track frames for road bikes
 

I wanted to know if the pros and cons of this. i get more aggressive riding and some would like it since it feels more aggressive then a road frame. for example what are the advantages to this good for crits maybe? http://www.pedalroom.com/bike/cinell...roadbike-5417#

a big con would be that the rear wheel spacing would be incompatible with road wheels....

Would be better to ask in the Single Speed and Fixed Gear forum.

Short answer -- it's fun. There are no other real advantages.

I am using a TT frame with a drop bar. I realize that with this setup I'm constantly faster than my peers in the group i ride in. And I can free wheel more often and longer than when I use a road geometry bike.

Track bikes will probably have a higher bottom bracket to avoid striking the banked track which means a higher centre of gravity which means worse handling all else being equal.

Here are some stats for a Cannondale CAAD10 track frame againts the CAAD12 road frame. Track frame numbers first (cm) then the road frame numbers:

Seat tube angle: 75 - 73.8
Head tube angle: 73 - 72.9
BB Height: 27.6 - 26.9
Wheelbase: 99.2 - 98.0
Headtube length: 14 - 13.9
Stack: 53.4 to 55.1
Reach: 40.8 to 38.7

Lack of a rear derailleur hanger may be one issue you have to overcome if you want to race.

Last time I checked, the use of a track bike in crits and road races was permitted provided that the track bike had at least one working hand brake. However, the last time I checked was 45 years ago.

I'd think you would need two brakes, but I haven't checked at all. Brakeless track bike crits are becoming a pretty big thing though.

And unless this bike would only ever be used for crits, it would be really good to have two working brakes for regular road riding.

It seems to me, the track bike frames resemble the current trend in time trial frames in most respects e.g. steeper angles. So maybe use them there. Of course you would need to add a derailleur hanger, and the higher bottom bracket could be solved using longer crank arms.

meaningless anecdote. no control for position, wheels, etc.

thats untrue. How many sharp corners do you have to take in a groupride? Yes the cornering radius is a bit larger when doing a u-turn, apart from that, not much difference from a regular road geometry bike. However, I am much much faster, its a noticeable differnce

So that's why all the professional racers, whose livelihood depends on going faster than their peers, ride TT frames with drop bars?

Lol wut?

He was just saying (correctly) that there are too many variables in your anecdote to state that you're "constantly faster than your peers" because you're using a TT frame as a road bike and they aren't.

Um, not quite. The longer crank arms are also longer on the top side of the pedal stroke; i.e. you will be kissing your knees. If you don't need 180+ mm cranks, you aren't going to have any fun using them. Ride the frame that is designed for the job.

Lots of people ride track frames on the road, but with only one gear. :)

Most manufacturers have relaxed the geometry of steel track bikes as more and more riders began using them on the road. Aggressive 75/75 geometry is now reserved mainly for carbon and aluminum frames which are ridden on the track. There are exceptions.

I ride one of the slightly relaxed steel "track" frames on the road regularly - 3 or 4 times each week for rides up to 50 miles. 2015 Bianchi Pista. Was in a 26MPH paceline last week. Loads of fun! Mine actually has two gears, 16 and 15 tooth cogs on either side of the rear wheel.

Cons: no cage mounts and have to carry bottles in the jersey pocket or use a clamp on mount. I have to take the wheel off to "shift".

https://www.dropbox.com/s/50x1vs34rh...large.jpg?dl=1

I have a track bike I use for road (and gravel) riding. I use the singlespeed freewheel not the fixed side of the hub. It doesn't get much use though...

Decades ago The Manager of a Bike Shop I worked in , in SF .. Bought what was a British Made Winter training Bike
frame and fork..

Its rear dropout rear opening and 120 wide, but it included a set of threaded holes for Mudguards ,
+ a Brake mount in the seat stay Bridge

The front fork was also With eyelets and A Brake mount in the fork crown and clearances for Mudguards ..

Made for fixed gear road training..

This gets into the semantics of the term "track bike".

Criterium racing Bikes have Higher BB than Road and Track Bikes , to power sooner out of square corners .

Race those a Lot ? get a special bike for the purpose..

Back when I was racing in the 1970's there was Fad for "Criterium" frames custom made to order: Extremely short wheelbases, steep angles and as stiff as possible.

The best sprinter on our team had one built that was basically a copy of his track frameset w/ brake fittings and a derail hanger.
He got good results on it, just as he got good results on his old road frameset.

It proved to ride like a lumber wagon on anything less than glass smooth surfaces, was twitchy in crosswinds and extremely nervous descending.
It was a one-trick pony and sold quickly to someone who wanted the coolest thing, but couldn't sprint. :twitchy:

Oddly enough designs intended for road racing are most suitable for road racing, be it crits or open course events, while machines designed for competition on the velodrome work best there. :innocent:

-Bandera

The BB height isn't a problem for crank length. The saddle just ends up higher off the ground. The BB height is a problem because it makes the bike less inclined to turn as well.

The wheelbase on current track frames is so short in my case the toe overlap is the ball of my foot. I have managed to trap my foot on the wrong side of the wheel more than once. The other problem is in a panic stop you just can't get your weight far enough aft to avoid getting launched over the bars in an instant. The higher BB does not seem to be that noticeable perhaps because I'm used to it. That track bike however on the right road with the right gear on is for me a magic feeling. Al is light enough and stiff enough for track but conbined with the geometry they make for a very jarring ride with track tire pressures. I drop from 125 track to 80 road and chose my roads carefully. An older steel frame with horizontal dropouts is a good choice.

Admittedly I'm not that familiar with track bike frames and track racing, although I do enjoy the small coverage during the Olympics.
So what is the standard length and am I to assume no one uses long cranks on a track bike?

They are just letting him get out of earshot before they start laughing...

165 and 170 are pretty common.