Track Cycling - Difference between a track bike and fixed gear?

I just looked through every page of the post your track bike thread, and many people got discrimination for that they were supposed to post in the ss/fg forum. Whats the difference?

Not necessarily much difference in the bike, but often a lot of difference in how you set it up and ride it. People who are riding fixed gears on the streets tend to ask questions that people who ride primarily on the track don't know (or necessarily even care) much about.

To answer your question, the difference is that this forum is about cycling in a velodrome and the training surrounding that, whereas SS/FG is about riding a fixed gear on the streets. If a bike isn't intended to be ridden in a velodrome, the owner may have been reminded that this is not the forum for them.

Ah alright.

what if I plan to ride mine on the street and sometimes take it to a velodrome? who do I talk to haha

what if I plan to ride mine on the street and sometimes take it to a velodrome? who do I talk to haha

Either a mechanic or a lawyer. Because you can't use a brake on the velodrome, and it's illegal in many states to ride on the street without a brake. So you'll either need someone to show you how to take the brake off when you get to the track, or to defend your ticket for having ridden there without it.

It's legal to ride with no brakes in my state. The worries I have is finding a wheel that is good for the track that won't explode on the street. I'm thinking the mavic ellipse or a bontrager. Any suggestions?

It's legal to ride with no brakes in my state. The worries I have is finding a wheel that is good for the track that won't explode on the street. I'm thinking the mavic ellipse or a bontrager. Any suggestions?

Dura Ace high or low flange laced to a 32 hole medium profile rim like a Kinlin 30 is very general purpose if you want to run clinchers on the track and street. It's got a braking surface so you can add brakes on later if you decide you need them.

As for the bikes, the difference is that a TRUE TRACK BIKE has geometry that suits riding on a velodrome. It will handle differently than a road bike. Track bikes don't handle very well on the road. That's why most "fixed gear" bikes are either converted road bikes or track style frames with road bike geometry.
Most of the track style "fixies" can be ridden on the track. It depends on the geometry and the track. We have had people show up at the track to ride what they thought was a track bike, only to find out that particular bike wont work on our track.

what if I plan to ride mine on the street and sometimes take it to a velodrome? who do I talk to haha

When you have questions about riding it on the road, go to the fg/ss forum.
When you have questions about riding it on a velodrome, come here.

It's legal to ride with no brakes in my state. The worries I have is finding a wheel that is good for the track that won't explode on the street. I'm thinking the mavic ellipse or a bontrager. Any suggestions?

Being that you're 400+ miles from the nearest velodrome (Alpenrose) makes me think you wont be riding there very often. If you are just getting started on the velodrome, I would recommend that you use the wheel(s) that you are using on the street.

Alpenrose is a very steep track, so don't be surprised if your street fixie can't be ridden there. You may have to keep a higher minimum speed in the turns than everyone else, to keep from clipping your pedal.

they are in the process of building a velodrome that will be 20 miles away from me. One main reason i'm interested in it is because it will be new so I should be at the same n00b level as a lot of other guys

Somehow, "Miss and Out in Boise" sounds like a country-western title to me.

haha probably is



yeeee haaaaw!

Quick note - some track forks are made with round tubing, not oval tubing (oriented front-rear). They're not meant to absorb significant impacts generated by potholes, curbs, and such.

Okay, I know that my fork (a steel one) was built like that, but it's really old. I think the newer bikes have normal oval profile fork blades.

cdr

Quick note - some track forks are made with round tubing, not oval tubing (oriented front-rear). They're not meant to absorb significant impacts generated by potholes, curbs, and such.


You apparently haven't ridden many of the concrete tracks...

Most track bikes with round fork tubes are likely from the same era as steel road bikes with the same round tubes. More modern track bikes tend to have forks similar in construction to modern road bikes, and do just fine with similar vertical loads. Front to back loads on any fork (as from a crash) will tend to make it unhappy though...

I see mostly round tube forks on keirin bikes here in Japan. May have something to do with NJS regulations. Whatever, I think it looks cool.

You apparently haven't ridden many of the concrete tracks...

Most track bikes with round fork tubes are likely from the same era as steel road bikes with the same round tubes. More modern track bikes tend to have forks similar in construction to modern road bikes, and do just fine with similar vertical loads. Front to back loads on any fork (as from a crash) will tend to make it unhappy though...

I've only ridden at T-Town ('92 I think) and NEV. TTown was relatively smooth (I remember one big bump each lap) but NEV is an ex-kart track and has lotsa bumps.

I pointed this out because someone pointed out to me that I wouldn't want to ride a round blade track fork on the road because the fork will bend earlier than a road fork.

And yes I have a round tube steel frame to match the round tube fork.

cdr