Track Bikes

The track bike is a racing thoroughbred. The bikes used by sprinters over short distances are designed for maximum speed, aided by the absence of brakes or gears. The spokes are often tied together with steel wire where they cross to prevent any energy being lost when a sprinter accelerates.

In points races and Madisons, where frequent changes of pace are necessary, the bike would be set up with lighter, spoked wheels.

The single gear on a track bike has no freewheel mechanism and incorporates a fixed gear – when the rear wheel turns, so do your legs. Instead of brakes track riders control their speed by moving up and down the steep bankings, and by applying leg resistance on the recovery part of the pedal stroke.