Track Cycling - Never raced Track - advice?

First time visiting this forum and I am simply too lazy to search for the answers to a question likely asked a million times before.

I am a decent TTist, and live about 45 minutes from Trexlertown. I was told that because I am comfortable with higher cadences and decent at the TT that I should try track racing.

I do not own a fixie. I don't even know what one would cost. This would be something I would toy with, so I have no desire to drop big money at all. In fact, the cheaper the better.

My question is, what would the cost for an old used track bike be? Next, what events would I want to do? I really don't think mass start or sprints would be for me. I would want something that would be like a TT on the track. Can I use my current TT wheels (I think for a Zipp they have a conversion for the freehub). Can I use my SRM with only one chainring instead of two? Can I convert any other disc besides a Zipp (I also have a Fir)?

When is the track season? Are the license rules the same for USAC? Just wanted to get a general overview and maybe pick up a fixed gear and head over to T-Town.

Thanks for any info, and sorry for my laziness.

Most 'dromes have rental bikes. Just bring your pedals and off you go. Give that a try first and throw the bike around.

If you want to start doing serious time trial events like Kilo/Hour Record!?/maybe pursuit, purchasing a bike might be the best option.

I got my Fuji Track Pro off Ebay for around 700 bucks with tubular wheels (not great ones, but functional), Dura Ace cranks, basically a good, national level track bike, minus wheels and cogs/rings. You can go cheaper and get like a standard Fuji Track or a Bianchi Pista (I'd go with a Pista over a Fuji Track), but the components will be less up to snuff in comparison to more expensive gear of course.

I wouldn't use/swap over road cranks/road rings simply because track stuff is relatively cheaper than road stuff, and it's much more standardized than having to run a hodge-podge of half road half track equipment. The bars you have from time trialing will work fine for time stuff on the track, just rip the brakes and gear shifts off, but that's a lot of labor as well. A set of Nitto bullhorns and some profile T2's are bar standard around here. No need for fancy carbon unless you're doing absolute pro stuff.

Track season is winding down now, at least at my outdoor track. Usually it starts late spring-ish. Typically you fight with the road racing schedule.

Yes, you can use your aero wheels on the track (although depending on what track you go to, the front wheel may need a locking axle and not a quick release). You can call up FIR if they have another hub for the disc, but it's not exactly an easy flip operation.

I'm going to guess that by your time trial history, huffing up on big ring gears and spinning fast isn't that big of a deal. 51 x 15 is a good starting point, but I have sticky, weak legs, you might want to go even bigger.

thats a lot of questions.

Bike cost would depend on how good a bike you got. You either get a cheap one and then another one next season or a good one to begin with? your call really.

Try all the races for a season or two until you know what you'll be better at. Most local racing is a few mass start races a night and most opens etc have individual events, unless the numbers are smaller or something?

You could use your current front wheels with a bolt on skewer, no problems at all. The rear you need a track axle in the wheel, change your zipp over (not sure how hard that is?) your tt bars would probably be fine for the track too, depends what they are of course.

Don't think you'll get a good chain line with the srm, they make a track srm and scientific track srm. You need to mount the headunit under the saddle and I've seen it in the middle of pursuit bars, but dont think you'd be able to race like that. The rules are a bit here and there for computers on your bars, but you cant really have anything to look at or that can come off (so track srm on the seat pole)

start with normal gears (48-15) or something and just get out there and ride. The equipment makes less of a difference for 99.99% of us at the track, technique and experience counts a lot more.

So just get out there, rent or borrow a bike if you can and give it a try, just remeber to keep pedaling.

I do not own a fixie. I don't even know what one would cost. This would be something I would toy with, so I have no desire to drop big money at all. In fact, the cheaper the better.

My question is, what would the cost for an old used track bike be? Next, what events would I want to do? I really don't think mass start or sprints would be for me. I would want something that would be like a TT on the track. Can I use my current TT wheels (I think for a Zipp they have a conversion for the freehub). Can I use my SRM with only one chainring instead of two? Can I convert any other disc besides a Zipp (I also have a Fir)?

When is the track season? Are the license rules the same for USAC? Just wanted to get a general overview and maybe pick up a fixed gear and head over to T-Town.


