Valley Preferred Cycling Center hosting Tandem Track Sprint Champs

Trexlertown, Pa. (August 4, 2010) — Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, will host the 2010 USA Cycling Tandem Track Sprint National Championships Friday, August 6 during the World Series of Bicycling.

Tandem competition is an exciting niche in the sport of velodrome racing, and has long been a fan-favorite at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. The national championships give T-town fans a chance to see the best of the best, and the duo that outraces them all for those coveted Stars-and-Stripes championship jerseys.

"It's a great honor to host this event," said Marty Nothstein, executive director at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. "USA Cycling gave us this event because they know we're going to put on a great event with thousands of people cheering these guys on. Plus, we'll fill the field with high-quality tandem teams that take track sprinting and tandem cycling very seriously. This is also a great venue for the event. The track's bigger dimensions allows the riders to use their horsepower."

This is the second USA Cycling national championships event that Valley Preferred Cycling Center hosts this season. Last month, the venue hosted the USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships.

Tandemonium!

While the national championships will be exciting enough, the event's encore is what really energizes the T-town crowd. Tandemonium!, presented by Dan's Camera City, is an intense scratch race that pits several tandems in an all-out dash for the win. The U.S. teams will cap their night by facing a field of international pros in what will unarguably be the best tandem race of the year.

"The amount of talent we have lined up for the tandem is pretty incredible," noted Nothstein. "The same guys that are going fast on individual bikes are pairing up to go fast on tandem bikes. Seeing all the tandem bikes on the track at one time and the guys duking it out in a scratch race is definitely a great race to watch. It's twice the speed, twice the power, twice the action and twice the thrill. It's the one that gets the crowd to give more 'ooohs' and 'awwws' than probably any other event of the year."

The fans aren't the only ones that get stoked for Tandemonium! The cyclists look forward to this event as well. It's a team sport, and picking that winning teammate is as strategic as the actual on-track competition. It's not uncommon for some riders to set their tandem plans well in advance, and for others to search for the right fit up until the week of the event.

"I know guys who have talked about this event all year long, and I know teams that were placed together this week," added Nothstein. "It takes a good team. It's not an event that is won on one strong guy. It takes two guys that think as one person and pedal as one machine. When you find the right combination you usually have guys that are quick and agile and really fast on the big bikes. It's hard to do; it's like driving an 18-wheeler out there. The guys who are good at it are specialists, and we have a few specialists ready to roll on Friday night."

Photography workshop offered by Dan's Camera City

Dan's Camera City, a long-time sponsor of Valley Preferred Cycling Center, is the presenting sponsor of this Friday's event. Dan's Camera City makes good use of its night of racing with a unique fast action photography workshop. Amateur photographers are taught the basics of how to capture the fast action photos in the classroom at Dan's Camera City and then get a hands-on shoot at Valley Preferred Cycling Center this Friday.

Meet the Bike Guy

Popular bicycle collector Bob Swaim returns to Valley Preferred Cycling Center this Friday night. Swaim's appearance earlier this season was well-received. His vast collection of unique bicycles and engaging stories were a hit with fans of all ages.

"With my collection of bicycles, I can talk about health, history, engineering, the environment, diversity and team-building," Swaim said during his first appearance. "I often ask kids, 'Who was the first president to ride a bicycle?' The bicycle wasn't invented until about 1860, so George Washington isn't the right answer. In fact, there is no right answer, but it gets the kids thinking. And when it comes to engineering and diversity, kids can really think outside the box and be creative. Then I always end with a lesson in volunteering. I hope the kids get involved in volunteering."

Event Details

Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. With tickets starting at just $5.00 and kids 12 and under getting in FREE, this event will be a fun night out for the entire family. Fans can also take advantage of great all-organic food at the Breakaway Café concession stand. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., with live music from the Mayfair Music Series presented by Lehigh Valley Grand Prix.

About Valley Preferred Cycling Center
Valley Preferred Cycling Center is the nation's foremost velodrome and the only one in North America to offer a full season of professional, Olympic-caliber competition through its World Series of Bicycling events every Friday night from June 18 through Aug. 27. In addition, the 24-7 Fitness Clubs Pro-Am Series on Tuesday night showcases the rising talent of riders from throughout the United States and other nations and often features the Friday night pros who frequently use the Pro-Am races for training. The velodrome opened in 1975 and is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2010. Bob Rodale donated the facility to Lehigh County shortly after its construction and it is operated by the non-profit Velodrome Fund. As a county park, the track and the Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park across the street are open to cyclists when not in use for training or racing. For more information, visit us at www.thevelodrome.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Contact: Tim Glase, Valley Preferred Cycling Center, 704.281.0161, onramp@progressavenue.net