We Tried Cycle Speedway ... And Weren't Very Good!

Cycle Speedway has its roots in WW2 London bomb sites, and has since become a fully regulated sport, with a governing body. But just what is it, and why is it so much fun? Alex, Manon and Conor are in Wales to find out, with help from the Cycle Speedway World Champion!
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[@gcn]

Would you try Cycle Speedway?

[@jmax9782]

Hell yeah!

[@douglaspate9314]

YES

[@michaelgormley1681]

There is a cycle speedway track in Minneapolis! Only one in the USA from what I’ve heard. Looks freaking cool.

[@waterside13]

Races for over 60's please.

[@WadeParish]

Hayulls yayus!

[@_MattyG_]

Manon has the best laugh. You can tell when she is having real fun.

[@KingCollagen2]

Love this video... took me right back to my cycle speedway days in the early 1960s (I'm now in my late 70s). I was club champion in my last year before retiring. Am still cycling, but a bit slower these days 🚴‍♀️ 🙂

[@RReese08]

I've been around all cycling disciplines, and I'm acquainted with moto speedway racing, but I never knew this existed until now. But it does make sense since speedway was very popular in pre-war Europe and still is today, as fans and kids would want to emulate the speedway stars as they would later do with BMX. Cheers to the GCN crew for giving us a peek at one of the most obscure cycling disciplines ever.

[@NAP-wj3oi]

Remember doing this as a kid the council gad a huge grass area in our estate we stuck sticks in and roped it off to make an oval track the grass was burned off it in a couple of days kids from all over the town came to race any bike was allowed great days.

[@jamesmckernan1234]

Watching Guy Martin doing this in Japan was cool, you have to feel bad for Conor, like a father on a childs bike haha

[@lewisfoxley3468]

Great coverage of our little known discipline, I have raced for Edinburgh, Hull and England since I started in 2015, love to see GCN covering cycle speedway

[@benclarke2599]

Thought I might find a few familiar names here

[@ABC_Centreville]

Same here lewis

[@ABC_Centreville]

Good to see coverage

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Excellent advert for an excellent cycling sport. Glad everyone seemed to really enjoy their experience on a wet day in Wales. On its day Cycle Speedway can be the best Cycling discipline ever!!! Thanks GCN for covering our wonderful Sport.

[@Jacob99174]

Blake is a Torque BEAST!

[@stevemclellan9818]

OMG, we were doing this as kids in the 70,s on Ash football pitches. Even had a local league .

[@PNW_DK]

What in the world? Never heard of such a thing until now. Thank you for spreading the goodness

[@Seppster58]

Watching Conor on that bike pedaling like a mad-man was a hoot. This video made my day. Well done Alex in your efforts even though you came in last. And lastly, Manon always is an excellent addition to the mix. Loved this very much.

[@mithral999]

Damn, now I need another bike

[@robbchastain3036]

You were great, GCN Crew, and c'mon, now, up against one of the best at it. And much respect to kids in England for finding something fun to do during the war. I imagine they rode their bikes like Spitfires.

[@markstone722]

Where is Hank when you need him ? A crazy sport needs a crazy presenter as well.

[@marekholub8668]

He will just go straight to the national championship

[@Relevant_Irrelevance]

he was racing dogs

[@chrisridesbicycles]

This needs a rematch anyway. With Hank against GMBN Blake with his insane sprint power. (Watch the GMBN version of this video if you have not done yet)

[@Relevant_Irrelevance]

The GMBN one was fantastic. Neil and Blake smoked the GCN team.

[@acedotcom]

gcn needs a show with just hank and ollie where they build a bike on their own with no outside help

[@NovanAdrian]

Didn't know that this thing actually exist🤭🤣

[@SzalonyKucharz]

It was huuuge in Poland back in the early to mid 90ties.

[@benclarke2599]

@@SzalonyKucharz it still is, Polish teams fly in British riders to race in their leagues

[@bradcomis1066]

So, basically NASCAR on bikes. I like it. Looks really fun AND cheap!

[@cardiaccyclist7477]

I think Manon would have definitely won that if she hadn't used up so much oxygen laughing!!

[@Philobiblion]

Everything's better with Manon. Smartest thing they ever did was to pick her up.

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

7:40 no matter how serious and agressive the music, Conor is there to make us laugh 😂

[@christophpapajewski4779]

What a great sport

[@martinandersson5833]

Conor had a clear disadvantage as the start gate passed his head half a second later than Alex’s and Manon’s. 🤣 What a cool sport but it could use some more speed.