- Take an intro class at T-town. They have rental bikes.
- Used track bikes tend to be a buyer's market--people upgrade faster than new people come in, though that's changing. You can race effectively on a pretty inexpensive frame (with aerobars if you're doing TTs). If you're doing TT's only you may even be able to use some of your road wheels with an appropriate conversion for a single cog. Quick releases are legal for TTs, but not for mass start.
- You probably can't use the SRM with one chainring instead of 2. You might be able to get a tolerable chainline out of it, but will find your choice of chainrings limited if you don't have a 144 BCD.
- Track season depends on where you live. For UCI elite it's in the winter, but most local level racing coincides more or less with road season. It tends to run a little later--Masters Nats is this week in San Jose, (where I am right now), and Elite Nats is in October in LA.
- License rules are the same but you have a separate category for track on your license and only mass start races count towards upgrades. Your local velodrome director is also responsible for forwarding or recommending track upgrade requests to the local USAC rep--you can't get an upgrade without input from the local director.

- Used track bikes tend to be a buyer's market--people upgrade faster than new people come in, though that's changing. You can race effectively on a pretty inexpensive frame (with aerobars if you're doing TTs).

Ha, older bikes are really really overpriced. New Al frames can be had for <$200 though and if you have bars, stem seatpost saddle etc. laying around this with a few track specific parts is probably the way to go. Also you'll need a selection of chainrings and cogs.




If you're doing TT's only you may even be able to use some of your road wheels with an
appropriate conversion for a single cog. Quick releases are legal for TTs, but not for mass start.
a bolt on skewer is though and they're pretty cheap. Zipps and new Heds and older freewheels disks of most brands can be converted easily.


- You probably can't use the SRM with one chainring instead of 2. You might be able to get a tolerable chainline out of it, but will find your choice of chainrings limited if you don't have a 144 BCD.
IF you can get the chainline worked out which will be harder or easier depending on which srm you have you can use it. You won't be able to borrow rings but there are plenty of 130BCD rings to buy just don't expect your lbs to have them in stock(but they probably won't have many 144s in anyway).



- License rules are the same but you have a separate category for track on your license and only mass start races count towards upgrades. Your local velodrome director is also responsible for forwarding or recommending track upgrade requests to the local USAC rep--you can't get an upgrade without input from the local director.

At some tracks a beginners class is required before you can ride normally. Also There is often a lot less individual races than mass start.

Ha, older bikes are really really overpriced. New Al frames can be had for <$200 though and if you have bars, stem seatpost saddle etc. laying around this with a few track specific parts is probably the way to go. Also you'll need a selection of chainrings and cogs.

If you hang around and talk to people at the tracks around here you can still get pretty good deals on used bikes (~$300-400 for a decent complete bike). The fixie riding hipsters are driving up prices on the open market though.

If you hang around and talk to people at the tracks around here you can still get pretty good deals on used bikes (~$300-400 for a decent complete bike). The fixie riding hipsters are driving up prices on the open market though.

The only time I've seen that here is when they were getting rid of old rental bikes.

If you hang around and talk to people at the tracks around here you can still get pretty good deals on used bikes (~$300-400 for a decent complete bike). The fixie riding hipsters are driving up prices on the open market though.

This is true. Junior/kids bikes and beginner stuff swaps hands for small $$ through the clubs where I am too.

I think you'll find the parents of kids look after each other, usually get a bike of their own and pass them along too. Happens at the BMX track a lot also. It keeps the cost down and gets new people into it, the old stuff gets re-cycled.

We don't really have hipsters, I don't think so anyway, there's a lot less BS to do with riding bikes in Australia, but I guess once they get bored of it there will lots of cheap bikes around. :)

Thanks everyone for the information. Sounds to me that I should first call T-town, find out when I could ride and what the bike rental options would be. Then, if I like, I could purchase a cheap used fixie...maybe under 200 bucks if lucky? I would really like to have the SRM data, but I am way too cheap to buy a track specific one...even if the chain line was off, do track bikes have different bottom brackets where it would be impossible? Right now I switch my SRM crankset in under 3 minutes from road bike to TT bike, so I am used to swapping it out. Sounds like if it DID work, I would not be able to view the computer, but I would be fine with that. Just want the data to analyze after.

Anyhow, thank you for the wonderful advice. I do appreciate everyone's answers.

~Will

Then, if I like, I could purchase a cheap used fixie...maybe under 200 bucks if lucky?

incredibly unlikely.



, do track bikes have different bottom brackets where it would be impossible?

