Goldsprint
Encyclopedia
A Goldsprint is a bicycle rollers
racing and social event. Riders on stationary bikes compete against each other in front of spectators.
While roller racing has a history going back to the beginning of cycling, Goldsprints are fairly new and closely related to bicycle messenger
culture. It began in Zurich, Switzerland as part of the 1999 Cycle Messenger World Championships
. At which point the name and the event were founded by Adrien Weber, a passionate cyclist and owner of the TurbinenBräu brewery in Zurich, Turbinenbräu. The event was named after their beer brand "Gold-Sprint".
As opposed to traditional roller racing, where riders have to balance, Goldsprints use forkstands so that the riders don't have to balance, only pedal as fast as they can. This provides an easy way for anyone to try Goldsprints. However some Goldsprints groups are now adding traditional rollers
, without forkstands, to their equipment to challenge the advanced riders. As with roller racing in general, the rollers are in turn attached to a device that measures distance and can display the progress of the riders. Goldsprints can also feature modern 2D and 3D visualizations.
Electronic
Mechanical
, with qualifiers done by local groups.
, one of the largest bike manufactures in the world, has been buying OpenSprints systems for their major events and has local reps sub-contract with local groups (see below) that own OpenSprints systems.
Rapha
has worked with both Rollapaluza and OpenSprints to put on events.
The Bicycle Film Festival
is known to include Goldsprints parties in each city.
.
Other industries, such as alcohol, have invested in GoldSprints as a promotional tool. In the summer of 2009, OpenSprints LLC was contracted by 42 BELOW vodka (owned by Bacardi
) to build twenty two 42 BELOW branded turn-key kits. As part of the project OpenSprints subcontracted Kreitler to develop the first commercially available roller system for GoldSprints. 42 BELOW also hired Salt City Sprints LLC to execute and support up to 400 events in 20 cities across the United States in 12 weeks. Each city had a designated OpenSprints Technician who in turn kept the kit. The following 20 cities now have identical setups:
Bicycle rollers
Bicycle rollers are a type of bicycle trainer that make it possible to ride a bicycle indoors without moving forward. However, unlike other types of bicycle trainers, rollers do not attach to the bicycle frame, and the rider must balance him or herself on the rollers while training...
racing and social event. Riders on stationary bikes compete against each other in front of spectators.
While roller racing has a history going back to the beginning of cycling, Goldsprints are fairly new and closely related to bicycle messenger
Bicycle messenger
Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas...
culture. It began in Zurich, Switzerland as part of the 1999 Cycle Messenger World Championships
Cycle Messenger World Championships
The Cycle Messenger World Championships, or CMWCs, are an annual urban cycling competition whereby cycle messengers and cycling enthusiasts showcase their skills in an array of events, many of which simulate everyday tasks for a cycle messenger. Each year, the CMWCs are held in a different city...
. At which point the name and the event were founded by Adrien Weber, a passionate cyclist and owner of the TurbinenBräu brewery in Zurich, Turbinenbräu. The event was named after their beer brand "Gold-Sprint".
As opposed to traditional roller racing, where riders have to balance, Goldsprints use forkstands so that the riders don't have to balance, only pedal as fast as they can. This provides an easy way for anyone to try Goldsprints. However some Goldsprints groups are now adding traditional rollers
Bicycle rollers
Bicycle rollers are a type of bicycle trainer that make it possible to ride a bicycle indoors without moving forward. However, unlike other types of bicycle trainers, rollers do not attach to the bicycle frame, and the rider must balance him or herself on the rollers while training...
, without forkstands, to their equipment to challenge the advanced riders. As with roller racing in general, the rollers are in turn attached to a device that measures distance and can display the progress of the riders. Goldsprints can also feature modern 2D and 3D visualizations.
Technology
There are two varieties of Goldsprints system:Electronic
- Used for large crowds. Digital projectors and screens can project the graphical dial as big as needed.
- Electronically driven, with a tachometerTachometerA tachometer is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute on a calibrated analogue dial, but digital displays are increasingly common...
sensor (typically a reed switchReed switchThe reed switch is an electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. It was invented at Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1936 by W. B. Ellwood. It consists of a pair of contacts on ferrous metal reeds in a hermetically sealed glass envelope...
