Goldsprint

A Goldsprint is a bicycle rollers racing and social event. Riders on stationary bikes compete against each other in front of a crowd of cheering friends.

While roller racing in general can use any type of bicycle and there are variations on the set-up depending on the type of rollers used and whether the front wheel is engaged or fixed, goldsprints generally use one form of setup. 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 also feature modern 2D and 3D visualizations.

Roller racing has a long history going back to the beginning of cycling, however Goldsprints are closely related to bicycle messenger culture. It began in Zurich, Switzerland. The name and the event was founded in 1997 by Adrien Weber who is a passionate cyclist and owner of the only brewery Turbinenbräu in Zurich. The event is named after their beer brand "Gold-Sprint".

Technology

At first Goldsprints systems were assembled piece by piece by the event promoters, now there are commercial systems available.

There are two varieties of Goldsprints system:

Electronic

File:Opensprints system.jpg

OpenSprints Electronic Timing System for GoldSprints

• The system is driven electronically, utilizing a tachometer sensor (typically a reed switch, hall effect sensor or a photo-interrupter), and visualizations are digitally projected on a screen.
• These systems are compact and portable. Team Beer (Portland, Oregon, USA) transports their entire system via a Metrofiets cargo bike.
• Considerably cheaper/less time-consuming to build than mechanical systems.

Mechanical

File:Rollapaluza system.jpg

Rollapaluza manufactures this analog system. These rigs are available as part of their franchise agreement.

File:4up rollapaluza system.jpg

Rollapaluza system completely assembled.

• Can determine placing, but still require an electronic system for showing actual times.
• The system is driven mechanically by belts and pulleys,and drives a physical clock face or other display which shows rider progress.
• These systems are large and heavy, but stable and simple and were the only systems prior to the spread of affordable microcomputers.
• They offer the advantage of being able to operate without any external power (i.e. electricity).

Systems

File:Kreitler goldsprints system.jpg

Kreitler OpenSprints Edition Goldsprint Rollers

File:Kreitler goldsprints system folded.jpg

Kreitler OpenSprints Edition Goldsprint Rollers folded.

• Barelli Quadrulet Competition Rollers were the name brand in mechanical systems.
• Al Kreitler commissioned a DOS application called Roller Fusion, which was sold briefly in the mid 1990s.
• Navid Taslimi commissioned a graphical goldsprint system to be made after seeing Roller Fusion and has sold it to organizations like Goldsprints NYC.
• West Coast Goldsprints Roller Racing debuted a similar system to Navid in 2006 and has run events in many cities in the western half of the US.
• OpenSprints, debuted in 2007 by IroSprints (Chicago), formed as a company, OpenSprints LLC.
  • Systems on every continent except Antarctica, in over 30 major US cities. In 2009 there were almost 400 events in the US alone.
  • The OpenSprints project is an Open Source (GPL) project, which is the first commercially available Goldsprints system.
  • They also sell DIY electronics kits.
  • Distribute Kreitler OpenSprints Edition Goldsprint Rollers.
• In 2009 Kreitler, the brand name in rollers, developed an OpenSprints Edition Goldsprint Rollers.
  • Offers both traditional free-roller racing and fork-mounted GoldSprints racing
  • Sold in 2-bike pairs that can be linked together for added stability.
• Rollapaluza operated over 70 events in 2008 in the UK and Europe. They also have a schools program and will be launching events in the Philippines in 2009. 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.

Gallery of various classic and modern roller racing machines.

Cities

Many cities have goldsprints systems:

• Italy, Vicenza
• Philadelphia
• Seattle
• Houston
• Boston
• New York
• Toronto
• Salt Lake City
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Minneapolis
• London
• San Francisco, CA
• San Jose, CA
• Bozeman
• New Orleans
• Phoenix
• Long Beach, CA
• Sacramento
• Kansas City, MO
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Vancouver, BC
• Denver, CO
• Kyoto, Japan
• Vienna, Austria
• Gothenburg, Sweden

Industry Sponsorships

Other industries, such as alcohol, have invested in the GoldSprints as a promotional tool. In the summer of 2009, OpenSprints LLC was contracted by 42BELOW vodka (owned by Bacardi) to build twenty two 42BELOW branded turn-key kits (which are now commercially available). OpenSprints subcontracted Kreitler to develop a custom roller system (which is also now commercially available) for GoldSprints. In addition 42BELOW hired Salt City Sprints LLC to execute and support up to 400 events in 20 cities across the United States in 12 weeks. In addition GoldSprints became a common event in each of the Bicycle Film Festival locations. 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 Fran
• Chicago
• Minneapolis
• New York City
• Washington DC
• Austin

See also

• Roller racing

External links

• Riding in Circle- Goldsprints in: Italy
• turbinenbraeu - Goldsprint brewery Zurich
• Velozueri Goldsprints in Zurich
• Rollapaluza - Roller Racing in: London
• Goldsprint - Goldsprint news and events in: London and the Rest of the World
• Monday Night Goldsprints - Gold Sprints in Seattle
• Salt City Sprints - Goldsprints in: Salt Lake City
• NYC GoldSprints - Goldsprints in: New York City
• Coldsprints - Goldsprints in Minneapolis
• OpenSprints - open source software and hardware for Gold Sprints
• Goldsprints FX - Alternative software that uses the Opensprints hardware for Gold Sprints
• RockySprints - Goldsprints in Bozeman, Montana
• N.O.Sprints OpenSprints in New Orleans
• Southern California Roller Racing in San Diego and Los Angeles
• Minneapolis Star Tribune article and video on Goldsprints at Grumpy's
• Azfixed.com Roller Wars OpenSprints in Tempe, Arizona
• [1] - Goldsprints in Northern California
• LBC Sprints - Sprinting in Southern California
• Rollapaluza Philippines - Roller Racing in: Manila
• Emerald Sprints - Open Sprint based Roller Racing in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest
• FixDich - Gold/Open-Sprints in Vienna