Track bikes have the same bb shell. Your chainline may be a few mms off with the bb you're using and the ring on the inside which might be able to be fixed with a different spindle length but you can probably use the srm.

First time visiting this forum and I am simply too lazy to search for the answers to a question likely asked a million times before.

I am a decent TTist, and live about 45 minutes from Trexlertown. I was told that because I am comfortable with higher cadences and decent at the TT that I should try track racing.

I do not own a fixie. I don't even know what one would cost. This would be something I would toy with, so I have no desire to drop big money at all. In fact, the cheaper the better.

My question is, what would the cost for an old used track bike be? Next, what events would I want to do? I really don't think mass start or sprints would be for me. I would want something that would be like a TT on the track. Can I use my current TT wheels (I think for a Zipp they have a conversion for the freehub). Can I use my SRM with only one chainring instead of two? Can I convert any other disc besides a Zipp (I also have a Fir)?

When is the track season? Are the license rules the same for USAC? Just wanted to get a general overview and maybe pick up a fixed gear and head over to T-Town.

Thanks for any info, and sorry for my laziness.

lolz. some of us know better. :p i would not like to see you across the way in a pursuit. i would get caught, and if it were allowed to go on, lapped... twice.

Which srm do you have?

Personally I wouldn't really bother, it would be interesting to see. unless the sports institute was supplying the equipment doing something with the data though I'd find it hard to justify.

I do know some folks who have srm from their countries and use it for pursuit training, some others (+35 masters usually) have bought it themself and use it on their road bike, but not on the track.

Step 1 though, get down there and try it. If you live close enough you to might see less time on the road and 2 nights a week at the track.

Yeah, try it on a rental a few times at first and see if you like it, then think about bikes.

Under $200 for something you'll be happy with is unlikely.

As mentioned, BB shells are the same as road. Depending on the crank, the spindle length may vary a little bit for track specific vs. road specific. I think DA Octalink spindles are 109.5 mm for both.

Don't be surprised if your pursuits aren't what you want at first-- theres a substantial anaerobic component to a good 3k or 4k that takes some time to get used to.

There is a guy selling $250 track bikes on flea-bay.....or you could go with a $3000 Pista. For a try-out, the $250 can't be all that bad. If you try it a few times and don't like it, you can put some Bianchi stickers on it an sell it on Craig's list for a grand or so (I'm kidding.....).

There is a guy selling $250 track bikes on flea-bay.....or you could go with a $3000 Pista. For a try-out, the $250 can't be all that bad. If you try it a few times and don't like it, you can put some Bianchi stickers on it an sell it on Craig's list for a grand or so (I'm kidding.....).

A 250 dollar bike is going to probably be worse than the rental rigs.

[QUOTE=DrWJODonnell;7390478]I am a decent TTist, and live about 45 minutes from Trexlertown. I was told that because I am comfortable with higher cadences and decent at the TT that I should try track racing.

/QUOTE]

Definitely give it a try!! Like you, I am a good road time trialist and do a lot of high cadence work. On August 16 I participated in a special event where we got to ride our road bikes on the track at the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose, CA. My first time on the track - I rode my Orbea Ordu TT bike. It was such a blast and I did really well in the pursuits. The next Sat. I went to the beginner clinic and rented a track bike there. Took to it like a fish to water. I found out that the National Masters Track Championships were going to be held at Hellyer this week & looking at the winning times from last year, figured I could be competitive. My friend let me borrow his gorgeous Cervelo P3C track bike & I did the 2K pursuit (W 55-59) and I won the gold medal for the national championship. Your TT experience will definitely carry over and the track will also improve your road biking. So now I am in the market for a track bike too - problem is I got spoiled by riding the Cervelo. Have fun!!!

Thanks again for all of the advice. Is the only event in track cycling similar to a TT the "pursuit" or are there others? With the bottom bracket shell being the same, is it feasable to take the outer ring off of the SRM and just use the inner ring for the track bike? Can I leave the outer ring on and just not use it? I know you guys are not used to the powermeters in track (computers are illegal?) but I would relly like to have the ability to train on the track bike, and for me that means needing power data. Oh, and I own the SRM pro dura ace with a 54/39 setup since someone had asked.

You know, Cervelo makes a track version of the P3...:p

Is the only event in track cycling similar to a TT the "pursuit" or are there others?


Pursuit is probably the closest thing to a road TT on the track. Most mass-start races could be considered crits on speed. For the Kilo, you'd need a waterrockets-sized bag of wattage.


