Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Weekend fun: try the Bicycle Wall of Death!

Handmade velodrome showcased at Northamptonshire bike festival Wonderful Wheeled Weekend

A group of Northamptonshire cycle enthusiasts have built the UK's first cycle 'wall of death', which will go on display tomorrow at the Wonderful Wheeled Weekend at the county's Wicksteed Park.

The structure, a 1930's style handmade wooden velodrome, will be open for anyone to try, regardless of ability.

They were popular in America as circus attractions, and the Ministry of Bicycles group have spent a month building a replica, a 26ft structure made from hundreds of individual planks of wood.

Bill Pollard from the Ministry of Bicycles told the Northamptonshire Chronicle: “I had seen guys in America make one of these and it looked like excellent fun.

"I decided to make the first UK bicycle wall of death and to showcase it at summer events. We have had a few set-backs, like getting the funding together and then trying to build it in the pounding rain, but it has finally all come together.”

George Pollard, another member of the MoB team, told the Northamptonshire Telegraph: “We tested it out for the first time the other night and it was really tricky to ride, but after a few hours we started to crack it.

“It is such an adrenaline rush to cycle around it and it is an amazing spectacle to watch.”

Try it for yourself at the Wonderful Wheeled Weekend on Saturday, August 4, from 10am onwards and on Sunday, August 5, from 10am to 5pm.

The Facebook event page has all the details of the day.

Latest Comments