Olympic velodrome article in today's Guardian

[Cudzoziemiec]

The Gronad is not only very complimentary about the structure, saying how it has managed to incorporate all the little touches Chris Hoy recommended and still look good, but compares its architectural and financial success and likelihood of lasting very favourably with other Olympic buildings. Why should cycling be able to build a better Olympic infrastructure than other sports? It's tempting to say that cyclists are innately better organised and more sensible, but looking at the UCI one would not agree!

Read it here.

[andygates]

I love the comment on how much timber was used. 

Protip: It's got to go all the way round, mate.   

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ha ha!  A length measurement is not very meaningful there, they should have given surface area to have much meaning. Also, I wondered why it went to Germany to be sawn?

[robert french]

so, when can I have a go?

[Panoramix]

Ha ha!  A length measurement is not very meaningful there, they should have given surface area to have much meaning. Also, I wondered why it went to Germany to be sawn?

The germans have very good sawmills, they see their forests as something that has economical value whereas people in the UK see them as places to go for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon.

It is not uncommon to measure timber in length bu you need to give the section for it to be meaningful.

I make a living by designing timber structures and I am still puzzled why the resource is not valued here. In general, softwood comes from Finland, processed material from Germany and Oak from France. It is next to impossible to source good quality Brtish timber not that timber is of bad quality but just that the forest industry is not very well organiised.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I've always assumed the basic problem there is that Britain is (by European standards at least) a densely-populated, lowly-forested country. Finland, France or even Germany simply have more area under trees. But maybe that's not it...

[Panoramix]

That would be true of some areas but there are very good forests in the North and Scotland. The timber tends to be a bit knotty though as the trees haven't been always looked after with timber production in mind.