximatelyl0m from front to rear edge) with a shallowcentre, hollow to allow younger riders to ridethrough it. It is important that the second peakis slightly higher than the first as this enablesthose riders who are jumping the obstacle tojudge the distance as they approach it.

The landing area should not be too shallow asriders will use the angle to control their landing;if it is too shallow they will tend to land veryheavily and lose control. Shallow landing areasalso stop less experienced riders jumping downand landing on the front wheel only, which caneasily cause loss of control.

Table top is another obstacle that should bel0m wide and 2–2.5m high to give youngerriders extra speed as they come down from itinto the turn; it is also intended to slow olderriders as they will tend to jump it. The samecomments about landing slopes apply. A flattable top should be about 4m wide and 1m highso that the more skilled riders will have enoughspeed to jump the obstacle with a flat trajectoryor to ‘manual’ the jump, that is, ride it on theback wheel only, while still applying pedal power.

A speed jump should be about 1m high, downto 0.4m high for the small types. It usually has areasonably shallow rear edge and a steep frontso that speed gets riders over it, and they cangain speed by using the down slope as a ministart hill.

Step-up doubles or step-up table tops canalso be high (2–2.5m) with an overall length of8–l0m, which will be controlled by the speed ofriders entering the obstacle and its position inrelation to berms and other jumps. The rearface of the jump should be reasonably steep toenhance the skill level of riders who arejumping and to maximise the speed for youngerriders through to the next obstacle. Averagelyskilled riders in the older classes should be ableto jump from the front slope onto the top but notover the whole jump; the best riders will clearthe jump.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 24


25

Figure 7 Typical BMX circuit

A combination of two doubles can be veryexciting to watch and to ride. Each elementcould be about 6m long with shallow centrehollows but the transition hollow between thetwo sets should be deep and longer. Younger/slower riders will be able to ride through thecombination and older/faster riders will do a

2&2, that is, jump the first double into the centrehollow then jump out and over the second double.

Often the most challenging obstacle is acombination or sequence of six jumps, eachabout 3m long and 1m high with centre hollowsbetween the jumps, which should be 0.75m

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 25


26

Figure 8 Elements of a BMX circuit

deep. Younger/slower riders will be able to ridethrough the combination and older/faster riderswill do various combinations of 2&2&2 or ridetwo, jump two and so on. The skill of the rider willdictate their preferred route through the obstacle.

The space between jumps should allow anormal full-size BMX bike to fully enter and exit

without being stuck in mid-air. A distance ofabout 2m should be satisfactory depending onthe angles of the slopes and the shape of thejumps. The slopes need not be severe and thejumps should have a well-rounded profile. Atandem roller such as the Bomag 80 is a goodguide to shape as it should be possible to take theroller through the full sequence without grounding.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 26


27

A small set of doubles, 4–6m wide and 1mhigh with a shallow centre hollow, gives youngerriders enough speed to ride the obstacle anduse the down slope to give them speed into thenext berm or jump, while older riders will bejumping them.

Another obstacle is the triple, which will be12–l5m wide and l.5m high at its third jump.Younger riders will ride it without difficulty whileolder riders will have the option of jumping partsor all of it or just riding through.

The height of an obstacle is dependent on thespeed of riders and the approach line to thejump. Slower sections of the track require lowerjumps than the faster sections but, where theriders are exiting a fast berm, any jump close tothe berm will generally be low. The transition ofthe slopes is also very important and can onlybe judged by experience or trial and error. Agradual slope from the ground, getting steepertowards the top of the jump, is required and this relationship varies from jump to jumpdepending on height, speed and location to otherjumps. The length of jumps is also dependenton the speed of riders and their relationship tothe berms and other jumps.

A common mistake is to build jumps too smallas this entices younger, less experienced ridersto try jumping them – often when unsupervised– while older riders will over-jump the obstacleand risk bike damage or personal injury by nothaving a proper landing slope.

First berm

The height of the first berm (bend) should be2.5–3m at its outer edge with a steep internalslope to help riders maintain the speed at whichthey enter the corner and to ensure a safe exit.Any trees around this area should not interferewith the track at any point and should be atleast 3m from the track edge.

The minimum width of the first berm should be6m from the inside of the track to its top andallowance should be made for a smoothertransition from the l0m wide start straight to therest of the track. The first straight is long andwill be fast – hence plenty of room is needed atthe first berm for all riders to have an equalchance of negotiating it safely.

Unlike in road construction, more material andheight is needed on the exit of the berm toensure transition to continue on the track. This

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 27


28

maintains more momentum during racing, andallows alternative race lines for overtaking andprevents collisions.

Other berms

A berm’s height will vary depending on itsshape and overall width. A tight turn might needto be 2–2.5m high at its outer edge with a fairlysteep internal slope to maintain speed into thecorner and onto the next straight, while a wideopen turn can often require much less height.

The minimum width of a berm should be 5m(6m for UCI events) from the inside of the trackto its top to ensure adequate race surface.When the berm is not in use it may reducemaintenance costs and be aesthetically pleasingto allow grass to grow on the inside edge. Agood guide is to put most of the height in thelast third of the berm and then add to it ifrequired. The objective is a smooth transitionfrom the entry straight to the rest of the track.

Last straight

Normally the last straight is fairly technical withcombinations of carefully spaced jumps.

Finish area

An area should be provided beyond the finishline for riders completing the course to slowdown safely. This area should be fenced off toprotect spectators. Allowance should be madefor up to five officials to stand at either side ofthe track.

When using the track for competition, the finishline must be clearly marked on the track toindicate the finish point. Finish line bannersmust also be high enough not to interfere withany rider or finish line official and verticalsupports must be placed back a minimum of 2mfrom the track edge and padded if necessary.

Track construction

Grass and good-quality topsoil should beremoved. Topsoil can be used later on thebacks of berms and sides of obstacles (areas notsurfaced) to provide support to the structuresand to establish grass, which enhances thefacility’s final appearance.

The importation of clean material – no chemicals,glass, wood or rubbish – is required to build up the main parts of the track (berms andobstacles). For the construction of the largerobstacles such as the start hill, berms andlarger jumps, crushed materials (no larger than100mm) taken from excavations of roads,building sites and so on are suitable as they arestable and will not spread or change shapeduring settlement. This material should becovered with spoil to a depth of at least 150mmto prevent it from coming to the surface. The bestspoil is clay based as it is stable and remains soduring and after construction. This spoil canalso be used to make the smaller obstacles.

On undulating or sloping land it might be possibleto reduce the quantity of material imported by using the natural lie of the land and by therepositioning of on-site materials.

Once the basic shape of the track is complete a sub-base must be added. Depending on thesoil conditions the following recommendationsare made.

Soil condition

Clay, sandy or light soil

The sub-base, approximately 20mm down,should be laid and compacted to a finisheddepth of approximately 100mm over the entiretrack. Following this the complete track areashould be surfaced with a fine soft limestone

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 28


29

dust or dolomite (3mm to dust) to a compacteddepth of 20mm. With any clay-based soil thereis always ‘clay heave’ during adverse weatherconditions, so care should be taken that areaswill not become water logged causing thesurfacing to ‘mud up’. If it is clear that the areawill remain wet, the following procedure shouldbe followed:

● Remove all affected materials (for reuse).

● Fix a terrain membrane to the wet area.

● Fill with hardcore or similar free-drainingstable material and compact.

● Follow normal track construction.

Stone/shale

This ground condition requires less sub-basematerial as the ground is more stable and lesslikely to ‘mud up’. Lay 10mm to dust sub-base toa compacted depth of 30mm. The area is thensurfaced as with the other soil types.

Material requirements

The following information is for general guidanceonly and types of material and detailed estimatesof quantities must be based on your final track design, preferably in conjunction with anexperienced track designer/builder. British Cyclingcan provide contact details of recognised BMXtrack builders.

Spoil

While tracks can vary in length, the averagetrack is approximately 350–400m long by 6mwide. Tracks can also vary in the number ofturns and jumps they have. Assuming a basictrack layout with four turns and six jumpingsections, the following approximate totals ofspoil would be required:

● start hill 250–300 tonnes

● turns 250–300 tonnes

● jumps 150 tonnes.

These totals are dependent on the track designand site location, but are a basic guide for spoilimportation. The larger the track and the morejumps or special sections used, the greater therequirements for spoil.

Track surfacing materials

The following totals are a guide to the requiredmaterials for the basic track stated above:

● sub-base material 200 tonnes

● top surface material 40 tonnes.

It is extremely important to achieve an aestheticallypleasing appearance for the track and surroundingareas in order to preserve the standards andthe image of the sport of BMX racing.

Concrete start hill

For a track with a concrete ramp or start hill,the requirement would be for the use of ready-mixed concrete laid to a depth of 100mm and‘tamped’ to secure a fine ribbed surface (notsmooth) to the length and width of the start hill – 10x12m.

The quantity of concrete required for the starthill would be approximately 10–12m3 with a4:2:1 mix using 10mm stone. An air-entrainingagent is recommended in the concrete mix toincrease its life expectancy in frosty conditions.Suitable joints running longitudinally arerecommended for expansion.

Tarmac start hill

A track with a tarmac start hill would require asub-base and a top surface dressing of tarmac,as follows:

● sub-base of 20mm base coat laid to acompacted depth of 75mm (approximately 7 tonnes)

● top surface 6mm topcoat laid to a compacteddepth of 25mm (approximately 4 tonnes).

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 29


30

Track fencing

Spectators must be kept away from the trackedge, especially during competition. This isachieved with fencing situated at a suitabledistance (2m) from the edge of the track. A postand rail type fence is an aesthetically pleasingform of spectator control but it is important thatthe posts are not sited trackside.