[@craneyc993]

Used to race for wednesfield aces when I was younger loved it saw loads of the country

[@joehatton9790]

Certainly in the 1960’s Manchester was very vibrant in the cycle speedway world, great teams, great riders. Many of the countries top riders in Manchester League, Derek Garnet and Vic Hinchclife two of the very best in the country. I rode for Belle Vue Gladiators in 1964 then moved to Wilmslow Hammers 65-69. It’s a great sport, plenty of opportunity for young lads and girls to spend their energy, develop as an individual but also learn social skills like working a member of a team. Not as many tracks/teams these days but more exciting and healthy than computer games, and gets kids off the streets doing mischief. Great stuff.

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

Combine speedway and bikejoring and you'll have bike chariots! Even scarier!

[@andymac852011]

Awesome video! The feeling you get from close racing like this is what it's all about! Doesn't always come across on camera, you guys did a great job.

[@danstefanson2302]

Holy hell that looks like fun - it takes me back to me and my buddies racing our BMX bikes around his hay barn back in the 80's

[@acedotcom]

ive never seen this before but i instantly want to do this right now. it looks like rugby on two wheels.

[@benclarke2599]

Where are you located? I do it and it's a brilliant sport

[@acedotcom]

@@benclarke2599 us here.... in even lived out west near Denver where cycling is huge. I'm Connors height and this looks like crazy fun. I love in Chicago now and googling it no one here does it ..which is kinda surprising

[@benclarke2599]

@@acedotcom unfortunately the closest track to you is in Minneapolis. People have tried starting the sport in the USA but it hasn't become as big as it is in the UK or Poland.

[@pigeonkickr]

These bikes remind me of Fixed Gear Freestyle and Tracklocross

[@newunderthesun7353]

It's like short track speed skating.

[@theantichrome9842]

Ok. Now I need a Speedway bike.

[@willcummings9587]

Oh man, that looks fun

[@ThisIsJoe07]

I’d love to know what kind of power Ben puts out - the man is super strong from the looks of it. Fair play Alex, there is something to be said for being familiar with a discipline but as a pure novice you did very well! Must admit though - I thought Manon was going to just ride them off the track… 😁 - that “track killer instinct” never disappears.

[@benclarke2599]

The very top level riders can produce over 2000 Watts when in peak condition.

[@keato57]

Believe it or not, we have a speedway track & club here in Minneapolis, MN. Closed now (-2 deg. F this morning)!!! I’ll give it a go (in August)

[@TheEpieikeia]

Brilliant as always! I reckon cycle-speedway is the only form of cycling out there where glass-cranking happens to be the rule...! Special Kudos to Alex for valiantly taking up the gauntlet & displaying some great comical skills! One more lap and you would've pipped that sturdy Welsh champ' on the finish line!!!

[@gcn]

We're glad you liked it, though we respectfully have to disagree - Alex was NEVER going to beat any of his competitors...

[@petewillmot]

Absolutely brilliant! Good to see GCN back to their old ways… challenging the Pros at the Pro’s sport… and coming last! Looks epic though!

[@stealfwayne]

Now I'm wondering, with content as good as this why I pay a TV license. The fun element in full effect. Now to get back to repairing a 15 year old bike after my coffee break.

[@mattwideman3986]

Cool to learn about something I had no idea existed. Great job.

[@philipcooper8297]

This looks like a lot of fun. I also like the fact that you don't need loads of cash to enjoy this sport.

[@luukrutten1295]

Right another completely dedicated bike is exactly what you need....

[@rev_dude]

From GMBN's video: "a competitive bike costs only about 500 pounds" Sure it's another bike, but if you don't already have a top end bike this is a whole lot cheaper than a competitive road or mountain bike. And I imagine this sport is a lot easier to be competitive with a random bike than say.. downhill mountain biking.

[@Dhungerf60]

I never knew that this was a thing, thanks for sharing

[@stevek8829]

This was fun to watch and interesting. Thanks guys for putting so much effort into it.

[@myrnajak7198]

Is it just me or does this look like shorttrack on wheels. I LOVE IT!!!

[@firesurfer]

It's exactly that.

