track cycling questions

MCsanandreas

Mountain Cycle Fan
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watching the track cycling last night and two things come to mind...

1 why do they use toe straps not clipless pedals?

2 do they all have to run the same gear ratios?

is it all in the rules that the bikes and riders are as they are or just what has been found to work best? i dont know but i bet someone here does!
 
MCsanandreas":dxprfg5n said:
watching the track cycling last night and two things come to mind...

1 why do they use toe straps not clipless pedals?

The sheer power these guys pull at the start would have them popping out of clipless.
 
Tazio":21k2p5by said:
MCsanandreas":21k2p5by said:
watching the track cycling last night and two things come to mind...

1 why do they use toe straps not clipless pedals?

The sheer power these guys pull at the start would have them popping out of clipless.

+1

If you look close, a lot of them run double toe straps.
 
I think the power is only half of the problem. The pedals are much more likely to release as soon as things start twisting and bending as a result of the high forces, and the force is no longer applied directly upwards.

The UCI rules are quite restrictive over bicycle design and riding position, but they don't specify the gear ratio.

That was one of the noticeable compromises in the olympic pursuit races, some people started quickly and led for the first couple of laps, but then were under-geared and got caught up.
 
phill77":2p5kpmeu said:
I think the power is only half of the problem. The pedals are much more likely to release as soon as things start twisting and bending as a result of the high forces, and the force is no longer applied directly upwards.

But you have to admit the power is massive. Quote below from Chris Hoy.

“I can’t talk about everything we do in the lab for obvious reasons but we work on stuff to improve our leg speed, high cadence work. Once a week I go in and work on an orgometer[check] set up in the lab which has a massive flywheel attached to a bike which is about 12feet long.
It has two sets of chains to make the gear even bigger. When you push down on the pedal you’d think the break was on because it just doesn’t move. They use that to measure the torque you are producing. The instantaneous torque we generate from pressing the pedal is nearly 700 newton-metres.
A Ferrari would produced 400 to 500 newton-metres (obviously they can maintain it) but for a split second we are generating a greater force through those cranks. That is what we are trying to improve, that ability to apply force quickly. You are trying to apply a force at as higher speed as possible."

And he produces way over 2000w of power on a sprint.
 
Us ordinary mortals can get away with normal clipless pedals (although I wind the tension way up on mine). Gearing is chosen for the particular event, the track and personal preference/riding style -- some tracks are shorter than others and need a lower gear. I think Hoy's on 50/14 or 52/14 depending on the event, probably bigger for the keirin.

For comparison, I use 49/16 (although I ride on a very short track, and have legs like pipe cleaners ;) )
 
I think they look bigger than they are because they tend to use solid rings for stiffness, rather than normal spidered/cutaway ones. Generally the rings are no bigger than a normal road bike outer chainring.
 
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