1890 Velodrome and East San Jose Velodrome

There is a 2017 article and photo album on the Sourisseau Academy website, by Ralph M. Pearce, The Valley’s Love Affair with the Bicycle. This article mentions an 1890 Velodrome and an East San Jose Velodrome but there are no further details or supporting documentation.

Terry Shaw has a post on the Hellyer Velodrome FB Group about the earliest tracks/velodromes in San Jose, https://www.facebook.com/groups/289334681852931/posts/1309101829876206/

1892 Velodrome

The velodrome built in 1892 in San Jose has multiple  sources of corroborating documentation and it is  therefore believed to be the first velodrome in San Jose and therefore the SF Bay Area. 

SJSU ScholarWorks has a Masters Theses by Tracy Ann Delphina, A history of bicycle track racing in San Jose : the Burbank Velodrome years, 1936-1941, written in 1994. This research paper is a comprehensive description of all aspects of the Burbank Velodrome. It also mentions some interesting details of the other San Jose velodromes, specifically:

• “The first velodrome was built in 1892 and the second in 1895. Both tracks were built by the Garden City Cyclers.”.
• “The velodrome built in 1892 was located on South First Street, was one-fourth of a mile in circumference, covered with crushed rock, had a banking of five feet, and had a grandstand capacity of 2000.”.

Agricultural Park Velodrome

Burbank Velodrome

SJSU ScholarWorks has a Masters Theses by Tracy Ann Delphina, A history of bicycle track racing in San Jose : the Burbank Velodrome years, 1936-1941, written in 1994. This research paper is a comprehensive description of all aspects of the Burbank Velodrome. It also mentions some interesting details of the other San Jose velodromes:

• The 1892 Garden City Velodrome may have been at Race Street and Park Avenue, not South First Avenue.
• many inconsistencies between the tracks listed in the Introduction and the paragraphs starting on page 20 or so.

Peter Dreesens sent me this link to a 2017 article and photo album on the Sourisseau Academy website, by Ralph M. Pearce, The Valley’s Love Affair with the Bicycle

• We’re discussing the accuracy of the Burbank Velodrome photo on page 12. I think it’s San Jose Velodrome by the SJ Speedway, not the Burbank Velodrome. To be continued…..

Stephen Inoue’s blog entry about the Burbank Velodrome, 
https://twofeet.weebly.com/walking-blog/bikes-guns-and-fast-feet-lincoln-high-school

History San Jose, ??I’m not seeing any content??, Silicon Valley Bikes! Passion, Innovation & Politics Since 1980.

California Pioneers of  Santa Clara County has a VIDEO of the Burbank Velodrome from 1937!!!! California Recreation: WPA Velodrome in San Jose – 1937

The Living New Deal website has a three pictures, https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/san-jose-burbank-velodrome-san-jose-ca/

Calisphere photo of the Burbank Velodrome, 
https://calisphere.org/item/09bca1c1775dfc9e93c8c860247c258b/

Lincoln HS article in Mercury News, https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/03/09/the-secret-beneath-lincoln-high-schools-football-field/

Murphy Sabatino collection??, https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8tf03hd/

San Jose Velodrome

The San Jose Velodrome in the foreground of SJ Speedway photographs: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/san-jose-speedway-ca-1950-1960-22043380

Aerial views, the last one shows a run down track.