Track Bikes & racing!!!

[steve23]

ok.....

i have never ridden the track before, and am soon to try it at manchester.

with a few clubmates thinking of riding the track leagues in the winter, i am wondering about some questions.....

what races do they do on the track!!?? i.e. sprint? points? pursuit?

also, how much would i be looking at to spend on a decent track bike???

thanks

 

[fossyant]

Track bike - depends £500 plus.

All sorts of races, but you have to do a number of sessions before you are allowed near the racing.

You'll probably start with points racing (massed starts) rather than pursuit as that's valuable track time.....

I've done a taster - it was great, nearly bought a track bike, but a slap round the head from the wife might have hurt....

 

[Will1985]

Do you have a fixed bike? If so, take the brake off and swap the handlebars....

You can rent bikes at tracks which are more than up to the job anyway.

 

[Young Un]

i am hopefully going to newport track to try track cycling with our local cycle club.

2 quid for the minibus and bike hire - bargin.

will be interesting though because it will be both my first time on a track and first time on a fixed

 

[Landslide]

Do you have a fixed bike? If so, take the brake off and swap the handlebars....

If you have a road frame converted to fixed, you'll probably not be allowed on the track with it. The geometry'll be all wrong and the bottom bracket too low.

You can rent bikes at tracks which are more than up to the job anyway.

Manchester have a nice fleet of Dolans, and the cost of hire is included in the price of the taster session.

 

[Landslide]

...you have to do a number of sessions before you are allowed near the racing...

First level (at Manchester at least) is the Taster session. Mention to the coach that you're looking to start competing, and he'll give you some advice on what he'd like to see. If satisfied (maybe after a couple of Taster sessions), he'll recommend moving up to the Taster Improver sessions. These cover more track skills like riding in a bunch and doing "through-and-out".

 

[Proto]

If you have a road frame converted to fixed, you'll probably not be allowed on the track with it. The geometry'll be all wrong and the bottom bracket too low.

Manchester have a nice fleet of Dolans, and the cost of hire is included in the price of the taster session.

For outdoor tracks a converted road bike will be fine, it's only the indoor tracks at Newport, Manchester and Calshot that you'd have problems. I've used my road fixie Shorter (with brake removed) at Reading without problem or comment.

Plenty of loan bikes available at Reading too. And at Newport the loan bikes were very decent Pinarellos.