Track Bike 411

Category: Blog

Track bike/equipment considerations

Ben Faulk: TotalCyclist Coach

With the new Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill, SC soon to be open, many racers who have never ridden the track are going to get to try it. I do think this article can help answer questions for several people in our area. I hope so. Track racing is exciting and very different to what many experienced racers around here are used. I’ve had several people tell me how excited they are to try it out. A few of those have asked me about equipment, probably because I’m fairly vocal about track racing (and I’m a bit of a geek). If you read this and have more questions, I suggest checking out www.fixedgearfever.com where there is a lot of info from a lot of people that know a lot more than I. Just search the forum for what you are looking, and you are bound to find some discussion on the matter. If not, just ask. That question may spark a long conversation… or debate.

Frame: As with most bikes, it kind of depends on what you want to spend. Start by looking at the geometry of the more expensive track frames (such as Felt TK1) and compare that to something more in your price range. Remember, there is a reason why track and road geometries are different. A track bike is going to have you a little more forward (rotated around the bottom bracket) with a higher bottom bracket. Seat and head tube angles are going to be steeper and the fork rake will likely be slightly less. This is all going to make for a quicker (read twitchy-er) handling bike. My suggestion is to go with an aluminum frame and carbon post. The track is going to be very smooth, so carbon (at least for most of us) is probably overkill. That said, I for one really want a carbon frame. There are not nearly as many carbon track frames as there are road, and the main (reputable) manufactures rarely make them for the track. If you want to save some money, you can go with steel/cro-moly. I put together a list of track frames/bikes that various, mostly well known in the US, manufacturers have currently on their websites. I can’t really tell you much about the frames as I’ve only owned a Bianchi Pista (steel) and my current Fuji. See the list at the end. I started with a Bianchi Pista, but made several upgrades before I just upgraded the frame to a Fuji. My 2009 Fuji Track Pro (basically the same frame as the current Fuji Track 1.0/2.0 is extremely stiff and decently aero. Weight is something to consider, but that should be the last thing you consider. Go with stiff first.

More to come.......