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Why were most early American cycling races held on tracks?

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Olympic road cycling — cycling Individual Neutral Athlete Gleb Syritsa, a Russian passport holder, cycling past Les Invalides during the men's road cycling individual time trial at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In the early years of American cycling, most races were held on tracks primarily because the poor condition of public roads made them unsuitable for competitive racing. During the late 19th century, rural roads were often impassable in wet weather, and road improvements were largely limited to city streets or feeder roads to railheads.12

Consequently, the sport in the United States focused on purpose-built tracks—often made of dirt, cement, or wood—which provided a consistent and reliable surface for competition. By the 1890s, a national circuit of approximately 100 such tracks had been established in major cities across the country, supporting a large population of professional cyclists. While road racing eventually gained prominence in continental Europe as road conditions improved, the American preference for track racing persisted throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, exemplified by the popularity of grueling six-day races.13