Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - Titanium on the Track?

Are many riders using titanium frames or chains on the track? What are the benefits of 50-60g weight reduction?

There are a few Lightspeeds around my track. They are from the late 90s I think. I think the consensus is that it doesn't do anything that aluminum and carbon fiber can't do. Plus carbon fiber is much cheaper these days. I don't know of any Titanium frames that are not custom with custom price tags. There are plenty of affordable carbon fiber and aluminum bikes.

Thanks for your reply. However, I'm more interested in titanium chain usage in pro, olympic, etc. Although I appreciate the info about titanium frames too :D

There's not a lot of point to a Ti chain on the track. It would be custom and very expensive, and not wear well, and there's not much to gain for being lightweight, and track bikes are constrained by the same 6.8 kg minimum weight as road bikes. I ride a 56 cm bike and am not a weight weenie and I've had to add weight to my bikes at Nats (usually less than 100 grams), and I know smaller riders who have to go so far as putting a bunch of chain in their seat tube to make weight.

Biting Duck.

Thanks for the awesome insight. I'm a bit newbish about getting lowest weight...

why are you so concerned about getting the lowest weight?

Well, I just meant that I didn't know that there was a 6.8kg weight restriction so I guess the titanium chain's low weight factor is almost pointless considering there are probably other cheaper ways to cut weight, also that some bikers have to add weight cause their bike is underweight and also that... weight isn't as important on the track as in say.. an ironman, or ultra-distance, hill climbing scenario. Thanks for the comments!

You'll find that light weight on the track is usually prioritized after durability and aerodynamics. It's not unusual to find track bikes that weigh close to 20 lbs in the World Cup ranks, although this is becoming rarer as companies are making headway with carbon technology. It used to be that you had to choose two of the three, but not anymore.

I know this matter is settled already, but when I once asked a big Ti maker about making me a fancy Ti track frame, he told me there was "No point," and I should stick with aluminum, which was, in his opinion, the absolute best material for the track. I basically agree.

I know this matter is settled already, but when I once asked a big Ti maker about making me a fancy Ti track frame, he told me there was "No point," and I should stick with aluminum, which was, in his opinion, the absolute best material for the track. I basically agree.

A big Ti maker was challenged with building a Ti frame for a world class sprinter whose team they sponsored. For a while, he raced his previous steel frame painted "Ti." When they finally made a frame he felt comfortable on (they built a few), the Ti frame weighed POUNDS more than his previous steel frame.

Ti ends up being limited by wall thickness (it gets too thin to avoid buckling) when trying to make a rigid and light frame, even more so than steel.