In 1973 the velodrome in St. Louis' Penrose Park was barely 10 years old when R&B signer/songwriter Billy Preston had a #1 hit with Will It Go Round In Circles. But while folks were "riding high like a bird up in the sky" the cyclists were doing less riding in circles and more riding cross country. Track racing became less popular as touring helped fuel a 1970s bike boom. The 1973 oil shortage and long gas lines also led to increased bike commuting. Changing demographics (read: continued white flight) made Penrose Park at Kingshighway and I-70 less desirable to many cyclists.