The Fun Bike Unicorn Club Scour The Chronicles Recreating a Vintage Carnival-Style Mini Velodrome - Naming Their Creation THE WHISKEY DROME Welcome to the Whiskey Drome - Whiskey Drunk Cycles
This thirty foot wide velodrome was conceived by the Fun Bike Unicorn Club, basing their portable fun drome on a few early photographs like the one above. The carnival style mini velodrome was a popular attraction in the early twentieth century, alongside legendary daredevils like Diavolo. Take a look at the FBUC - Fun Bike Unicorn Club website for other fun bike and assorted art projects.
A group of creatives including artists, inventors and builders setup Fun Bike Unicorn Club in 2010 - Joshua Thwaites and Joey Caster talked to CRAFT as they setup at Maker Faire in the Bay Area 2011, recounting the history behind their fun filled vintage carnival-style "Whiskey Drome." Reminiscent of the daredevil days of the famous Diavolo, motorcycle board tracker's and the Wall of Death. Video above Via CRAFT.com
Below is another hand built circus velodrome by Forepaugh & Sells Brothers Enormous Shows United featuring The 7 Wild Wheel Whirl Wonders Poster.1
"The 7 Gaynells in furiously exciting races between from two to seven riders on an open fence track only 5 feet high and 20 feet in diameter pitched at an acute angle of 70degrees. Also marvellous track and fancy riding."
The seven wild wheel whirl wonders, mini velodromes from the circus.
The Fun Bike Unicorn Club reckon their track is thirty feet wide, here the Seven Gaynells perform their stunts on a 20 foot diameter wooden slat velodrome. The Gaynell bicycle version of the Wall of Death.
The Whiskey Drome - Fun Bike Unicorn Club - is a re-creation similar to the two wooden slat tracks depicted here.
1. Web: 1 June 2012 http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/93506227/ Title: Forepaugh & Sells Brothers enormous shows united. The 7 wild wheel whirl wonders. The 7 Gaynells ... Date Created/Published: c1902. Medium: 1 print (poster) : color. Summary: The Seven Gaynells riding bicycles on an open fence track at an acute angle of 70 degrees. Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-2625 (color film copy transparency) LC-USZ62-24608 (b&w film copy neg.) Call Number: POS - CIRCUS - Fore. & Sells 1902, no. 1 (C size) [P&P] Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Bookmark This Record: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/93506227/
MORE CYCLING HISTORY
Concealed from the Campagnolo overlords in the 1970's, workers spirited small parts out of the factory, re-assembling them at home. Ultimately displayed for sale at a village barber shop.