It is also preferable to fence in the completetrack to avoid damage by cars, motorcycles and so on. This is costly, but over a period ofyears the cost can be recovered in reducedmaintenance costs. It is advisable to makeallowance for this fencing at the planning stage,even if it is not installed. Should a club then beformed to manage the facility, the fencing optioncan be reconsidered.

Drainage

It is always better to construct a track on a well-drained area, but most areas of land aresuitable. To ensure that the final surface of thetrack drains well, simple drystone channelsleading to soak-aways can be used and shouldbe implemented in low-lying areas or wet land.Use local knowledge of the land to ensure that,wherever possible, the track surface drains well.

To prevent the surface of the track floodingfollowing rainfall, it is important to build the trackwith a slight camber causing water to run off theriding surface and drain away either through thesoil or in the designated soak-aways. Theinsides of the turns are often a point wherewater collects and adequate drainage shouldbe installed if there is no opportunity for waterto escape.

Wind

Wind is one of the major contributors to accidentson BMX tracks. Therefore, it is important toconstruct a track on a site that offers windprotection and the design of the track shouldtake the prevailing wind direction into account.Side winds on jumps or at the start must beavoided wherever possible. By adding suitablebunding around a track, much of the wind effectcan be minimised and this also has the advantageof providing suitable spectator viewing areas. Atrack built into an arena-style location cangenerate much more crowd excitement thanone built on a flat field.

Track marking

Lines denoting each lane should be marked onthe surface of the start hill to denote eight lanes1m in width to a length of l0m from the gate.These lines should be marked along the fulllength of the start hill.

The boundaries of the race track should beclearly marked. This may be done with whitelines during major events. A neat edge of trackto grass is suitable for general day-to-day use.Tyres are not permitted as barriers since theypresent a positive hazard.

Hazards

It is important to keep the track a minimum of3m away from trees and other fixed objects. Onareas where riders are more likely to leave the track, this distance should be increasedaccording to the speeds at which the riders arelikely to be travelling. The exits and tops of bermsare likely areas and jumps immediately followingberms should also be treated with caution.

All obstacles on the track must be constructedwith safety in mind. A track should present allriders with a challenge but the youngest ridersmust be able to compete in safety.

Risk assessments for BMX tracks must considerriders of all ages and abilities. (See Appendix A –Health and safety for more details.)

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 30


31

Cycle speedway tracks

Cycle speedway first developed in the late 1940sunder the influence of motorised speedway,and there are still many similarities between thetwo sports. Like motor cycle speedway, cyclespeedway races take place in an anti-clockwisedirection from a standing start on an oval track,and four riders race for four laps in a sprint toreach the chequered flag.

However, cycle speedway tracks are much shorterthan those for motor cycle speedway, usually amaximum of 90m long, with a width of 5–6m.

Track construction

A cycle speedway track can be built on anyrelatively flat site. This could be within a park,on school premises, derelict land or as anadditional facility within a cycling multi-use site.

A cycle speedway track may be flat. However,it is more usual to include some degree ofbanking, particularly on the bends. The maximumpermitted degree of banking is 1 in 8 from theinner to outer boundaries at the apex of a bend,to 1 in 12 along the length of a straight. Themethod outlined below is for the construction ofa track with 1 in 11 banking at the apex of thebends and 1 in 25 banking on the straights.

The movement of material to or from a site isexpensive so it is best avoided when planningthe construction of a track. If starting with a flat,grassed site, begin by stripping off the turf andexcavating to a depth of 200mm. This operationwill provide material for the banking on the bends.

The same principle will apply even if the track isbeing constructed on derelict land. However,it is necessary to confirm with the landowner or local authority that there is no danger ofuncovering or disturbing any hazardous material.

Topsoil being used for the construction of thebanking must be compacted in layers. Theseshould be no greater than 150mm thickotherwise the material twists and the compactionwill be ineffective. The material must be laid tocreate a gradual progression from the steepergradient of the bends to the lesser elevation ofthe straights. This is important because an abruptjunction between the bends and the straightswill create a difficult riding surface and result ina far less attractive venue for competitions.

The inner perimeter of the track should measure64–92m, and the width of the track 4.25–7m.The highest point of the corner should be nohigher than 750mm from the inner track level.The slope should be graded from the outsidedown to the inner bend.

It is important, when excavating and forming theshape of the track, to allow a feeding area toenable materials to be carried to the inside ofthe track. Once the shape of the track has beenformed, the inner kerbs can be laid using pre-cast concrete bull-nose edging with an overallcross-sectional size of 150x50mm. Both theinternal and external perimeters should be laidso as to protrude 25–100mm above the finishedtrack surface.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 31


32

Figure 9 Speedway track

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 32


33

Figure 10 Starting grid for speedway track

Figure 11 Detail of perimeter fencing to speedway track

Figure 12 Section through speedway track at apex of bend

Cycling 06:10:03 18:01 Page 33


34

Electric cables should be laid to provide utilitiesfor the centre of the track before constructioncan begin.

At this stage, it will be necessary to build theformwork for the starting gate and the innerkerbs on the bends. The concrete slab for thestarting gates can then be constructed. Thisstarting grid should be 200mm thick and 2.4mfrom front to back across the width of the track,with four equally spaced starting lines markedon the concrete. The area of concrete betweenthe marked lines of each grid should be leftroughened or transversely tamped while theconcrete is green. The inner kerbs are also200mm thick and 0.5m wide.

The drains and sumps can then be installed inthe inner area (Figure 9) using 100mm plasticperforated pipe to form a land drain. The sumpsare 2m2 and 2m deep, filled with crushed concrete.This is covered with drainage stone and sand.

The track area can then be covered with a geo-textile membrane and a 100mm layer ofcrushed rock, or crushed concrete if rock is notavailable, is placed on top. (Hardcore shouldnot be used as this is liable to disintegrate overtime, especially if it includes soft red brick.) Thisis compacted with a vibrating roller to form thebase layer of the track. A further layer of MOTType 1 material is then laid on top of the baselayer and compacted.

The surface of the track can then be laid.Graded shale, from 6mm to dust, is the preferredmaterial, but a similar surface may be obtainedusing limestone or granite. This top layer, whichshould be 25–100mm in depth, can then beraked out and left to bed in. It can be levelledwith a drag mat when it is dry and then compactedwith a whacker plate.

Complete the inner area by installing thekerbing where the feeding area was located.Then level and seed the inner area. It is alsoadvisable to grade and seed the outside bankingat the bends. The ground immediately betweenthe outside track boundary and the safety fenceshould not slope away from the track. Thereshould be no obstructions on the track or within450mm of the track boundaries.

1 Removing the topsoil

2 Building up the banks

Once the track is completed a safety fence can be installed around the perimeter. Theinstallation of floodlights is a further option thatcan be considered.

Safety fence and ancillary facilities

The safety fence is constructed from 75mm-diameter galvanised steel tube horizontal railsupported on 75mm-diameter vertical posts. Allconnections are made by welding or withproprietary joint connectors (kee-klamp orsimilar). The horizontal rail should be positioned

3 Laying the kerbing

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 34


35

900mm above the finished outside concreteedging level with the vertical posts positioned at1.75m centres along the length of the safetyfence. An infill between the rail and the postsshould be provided, which can consist of eithera chainlink plastic-coated fence at least 700mmhigh, or a galvanised wire mesh infill panelbetween each vertical post, again of 700mmminimum height.

The vertical post to the safety fence should beset in an in situ concrete foundation below

ground level of approximately 450 x 450 x 450mmfooting, approximately 250mm below groundlevel. Additional posts can be provided forfloodlighting, but it is imperative that they areset behind the safety fence, that is, on thespectator side.

The safety fence should be positioned horizontallya minimum of 1.3m from the outside edge ofthe racing surface, so as to provide a safetyzone between the outside edge of racing andthe fence itself.

A pit area is required immediately adjacent tothe track, to accommodate riders not racing in aparticular heat. A double access gate from thepit area onto the racing circuit should beprovided within the fence, in materials to matchthe minimum opening size of the pit gate, whichshould be 2m.

An announcer’s building should be adjacent tothe start/finish line, with independent access fromthe rear to avoid possible collision with riders.

Maintenance

The surface should be raked with a rack anddrag mat once a week during the racing season.The timing of this operation will depend onweather conditions; it is not possible if the trackis wet. The safety fencing must be maintained ina safe condition and any damaged section mustbe made safe before racing is staged.

6 The finished track

4 Compacting the crushed rock base laid ongeotextile layer

5 Laying graded shale and building up banks

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 35


36

Mountain bike courses and trails

The sport of mountain bike racing evolved fromrecreational off-road cycling. The recreationaloff-road cyclist must be prepared to reach his or her goal without assistance. To assist thecontinuing evolution of the mountain bike coupledwith environmental responsibility, competitiveevents place emphasis on equipment reliabilityand individual ability. It is in the spirit of self-contained, self-reliant ‘off-road’ cycling thatmountain bike events are conducted.

Mountain bike courses are designed around the two main types of racing and these aredescribed below.

Cross-country racing

Cross-country racing has a mass start with arace around a number of circuits of a courseusually 5–9km long. The winner is the first riderto the finish.

An ideal course should be varied but it mustalso be rideable and safe. A blend of manydifferent types of terrain that avoids repetition isideal. There should be a mixture of technical/difficult riding and easier/open riding, with ablend of length and steepness of climbs and

descents. The number of artificial objects onthe course should be kept to an absoluteminimum and the difficulty of the featuresincluded should be tailored to the needs of theriders and their relative skill levels. An alternativeis to have a modified route/course for riderswhose age or health prevents them fromnegotiating particular hazards/terrain safely.

