Track gearing for novice

[liam7020]

I'm going for a track taster session to Manchester Velodrome on Friday and have a quick question on gearing. The velodrome stipulates that new riders must use a MAX gear of 84ins. My bike currently has a 49x17 (78ins) which is obviously well within the stipulated requirement but, considering that I'm very much a pedaller and not a pusher, I'm wondering should I gear down a tad for Friday's session which will definitely be more about learning technique rather than training/racing. Back in the day I did ride fixed wheel quite a bit but never been on a track before so I'm not sure what to expect. Ta.

[jekyll man]

maybe easier to hire a bike from the velodrome. Its only a tenner

Having seen how some of the taster sessions end up, its perhaps wisest to
The bikes aren't crap (mostly)

I suspect they stipulate gearing so everyone in the session is going to be in a similar performance window to everyone else.
Enjoy

[11.4]

It's easier to get used to the bankings and to modulate your speed with a lower gear. With a bigger gear new riders tend to speed up into someone's wheel, then slow down abruptly into the rider behind them. Riding can be a lot smoother with properly chosen gears. Also, for beginning events, remember that pros are racing six-days on gears in the same recommended range. You can ride some ferocious speeds in those gears, so this isn't really about limiting speeds.

You'll be just fine with a 78". Several of us ride a 46x16, which is basically the same gear, for warmups and early season training on that and similar velodromes and have no problems. Our warmups typically go up to 33 mph sustained.

[Thuekr]

I'm going for a track taster session to Manchester Velodrome on Friday and have a quick question on gearing. The velodrome stipulates that new riders must use a MAX gear of 84ins. My bike currently has a 49x17 (78ins) which is obviously well within the stipulated requirement but, considering that I'm very much a pedaller and not a pusher, I'm wondering should I gear down a tad for Friday's session which will definitely be more about learning technique rather than training/racing. Back in the day I did ride fixed wheel quite a bit but never been on a track before so I'm not sure what to expect. Ta.

You'll be fine

[mattr]

BTW is your bike actually a track bike? Or one of those on trend fixies?

Even if it is a track bike, you still might not be allowed to use it, tyres, crank length, wheel axle type and bottom bracket height could all catch you out.

[liam7020]

Thanks for all the replies.

BTW is your bike actually a track bike? Or one of those on trend fixies?

Even if it is a track bike, you still might not be allowed to use it, tyres, crank length, wheel axle type and bottom bracket height could all catch you out.

Planet X Pro track frame, 170mm cranks and Vittoria Pro Pista clinchers. Hopefully should be ok?

[mattr]

They used to insist on 165s, ring the track to double check.

[jekyll man]

might not allow clinchers either.

[mattr]

the hire bikes have clinchers IIRC.

[metal]

Here is some info off this page (in the notes section, but the main info is good too),

http://www.startbikeracing.com/index.ph ... t?start=10

"As for the little Euro track [note: six-day tracks in Europe are commonly between 150 and 200 meters – very short and very steeply banked], I go much lower in gearing. Particularly for madisons, and for multi-day events. In the 6-days we're capped at either a 49x15 [85.7”] or a 52x16 [85.2”] (they're nearly equivalent). In Geneva we didn't have a gear restriction, so I tried going up to a 50x15 [87.4”]. By the third day my legs were so blown that I had to go back down to the 49x15 [85.7”]. It sounds like a tiny gear, but you can really get that thing moving. We'd regularly get our mid-race sprints into the 64-65 km/h range, and the finish would sometimes crest 66-67 km/h. [Note: in a 85.7” gear, 66kph requires 161rpm’s.]"

So you don't need a big gear to keep up in most races, just leg speed. And a smaller gear will help you develop that legspeed. Then once you get use to that feeling, raise the gear 2 inches (usually a chainring size), every few weeks or so (over a track season). You should aim for somewhere in the 88-92" GI range.

[jekyll man]

@ metal-
the main problem is what manchester velodrome will or won't allow on their track.
UK tracks can be fussy over certain things (not all accrediation is transferable across tracks )

Put somebody on a bike that is differently geared into a novice session, and it can create a lot of problems...