[@dave136]

Interesting post..looks great fun… massive Normal Speedway..👍🏻👍🏻

[@mac23806]

I didn't even know this existed this is so entertaining I would love to try this out

[@benclarke2599]

Where are you located? If there's a track near you it's a great sport to get into.

[@elliott1689]

Can't belive I have never heard of this! What a crazy and exciting version of cycling!

[@ferolangoo2592]

You should do it it's such a good sport to do find the nearest track to you 👍

[@252Scooby]

😂 Conor on that bike is like crusty the clown on that tiny comedy bike

[@bikeracersl]

OMG his looks awesome!!

[@333wheeler]

Great sport . Nobody has to spend a bomb on flash kit to take part.. Very down to earth and all that..

[@exeteracescyclespeedway3960]

Great Video well done to Newport Cycle Speedway and GCN for doing such a great job 👏

[@ShakeNBakeUK]

now that's my kind of distance heh heh heh :D gotta work on that 1min power :DD

[@toddh4491]

Another fun segment - please keep them coming. Makes me smile. I would have eaten it for sure.

[@lifeisgood12341]

That looks like its a ton of fun to participate in

[@davepratt9909]

Ollie should be honored. Alex getting dropped was a great Ollie impression in the last race.

[@johanreberg4872]

This was cool, never heard about cycle speedway but it looks really fun..

[@benclarke2599]

You should give it a go

[@johanreberg4872]

@@benclarke2599 I saw that a speedway club has a track for cycle speedway here in Sweden but that is far from where I live. And it seems that it is for kids as a way to get them into real speedway.

[@benclarke2599]

@@johanreberg4872 yes, unfortunately that is the case. I think there's some kind of regulations on age of riding a motorbike there so up till 14 they train by doing cycle speedway

[@johanreberg4872]

Before the age of 12 they do cyclespeedway then they can start riding on small machines and at age 16 on normal machines. Maybe there is angle here for cycle speedway with kids who likes cycles more than motorcycles.. :-)

[@tonybradford9061]

Used to be one of these tracks in Uxbridge. Can remember playing on it as a kid. Can we have you guys having a go at grass track next. Mildenhall this summer?

[@bubblesezblonde]

Brillant! And non UCI ruined. Connor on those 26" wheels was at a definite disadvantage but at ususal, but his fiery Irish spirit shone through (Erin go Bragh!). My question is....where were the Siborg, Hank and Dan? We need a complete crew race to settle any controversy. All will be assimilated. Resistance is Futile. Lots of fun, thanks!

[@bangers277]

used to do this as a kid in the early 70s, as a group of teenagers we built a track and made bikes from what we found at the local tip some of the lads represented england, fun times

[@gcn]

Sounds like great fun

[@MaxMue]

Never knew this existed! Love that you shine a light on this very interesting sport!

[@ERKNEES2]

Love this!

[@alinapopescu872]

That's an interesting story behind it.

[@uldi1s]

Come on, no mention about the GMBN crew with you guys? Go and check out their version :)

[@jjiampong4767]

2 words; blake's torque.

[@dubmensia8339]

Used to do this in the 60s with the Granton Griffiths in Edinburgh

[@rustycheese641]

ok

[@elmichaelz]

Directeur Sportif Manon is my favorite: "You've got one job!" What did she tell Conor in 5 Vs 1: "...can you be less of a house? A barn door maybe?"

[@sepg5084]

Watched this on GMBN. GMBN won 5 out of 5 times against GCN. Blake is a wattage champion.

[@reizljanmarkmanuel]

They didn't evenention the gmbn guys 🤣 Blake out sprinted the roadies 😁

[@larrypiggins4496]

I watched the GMBN video first and thought, hey fair play for the GCN crew to allow themselves to be throttled by GMBN like that. They had to know they were going to get rolled over. Now I see they just tried to pretend it never happened.

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

Looks fun. The ratio is actually pretty similar to the gear I use when leaving stoplights with my MTB. 32-17. Or 36-17 on my other MTB.

[@blengravers]

Very entertaining to watch. Seen this before,but thought it was school teams racing one another.

[@lexington476]

This is cool, I have never heard of this.

[@apm9507]

The GMTN video on this subject was epic. Connor's strengths and weaknesses, that the video focused on everyone's heads but Connor's chest (HEY! My eyes are up here!), and Connor trying to pedal his tiny bike like the other presenters would have pedaled Connor's son's bike was funny!