Other related factors include:

● The best shape for a course is ‘clover leaf’as this provides spectators with manyopportunities to see the riders without theneed to make the laps short, which can leadto riders becoming bored. Clover leaf alsohas the advantage that it is a smaller area tomanage, with consequent benefits in termsof radio communication, medical evacuationand marshal placement.

● Aim for 95% of each lap to be off road.

Downhill racing

Downhill competitions are individual time trialswhere riders are sent off at standard intervalsto race against the clock. Downhill coursescomprise a mixture of single track, jeep road,field tracks, forest tracks and rocky tracks, anda mixture of rapid and slower technical sections.

● There should be no uphill or lengthy flatsections.

● The course must be 100% rideableregardless of the terrain and weatherconditions. It is essential that the coursedesign take into account the likely effect ofbad weather, and that various coursechange contingencies are built into thedesign right at the outset. (See Appendix A –Health and safety.)

● Where jumps are proposed, they should besubject to a rigorous risk assessment.

● The majority, if not the whole course, shouldbe designed to facilitate passing.

● The course should be designed to enable arider to maintain a fair speed over the entirecourse, without excessive changing out ofthe large chain ring.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 36


37

Figure 13 Aston Hill mountain biking circuit, Aylesbury

Safety

These essential measures apply to both cross-country and downhill racing:

● At appropriate places, such as walls, treestumps and on-course tree trunks, use haybales or padding adequate to protect theriders. Padding must be secured so that itdoes not move off its position when hit by arider. Marshals must be positioned withinsight of all padding and protective hay balesto ensure that, if moved, the protection isreplaced before the next rider approaches.

● Where necessary, for example along theedge of steep drops, catch nets that complywith International Ski Federation normsmust be used. Open-mesh fencing mustnever be used. Fine mesh may be used,but it must not be larger than 5x5mm.

● Wooden bridges or ramps must be coveredwith a non-slip surface (carpet, roofingpaper or special anti-slip paint).

● Where possible, roots, stumps, protrudingrocks and so on should be sprayed withfluorescent biodegradable paint to increase

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 37


38

visibility to speeding riders. Large roots indamp, single-track sections may havenotches cut in them to stop tyres slippingalong the root. Care must be taken to avoiddamaging trees when taking thesemeasures.

Other relevant factors

These include:

● When building paths and tracks it isimportant to note where the natural flow ofwater crosses the course. At these pointsyou may wish to consider installing extradrainage to keep the track from becomingboggy and to ensure that the natural flow isnot disturbed.

● When fencing along the edge of paths orareas, always use a post and rail style fencewith rails not less than 10cm wide. Alsoensure that the height of the top rail is suchthat a rider cannot fall over it when sitting ona bike.

● Ensure posts are made of material leastlikely to injure riders.

● You may wish to incorporate a short pathmade of hardcore material or tarmac. Thereare many people who wish to ride in areasof natural beauty without getting covered inmud and these types of paths are popularwith families with young children who arelearning to ride.

● Car parking should be considered – in ruralareas cyclists might wish to drive to theirchosen location.

● Bins must be provided.

● Signage: Ensure that your facility isadequately signed on nearby paths androads. It is important to warn pedestriansthat there are cyclists in the area. You mustcreate and sign some ‘escape routes’ fromthe tracks to the car park so that riders withmechanical problems can return to the carpark quickly. Course signing has twoobjectives:

● to highlight the route of the course

● to warn of danger.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 38


39

Cyclo-cross circuits

What is cyclo-cross?

At one time, this was a fairly simple question toanswer. Cyclo-cross was off-road cycle racing,usually over a circuit two to three miles inlength, where competitors covered a variety ofterrain including natural and artificial obstacleswhere they would be obliged to dismount andcarry their bikes.

However, the nature of cyclo-cross has changedin many ways since the end of the 1980s. At thehighest level on the international stage, the sporthas reinvented itself to carve out an identity thatis distinctive from the new rival discipline ofcross-country mountain biking. Regulations havebeen introduced to make courses faster, widerand more raceable, with the severity of obstaclesand the need to dismount much reduced. Thephrase ‘the Formula One of cycle sport’ wascoined, and a World Cup series and worldranking system introduced. Coupled with themove from separate professional and amateurcodes to fully open racing, the spor t hasdeveloped greatly at world level, setting newstandards and dominated by a small core ofcyclo-cross specialists.

At the same time many local events, not only inBritain, have continued to be staged year afteryear virtually without change, sticking to aformula where the challenge of the terrain isequal to, or supersedes, the race betweencompetitors. At one time, detractors of cyclo-crossused the term ‘mud plugging’ as a pejorativeterm, but it is a format that still has manyadherents. In Britain in recent years there hasbeen much debate over the relative merits ofold versus new, technical versus non-technicalcourses, mud plugging versus criterium-likecircuits, and so on. Much of this debate hasmissed the point. The real issue is how to makeevents more raceable, more attractive to potentialcompetitors and spectators, and ultimately moreself-sustaining, whatever the style of circuit.

Finding a venue

The first aim is to find a venue with terrain thatoffers an appropriate challenge to competitorsand, where appropriate, an interesting spectaclefor spectators. In reality, the choice of venue isusually decided by a combination of threecriteria: cost, suitability of terrain and access tosupporting facilities (changing accommodation,showers and so on). The first two are expandedon below.

Cost

The overriding factor in staging an event isundoubtedly cost. There may be charges forland use, either in the form of a flat fee or a perrider levy. There may also be charges for theuse of supporting facilities, such as changingrooms and showers. Often, even if a venue isprovided ‘free of charge’, the landowner mighthave to meet the costs of a building caretakeror park ranger, and may naturally wish to passthese costs on to the race organiser. Most localevents operate on an entry-on-the-line system,so an organiser needs to set a race budget withthe number of likely entrants in mind. It is auseful idea to set two or three alternative budgets,according to different levels of participation.

Suitability of terrain

A cyclo-cross course can be devised on a widevariety of terrain. Venues have included public

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 39


40

parks, disused quarries, the peripheries of sportscentres, farms, grassland and school grounds.It is not necessary to have severe inclines, or toemploy every available climb and descentwhere the terrain is more severe. A successfulcyclo-cross course can be devised on even theflattest terrain with a little ingenuity. Nor is a vastarea of land required. By employing loops anddouble-backs, a course can be laid out on arelatively compact area of land, with the addedadvantage that spectators can view the racing a number of times each lap.

On at least a good proportion of the proposedcourse good drainage is an important factor. Avenue that seems ideal at a summer inspectioncan be very dif ferent and perhaps evenunrideable in a wet winter. Avoid clay soil andpotentially boggy landscapes, which may becomequickly saturated. The possibility of incorporatinga section of tarmac road or other hard surfaceshould also be considered. This is a particularlyimportant factor in top-level events.

Devising a course

Ideally, a course should comprise a circuit of2500–3500m in length which – depending uponthe nature of the terrain, the climatic conditionsand the standard of the participants – shouldproduce a lap time for senior riders of around6–8 minutes. For youth competitors a shortercircuit should be employed, usually by excludinga section or sections of the full course. Aseparate, simplified course should be devisedfor under-12s.

Cyclo-cross courses can be planned in the mostunlikely places by using imagination, initiative,improvisation and a few stakes and tape. Somemay have limitations, but may be better than nocourse at all. At many venues, organisers facerestrictions on the land they can use whenbuilding a course. They may be prohibited fromcrossing sports pitches or be confined to theperimeters of facilities. Sometimes features thatthe organiser wishes to incorporate may besome way apart, necessitating a long transferfrom one section to another and thus extendingthe lap length. Using such features may also

involve difficult or restricted access points wherethe course becomes unsatisfactorily narrow.

The guidelines below aim to outline bestpractice when devising a course. Not everyelement may be feasible at every venue, nor willevery element be necessary, especially at smalllocal events.

It is a good idea to devise the course with thehelp of an experienced cyclo-cross competitor.Potential new organisers may be more familiarwith cross-country mountain biking than cyclo-cross and may attempt to use this backgroundaccordingly. Cyclo-cross is not the same asmountain biking and requires different skills.Mountain bikes are welcome at the majority ofdomestic events but a primary objective mustbe to construct a cyclo-cross course, not amountain bike trail. A good rule of thumb is toexamine a proposed section of the course andask the question: ‘Would it be an advantage touse a mountain bike here?’ If the answer is‘yes’, try to look for an alternative.

Course formation

A clover leaf or similar pattern will give areasonably sized course within a comparativelysmall area. It will also enable race officials tomonitor the race more effectively and allowcommentators and spectators to see more ofthe race and to keep in touch with race leaders.This formation does have its drawbacks,however. It requires more and better coursemarking and more race marshals to secure anddefine the course.

Course width

Cyclo-cross is a racing discipline and coursesshould be sufficiently wide to allow overtakingat all points. The international regulationsstipulate a minimum width of 3m, and thisshould be the goal for as much of the course aspossible, including technical sections.

Single track should be avoided. It is not afeature of modern cyclo-cross, although it is stillfound on many courses. Woodland singletracks, with ‘rough stuff ’ features such asexposed roots and excessively bumpy terrain,are still popular with many competitors, but they

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 40


41

are not conducive to fast racing. This is anotherfeature where mountain bikes have anadvantage, and is more appropriate in cross-country mountain bike courses.

Also to be avoided are sections that, whilenominal ly meet ing the minimum widthrequirements, contain only a narrow racing linewith unrideable sections to right and/or left.There will inevitably be a ‘best line’ within thewidth of the course, but it should not be the only line.

Course marking

There are two reasons for marking out acourse: first, to define an unambiguous route forthe competitors and, second, to separate thecompetitors from officials and spectators forsafety purposes.

Plastic tape attached to wooden or plasticstakes is the norm for course marking (metalstakes should be avoided), but more robustfencing or crowd control barriers may beneeded for key areas in bigger events. In smalllocal races, obvious straightforward sections,which connect one technical feature to another,are often unmarked, with course markingrestricted to indicating changes of direction.

