Addressing some points, as my personal motivations seem important to responses. I have more comments/questions on endurance track, collegiate track, but I guess it is better to get these out of the way so we can discuss those. If you have anymore motivation type question please PM me. Obviously I'm not quick take an opinion, but FWIW - I did buy a track bike, I am using the wider chain...stuff I got here, even though it was difficult has been used.
So addressing some of the off-track comments as briefly as I can.
This is the only area I posted in the last 6 months on BF. The reason is I want to discuss Collegiate Endurance Track.
I don't post about my racing as I was not a good racer, and I have not raced for 30years. I’ve been around competitive cycling, and the bike people industry since 70s. Why 20 year-olds don’t do forums? No answer for that, but one reason is time, see below.
Fresh/soph cadets may not have cars and may not leave individually (without approved paperwork) in the evenings. COS mid-week racing was not really practical. We did pay some $50/night Uber charges, then the new admin shut down evenings out across campus. Team things are much more encouraged than individual things. What could have been would have been unwise in the larger picture.
We did 7 NCs in the last 5 months the results came in about the 60th percentile, but he's not that strong now. Junior's cycling peak was about age 16 when he decided pro cycling was not his path. He/we are going the opposite direction. The only bragging to do is on how he is getting kids to show up and race when they didn’t and is recruiting. That, will likely server him better than any individual win.
Tentative is not timid (posted by someone above) and is exactly what you want in someone new. An athlete should be tentative about what is safe, and how to do it right. It is the inexperience non-tentative ones to worry about.
Why track.
If junior gets a fighter pilot slot (15 months from knowing, good chance) I expect all the bike competition to go away until he's a master.
If he does not get a pilot slot, collegiate cycling competition is fun, he can drive to COS tack now, he has teammates that are doing track now (1st time in 4 years or so), and track does not take the miles and hors road does. He also likes the gym.
USAFA has a program (Search WCAP) where national level athletes get to choose both location they serve and have training for their event as their primary job. This was presented as a recruiting tool. It is up to junior if he wants to take advantage of that program, but the thinking is endurance track may fit best.