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Track
bikes are minimalist. There are no brakes, no gears and no freewheel;
if the back wheel is turning, so are the pedals. Speed is controlled
by pedalling and by pushing back on the moving pedals.
 Match
sprint and points race bikes are usually made of simple steel
tubes; they're strong and cheap and their poor aerodynamics don't
really matter. Pursuit bikes are usually the exotic carbon wheeled
bikes everyone gets excited about.
Disc
wheels are used for aerodynamic reasons even though they are heavier,
weaker and far more expensive than wire spoked wheels. Front discs
are only used indoors as the slightest breeze sends a bike with
one blowing up the track. Three and four spoke wheels have most
of the aerodynamic advantages of discs without the problem of
instability in a sidewind and are therefore commonly used up front.
Track bikes use one-piece tyre and tube assemblies called 'tubulars'
or 'tubs' that are glued on to the rim. A very thin, smooth rubber
tread covers a silk tyre case holding 150-200psi of pressure.
Riders
are firmly attached to the bikes using step-in pedal systems,
or standard pedals with two sets of straps. It's vital that riders
can't accidentally pull out of the pedals, and that power transfer
be as efficient as possible, so riders use shoes with extremely
stiff soles. Over the years many pedal and shoe systems have been
tried, including ones that build the pedal axle and bearings into
the sole, so the rider has to be laced into the bike. 
Probably
the greatest stuff-up in recent track racing history was Shane
Kelly pulling out of the pedals at the start of the Atlanta Olympics
1,000m sprint. Kelly was using pedals with straps and believes
he simply failed to prepare properly and tighten them hard enough.
One-piece
Lycra skinsuits are standard dress. They're skin-tight, aerodynamic
and don't impede pedalling. Rubberised surfaces and other coatings
have been tried to improve aerodynamics, but don't seem to make
enough difference to justify the cost and sweatiness.
Hard helmets have replaced the old-style leather strips, which
were as much use as a curly perm if you crashed. Some helmets
- known as 'sperm hats' - are shaped to improve airflow over the
back of the head. Gloves are essential protection against a palm
full of splinters if you crash. |