In many cases this is sufficient, but organisersshould be wary of the occasional unscrupulouscompetitor who may use the excuse of anambiguously marked course to cut corners.This creates problems for the race judges, but

such instances are rare at local events. At majorraces it is important to mark the course fully toprevent such occurrences.

However, the most important role of coursemarking is to indicate to non-competitors that acyclo-cross race is taking place. The extent andstandard of such marking will depend upon thesize of the event and the extent to which thevenue is open to the wider public. If it is a small event at a private venue and isrestricted to competitors, their helpers andofficials then minimal course marking may beadequate. Otherwise, the following measuresshould be considered:

● tape off the course

● barriers or more secure fencing at pointswhere crowds may congregate, for examplestart and finish, obstacles

● marshals at points where public paths orregularly used routes cross the course

● marshals at public access points to thecourse area.

If a course is being planned in a public park orover common land where there are regularlyused paths, it is best to minimise the number ofcrossings and to marshal sensitively thosecrossings that are used. People who go for dailywalks or runs may become incensed if they findtheir usual route is affected by a cyclo-cross,even though permission has been granted.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 41


42

Ascents, descents and adverse cambers

The distribution of ascents and descents arounda course can be the key to staging a goodevent. Try to intersperse these, and othertechnical sections, with less demanding parts ofthe circuit that can be used as recuperativefeatures. Cyclo-cross courses do not require ahuge variation in elevation. Generally, uphillsections should be short but challenging. Try toavoid long slow drags, which nowadays aremore the province of cross-country mountainbiking. If there is no alternative but to include asignificant climb, it is better to break it up intosections if possible – don’t look at a hill andthink you must go straight up! Try to gain theheight in stages interspersed with flat or evenslightly downhill stretches.

Some ascents are designed to be sufficientlysevere to enforce a dismount and create a ‘run-up’, although don’t be surprised if the betterriders can reach the top without dismounting. Awell-designed run-up should allow either option,and the good technician can often dismount,run and remount faster than the competitor whoopts to ride. Again, such sections should beshort and sharp.

Care should be taken when devising descents toensure that they are not excessively dangerous.‘Extreme’ features such as drop-offs to the side or ‘bomb-holes’ should be avoided.Consideration must be given to providing safe‘run-outs’ at the immediate foot of steepdescents, without sharp bends or potentialhazards such as buildings or trees.

Where the landscape is less severe butundulating, technical sections can be createdby marking the course so that the circuit followsan adverse camber along the side of an incline.This may not look as spectacular as a steepdescent, but is nevertheless a good test of arider’s skills. The course marking at the lowerside of the adverse camber should be sufficientlyrobust to protect both rider and spectator.

Artificial obstacles

Artificial obstacles are generally used either tobreak up particularly flat courses or sections, or

to force riders to dismount before an ascent andthus make them run rather than ride up theclimb. In the past, natural obstacles such asfallen tree trunks were used, but under currentregulations obstacles are standardised andshould be in the form of planks across the course.The more technically proficient competitors areable to ‘bunny-hop’ these obstacles withoutdismounting, and to discourage this the heightof obstacles at international level has been setat 40cm. For domestic races this should beregarded as a maximum height. Obstaclesshould comprise no more than two successiveplanks, placed 4m apart.

The following provisions apply to all obstacles:

● They should cover the full width of thecourse.

● They should be solid over their full height(that is, no gap between the ground and thebottom of the obstacle).

● They should not be made of metal.

Road/tarmac sections

Efforts should be made to include some road or tarmac sections on the circuit, both as arecuperative feature and to encourage moreopen and faster racing. At international levelsuch sections are obligatory and are used forthe start and finish zones.

Unusual features

The provisions outlined above should besufficient to provide a varied and challengingcourse. However, other features may also occur,either naturally due to the nature of the terrainor artificially to create more interest on anotherwise bland course. The examples beloware not exhaustive and should be consideredwith caution:

● Steps: The ascent of steps is one way toensure that even the strongest and mosttechnically proficient rider must dismountand carry the bike. Wide, rustic-style stepshave been an exciting feature of somemajor events but have usually beenspecially constructed. The temptation to useexisting steps as a course feature should beexamined carefully before proceeding.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 42


43

Concrete steps, and the descent of steps ofany kind, are forbidden.

● Sand: Uncommon in Britain but a regularfeature in races in Belgium and Holland,where circuits are often devised on coastaldune sites. A useful addition, if available, togive competitors a taste of the continentalscene.

● Water/stream crossings: Water crossingsof any kind should be avoided. If it isimpossible to transit from one section of thecourse to another without crossing waterthen efforts should be made either toconstruct a bridge (of sufficient width) or,where the crossing is narrow, to obligeriders to dismount. Bear in mind that anegligible trickle at a summer inspectioncould become a raging torrent at a winterrace.

● Ditches: Ditches are acceptable where thedepression is shallow and it is possible toride in and out (and taking into account theprovisions for water crossings if water is

present). If narrower ditches areunavoidable, competitors should be obligedto dismount.

● Indoor sections: Major events in Belgiumand Switzerland have sometimes taken thecourse through the beer tent! Great foratmosphere at big events but hardlypractical for local promotions.

Starting zone

The organisation of the starting zone probablycauses more problems than any other singlefeature, especially where there is a large entry.The domestic cyclo-cross regulations specifythat: ‘The starting section shall be devised sothat riders may safely progress onto the maincircuit. The first narrowing or obstacle after thestarting section may not be abrupt but shallallow the riders to pass easily. The first bendshall be less than a right angle turn.’

As the regulations suggest, it is common for thestarting leg of a cyclo-cross race to be outsidethe course proper. The traditional thinking inBritain has been that all riders line up in an arcof one or two rows and the field is sufficientlydispersed by the time it funnels into the maincourse. With a small number of riders this isfeasible, but as the numbers increase problemsarise. A venue may not provide sufficient spaceto allow this, it may be difficult to ensure that theterrain to be crossed is approximately the samefor all, and there may not be sufficient lead-in tothe main course.

The solution to this is to employ a narrowerstarting zone, still on a leg outside the maincourse, but with the riders lined up in a numberof shorter rows. It is advantageous for this line-up to be organised, either by random draw ormore commonly in accordance with a rankingbased upon previous performances, with thebetter riders claiming the front rows. Thisaddresses the problem of slower riders inhibitingthe faster starters at the beginning of the race, which can lead to accidents. At major and international events the starting zone isinvariably on the road, with riders griddedaccording to performance.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 43


44

The additional provisions for international racesare also useful as guidelines for all events. Thestarting leg should have a minimum width of 6mand a length of 600m before reaching the firstoff-road section. This should be sufficient toallow the field to spread out and preventbottlenecks when the main course is reached.By the same token, the starting leg should beflat or uphill: a downhill start can bring the fieldtoo quickly to the first technical sections.

Finishing zone

Judges and recorders will appreciate a fairlyopen finishing area, so that riders can be seenapproaching from some 150–200m and do notdisappear around a bend immediately aftercrossing the finish line. There should in anycase be sufficient braking space after the finishline to allow for a sprint finish. A downhill finish should be avoided. As spectators andphotographers tend to cluster around thefinishing area, special consideration should begiven to the course marking and fencing in thiszone. An area for the judging team and otherofficials should be kept clear of spectators.As with starting zones, finishing straights ininternational races are invariably on the road.

Equipment pits

In cyclo-cross, competitors have the opportunityto change onto a fresh bike if they havemechanical difficulty, or simply if their originalbike is clogged with mud. The zones wherebikes can be changed are called equipment pitsand, where pits are used, bike changes must bemade in them. In local events, where fewcompetitors traditionally have a second bike,there is no obligation under the domesticregulations to have equipment pits, but they areobligatory in more important races (designatedcategory B or higher).

There should be a maximum of two equipmentpits on the circuit, judiciously placed so thatthey are evenly spaced. Where the formation of the course allows, one double pit can beinstalled which allows a rider to change bikes atthe same pit from different parts of the course.

The majority of riders dismount and mount tothe left of their cycles, so pits should be placedon the right-hand side of the course.

The equipment pit is normally an open area atthe side of the course. However, in national andinternational events a separate pit lane isobligatory, and only riders who require anequipment change can enter the pit lane.

Risk assessment

It is increasingly common for the landowner of aproposed cyclo-cross venue to request that arisk assessment be carried out before formalpermission for use of the venue is granted.Some organisers are intimidated by the term‘risk assessment’, but all events have beensubject to an informal risk assessment even ifthe organiser doesn’t realise it. To take aludicrous example, no cyclo-cross course isdirected over a 100m cliff or across six lanes ofa motorway because this would obviously beperceived as an unacceptably high risk. Aformal risk assessment procedure allows anorganiser to better evaluate the course andvenue in relation to the requirements of theregulations and the potential risks to competitors,officials, spectators and the general public.

Risk assessment was first developed in cyclingin anticipation of legislation to make this processcompulsory for events on the public highway.However, it has become a regular requirement –if not a legal one – for all kinds of public orrecreational events and the practice has beenextended to all cycling disciplines. See AppendixA for more information on health and safety.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 44


45

Grass tracks

Grass tracks are used for a similar range ofevents to those held on most cycle tracks.Typically a grass track is marked out around a cricket field or other spor ts pitch. Onepermanent facility is located within RoundhayPark, Leeds. Grass track racing is often featuredas part of a larger event such as the HighlandGames, and can be a welcome attraction tovillage fairs and town and county shows.

