There is a moment, somewhere between watching a cyclist lean impossibly low into a banked curve at full speed and realizing you are gripping your seat with both hands, when you understand that the Lehigh Valley Velodrome is unlike anything else in this city. Or, for that matter, in most cities east of the Mississippi. Allentown has a velodrome. A real, functioning, nationally recognized velodrome. And if you have not been yet, you are genuinely missing out.
Tucked inside Trexler Memorial Park — yes, that Trexler Memorial Park, a sprawling green lung on the west side of the city — the Lehigh Valley Velodrome has been a fixture since 1975. The track itself is a 333-meter concrete oval with steeply banked turns that look almost architectural in their precision. When the evening racing series gets underway on warm summer nights, the whole place takes on the feel of a neighborhood festival crossed with a European sporting event. Families spread out on the grassy infield. Kids press up against the low fence with wide eyes. And out on the boards, cyclists in skin-tight kits reach speeds that make you instinctively lean back.
But here is what makes the Velodrome special beyond the spectacle: it is genuinely accessible. The weekly racing events, held throughout the summer season, are free or low-cost to watch. You show up, you find a spot, and within minutes you are deeply invested in a sport you may have never followed before. Track cycling has a language all its own — the keirin, the points race, the madison — and the Velodrome’s announcer does a wonderful job explaining what is happening in real time. By your second visit, you will be shouting at the sprint line like you have been a fan your whole life.
For the more adventurous, the Velodrome offers learn-to-ride programs for beginners using loaner track bikes — fixed-gear machines with no brakes, which sounds alarming until an experienced coach walks you through it. First-timers are surprised to find themselves circling the track within a single session, slowly climbing the banks and feeling the physics of the thing work in their favor. It is one of those experiences that stays with you.
The community here is warm, unpretentious, and quietly passionate. Regulars bring folding chairs and thermoses. Local cycling clubs show up en masse. Out-of-town racers travel significant distances to compete on the track because the surface and the sight lines are that good. The Velodrome has hosted national-caliber events, and yet on a Tuesday evening in July it still feels like the whole neighborhood just wandered over to see what the fuss was about.
Plan to arrive before the racing begins so you can walk the perimeter, get a look at the track from different angles, and grab a snack from whatever vendor has set up near the entrance that evening. Dress for the weather — it is an outdoor venue — and bring a light jacket for after sunset. Parking is easy and free. If you have children, bring them. If you have a friend who thinks cycling is boring, bring them too. Neither will feel the same way by the time the evening is over.
The Lehigh Valley Velodrome is one of those places that reminds you why discovering a city on foot — or, in this case, on two very fast wheels — always beats a travel itinerary. Allentown has deep roots, genuine character, and more than a few surprises up its sleeve. This is one of the best ones.
