A summer-long project brought a graduate class together, giving them a whole new experience.

The project is known as the “Cyclodrome”, a miniature cycle-racing track. It is a type of track known to biking enthusiasts as a velodrome. The graduate class started the project in May.

Velodromes can be assembled and used indoors or outdoors.

The velodrome project was a new experience for Shzamir Garcia, graduate in architecture.

“This was the first time I’ve been involved in a project like this,” Garcia said. “You get to actually see something you design. Usually, that doesn’t happen with class projects.”

Jason Alread, associate professor of architecture, conceived the idea for the mini-velodrome as a summer project for his students. The idea of a full-scale project was brought up three years earlier by a man named Kim West, who was instrumental in creating the Des Moines Bike Collective.

“Kim came to me years ago to talk about a full-scale project,”Alread said. “At that time, it was an idea. I went to him with this full-scale project as a summer course with the students.”

The mini-velodrome project offered the students a chance to build something full-sized on a budget.

“We were given a generic size, so we had to figure out the dimensions and angle of trusts,” said Mike Thole, graduate in architecture.

The velodrome went through many prototype stages.

“It was a series of trial[s] and error[s],” Thole said.

Garcia tested out the velodrome when he took part in the races on Thursday.

“When you are riding, your adrenaline starts rushing,” Garcia said. “After the first lap, you build confidence. It is a matter of understanding the physics of riding and trusting yourself. It is scary but, at the same time, exciting.”

The velodrome project has introduced Garcia into a a whole new culture.

“It was a big experience and I learned about bicycle culture,” Garcia said. “I didn’t know this kind of culture existed.”

The class project was not only a success, but also a beneficial experience for the students.

“From an education perspective, it’s not an opportunity you get … at a school,” Alread said. “We like [that] they have a limited budget, a limited time frame, a real client and something that has to actually perform.”