track size

[ndcyclist]

looking to get into track racing this summer and came across a Javelin Vigorelli. it's a good deal but is a 51 cm seat tube/53.5 top tube. my road racing bike is a 56 cm seat tube/ 56 cm top tube. any way this track bike would work for me. i'm 5'9" and my inseam is 30" too if that helps. its a sweet track bike but i dont want to blow money on a bike that just doesn't fit. thoughts? or at least point me in the direction of where i can find some info? is it worth even taking a look at the bike and seeing how it feels? i really want to get a track bike but don't want to cloud my judgment with such a good deal and compromise fit
thanks for any help

[bitingduck]

I ride pretty much the same size on my road and track bikes. Frame geometries are goofy these days, but if the effective top and seat tube lengths are much different than on your road bike you probably won't be very happy.

[ndcyclist]

thanks that makes alot of sense to me. i was looking at the vigorelli's geometry and the weird thing is the frame only comes in size increments of 4 cm. i guess part of it is it's a smaller company and they can't support additional sizes. i just kinda got the impression from that the size was not as important for a track bike as it is for a road bike were your spending hours in the same position. but yeah the crossover part is probably really important, dont wanna have to get used to my road bike again after getting off the track bike.

[Litespeedy]

I had the same question before I bought a 52x52cm track bike. I raced it for a year and found it uncomfortable. Raising the seat and using a longer stem just made things worse, my knees hit my beer belly and the long stem made the handling "whippy". It's important to hold your line when riding in a group like that.

I think the other poster is riding a frame that is too big for him. I am 5'9" with a 31 1/2 inseam and ride a 54cm track bike and a 55 road bike. But my calculated size is 53.6.

Here is a link to a site that gives formulas you can use to find your true size. Frame size can be calculated by measuring your inseam x .67 and converting to centimeters.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/

[I saw Elvis]

Your track bike should be smaller than your road bike, I ride 56cm (traditional) on the road and 54 or less (dependent on geom) on the track. The reason for this is that a track bottom bracket is higher, also a smaller track bike generally feels better (more controllable) going through the transition / bends than a bike of the same geometry you would ride on the road.
It's also worth saying that the cranks you ride on the track should be shorter than your road cranks.
:)

[bitingduck]

1) Be very careful about saying someone's bike is too big or small based on what they post without a pic. I'm also 5'9" and ride a 56, and would ride a 58 before I'd ride a 54. Before you claim I'm riding a too big bike, I can't swing a chain without hitting an elite coach who would tell me exactly what was wrong with my position.

2) BB height really has nothing to do with what the cockpit size should be. You'll be higher off the ground, but once you're on the bike, standover is irrelevant. The distance between your various points of contact on the bike should be very close on your road and track bikes, with adjustments if you're primarily doing match sprints or pursuits. If you're riding mass starts it should be pretty close to the same.

3) Crank length depends on the track you ride and the style of riding you do. I ride 165s on a 46 degree track (and everywhere else, too). Lots of cat 1/2 racers here ride 170s, and I know of at least one guy who was riding 185s, but pretty much just for pursuits.

4) some of the races may be shorter, but mass start races can still be as long as a crit, and when you're training you might be spending hours on the track bike. It doesn't have to be quite as comfortable as the road bike, but it shouldn't be much different.