bmw5nkj

hi there. i'm a bit new to track racing and was wondering if a converted bike would be legal to be raced. that means having horizontal dropouts. i've been told by a shop employee that they are not legal because the rear wheel would slip out under high torque. i'm only looking to race in the kilo/hour race, and that doesn't involve too much sprints.

and what about a one piece crank? are there rules over that? thanks!

dutret

if you're just doing individual stuff pretty much anything goes. The shop employee has no ****ing clue what he's talking about the wheel will hit the stay before that happens.

A kilo and an hour are nothing alike though. You probably should just take a track class with a rental bike and figure out where you fit in.

I saw Elvis

Kilo and hours are very different events, the kilo is a sprinters event and the hour an endurance event, you can't be good at both, it's almost a physical impossibility, none the less try both, see what you enjoy (which I suspect will be the one that you are best at )

I don't know about the dropout situation where you ride but at the track I both ride and coach at if you turn up with a bike that doesn't have horizontal drops (wheel can only be removed by pulling it backwards, away from the bike) on the rear you will asked to ride a hire bike.

If you're new to the track try everything, you'll soon find what you like / don't like, good luck and enjoy

bitingduck

If your wheel slips during a race at speed you're going down, no matter which way the dropouts are pointed. The rear axle is pretty much never up against the front of the dropouts when the chain is properly tensioned unless you took the chain off, shortened it, and put it back on with the wheel in place (I've seen it done, but it's not recommended). The rear wheel on all track bikes is held from slipping out by the pressure from the axle nuts. Some people use fancy chain tensioners, too, but they generally aren't required.

It also doesn't matter much whether the dropouts face forward or backward, and the wheel will be held captive by the seat and chainstays anyway- you always pull the right side and slam the left side of the wheel against the chainstay, and the left nut doesn't generally slide. Most wheels get pulled during standing starts or when taking off from the rail, so they usually don't result in a crash, just mild embarrassment.

My first mass start track races were on a rental bike from the velodrome where I learned. It was a converted Panasonic road bike with horizontal dropouts (and a low BB) on a 43 degree banked track. I'm too lazy to look it up in the rulebook, but I'm pretty sure there's no rule against it. You can't use quick releases in a mass start race, but I think the dropot direction doesn't matter.

bmw5nkj

hey, thanks everyone for not being harsh about my beginner question. i'm selling my conversion bike and getting either a fuji track or windsor the hour. i did some research and found out they are good entry level bikes. so now i don't have to worry about the ancient frame i have and have a proper track frame.

oh yeah, i understand that kilo and hour are different races. i still don't know which event i would be good at since in high school, i ran track and was decent in both mile and 2-mile. i might just end in the pursuit races or time trials though. i like mid distance.