The background music seems to be inspiring the riders to push harder as they fly around the track.Īnd with that, research into music’s effect on exercise began in earnest. When the band is silent, the average time increases to 3:21.
When the band is playing, the riders take an average of 3:04 to ride a mile. As Ayres writes down lap times, he notices something quite fascinating. A brass band plays intermittently on the sidelines, generally for a few minutes at a time before stopping for a brief interval. He’s got his stopwatch out, timing the riders as they whir around the velodrome. Ayres is watching the New York six-day bike race at Madison Square Garden. It’s 1910 and the eccentric researcher Leonard P. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