, hall effect sensorHall effect sensorA Hall effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to a magnetic field. Hall effect sensors are used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications....
or a photo-interrupter), and visualizations digitally projected on a screen; thus eliminating the inaccuracy of human response timeResponse timeIn technology, response time is the time a system or functional unit takes to react to a given input.- Data processing :In data processing, the response time perceived by the end user is the interval between the instant at which an operator at a terminal enters a request for a response from a...
and stopwatches. - Compact and portable. Team Beer (Portland, Oregon, USA) transports their entire system (including two bikes) via a Metrofiets cargo bike.
- Cost effective. Whether you are building a system from scratch or buying a turn key it is considerably cheaper/less time-consuming to build or buy than mechanical systems.
- Customizable interfaces. Software can be changed and re-skined. Giving homage to Barelli rollers, most interfaces include a clock face with primary colors for the clock arms.
Mechanical
- Can determine placing, but an electronic system (and electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
) is still required to show actual times. Able to operate without any external power (i.e. electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
), however if times are recorded by stopwatch. - Driven mechanically by custom belts and pulleys, and drives a physical clock face or other display which shows rider progress.
- Tend to be large and heavy, but stable and simple and were the only systems prior to the spread of affordable microcomputers.
Event Format
While each event promoter may take their liberties. The most common format is a qualifying round and then a series of knockout rounds until the category winners are established.Systems
Many systems have been made over the years. Some have been commercial grade, others one-offs.- Barelli Quadrulet Competition Rollers were the name brand in mechanical systems.
- Al Kreitler commissioned a DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
application called Roller Fusion, which was sold briefly in the mid 1990s. - West Coast Goldsprints Roller Racing debuted a system in 2006 and has run events in many cities in the western half of the US.
- Since then, they have upgraded to their own custom solution, which incorporates a sophisticated tournament management engine to allow for large-scale events.
- They have run over 50 events in the western United States in 2009 and 2010.
- OpenSprints, debuted in 2007 by IroSprints (Chicago), formed as a company, OpenSprints LLC.
- Almost 1000 OpenSprints systems sold and in use in every continent except Antarctica.
- The first and only commercially Goldsprints Roller Racing Equipment available for purchase (not lease).
- The OpenSprints project is an Open SourceOpen sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
(GPL) project. - They also sell DIY electronics kits.
- Distribute Kreitler Goldsprints Roller Racing Stations.
- In 2009 Kreitler, the brand name in rollers, developed a Goldsprints Roller Racing Station.
- Offers both traditional free-roller racing and fork-mounted GoldSprints racing
- Sold in 2-bike pairs that can be linked together for added stability.
- In 2009 Ed Husar, created Goldsprints FX, which is a software alternative to OpenSprints written in Adobe AIR.
- Supports OSX, Windows and Linux.
- Brand-able.
- Rollapaluza operated over 150 events in 2010 in the UK and Europe. They have refurbished vintage systems from four different manufacturers, which were found not to be suitable to the rigours of the Rollapaluza schedule, so started manufacturing their own. They also have a schools program and run permanently in the Philippines and Germany. The original Goldsprints in Zurich used this kind of system. Four of these systems are operated by Rollapaluza in the UK. A system of this type was debuted in Portland by Rapha in mid-2008.
- All Rollapaluza rigs are tested and calibrated to be identical meaning global performances are comparable designed and built by Rollapaluza based on 8 years experience with four different vintage rigs.
- Super sturdy, over 10,000 riders per year
- Rigs available on franchise program
- two-up or four-up configuration available
- Optional digital timing.
2010
The first Goldsprints World Championships, presented by West Coast Goldsprints, was scheduled to be held on September 23, 2010 during InterbikeInterbike
The Interbike International Bicycle Expo is the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America and is held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada. Exhibitors consist of companies interested in selling their products and services to bicycle retailers, wholesale distributors and manufacturers...
, with qualifiers done by local groups.
Marketing Tool
Given the stationary small footprint, audience participation, and focused visual re-brandable nature of Goldsprints—it has been used as a marketing tool for the Cycling Industry as well as other industries.Cycling Industry Sponsorships
Specialized Bicycle ComponentsSpecialized Bicycle Components
Specialized Bicycle Components, more commonly known simply as Specialized, is a major American brand of bicycles and related products. It was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard and is based in Morgan Hill, California-History:...
