LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Anne-Jelmer · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:16 am Subject: Skate rink size.

Is there someone who could tell me what the exact size of the skate rink in Tatem park is? Lenght and curve radius?
If someone has a picture which gives a complete overview of the rink, please let me know.

I'm wondering if we could realise a rink like that in Enschede.

Gav · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 10:04 am Subject:

Hi Anne,

I believe Tatem is 250 yards, which is about 227 meters... don't think any of us have the radius or track layout but it actually might be best to go to www.inlinespeed.co.uk and email the FISS people...

Anne-Jelmer · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 12:49 pm Subject:

Hello Gav,

I sent an e-mail. But no reply yet.
I did find out that the curve radius should be between 15m and 20m (16.4-21.87 Yard).

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

FISS Rules on tracks. Almost certainly taken from CERS and/or FIRS rules so should be international:

Art. 2 – Tracks

1. A "track" is defined as a racecourse within an outdoor or indoor facility provided with two straightaways of the same length and with two symmetrical bends having the same diameter or dimensions. In the case of indoors, tracks may have bends using the diamond formation.

2. The total length of a track cannot be less than 100 metres or longer than 400 metres. The minimum width must be at least 6 metres.

3. The track surface may be made of any material, provided it is perfectly smooth and not slippery, so that it does not compromise adhesion. The Referee shall determine these properties.

4. Tracks may be perfectly level or with a banking at the bends.

5. Tracks with a banking at the bends are to be not less than 125 metres long and not more than 250 metres. Banking are to be gradual and uniformly rising from the inside to the outside of the course.

Straightaways may have a banking in order to allow the introduction of bend banking. However, straightaways are to be perfectly level longitudinally, to a minimum of 33% of their total length.

6. The finish line must be marked with a white line, 5 centimetres wide.

7. The starting line must not be on a bend, except for the cases when it is impossible to do otherwise.

8. Any external fencing directly bordering the track edge must be protected through suitable materials in order to avoid dangers due to its presence.

On CERS rules inspection there are two differences minimum length is 125m for a flat course and 150m for a banked course. Those are the only differences the rest of the text is verbatim. The 150m is a new thing for this year. I suspect we changed our minimum for flat to 100m to allow our championship indoor course to be eligable and left the banked one at 125m. If you want to see the CERS 2005 rules there are here

For the Netherlands I suggest you follow CERS rules as they are the European governing body.

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

FIRS Rules for 2005

Interestingly, for international competitions, all new tracks (since 1st Jan 2003) must be 200m long and 6m wide, but may be banked or unbanked. They must also be homologated by the CIC (Committee International de Course) to hold international races. Still no mention of bend radius.

So my last recommendation is you build a 200m track to suit FIRS regs.

Anne-Jelmer · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:24 am Subject:

I was be convinced that I read something somewhere about the curve radius. But at the moment I must rephrase that to: I think I read something somewhere.
Maybe not an official document. Rolling Eyes

Anne-Jelmer · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:53 am Subject:

Okay I did get some information from the Dutch skate union concerning the curve radius.
For a rink with non-parabolic banked corners a radius between 12 and 20 meters is recommended.

Can anyone let me know, how suitable such a rink is for starting skaters? How difficult is it to round such a corner?

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

The tighter the bend the easier it is to do cross-overs round it as a novice racer. The wider the bend the faster you have to go to do cross-overs all the way round. However, it also depends on the steepness of the banking. Less banking means easier. More banking, more advanced.

A tight cornered track will have longer straights. A wide cornered one will be faster and have more chance of setting records.

I'm interested by the idea of a track with two different bend radii so it is egg shaped. Nothing I've found suggests the track has to have parallel straights.

Anne-Jelmer · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 9:43 am Subject:

Sound very logical to me. But are there also training sessions for novice skater (not racer) on the Tatem skate rink?
And if any new skater could let me know his experiences

In the paper that I received says following:
'The rink exists out of two straights of equal length and two symmetric corners with the same diameter'.

So I guess that is the end of the egg shaped rink

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

Oh yeah. Rule part 1.

Since we only have 2 tracks in the UK, then people of every ability train and race on them.

However, I'm not sure what you mean here by novice skater. I wouldn't really suggest people use them for learning to skate. If they can already skate a bit and are using them for continuous skating then no problem as you don't need to cross-over to go round the bends. Lower banking would be better though for them. Going round the other way sometimes would help them to be less lob-sided.

Anne-Jelmer · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:37 pm Subject:

Novice to me would be some one who has never skated before.
But it looks like anyone who can skate a bit can skate on a banked rink, correct?

The egg shape might be a no-no. I don't read anything about the straights not being allowed to cross each other.

How is this design then?

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

LOL! I Love it. So long as crossing problems could be solved it would seriously mess up all the speed skaters that can't turn right.

Never skated people need flat surfaces to learn the basics. No reason why you couldn't have one in the middle of the track though.

greazer · Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 330 Location: Haarlem