Students were able to ride on the “Cyclodrome” Thursday in the College of Design’s King Pavillion. The Cyclodome is a miniature cycle-racing track. It is a type of track known to biking enthusiasts as a velodrome. It was built by members of a graduate class held this summer.

People who wanted to race on the velodrome had to pay $10. The money was used to cover the cost of the insurance for the event.

Velodromes can be assembled and used indoors or outdoors. The graduate class started the project in May. After being used on Thursday, the track will be transferred to the Des Moines Bike Collective

Jason Alread, associate professor in architecture, conceived of 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, a man who was instrumental in founding 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 gave the students a chance to build something full-sized on a budget.

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

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.”

Kim West could not be reached for comment.

Keep reading the Daily for more information on the Cyclodrome and the people who made it a reality.