[@ay9748]

Where is Blake and Neil? lol I wonder if they did this before or after the GMBN Races

[@marekwrobel1798]

Great fun watching!

[@markbailey2130]

Manons laugh/giggle is contagious .. She looked like she was loving it

[@bigmikeshooter]

Will be very interesting a gravel race between the brother channels. Greetings from Greece...

[@brianlove7660]

That seat angle is interesting.

[@High_Octane]

thats my kinda racing for sure.

[@robest334]

Wow. The speedway champion must have bmx champion power output.

[@benclarke2599]

We have 14 year olds who can produce 1400 Watts. It's a great sport.

[@Kimberly_Sparkles]

A suggestion for Conor’s interviews. He does them from a stool. I love these awkward mid shots (long shots) trying to get both in the frame, BUT this other way would give you a more natural interview shot.

[@happyharry7331]

they have a very lively speedway setup down in Poole well attended both by riders and spectators it really is strangely a sport for today simple format 4 laps four riders flat out first over the line wins, no long waits between heats

[@gcn]

It is a lot of fun!

[@johnkinder9041]

Brilliant video but why was Conor given a children's bike?? 😂😂😂

[@colinfisher2463]

Poor Connor, he looks like he was riding a kids bike from halfords!!!

[@arcaixsaberhand]

I'd love to see Nacer Bouhani have a go at this since physical contact is allowed

[@analbumfromhell1842]

Reminds me of how I raced my racing(ish) BMX as a child untill 12 on gravel streets with other kids (later they lost interest). As long as it wasn't big stretches between turns (at 200m I lost my advantage but later i discovered cadance bursts) I dominated everyone no matter what bike they had or if my brakes where dead on not.

[@Jorge_Rodriguez83]

This looks like fun.

[@redwallace7934]

Looks like fun !!!

[@dylan-5287]

Just came from the gmbn video. This looks so cool. We need this in the US.

[@benclarke2599]

It is in the US, but only a few tracks. Where are you located?

[@DaveCM]

That thing doesn't have toe overhang, it has foot overhang!

[@Bravesdarrell8552]

LMBO !!! Good fun my friends !

[@kalidwapur]

Wow I want to try that really bad! And those bikes look amazing weirdly enough everything I want for commuting.

[@filippopogacar]

Manon the Queen of Wales

[@spectator1996]

We need to talk about those handlebars. I guess they’re designed not to make contact with other riders?

[@benclarke2599]

They're designed for gating and contact. As the natural position allows you to pull the bike up towards you, and to not jab riders when you make contact with them.

[@spectator1996]

@@benclarke2599 noted!

[@samuelmurphy6863]

So much power they was doing a wheelie. Love it how do I join up for this

[@benclarke2599]

There are tracks all over the country. If you find your nearest club and get into contact with them on Facebook or on messenger they should give you the information on when they train. Also most of them provide bikes for new riders!

[@alessandromesquita5517]

Very cool discipline I had no idea it existed. Why Connor had a bmx?

[@pauloosterhout]

That sport looks like enormous fun! But I am surprised that a team of GCN's best presenters could not defeat the World Champion after one race and a few practice laps. Good show guys. Another great video.

[@LukaszMielczarek]

There is GMBN vs GCN video on GMBN channel

[@sommelierofstench]

heavy refused vibes from that intense song at the end

[@raoulkoopman9408]

Conner, looks like you're bike was a bit small. Not a big deal, GCN has a great video if you need some tips.

[@jamesbland8919]

We need to combine this and bike polo into a multidisciplinary team sport. And yes Simon you can wear socks.

[@CarinaSchrijft]

I was so confused for a second by the title :') we have cycle highways/speedways to travel safe and fast between two towns or multiple. Took me a second to realize it was a sport.

[@aarondangelo6313]

This is very cool! It might be interesting if you could get GMBN to do this for a MTBer's more explosive power set...

[@crisgregory6146]

Blake and Noel were there, they drubbed the GCN crew 5-0, it’s on GMBN

[@LegSpinna]

Making Conor ride a small child's bike was a bit unfair.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Clearly this does not play into his cards. But El Alto‘s wheels have a bigger circumference than the speedway race track.

[@tflspitfire]

please invite the guys from gmbn to a speedway race :D

[@jonburnell532]

Oh my gosh I need to try this!

[@benclarke2599]

You should give it a go, it's great fun

[@hj-mn3ou]

You guys are awesome!!

[@gcn]

Thanks!