Marking out tracks

The site for a grass track should be reasonablyflat with minimal undulation on the surface.There should be a good quality of grass coverand the grass should be as short as possible,typically 1–3cm for maximum grip and speed –it also dries quicker if kept short. Riders maynot be allowed on the track if it is wet, andespecially not after long, dry spells as a bakedhard surface may not produce enough grip. The

surface should be monitored for dangerousmaterials such as glass and stones and these should be removed. Other deleterioussubstances such as dog mess and litter shouldalso be removed.

The length of a grass track is largely dependenton the size and shape of the ground available.Typically tracks may be 250–400m long andoften follow the perimeter of a cricket ground

Figure 14 Dimensions of grass circuit

Cycling 06:10:03 18:02 Page 45


46

or go around a grass athletics track, but anideal size, if the footprint fits the available area,is 333m.

The following guidelines are to assist organiserswith measuring a track (see also Figure 14):

Place two datum marks in the ground 47–55mapart. Scribe a radius of 35m outside eachdatum point in a semi-circle, and join eachsemi-circle with the home straight and backstraight lines. Handicap marks every 5m or 10mmake the officials’ job easier. Perimeter flagscan be placed at 5m intervals with a small plateon the peg giving the handicap distance, that is,90m, 85m and so on.

It is recommended that the riders’ enclosure belocated on the outside of the track. This is asafe location that also affords the race officialsthe best possible view. A warm-up area, thatdoes not impede the officials’ view, should beclearly marked out for riders to use before theirrace. The outer perimeter of the track shouldhave a sufficient length of fencing/barrier tapeto ensure both rider and spectator safety.

Technical regulations

Pegs or flags are used to mark out grass trackswith the inner boundary of the track placedat least 200mm inside the inner boundary ofthe track. The pegs should not be largerthan 200x40x15mm, and must be at an anglewith the ground of not more than 45º, with thetops of the pegs pointing away from the whiteline. The inside edge of all grass tracks shouldbe marked with a 40mm-wide white line.

On all grass tracks, the finish should consist ofthree 25mm-wide parallel white lines. All linesmust be distinctly marked across the track withthe two outside lines not more than 300mmapart – the centre line is the finishing line.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:03 Page 46


47

Road racing and time trials

The Facilities Strategy for Cycle Sport in England(1999) stresses that the public highway is thesingle most important cycle facility. Competitivecyclists of almost all disciplines use the roadnetwork for both training and competitions.While not a major issue for this design guide, itis important to recognise the types of races thatcurrently take place on the public highway.

Criterium races

These are similar to closed circuit races but donot always take place on a closed road. Theyare often held on weekday evenings over adistance of 30–40 miles, under a time handicapsystem that allows for the mixing of variouscategories. The first person over the line wins.

Road races

Held on public open roads for all age categoriesapart from under-16s, races will normally caterfor up to three categories and accommodate afield of up to 80 riders. Distances vary withyounger riders covering 40–50 miles while eliteriders can vary between 50 and 120 miles. Thefirst rider over the line wins. Speeds are kepthigh with sprints at intermediate points of therace, possibly for a ‘King of the Sprints’ or ‘HotSpots’ award. Some events also have a prize forthe best hill climber who is awarded a ‘King ofthe Mountains’ prize.

Stage races

Stage racing events are split into stages, andthe event usually lasts more than one day. Eachstage is a separate race although the final resultis based on each rider’s overall time for all thestages. The shortest overall time wins. Somestage races can last for up to three weeks, forexample the Tour de France.

Time trials

The minimum distance for a time trial isgenerally 10 miles, but shorter races are oftenpermitted. Most races cover fixed distances (10,25, 50 and 100 miles) or a fixed time, forexample 12 or 24 hours. Riders start at one-minute intervals, or sometimes more, and coverthe course as fast as they can alone, withoutassistance or taking pace from other competitorsor vehicles.

Race headquarters

When undertaking a risk assessment for acourse, consideration must be given to thelocation of the headquarters and changingfacilities for the event. Typically, it will benecessary to hire a village hall or a local schooland this should be located as close to the circuitas possible.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:03 Page 47


48

School facilities

Schools are ideal for developing low-cost off-road perimeter type cycling circuits that presentopportunities for curricular, extra-curricular andcommunity multi-sports use.

There is scope on many school sites to developfurther cycling facilities. These include BMXtracks, closed road circuits, cycle speedwaytracks and grass track racing. Technicalguidance for these facilities can be found in theappropriate sections of this design guide.

Benefits of off-road perimeter circuits

● School-based off-road circuits provide anideal introduction to cycling for youngpeople.

● There is availability of land on school sites.

● Perimeters of school fields are generally notused for other sporting activities.

● There is very little or no conflict with othersports using playing fields, for examplefootball/rugby/hockey.

● Such a circuit can be dual purpose servingalso as a cross-country running course.

● School sites offer scope for community useby local cycling and athletics clubs.

● Off-road circuits around the perimeter of theschool can be developed at a relatively lowcost and can be funded from a variety ofsources.

General principles

All school playing fields are dif ferent. It istherefore impossible to provide a commonspecification for an off-road circuit as it is sodependent on the shape, size and contours ofthe land available. However, there are somegeneral principles that can be applied in all cases.

Consultation

The consultation process should include:

● grounds maintenance contractors

● head teacher/local education authority/headof PE

● local community

● local cycling club(s)

● British Cycling regional youth developmentofficer

● British Cycling regional talent manager.

Course design

Consult with the grounds maintenance contractorsto discuss:

● the implications for increased groundsmaintenance costs, for example having tocut around wooden marker posts

● the width and positioning of any permanentobstacles/markers to ensure there is noconflict with grounds maintenance.

Safety and security

● Comply with the Construction (Design andManagement) Regulations 1994, ifapplicable (see Appendix A – Health andsafety).

● Ensure that the positioning of permanentobstacles does not block emergency accessto the playing fields.

● Examine usage of school playing fields ifthey are open access, that is, not securesites. What would be the implications of anoff-road circuit in these circumstances?

● Involve the local community in decisions onmatters of security.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:03 Page 48


49

Figure 15 Off-road cycling circuit at Frederick Gent School, Chesterfield

Cycling 06:10:03 18:03 Page 49


50

Technical specification

Many ideas for the design of a school-basedoff-road circuit can be taken from the technicalspecification for cyclo-cross circuits and mountainbike cross-country circuits. Basic principles are:

● Design an off-road type perimeter circuitwith various ‘technical’ sections that can beused for coaching specific skills.

● Make use of natural obstacles such ascambers, bankings and so on.

● Minimise use of permanentobstacles/markers.

● Ensure any markers used are clearly visibleand properly secured.

● Link the width of the course with therecommended width for cyclo-cross coursesand also discuss grass cutting, for examplegang mowers, with grounds maintenancecontractors.

Example of a school off-road facility

Frederick Gent School’s off-road cycling circuitwas funded by an Awards for All grant at a costof £1,500. It consists of a perimeter off-roadcourse around the edge of the playing field. It ismarked out at approximately 30–40m intervalswith wooden marker posts concreted into theground and makes use of the split level of theplaying field, incorporating the natural climbsand cambers throughout the course. Usingrailway sleepers concreted into the ground, fourtechnical sections have been developed. Allsections can be used individually or as part ofthe perimeter course.

Section 1: Flat hurdles

Three railway sleepers concreted in 2m apart.Used for bunny hopping/dismounting/remounting.

Section 2: Flat hurdles followed by naturalclimb

Three railway sleepers concreted in 2m apartjust before a short natural climb. Used for bunnyhopping/dismounting/remounting.

Section 3: Incline hurdles

Three railway sleepers concreted in 2m apartjust before a shor t natural climb. Used fordismounting/remounting training on a climb.

Section 4: Slalom

Zig-zag climb marked out with six railwaysleepers on a short, steep natural incline. Usedfor technical climbing training, that is, having tonegotiate turns on a climb.

Other options for school-based cyclingfacilities

It is important to recognise that cycling is notonly an exciting competitive sport and beneficialrecreational activity but also a viable form oftransport. The charity Sustrans (sustainabletransport) is involved in practical projects toencourage people to walk and cycle more, in orderto reduce motor traffic and its adverse effects.

The Sustrans Safe Routes to Schools projectenables and encourages children to cycle orwalk to school by improving street design,calming traffic, creating traffic-free spaces andlinking with the National Cycle Network.

Kesgrave School in Ipswich has successfullycreated a safe route under this initiative toencourage pupils to cycle to school. Pupilsmake a total of 1,400 bike journeys per day –more than 700 out of the 1,050 pupils ride toschool and the school run by car has been cutto 50 per day! Linking the development of aschool-based cycling facility with the provisionof bike storage and safe transport links willmaximise benefits to the school and thecommunity in terms of the provision of abeneficial sporting and recreational activity thatis also a viable form of transport.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 50


51

Multi-use facilities

Lee Valley Cycling Centre (formerly known asEastway) is an established multi-use cyclingfacility providing a suitable London venue forleisure, training and competition. It has provedthat such venues need to cater for many cyclingdisciplines in order to survive. It is used forNational Series Road and Premier Calendarevents, Veteran World Circuit Championships,BMX competitions and has hosted internationalcyclo-cross. Its regular Wednesday eveningmountain bike races attract up to 200 riders,as do the regular road circuit races for allcategories of rider.

General specification

● A multi-use facility should cater for at leastthree of the following cycling disciplines:road racing, cyclo-cross, mountain biking,cycle speedway and BMX, and incorporatea permanent closed (traffic-free) circuit of atleast 0.5km, but preferably around 1–2kmso that it meets training and competitionstandards. It should be at least 6m in width.

● Ideally, the circuit should be capable of usefor varying distances, with a smaller circuitfor youngsters to learn to ride and practisecycle proficiency which could be separated

from the main circuit. Extra width in theshape of a rectangle could be included nearto the finish, to act as a feed station andalso a mechanics’ area.

