Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - Starting out in Track, and putting together a bike. What bars to start with?

Hi all,

Ive been hitting the local velo lately, and am starting to piece together a bike. I have some phil wood/mavic open pro wheels, a sram omnium crank, a Dolan Pre Cursa on order.

What im wondering is for the first several months of just getting track time in, am I better off starting with a pista bar, or a pursuit (bullhorn) bar?

Go with drop bars - whatever you like, and whatever you are comfortable with.

Drop bars are for mass start events, and pursuit bars are for pursuits. Even if you eventually plan to focus on timed events, I'd say that riding and training with drop bars will be helpful to gain important track stills.

Hi all,

Ive been hitting the local velo lately, and am starting to piece together a bike. I have some phil wood/mavic open pro wheels, a sram omnium crank, a Dolan Pre Cursa on order.

What im wondering is for the first several months of just getting track time in, am I better off starting with a pista bar, or a pursuit (bullhorn) bar?

You can only do solo or team time trial events with pursuit bars. You can do any and all events with drop bars...including solo and team time trial events.

Drop bars are most useful for the beginner.

Also, you may not need pista/track bars unless you intend on doing events that require standing starts (Match Sprint, Team Sprint). Most track racing is mass (group) start racing. Most track racers use standard road bars of their choosing.

For example:

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iy3a9ivesQ0/0.jpg
http://cyclingweekly.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/11141|000003528|0a95_Chris-Newton-mens-points-race-Team-Great-Britain-2010-world-track-championships-Copenhagen.jpg
http://cdn0.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net//2012/04/05/2/2012twc4_01_600.jpg
http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/files/2008/01/romankononenko-scratch2.jpg
http://www.usacycling.org/gallery/var/albums/usacycling/album42/TrackWorlds11-HigginsWpts.jpg?m=1300956486
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c99.0.403.403/p403x403/430214_477754732242180_835299309_n.jpg

Pista

You can only do solo or team time trial events with pursuit bars. You can do any and all events with drop bars...including solo and team time trial events.

Drop bars are most useful for the beginner.

Also, you may not need pista/track bars unless you intend on doing events that require standing starts (Match Sprint, Team Sprint). Most track racing is mass (group) start racing. Most track racers use standard road bars of their choosing.

For example:

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iy3a9ivesQ0/0.jpg
http://cyclingweekly.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/11141|000003528|0a95_Chris-Newton-mens-points-race-Team-Great-Britain-2010-world-track-championships-Copenhagen.jpg
http://cdn0.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net//2012/04/05/2/2012twc4_01_600.jpg
http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/files/2008/01/romankononenko-scratch2.jpg
http://www.usacycling.org/gallery/var/albums/usacycling/album42/TrackWorlds11-HigginsWpts.jpg?m=1300956486
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c99.0.403.403/p403x403/430214_477754732242180_835299309_n.jpg


Thank you! :D

Im going to use the road bars I have on my commuter for the time being. Once i have more experience, ill jump to whatever i need then.

Thank you! :D

Im going to use the road bars I have on my commuter for the time being. Once i have more experience, ill jump to whatever i need then.

FYI, I often use my road bars off season and early in the season, and then use the track bars (stiffer with a much lower drop) as I build my core strength and get used to being really low.

FYI, I often use my road bars off season and early in the season, and then use the track bars (stiffer with a much lower drop) as I build my core strength and get used to being really low.

Same here.

I often will put road drops on my track bike in the winter when I mainly use it for work on the rollers.

Track Drops (aka: sprint bars), are for the most part, very uncomfortable for long periods of time. Remember, sprint events are less than 5 minutes in length.

Something to consider: if you have a road bar you like, but feel like you would find the sprint shape useful you can measure where your hand position is based on the frame and find a bar/ stem combo that will keep you in the same spot. It is a bit complicated, but totally worth it.