With the bottom bracket shell being the same, is it feasable to take the outer ring off of the SRM and just use the inner ring for the track bike? Can I leave the outer ring on and just not use it? I know you guys are not used to the powermeters in track (computers are illegal?) but I would relly like to have the ability to train on the track bike, and for me that means needing power data.

It depends on the track, but most officials won't say anything if you have a computer on your bike. When you get to Nats or Worlds, you'll have to take it off.

You can run with just your middle ring (with a shorter set of bolts). That would have your chainline within about 1mm of nominal. That would leave you with not many choices for gearing. The largest 130BCD non-ramped/pinned chainring I've been able to find has been a 48T. That would get you to a 92", which would probably be big enough for most TT events.

I've seen a couple SRMs at the local track, and a specially-machined PowerTap hub. At the elite levels, you see a lot of SRM cranks. If you were going to invest in SRM cranks for the track, you'd be pretty committed. ;)

I don't think computers are illegal on the track (and I'm too lazy to root around)-- I know people who have raced with them at Elite Nats. SRM computers poke out forward and may also count as a pacing device, so people mount the computer under their saddle at nats and for world cups and things like that. I've also never used a computer on the track-- for training I just go by the clock on the infield (or someone with a stopwatch), and for racing it's irrelevant. Looking down at a computer for even a split second can be a bad idea in a mass start race-- things happen much faster than in most road situations. I know quite a few people who use SRMs for training on the track, and a few who use them as extra weight to meet the weight minimum...

There are a few standard TT events:
200 m (flying start) used to seed sprinters for match sprints.
500 m standing start (women, and masters men at some ages)
1 km standing start
2 km standing start (pursuit for some masters men and women)
3 km standing start (pursuit distance for elite women and some masters men)
4 km standing start (pursuit distance for elite men)
Team Sprint - N lap standing start (on any size track) for a team of 3 men or 2 women. N=number of riders, each rider pulls for one lap then pulls off and gets off the track.
Team Pursuit - 4 km for men (start four riders, time taken off third rider at finish), 3 km for women (start three riders, time taken off third rider).

There are longer TT events too, but you have to schedule them special with your local track-- e.g. 1 hour records, 24 hour records, etc.

The largest 130BCD non-ramped/pinned chainring I've been able to find has been a 48T. That would get you to a 92", which would probably be big enough for most TT events.

That's kinda small for a lot of time trialists. I know quite a few people who pursuit on 94" and 96" gears, and a few even larger. For big mass start fields that are going to start fast and stay fast it's not unusual for a lot of people to be in 93"-95" or so.

I don't think computers are illegal on the track (and I'm too lazy to root around)-- I know people who have raced with them at Elite Nats. SRM computers poke out forward and may also count as a pacing device, so people mount the computer under their saddle at nats and for world cups and things like that. I've also never used a computer on the track-- for training I just go by the clock on the infield (or someone with a stopwatch), and for racing it's irrelevant. Looking down at a computer for even a split second can be a bad idea in a mass start race-- things happen much faster than in most road situations. I know quite a few people who use SRMs for training on the track, and a few who use them as extra weight to meet the weight minimum...

There are a few standard TT events:
200 m (flying start) used to seed sprinters for match sprints.
500 m standing start (women, and masters men at some ages)
1 km standing start
2 km standing start (pursuit for some masters men and women)
3 km standing start (pursuit distance for elite women and some masters men and women's and some men's Paralympic classifications (CP3/4 and LC3/4))
4 km standing start (pursuit distance for elite men and men's Paralympic classification LC1/2 and men's Visually Impared Tandem))
Team Sprint - N lap standing start (on any size track) for a team of 3 men or 2 women. N=number of riders, each rider pulls for one lap then pulls off and gets off the track.
Team Pursuit - 4 km for men (start four riders, time taken off third rider at finish), 3 km for women (start three riders, time taken off third rider).

There are longer TT events too, but you have to schedule them special with your local track-- e.g. 1 hour records, 24 hour records, etc.

Edited to be more complete.

you can quite easily get rings larger than 48t

I am in a similar boat with the SRM. Do you usually run a shorter crank arm length than on road?

With Trexlertown there is a schedule on their site.

you can quite easily get rings larger than 48t

Yep, Business Cycles has 130BCD rings from 44 to 52 in one tooth increments.