National Cycling Centre
The Manchester Velodrome has produced more Olympic gold than any track on earth. Home of British Cycling - and open to the public for track taster sessions.
The National Cycling Centre in Clayton, east Manchester, opened in 1994 and changed British sport. It became the home of British Cycling and the training base from which the most dominant Olympic cycling programme in history was built – more track gold medals have been won by riders developed here than anywhere else in the world. The velodrome’s 250-metre boards have been ridden by every great British track cyclist of the modern era.
What makes it special for the city is that it is not a closed elite facility. The public can book taster sessions and ride the same banked track the Olympians use, under instruction, on hire bikes with no brakes and no gears. The centre also includes an indoor BMX arena and sits beside the Manchester Mountain Bike trails, making the Sportcity area a genuine cycling campus.
It is part of the same east Manchester sporting cluster as the Etihad and the National Speedway Stadium, well served by Metrolink. Whether you are watching a track meeting or booking your first session, this is one of the most significant sporting venues in Britain.