Banked Track Heroes Presents: McDuffee vs Taylor paced by steam

Moving into the 1890s, the sport of cycle racing on velodromes had become a huge attraction for the general public. Crowds would easily reach 5000 plus, filling the stalls of the banked stadiums throughout countries such as America, England, France and Germany, to name a few. With the advent of electric lighting, an evening's entertainment within this enclosed space startecl to bring in even more people, especially from the working class as it was now outside of their working hours. With compulsory paid entry and the enclosed space of the banked velodrome, cycling had become a very lucrative sport for the promotors, managers and riders involved. This was not just a venue for entertainment, but also a proving ground for athletic prowess and the promotion of the latest cycling technology, so top cycle manufacturers would rely on race wins using their machines to promote their wares. It was big business indeed.

By the late 1890s, the sport of middle distance racing over distances between 15 and 25 miles had become popular. Times wou Id be recorded for every mi le over these distances, and so if a rider was hitting a good pace mile after mile, several records could be set in one race. Records obviously gave riders status and created competition, but they were