+1
Also, your finely-tuned trackie bike handling will come into play back to your road riding/racing.
You can spot the trackies on the group rides. They are the ones
comfortably within a foot (or less) of each other at all speeds. Then when they roll up next to a non-trackie to chat the guy/gal freaks out an swerves off to make the distance much wider for fear of clipping pedals or hooking bars.
Regarding sprinting: You'll learn to accelerate using your legs more than your arms. Yes, there will be some back and forth when you get out of the saddle, but not nearly as much as you see on the road. Part of this is due to the wide bars and part due to habit.
Note how far these guys are off of the bike laterally.
This is aided by their freewheels. You can't do that on a fixed gear at 30+ MPH without betting bucked by the bike.
Also, the words "sprint" and "sprinter" are often confused and misleading.
"Sprint" can mean:
(all of these are in the realm of track racing)
- The mad dash end of a race.
- The sorta-mad dash for points in the middle of a race (like a "Preem" in a crit)
- A Match Sprint race.
- The act of accelerating in general as in, "I had to sprint to close that gap."
- The act of getting out of the saddle to accelerate.
- The act of accelerating quickly in or out of the saddle, as in "seated sprint" (a sneaky technique)
"Sprinter" can mean:
- A Road racer that specializes at winning short stage races (for example, Cavendish).
- A Track racer than specializes in events that have a duration of (generally) 90 seconds or less.
Although Cavendish is a world-class "road sprinter", he is not a world class "track sprinter". He wouldn't make the cut for Team GB's Sprint squad. He would is considered a world-class track enduro or all-around racer. (yes, he can ride a F200 faster than most if not all US riders, but you get my point). So, basically, a road "sprinter" would sorta map over to being a track "enduro" or all-around racer.
Further, you don't have to be a track "sprinter" (specializing in short events) to take advantage of gear made for track sprinters. For example, Sarah Hammer uses 3T Scatto "sprint" bars.
Basically, Sprinter-specific track equipment is a subset of
all track equipment. Sprinters were getting bruised arms and needed differently shaped bars. Sprinters were unclipping from pedals and needed to add straps. Sprinters were flexing frames so stronger "sprint" frames were created. Any and all trackies can benefit from this stuff...if you want or have a need to. It's not like you have to declare yourself a "Sprinter" in order to use BLS straps or 3T Scatto sprint bars.