Racing under the roof

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BOULDER - From a distance, you'd never know what is going on inside a warehouse in east Boulder. If you step through the door, you'll hear the low rumble of wheels rolling over wood.

Welcome to Colorado's only indoor velodrome.

The facility, called Boulder Indoor Cycling, was created to give riders the chance to train on a wooden track in a controlled environment.

"The weather is always perfect in this building," said Paul Wells, director of cycling for Boulder Indoor Cycling. "If it is 110 degrees outside and blowing, it is 67 in here. If it is minus 10 degrees, it is 67 in here."

Boulder and cycling have been synonymous for many years. Boulder's miles of bike paths and roads offer great training, making it a cyclist's paradise. The town is also home to some the best road racers in the world.

The velodrome will offer a different kind of riding and racing to cyclists. It will also draw cyclists from outside the area to train at the facility.

"This is great. Well worth the nine hour drive," said Ron Wade from Wichita, Kansas.

Wade made the drive to give his son, Josh the chance to train at the indoor facility. Josh is 16 years old and an aspiring track rider. Last year he captured the silver medal at the Junior Nationals.

The indoor velodrome in Boulder will give him a chance to train year round.

"We'll drive out on Fridays. We'll do Saturday and Sunday and the make the drive back home because it is such an awesome facility," said Josh Wade.

While the velodrome will offer elite athletes the chance to train year round, it will also offer a wide range of programs for recreational riders. For more information about hours of operation, session fees and programs, you can go to www.BoulderIndoorCycling.com.

The velodrome will not be the only cycling activity offered at the facility. In the next four to six weeks, it plans to open an indoor mountain bike course. Boulder Indoor Cycling will provide programs for cyclists of all levels of skill.