Originally Posted by ultra-g
I see lots of "track bikes" in bike catalogs, like the Bianchi Pista and LeMond Sarthe and Langster and they are more designed for street use than velodrome racing.
So why are they called track bikes when they should be advertised as Fixed Gear bikes?
On the other hand...
I see lots of articles for track racing in the UK cycling magazines and those bikes that are "real" track racing bikes are bikes that I've never seen in any bike catalogs or on the street and they look like UFOs or something, where can you buy one of those? (Not like I'm going to).
For example:
the bikes that you see in cataloges have geometry that is pretty track specific. they have a higher bottom bracket ( so that you dont skip a pedal on the track), and they have shorter cranks for the same reason. the steerer tube angle is much steeper than on a road bike, as opposed by often termed "slack" road bike geometry. very crisp handling is needed on a velodrome for group sprints. most racing (except at the most elite levels) is actually done on bikes such as the bianchi pista, pista concept, and a multitude of other traditional frame manufacturers.
however, there are very specific designs for pursuit and kilo racing that push the envelope in design and manufacture...look makes a frameset that is very similar to the picture that you attached...it is $9000! kinda puts it in the hands of riders who pay with dicipline, miles, and pain...not dollars.