I had a comment on a post recently from Groover, who is researching track and fixed gear frames but can’t settle on a brand. I thought I would post a longish blog entry to explain my perspective on track frames and tracks in general. I think that fixed gear bikes are by far the coolest segment of bicycles and after riding my Zinn track bike on the road last weekend my perspective hasn’t changed.
Everyone looks at things through their own eyes, and I am no different. I like the coolest, lightest, strongest, sexiest bike imaginable for every use; road, track, time trial, tandem, you name it. I heard a saying from an Indy Car racer, “The best you can get is barely adequate!”, and I agreed with the quote before I heard it. I am saying this now, because track racers tend to be the thriftiest among all bike racers and that may or may not jive with my tastes. That said, here is my take on cool track stuff.
The velodrome is the racing venue for track bikes. It is an oval with banked turns allowing very high speeds in a confined space. The loads on a track bike are somewhat different than a road bike and the frames tend to be built with more stiffness and strength. Track forks also have more lateral strength as they need to be able to handle more side loading than a road fork, while handling more downforce as well.
This heavy duty construction makes track frames and components last a long time as they are over built by road standards. This means that an abundance of used equipment is available to the entry level trackie. There are also great new track frames coming onto the market due to the resergence of track riding and fixed gear bikes on the road.
At KGS Bikes we have the Bridgestone Anchor sprint bike which is a world class sprint machine in the league of Corima or BT. I have been riding one and for sprint or kilo events it is unsurpassed. The downside is they only come in three sizes so if you don’t fit the bike frame well it is less than optimal.
Another type of track frame is what we call an Omnium geometry. The Omnium is an overall scoring in a track tournament. This means that you may not have to win everything but should do well in most events. While the sprint bike is aggressive and incredibly stiff for the demands of the sprint, flying 200, standing start 500 or kilometer events, it is really uncomfortable and the sprint riding position is much lower than for other events. An all around track bike, or omnium bike, should be stiff enough to sprint, but comfortable enough for a 100 lap points race.
My current omnium track bike is a titanium Zinn frame. It is a true omnium bike as it works well in all events. It is also comfortable enough to ride on the road with a road fork and a front brake. It is a real track frame so there are no bottle braze ons, so I have to put bottle cages on a seat mounted rack.
Parlee has two track offerings this year. They have a frame based on the Z1 which would be a full custom carbon omnium frame. Additionally they are offering a track version of their new time trial frame for use in pursuit, kilo and possibly mass start track races. It should be a great frame although I have not seen a track version in person.
Guru is now introducing a track version of their Genio frame which promises to be a great performer. Like the Parlee, it is true custom, full carbon fiber and technologically very advanced.
Serotta makes a road fixie called the Singolo which has bottle braze ons and a front brake
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Thank you so much. This is a most informative post and I just fell in love with the Serotta. Friends are trying to get me onto the track but just the idea of racing a bike without brakes and freehub in a tight bunch sprint freaks me out. So I thought I get a Singles Speed/Fixie (flip flop) for commuting (and to be cool of course) until I get the hang of it and maybe down the track I will race on the track (no pun intended).
i much prefer commute riding to track, its got so many more elements to it!
Thanks for the comments. I too prefer the fixed gear on the road right now as I don’t have the time to devote to the track. I am glad that people are getting out on their fixies as it is a sublime experience. Thanks again.
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