The sport of track cycling can be traced as far back as the 1880's. Today, track cycling events are held on an oval shaped 250 metre long track called a velodrome. These can be both indoor and outdoor arenas.
What Sort of Bicycle is used?
Track bicycles are bikes that a specially designed to be used for racing in a velodrome. Track bikes are fixed gear cycles, meaning they only have one gear. They do not have t he ability to freewheel and also do not have brakes.
The tires are very narrow and are inflated to a very high pressure to reduce resistance from the track itself. Track bike frames are specially made for the track, and rigidity is the most important factor when it comes to designing and building a track frame.
The more rigid a bike is, the more energy can be effectively used to move the bike.
At professional level, most track bikes are made from carbon fibre, although aluminium, steel and titanium are also used.
What Track Events are There?
At professional level, there are twelve different track racing events: eight for men and four for women. These are then split again into sprint events and endurance events.
Sprint (Sprint Event)
The sprint in track cycling is contested over a distance of 1000 (750 for women) metres,. It is not a single sprint to the finish line, but for the majority of the race, the two riders that are competing use complex tactics to gain an advantage over their opponent.
Once the riders start moving, the person behind is thought to have the advantage, because the can "draft" (ride in the slipstream, and thus saving a lot of energy) of the rider in front. They have then used less effort and most often overtake the lead rider to win the race.
Team Pursuit (Endurance Event)
The team pursuit event is raced over 4000 metres (3000 metres for women), by two teams of four riders.
The two teams start on opposite sides of the track and the aim is to cover the distance in the fastest possible time, or catch the opposition. Each rider takes it in turn to lead the pack, and peel off after about half a lap (with the strongest riders completing a full lap at the front and join on again at the rear of the group. The riders behind minimise the effort they are putting through drafting and the finishing time is taken as the third rider crosses the finish line.
Speeds in the team pursuit can average around 60 km/h. The vent requires huge concentration, because the gap between rider's wheels can be just a few centimetres, meaning a single mistake can cause a devastating collision.
Other track cycling events including the keirin which is a sprint between six to nine riders over eight km, and the points race which involves racing over around 150 laps and every 10 laps, a sprint is held. If you place highly in the sprint, you win points. The winner of the race is whoever have the most points from the sprints which occur throughout the racing.
Famous track cyclists include Chris Hoy, Rebecca Romero and Bradley Wiggins.
Sources:
BBC Sport Academy-Track Cycling Uncovered
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