● The road circuit should include a variety offeatures including flat and hilly sections andsharp and sweeping corners. A tunnel couldbe provided for entry into the middle of thecircuit to avoid the need for pedestrians tocross the road circuit.

● The location of the facility is important.Ideally it should be situated in or close to anurban area, with provision for varying grassterrain in the centre of the circuit to providefor mountain biking and cyclo-cross, as thefabrication of artificial mounds/hills can beexpensive.

● Mountain biking and cyclo-cross routes thatcross the main road circuit can producemud debris, which could create danger toroad bikes, therefore adequate cleaningequipment is required on site. If mud debrisis a problem, an industrial road sweeper is agood investment.

● Floodlights to 300 lux allow for wintertraining and evening racing.

Provision for spectators/non-cyclists

The facility should be versatile and provideopportunities for other compatible sports suchas in-line skating, road running, cross-countryrunning and wheelchair racing, although spacein the centre of the circuit should not be usedfor ball games as these create a hazard whencycling is in progress.

A pedestrian pathway around the road circuit,with safely positioned benches, encouragesspectators. Such paths should never cross acircuit, but pedestrians can use a tunnel/rampleading to the middle of the circuit, provided thereis adequate, safe separation of pedestrians andmachines. Pathways should be level to ensurethat leisure in-line skaters can safely use thepath without inconveniencing pedestrians, whomay include young children.

Optimise footpaths by incorporating fitness trails.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 51


52

Figure 16 Multi-use cycle site at Lee Valley

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 52


53

Adequate space between the circuit andpedestrian routes will lessen the danger ofinadvertent trespass.

Spectator provision is important at finish areas,with a spectator stand where justified.

Site security

Security is a most important consideration. Ifit is not effective, this could result in the circuit failing to attract users, competitors andspectators. For example, Lee Valley multi-usefacility has a major problem with vandalism atthe site including the access road, and this notonly leads to high maintenance costs but alsodetracts from the enjoyment of users.

An effective level of security must be maintainedat all times, whether the facility is in use or not.Ideally, substantial perimeter fencing shouldencapsulate the entire facility, although thereare alternatives, for example employing securityguards or contracting a security company.

CCTV provides a further option, although it isunlikely to be sufficient in isolation. To beeffective, CCTV should complement the use ofsecurity officers.

Cycle security

A secure compound, or cycle storage facilitiessuch as bike stands, should be provided inclose proximity to changing rooms and signing-on areas. This has the effect of reducing theft.

Personal security

Barriers should be erected in the finishing straight,and in any other places where pedestrians –especially children and coaches – could run onto the circuit. Safety and security can beheightened if judges are able to see most of orthe entire course.

First aid must be available whenever the facilityis in use and the home club and the site shoulddevelop a child protection policy.

Changing rooms and toilets

Changing rooms and buildings should complywith Sport England standards (see the SportEngland Guidance Notes Pavil ions andClubhouses and Access for Disabled People – see page 64). All facilities must have thecapacity to cater for the maximum anticipatednumbers of users, taking into considerationthe number of disciplines available at onetime and the number of races scheduled.

Changing facilities with toilets and showersneed to be provided for both sexes, and thereshould be flexibility to cater for a preponderanceof one sex at a particular event.

The facility must have at least one clearlysignposted unisex accessible WC cubicle. Thecubicle must be accessible from all areas of thefacility including the social, refreshment, changingand staff areas. The cubicle should be locatedclose to the changing areas unless there arededicated unisex accessible changing roomsincorporating WCs within the changing areas.

The changing room floor should be designedwith a slight slope for easy cleaning anddrainage, especially as mud is likely to betrodden through. Cleanliness of facilities is animportant factor, which improves the overallexperience of a rider. The floor should also becapable of withstanding the stresses created bythe cleats on riders’ shoes.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 53


54

Lockers should be provided, of sufficient size tosafely store kit bags and personal items. Ifpossible, separate toilets for spectators shouldbe provided to avoid them having to walkthrough the changing rooms. Ideally such toiletsshould be accessible from the exterior of thebuilding and the circuit.

Adequate plans for the provision of drugcontrols also need to be assessed.

It is important that designers consider carefullythe religious and cultural implications of theirproposals and consult closely with local users.For example, a scheme serving a Moslemcommunity will have aspects of sanitation andhygiene that require careful design. Communalshower/changing facilities and urinal troughswould be unacceptable given the requirementfor complete visual privacy and there might be aneed for ancillary facilities, such as a bidet orother sluice arrangements. Additionally, theorientation of facilities could be critical.

Other fixed amenities

A kitchen should be included in the pavilion,with a suitable counter for serving customers. Aroom adjacent to the kitchen can provide for the

signing in of riders and can also be used forroller racing, spin cycling (equipment needs tobe stored safely), circuit training, fitness testing,and coaching with the addition of a white board.It can serve as a classroom and/or social areafor riders and spectators.

A drinking tap on the exterior of the building orin the mechanics’ area for the refill of waterbottles is good practice.

A committee meeting room is also necessary inorder to provide a quiet environment for thecalculation of results. The room should ideallyhave a window in which results can be displayed.An electricity point is needed in the room for useof electronic equipment.

First aid provision should include a first aidroom containing a sink. The room should be ofsufficient size to allow a screened-off area to beused as a drug controls unit, or as a physioroom. This room should be easily accessibleand located on the external wall of the buildingto facilitate entry by emergency services andinjured riders.

Although not essential, a gym or separatefitness room is desirable. However, all space,

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 54


55

including non-essential rooms, needs to bejustified on the basis of expected demand/useas well as the overall sporting ’gain’.

Facilities for judges/officials

Judges and commissaires require a judging boxadjacent to the finish, which is elevated,covered and has a power supply. Rememberthat requirements for judging facilities may varyaccording to the discipline involved.

A large electronic clock and lap board are alsoessential, but should be removable to reducevandalism. A fitting to hang a flag should alsobe provided.

Provision should be made for verifying thefinishing position of riders, either by photo finishor transponders as used in France.

Barriers, which are provided to keep pedestriansoff the finishing straight, should allow sponsorshipbanners to be attached. A public addresssystem is desirable on most circuits, and shouldcover the entire circuit and all disciplines. Apermanent podium will add a professionalfinishing touch.

Bike storage and maintenance

Secure bike storage is essential for the safekeeping of hire bikes. This can either beincluded in the pavilion or by means of steelcontainers currently under research. (See also‘Cycle security’ on page 53.)

Hire bikes should be police protected and wellmaintained. Provision should be made for smallbikes with stabilisers and tricycles for youngerchildren who accompany brothers, sisters orparents to events.

A mechanics’ area close to the circuit or carpark should incorporate bike stands, anautomatic air pump and a jet hose to washmuddy bikes. Ensure that debris and waterhave adequate drainage and will not run intospectator areas or onto the circuit.

Access

Adequate car parking must be incorporated onsite, close to the circuit and with securityfeatures. To take account of roof racks on carsthere should be no height barrier.

The facility should be designed to allowemergency access to all areas with dedicatedparking directly in front of/next to the first aidroom. This parking area must be hatched in yellow and include the clear message‘Emergency vehicles only’.

Arrangements should be made for thosearriving by wheelchair, bicycle or on foot and,where possible, for those arriving by publictransport. It is essential that there is clearsignage at the entry from the public highwayindicating routes to the:

● car parking areas, specifically accessiblecar parking spaces

● drop-off point

● main entrance to the facility.

The Guidance Note Access for Disabled People(see page 64) has more information ondisabled access.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 55


56

Cycle sport for disabled people

Cycle spor t caters for people with almostany disability.

The ‘off-road’ facilities required for cycle sportare, on the whole, user-friendly to disabledpeople. Normally, gates and other means ofaccess to cycling facilities tend to be near tostart lines and the other necessary key accessareas. It is rare that such access is via steps. Ifthere are ramps to such access, they must beon the shallow side.

Where access is by bridge or tunnel, alternativemeans of access must be made readilyavailable to anyone who has difficulty usingsteps. Calshot Activities Centre has a chairlift inposition to assist with such movement. Also,access to/from car parks, changing facilitiesand so on needs to incorporate shallow rampsand other appropriate good practice procedures.

There are few general barriers to participationin cycling, but people with more severe forms ofdisability might need to compete using tricyclesor tandems. This does restrict the opportunitiesto participate in the more technical disciplinesof cyclo-cross, BMX, cycle speedway and

mountain biking. Participation on track androad – particularly closed road circuits – has farfewer barriers.

In competition situations, people with a visualimpairment are assisted with audible countdownsystems, particularly on the track. Officials andothers – so long as they are made aware of theneed – can assist people with hearing difficulties.

There are currently British Cycling nationalchampionships for people with locomotive,cerebral palsy and visual impairment disabilitieson closed roads, in time trials (on the openroad) and on the track. Efforts are continuallybeing made to expand these championships tocater for people with other forms of disability.Evidence of this work already exists in anumber of British Cycling-promoted non-championship events. Typical examples are theclose links now being forged both with peoplewith learning difficulties and those who need tocompete on hand cycles.

Many riders with a disability also compete againstnon-disabled riders in ‘normal’ competition.

As part of its equity policy, British Cycling fullyrecognises the need to integrate disabledpeople within cycle sport. It has a member ofstaff dedicated to raising awareness amongcyclists with a disability of the opportunities tobe had within cycle sport as a whole.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 56


57

Appendix A – Health and safety

Introduction

Some cycle sports present risks to participantsand also, occasionally, to spectators and othersnot actually participating in the events. While it is impor tant to reduce risk to the lowestpracticable level, there is also the need toensure that the challenge presented by cyclesports is not diluted to the point that it does not ‘test’ those involved. If participants – andspectators – begin to view safety regulations asoverly protective, they may lose interest.

