The Human Powered Rollercoaster, HPR, is a velodrome with a vastly different twist; designed by Toronto landscape architect John Consolati, it is an amazing and dynamic figure-eight cycling track built for the new version of urban Alley-Cats racing.

The only true portable velodrome of its kind, the over/under figure-eight wooden track is 180 feet long, 64 feet outside diameter curved sections, 16 feet riding width and 410 feet (125 metres) riding length with 27 degree banking and a 9 feet bridge height. The design approach was akin to a deck or scaffolding structure with sufficient cross bracing to tie the various structural elements together, making a self-standing, self-supporting construct that could be located on a solid floor inside any suitable warehouse or convention building.

The track requires approximately six to seven days to assemble, for three days of exciting racing, and about three days to dismantle and box ready for shipment to storage.

Alley-Cats Scrambles 1996-99
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Events

The short lived, but much desired, international cycle messenger race event on the figure-eight; the most exciting racing ever as battles and crashes proved that cunning, strategy and street smarts ruled the day.

The first installation of the Human Powered Rollercoaster figure-eight track took place in Vancouver, Canada on October 30/31, 1996 for the 9th Annual Alley-Cats Scramble. In this context the track was introduced to the urban warriors at a race out of their normal chaotic environment, off the street, in a controlled environment where they could apply all their agility, cunning and street smarts against each other in a "no holds barred winner take all" event. (for the uninformed, Alley-Cats are unsanctioned cycle messenger bike races that take in the entire city as their race course).

The riders race the clock around the 410 feet (125 metre) track distance at lap times of between 12 to 15 seconds, with the fastest lap time to date recorded at 11.52 seconds (approx 38 km/h). The semi-final races are 10, 20 and 30 laps elimination events, then the remaining four riders engage in a gruelling 50 laps for both women's and men's final race over 6.25 kilometers distance.