, one of the largest bike manufactures in the world, has been buying OpenSprints systems for their major events and has local reps sub-contract with local groups (see below) that own OpenSprints systems.
Rapha
Rapha
Rapha Performance Roadwear is a premium sportswear and lifestyle brand focused on bicycle road cycling, clothing and accessories. Started in London in early 2004 by Simon Mottram and Luke Scheybeler, the first products launched in July of that year...
has worked with both Rollapaluza and OpenSprints to put on events.
The Bicycle Film Festival
Bicycle Film Festival
The Bicycle Film Festival is an independent film festival that takes place annually in 20-30 cities around the world, headquartered in New York City. It was established in 2001 by Brendt Barbur, after he was hit by a bus whilst riding his bike in New York City...
is known to include Goldsprints parties in each city.
Other Industry Sponsorships
In 2011 Levi's used GoldSprints to premiere their Commuter line of cycling clothes at Tag and Juice in São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
.
Other industries, such as alcohol, have invested in GoldSprints as a promotional tool. In the summer of 2009, OpenSprints LLC was contracted by 42 BELOW vodka (owned by Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
) to build twenty two 42 BELOW branded turn-key kits. As part of the project OpenSprints subcontracted Kreitler to develop the first commercially available roller system for GoldSprints. 42 BELOW also hired Salt City Sprints LLC to execute and support up to 400 events in 20 cities across the United States in 12 weeks. Each city had a designated OpenSprints Technician who in turn kept the kit. The following 20 cities now have identical setups:
- Atlanta
- St. Louis
- San Diego
- Los Angeles
- Columbus
- Denver
- Phoenix
- Miami
- Dallas
- New Orleans
- Boston
- Detroit
- Portland
- Seattle
- San Francisco
- Chicago
- Minneapolis
- New York City
- Washington DC
- Austin
Systems
- Rollapaluza - Analog and digital systems.
- Goldsprints FX- OpenSprints Hardware Compatible software.
- OpenSprints - open sourceOpen sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
software and hardware for Goldsprints Roller Racing.
External links
There are external links to groups across the world that organize and promote Goldsprint events.- Capital City Sprints- Goldsprints in: Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, IowaDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
- Sprint Jawns- SprintJawns in: Philadelphia
- Riding in Circle- Goldsprints in: ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- turbinenbraeu - Goldsprint brewery ZurichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
- Velozueri Goldsprints in ZurichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
- Rollapaluza - Roller Racing in: LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Europe - Goldsprint.com - Goldsprint and roller-racing History, news and videos
- Monday Night Goldsprints - Gold Sprints in Seattle
- Salt City Sprints - Goldsprints in: Salt Lake City
- NYC GoldSprints - Goldsprints in: New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- Coldsprints - Goldsprints in Minneapolis
- Goldsprints FX - Alternative software that uses the Opensprints hardware for Gold Sprints
- RockySprints - Goldsprints in Bozeman, MontanaBozeman, MontanaBozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
- N.O.Sprints OpenSprints in New Orleans
- San Diego "Goldsprints" in San Diego
- Azfixed.com Roller Wars OpenSprints in Tempe, ArizonaTempe, ArizonaTempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
- West Coast Goldsprints - Goldsprints in Northern CaliforniaNorthern CaliforniaNorthern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
- LBC Sprints - Sprinting in Southern California
- Rollapaluza Philippines - Roller Racing in: ManilaManilaManila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
- Emerald Sprints - Open Sprint based Roller Racing in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest
- FixDich - Gold/Open-Sprints in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
- GreenSprints - GreenSprints in: OmahaOmahaOmaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
- Great Northern Rollers - Opensprint Roller Racing in: Manchester, UK and the North
- Rollapaluza DE - Roller Racing in: Germany
Notability - Goldsprints in the News
- Minneapolis Star Tribune: Goldsprints by Stephen Regenold
- New York Times: Hit the Brakes! Wait, on This Bike, There Are None by J. David Goodman
- NBC: Racing Without Hitting the Pavement by Steve Stewart
- Urban Velo: Goldsprints by Brad Quartuccio, Evan Farrar & Mike Dee
- Bicycle Retailer: Roller Racing Sizzles in Chilly Climates by Matt Wiebe