However, all sporting activity – especially wherechildren and young people participate – hasbecome the focus of attention as a consequenceof the number of accidents, some fatal, thathave occurred in recent years. Althoughorganisations specialising in ‘adventure training’have been the main focus of attention, everysport must pay particular attention to the safetyof its younger participants.

Duties and responsibilities

Although relevant law and regulation is directedtowards health and safety at work – hence theprincipal statute title the Health and Safety atWork Act 1974 (HASAWA) – those responsiblefor cycle sports must understand that, in manycases, they will be regarded as having duties/responsibilities under HASAWA. Even if theyhave no such responsibilities, they will beexpected to perform to the same standards asthose who do!

● Sports organisations/governing bodieswith employees: Even if the organisationhas only one paid employee, it is an‘employer’ and as such has responsibilitiesto that employee and to all other personswho may be adversely affected by the way itconducts its operations.

Clearly, all persons who are members of anorganisation and who participate inevents arranged by it, or who attend events asspectators, are protected by HASAWA,notwithstanding that they might notthemselves be ‘at work’.

● Sports organisations/governing bodieswith no employees: Although suchorganisations cannot be proceeded againstfor breaches of HASAWA, they areexpected to maintain the same standards asthose who can.

In its book Charity and Voluntary Workers: Aguide to health and safety at work, theHealth and Safety Executive states: ‘Ingeneral, the same health and safetystandards should be applied to voluntaryworkers as they would to employeesexposed to the same risks.’

Thus, organisations having no paid staff arenot strictly subject to health and safety law,although it is recognised as good practicethat they should afford the same protectionto those with whom they deal as they wouldbe expected to do if they were employees.

Whether or not an organisation has employedstaff, it may be pursued in the civil courts by anyperson who has been injured as a consequenceof the organisation’s failure to exercise theirduty of care to them while they were managing,organising, participating in or watching eventsproduced by that organisation.

Legal considerations aside, it cannot be right todeny participants in cycle sports the safeguardsthat would be mandatory if the participantswere employees.

The objective of this appendix is not to describe every item of health and safety law and regulation, but to focus on the keyrequirements, especially those that areincreasingly regarded as essent ia l for‘organisations’ as well as employers.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 57


58

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974(HASAWA)

Employers’ duty toward employees and otherswho may be adversely affected by their operations.

It is the duty of employers to ensure, so far as isreasonably practicable, the health, safety andwelfare at work of all employees, payingparticular attention to:

● providing and maintaining plant andsystems of work that are safe and withouthealth risks

● ensuring safety and absence of risk tohealth in connection with the use, handling,storage and transport of articles andsubstances

● providing such information, instruction,training and supervision as is necessary toensure the health and safety of employees

● maintaining the workplace in a safecondition, without risks to health andmaintaining sufficient access and egressto/from the workplace

● providing a safe and healthy workingenvironment, with adequate welfarefacilities.

Employers’ duty toward persons not in theiremployment

This section is concerned with the need toprotect persons who, although not employees,might nonetheless be at risk from the operationsof employers. The implications of this requirementin the context of cycle sport are clear: officials,helpers and spectators are all protected by this requirement.

Note: Both the above duties are subject to thequalifying standard ‘so far as is reasonablypracticable’. This means that, in discharging theduties described, it is permissible to considerthe cost of doing so compared to the level ofrisk and the severity of potential accidents, thatis, to make a cost versus risk judgement.

Other relevant sections of HASAWA

Health and safety policies

Section 2(3) requires every employer of morethan four staff to develop and bring to theattention of all their staff a health and safetypolicy statement. This should be accompaniedby details of the arrangements for ensuring thatthe organisation operates in a healthy and safemanner. The policy must be kept under reviewand updated as often as necessary.

Notes

(i) Unlike the other HASAWA duties describedabove, the requirement to develop a healthand safety statement is ‘absolute’, that is, ifthe organisation employs four or more staffit has to comply.

(ii) Although this duty is imposed uponemployers, most organisations, whetheremployers or not, produce documentationthat equates to a health and safetystatement, although it might be describeddifferently.

(iii) The requirement for a health and safetypolicy being universal (other than for verysmall firms). Many companies invitingtenders ask for a copy of potentialcontractors’ safety policies as part of thetendering process, recognising that thequality of the policy could be an indicator ofthe overall quality of the tenderer.

Funding applications include a review of thehealth and safety policy (where statutorilyrequired) of those applying for awards. Seealso the comments on some of the constituentregulations of the Management of Health andSafety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR)that follow.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 58


59

Management of Health and Safety at WorkRegulations 1999 (MHSWR)

These regulations were introduced to ratify anEU Directive on workplace health and safety.They expand the requirements of HASAWA1974, and address a wide range of subjectsconcerned with health and safety management.

These notes cover constituent regulationswithin MHSWR with the greatest relevance tocycle sport.

Risk assessments: Regulations 3 and 4

Without question, the single most importantduty in the wide spectrum of health and safetydut ies covered by legis la t ion is tha t ofdeveloping risk assessments, a statutoryrequirement since January 1993.

Regulation 3 requires every employer to developand keep updated a ‘suitable and sufficient’assessment of the risks to which employeesmight be exposed as a result of their work, andthe risks to persons not in their employmentwho could be adversely affected by the conductof the firm’s (or organisation’s) operations.

Risks are to be ‘assessed’ and all reasonablypracticable measures taken to eliminate therisks identified or to reduce them to the lowestlevel reasonably practicable.

Regulation 4 sets out a hierarchical approach tothe risk assessment process, which must befollowed by those developing the assessment.

Risk assessments must be recorded if theworkforce exceeds four in number and allemployees affected by the assessment must beacquainted with details of it and the measurestaken to eliminate/reduce the risks identified.

The long overdue requirement for everyone toassess risks has changed the focus in healthand safety completely. It requires every employerand organisation to critically review the way thatthey operate in order to highlight any aspect oftheir ‘modus operandi’ that poses risks, either tostaff, participants or others.

For many sports, the rules for the sport willencompass health and safety issues, althoughthis should not be taken for granted.

Although it is not the purpose of this publicationto describe the risk assessment process indetail, the following notes may be helpful to those responsible for developing riskassessments, either for their particular sport atnational level or in respect of particular sites orcycle sport events/fixtures.

Risk assessment factors

Generic risk assessments

If the same activity is repeated, either at onesite or around the country, it may be possible todevelop a ‘safe system’ to be followed whereverthe identical activity takes place. This suggestsa ‘generic’ risk assessment and therefore ageneric set of protective measures to addressthe risk.

Generic risk assessments are frequently usedin industry sectors where there is certainty thatthe procedure being reviewed will be followedrigorously wherever the operation takes place.

In cycle sport this might not be possible toensure, due to a variety of influences such as location, weather, age/experience ofparticipants, and factors beyond the control ofevent organisers.

Input

It is impor tant that input, from as wide aspectrum of experience/interest as possible,is made available to those developing riskassessments. It would be wholly wrong to developa risk assessment without the input/ involvementof those engaged in the sport in question.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:04 Page 59


60

Methodology

Although there is no stipulated methodology forevaluating risks, the most common method isreferred to generically as the ‘5x5’ system.

This system assigns a numerical ranking to thetwo constituent factors in risk: severity (ofconsequences) and likelihood (of occurrence).

Therefore, a risk whose severity is judged to behigh (most serious) would be ranked 5, althoughthe likelihood might be remote and thereforeranked as 1 (least likely). In this example therisk value would be 5 (5x1).

Using the 5x5 method of evaluation, the highest –and therefore most important (and pressing) –risks for attention will be those scoring themaximum (25) or close to it.

Risk assessment is a subjective process, butthis is not a problem provided that the formulaadopted by an organisation is followed consistently.The purpose in requiring evaluation is to focusattention on the most serious risks, addressinglesser risks in descending order of magnitude.

Thus a risk assessment group might decide thatthe 5x5 system is to be used, and that there willbe three categories of risk: high, medium and low.

The criteria for each group might be:

score below 8 = low risk

9–16 = medium risk

17–25 = high risk

Determining the numerical ‘score’ to be assignedcan be made more accurate by determiningcriteria for each value stage. For example:

Seriousness criteria:

1 no injury or minor injury treated by first-aider

2 injury requiring professional medicalattention, no hospital admission

3 in hospital for more than 24 hours

4 major injury, for example loss of limb or eye

5 fatality

Likelihood criteria:

1 expected once a year

2 expected up to four times a year

3 expected monthly

4 expected weekly

5 expected at every event

It is stressed that the above are examples. It isfor individual organisations to establish thecriteria best suited to them.

Types of risk

Even within cycle sport, there are a great manydifferent risks. Some will be a feature of everykind of cycle sport, others will be confined toonly one or two. Some risks will be present at a particular venue, others applicable tomany venues.

Therefore, it is not possible to schedule all therisks that may arise under the banner of cyclesport. The list below is an illustration of thevariety of risk areas that could affect one ormore of the recognised cycle sports. However,it is for the team developing the risk assessmentto decide which risks to consider, as they should have the greatest knowledge of thelocal circumstances.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 60


61

Potential risk areas

● Children and young people: Theirimmaturity, susceptibility, physicallimitations, propensity to take risks from bravado/desire to win,unreasonable expectation of their abilitiesby event organisers

● Vandalism: Interference with obstacles,signs, equipment; tampering with cycles

● Traffic: General lack of concern for cyclists,motorists’ failure to take care when cycleraces/time trials and the like take place onpublic roads, their unwillingness to ‘giveway’ when appropriate

● Fitness: Insufficient care taken re fitness ofparticipants, failure to establish fitnesscriteria/verification

● Courses/obstacles: Insufficientreconnaissance/unreasonable expectationof participants’ physical ability to overcomeobstacles. Inadequate maintenance ofpermanent obstacles or of fixedtracks/courses

● Medical cover/arrangements: Insufficientfirst aid/professional medical cover,inadequate liaison with hospitals/means ofcommunication.

