Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - What's the difference between a track frame and a road frame?

What are the differences? I know there's gotta be a few, and do they make a big difference in riding?

its aaaallllll in the geometry my man..... alllll in the geometry.....

and the stiffness vs. lightness of the design... and in the dropouts(security vs quick tire changes)... and in the brake drilling (track bikes don't need it)... but yes geometry for handling and body position is number one.

Headtube angle, seat tube angle, bottom bracket drop, chainstay length and wheelbase, brake drilling, track ends (instead of dropouts), and fork rake

Of course, even track frames vary.

track frames for the street, and road frame to be converted, right? That the correct use right?

specifically iconic and classic road frames

Track bike geometry is implemented for maximum power, with little thought given to comfort. When riding on the street, there are benefits and disadvantages to track bikes, all relative to riding a converted road bike:

Pro
Agile, quick steering
Tall bottom bracket offers excellent pedal strike clearance

Con
Harsh ride
Unstable handling at low speed
Very limited clearance for larger tires/fenders
Steep seat tube angle makes proper bike fit problematic for distance riding

Fortunately, most fixed gear bikes that you'll buy in bike shops and from internet dealers have evolved from strict track geometry to a style that's more a hybrid of road and track. You still get the tall bottom bracket, but you also get slack headtube and seat tube angles, as well as wider tire clearance.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4111/5206369192_4f2f209027_o.jpg

this is a tarck bike


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6663568429_a1304956c4_o.jpg

this is a road bike




wait a minute...

I see what you did there.

ಠ_ಠ

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/003/878/1237917779613a.jpg?1284764479

What are the differences? I know there's gotta be a few, and do they make a big difference in riding?


http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/131/351/eb6.jpg?1307463786

1979 Colnago Pista
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100152/1979_Colnago_Pista_full2/web.jpg?ver=13164497840005

Notice the angle of the head tube versus that of the seat tube. The head tube is steeper, more vertical.

On this road bike, the head tube and seat tube have the same angle. This is typical of road bikes.
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100320/100_4373/web.jpg?ver=13147061120001

On the track, there is no need for tire clearance or even brakes.
http://gallery.mac.com/bbattle/100152/1979_Colnago_Pista_front/web.jpg?ver=12600218400001
And it would make no sense to ride this on the street except the bike is so damn cool it would have to be done at least once.

Road bikes will have more trail (http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/trail-fork-rake-and-little-bit-of.html) which improves stability and steering. Chainstays are generally a bit longer, too.

bike geometry
http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com/Frame_Geometry.html


Don Walker on Track Bike Geometry
http://www.urbanvelo.org/issue3/urbanvelo3_p44-45.html


There is a very noticeable difference in handling. I did not find the aggressive geometry of a track bike comfortable or practical for street riding. Track bikes are not very versatile, being designed solely for the track. They do look pretty cool, though.

What are the differences? I know there's gotta be a few, and do they make a big difference in riding?

Track frames tend to have tighter clearances, steeper angles, and higher bottom brackets than road bikes.

Track frames tend to have tighter clearances, steeper angles, and higher bottom brackets than road bikes.

As a general statement, that is true. However, there is a significant variation in both road and track frames, and plenty of overlap. My old custom built steel crit racing frame has tighter geometry, more toe overlap and rides harsher than my Soma Rush steel track frame. You can buy a compromise track frame like the Soma Rush, which combines the best aspects of road and track geometry. I've ridden the Rush 65 miles with only one brief stop w/o discomfort, but could still ride and race it on the track if I wanted to.

What are the differences? I know there's gotta be a few, and do they make a big difference in riding?

Please note that these are distinctly different bikes:
- Road Bike
- Track Racing Bike
- Street Fixed Gear Bike. (Also called a "track bike" because track racing bikes were the first in recent years to be adopted for this style of riding. This genre is also diluted with conversions and other bikes with "street" geometry.)


About which of these 3 would you like information?

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4111/5206369192_4f2f209027_o.jpg

this is a tarck bike
.

never seen that brake placement before. it looks fun

never seen that brake placement before. it looks fun

It the patented Muckybrake. It was invented to bypass brake laws in Davis, CA.

It the patented Muckybrake. It was invented to meet the letter of the brake laws in Davis, CA without acceding to the intent of the law.

fify.