Construction (Design and Management)Regulations 1994 (CDM)

These regulations were introduced in order to bring about improvements in health andsafety in the construction industry, but theirrequirements have the potential to affect anyorganisation that embarks upon a new build,renovation or repair project.

This is because the CDM regulations imposeduties not only upon those who design andbuild, but also the ‘clients’ who commissionconstruction work and others. There are, therefore,implications for sports organisations generally,although perhaps less so for cycle sport.

Also, premises and construction activities thatfall within the purview of the environmentalhealth departments of local authorities are not

always bound by the requirements of the CDMregulations. However, it would be unwise toassume that a construction project, for exampleconstruction of a cycle race track, was notsubject to these regulations without first obtainingthe opinion of the local authority environmentalhealth department.

In many cases the local statutory authority doesrequire compliance with CDM. It is thereforerecommended that, in every case, clientsdiscuss the correct position with respect toCDM with their local environmental healthdepartment (or equivalent). Failure to complywith CDM when it is applicable is, of course, acriminal offence.

The requirements of the CDM regulationsgenerally and the statutory duties of clientsunder these regulations are as follows:

CDM: Key requirements

● All construction work to be properly plannedand duties assigned to key dutyholders, whoare:– clients– designers– planning supervisors– principal contractors– other contractors.

● Production of pre-tender and constructionphase health and safety plans and thecompilation of a health and safety file.

Statutory duties of clients (or clients’ agents):

● To appoint a competent planning supervisorand principal contractor.

● To provide the planning supervisor withinformation about the premises or land uponwhich construction is to take place.

● To ensure that the planning supervisor andprincipal contractor have assigned sufficienthuman/financial resources to safely carryout their work on the project.

● To ensure that, where the project has to beformally notified to the statutory authorityusing the approved form, this has beendone by the planning supervisor beforeconstruction work commences.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 61


62

Authors

Cycle racing tracks and velodromes – RonWebb Track Consultants

Closed road racing circuits – Bob Howden andDon Wiseman

BMX race tracks – Chris Furber, British Cycling

Cycle speedway tracks – Peter Elmy, ElmyLandscapes Limited; Ashley Godfrey, SportEngland; Brian Furness, British Cycling; DavidHemsley, Isherwood McCann

Mountain bike courses and trails – ChrisFurber, British Cycling

Cyclo-cross circuits – Brian Green

Grass tracks – Bob Barber, British Cycling;Andy Ballentyne, Easterly Road Club

Road racing and time trials – Bob Barber andPaul West, British Cycling

School facilities – Ian Drake, British Cycling

Multi-use facilities – Trudi Else and AshleyGodfrey, Sport England

Cycle sport for disabled people – Paul West,British Cycling

● To ensure that a pre-tender health andsafety plan is in place before constructionwork commences.

● To act as custodian of the health and safetyfile on completion of the project, and tokeep the file available for reference bystatutory inspectors and other contractorsworking on the project subsequently.

Other legislation/regulations

Other regulations that could be relevant arethose concerned with first aid provision,manual handling, personal protective equipment and welfare.

Summary

Of the regulations described above, thoseconcerned with risk assessment and constructionmanagement have the most relevance toorganisations concerned with cycle sport.

Risk assessments should exist for all permanentsites/complexes as well as for one-off eventsthat might never be repeated at the sameplace. If serious accidents do occur, thoseinvestigating them will wish to examine therelevant risk assessment.

The term ‘construction’ in the context of theCDM regulations is a far-reaching one, andincludes work of a construction nature in avariety of scenarios. It includes, for example,the construction of a cycle track on an area ofwasteland, if the work lasts longer than 30 daysor occupies more than 500 person-days of work.

While it is for individuals to take care ofthemselves, there is a clear duty placed uponthose who organise and manage sports to doso in a responsible and mature manner. Such aduty can, at times, call for strong action, forexample where a competitor, their cycle orother equipment is patently unfit to participate.

However careful organisers are, accidents willhappen. When they do, criticism will fall mostheavily where there is no evidence of a safetyculture, or an absence of sensible checks to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable,that participants and their equipment meetsensible standards.

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 62


63

Useful addresses

British CyclingNational Cycling CentreStuart Street, Manchester M11 4DQ

Tel: 0870 871 2000 Fax: 0870 871 2001

Elmy Landscapes LimitedAshbocking Crossroads, Ashbocking IP6 9LA

Tel: 01473 785063Email: [email protected]

Ron Webb Track Consultants31 St Olaves Close, StainesMiddlesex TW18 2LH

Tel: 01784 450443Email: [email protected]

Sport EnglandHead office16 Upper Woburn PlaceLondon WC1H 0QP

Tel: 020 7273 1500 Fax: 020 7383 5740www.sportengland.org

Sport England regional offices

EastCrescent House, 19 The CrescentBedford MK40 2QP

Tel: 01234 345222 Fax: 01234 359046

East MidlandsGrove House, Bridgford RoadWest Bridgford. Nottingham NG2 6AP

Tel: 0115 982 1887/2586 Fax: 0115 945 5236

LondonCrystal Palace National Sports CentrePO Box 480, Ledrington RoadLondon SE19 2BQ

Tel: 020 8778 8600 Fax: 020 8676 9812

North EastAykley Heads, Durham DH1 5UU

Tel: 0191 384 9595 Fax: 0191 384 5807

North WestAstley House, Quay StreetManchester M3 4AE

Tel: 0161 834 0338 Fax: 0161 835 3678

South East51a Church Street, CavershamReading RG4 8AX

Tel: 0118 948 3311 Fax: 0118 947 5935

South WestAshlands House, AshlandsCrewkerne, Somerset TA18 7LQ

Tel: 01460 73491 Fax: 01460 77263

West Midlands1 Hagley Road, Five WaysBirmingham B16 8TT

Tel: 0121 456 3444 Fax: 0121 456 1583

Yorkshire4th Floor, Minerva House, East ParadeLeeds LS1 5PS

Tel: 0113 243 6443 Fax: 0113 242 2189

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 63


64

References

Sport England

Access for disabled peopleLondon: Sport England, November 2002http://www.sportengland.org/resources/pdfs/guidance-notes/Disabled.pdf

Car park and landscape designLondon: Sport England, July 1999http://www.sportengland.org/resources/pdfs/guidance-notes/Carparking.pdf

Pavilions and clubhousesLondon: Sport England; June 1999http://www.sportengland.org/resources/pdfs/guidance-notes/Pavilions.pdf

Great Britain

Construction (design and management)regulations 1994 (CDM)London: HMSO, 1994

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974(HASAWA)London: HMSO, 1974

Management of health and safety at workregulations 1999 (MHSWR)London: HMSO, 1999

Health and Safety Executive

Charity and voluntary workers: A guide tohealth and safety at work HSG192London: HSE Books, 1999

HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury,Suffolk, CO10 2WATel: 01787 881166 Fax: 01787 313995

The Stationery Office, PO Box 29,Norwich NR3 1GNTel: 0870 600 5522 Fax: 0870 600 5533

Photographs and diagrams have been suppliedcourtesy of the following:

Aston Hill Mountain Bike Area, page 37

Stuart Benstead, pages 20 and 57

British Cycling, front cover and pages 1, 18, 22,27, 28, 29, 30, 36, 39, 40, 43, 44, 47(bottom),50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58 and 59

Mark Burchett, pages 45 and 46

Gary Clegg, page 11

Alan Edwards, page 62

Peter Elmy, pages 34 and 35(left)

Frederick Gent School, page 49

Adam Giles, page 38(bottom)

Paul Gilham, page 48

Graham Hindle, page 12

Alistair Kerr, page 38(top)

Roger Nicholson, pages 31, 35(right) and 60

Nick Peatson, page 47(top)

Neill Phillips, page 24

Sealand Aerial Photography, page 21

Richard Sowersby, page 65

Ron Webb, pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13and 16

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 64


65

Sport England Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. Sport England, its servantsor agents shall not at any time, in any circumstances, be held responsible or liable to any party in respect of any loss, damage orcosts of any nature arising directly or indirectly from reliance placed on the material in this publication, or any other guidelines or

policies issued by Sport England. This information has been prepared as a basic guide only and should not be viewed as asubstitute for obtaining comprehensive expert or professional advice.

This guidance and Sport England policies on Lottery funding applications are subject to change from time to time, including variationsrequired to comply with governmental directions on the application of Lottery funds. Sport England reserves the right to amend,

supplement and/or discontinue, at its absolute discretion for whatever reason, any or all of the guidelines set out in this publication.

There are a number of Guidance Notes on related

matters. A current list is available from:

Sport England Publications

PO Box 255, Wetherby LS23 7LZ

Tel: 0870 5210255. Fax: 0870 5210266

Minicom: 0870 1207405

E-mail (order enquiries only):

[email protected]

Online ordering: www.sportengland.org

Some publications can be downloaded from the

website.

Some Sport England publications may be available

in alternative formats or languages. Please

contact Information Services for assistance:

Tel: 020 7273 1700.

Fax: 020 7273 1868.

Email: [email protected]

© Sport England, April 2003

SE/2208/3M/04/03

16 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0QP

www.sportengland.org

Design concept by GDA Creative Solutions

Produced by NBA Tectonics

Printed in England by Belmont Press

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 65

Ref: 2208£10

ISBN 1 86078 180 2

Cycling 06:10:03 18:05 Page 66

Documents

Cycling sports facilities - design guide - Sport England · PDF fileCycling Sports Facilities 2 Cycle racing tracks and velodromes The provision of a new track, or the refurbishment