southernfox

...Fuji offered me a sponsorship, so I get it direct from them at a discount.

For shops, find the local/regional Fuji dealer. It just so happens that my LBS who informally sponsors me is also the local Fuji dealer, but all the same, I deal with Fuji directly (via email, not by ordering through their site or anything).

I'm closest to Rock Hill (SC). But I race all over the US and Canada

southernfox

Relatively long torso and an elite sprinter, so getting low and aero is important. I'm currently on a Dolan 58cm with a 130mm -27deg stem and STILL a little cramped.

southernfox

this

Clythio

I can see particular cases, but "a trend" must have some extra reasons, besides being low and aero - those factors where always there.

Is there any additional factors like better handling/control and/or feeling safe for delivering full power, on high banked short straights "modern" tracks?

carleton

One factor is the use of narrow handlebars.

When your extended arms are far apart, your back goes down. When you bring them together (as with narrow bars), your back goes up. To make your back go back down as before, you need to extend the narrow arms forward using a longer stem (which would adversely affect handling) or with a longer top tube.

We are talking centimeters and millimeters here, but bikes come in 2 and 1 cm increments for a reason.

southernfox

Yep.

Also...people are getting better at being more aero, I think.

taras0000

It's not that they are getting better at it. Aero has become more important than pure/peak power, and equipment is changing to keep up with this.

It used to be that match sprints were always launched from a slow roll, and pure acceleration was how things were won. When you think of how to best position yourself for a standing start (Man 1 in the TS), it's going to be different than a position geared for top speed (Man 2/3 in the TS). Now sprints get launched from a much higher speed. You can thank Chris Hoy, Arnaud Tournant, and later, Theo Bos for that. Basically Kilo guys just started Kilo-ing their opponents in matches, and that's when things changed.

Sprints now are basically a drag race that starts at 40km/h. Spending more time at a higher speed, coupled with larger gears (which result in higher top speeds, and require more "roll" to get on top of) means one has to be conscious of how they are "burning their matches". Aero is more conducive to the tactics in play today.

carleton

Have you done any time trials yet? Care to share some results?

southernfox

500m is my weakest event. Last timed effort was 38.0. Goal is outdoor 36.0 for June's racing at TTown.

carleton

What's your best event and your time from it?

southernfox

Hard to say. I'm still really new to track racing. Best 200m time was 12.3 outside on a training day at Rock Hill. But since then my power curve looks a lot different. Almost hitting 1500w, and my FRC is 26kj.

carleton

So, I'm trying to put all of this together.

You mention a lot of credentials. You say that you are an elite racer, have sponsors, going to training camp, want to replace Monique Sullivan (Pan Am Champ, Olympian, etc...) this season, yet you don't have the wins, comp experience, times, watts/kg, etc... of an elite track racer.

This just isn't adding up.

Have you raced at all against other elite women?

It's one thing for your goal to be an elite racer, it's another thing to say that you are. It seems that that is your goal (and we are here to help everyone with their goals), but it seems that you haven't done much yet or paid any "dues" in the peloton.

It doesn't take a terribly long time for a talented racer to make it on the scene. But, some time must be spent in moving up the ladder.

I probably sound like an ass for writing that, but it's been on my mind for a while.

All we know about you is what you tell us. This is the portrait that you have painted.

southernfox

That's cool. Believe what you want.

(Must be weird for me to have so many companies throwing gear at me if I'm no good...eh?)

ruudlaff

I know of a guy in England who placed in a lower group than me in my first event who has sponsors coming from all over the place (and I have no real explanation for why, self promotion FTW? He has an athlete page on fb....). Doesn’t make him fast though.

Also, that doesn’t make me fast either lol. Realism sucks.

sarals 

I don't wish to sound testy or combative, but could you please explain why @southernfox needs to demonstrate some depth of track racing history (if I read that right) in order to be taken as legit? I had none before last season, and I'm certainly legit. I know her, and I know how strong she is, how hard she works, and how well she's done on the road. Based on that, I've no reason to disbelieve her when she says she expects to do well on the track. She has the tools.

carleton

The distriction is the same as “I have done.” and “I hope to do.”

sarals 

Agreed.

sarals 

She's a confident athlete. Anyway, I shouldn't be sticking my nose in this. I'm saying I believe her, and I only wanted to understand why her expectations would be questioned. Hopefully no offense was taken.

tobukog

I don't see why she has to confirm anything to have opinions (or ask for advice). Much of what you learn as a road sprinter carries over onto track. If anything, I would say that many modern track riders are becoming like road sprinters and finally catching up: they've been slamming it into a 53x11/12/13/14 (depending on the era) for years. Best of luck to Southern Fox: I'll be at Rock Hill several times this year and if I see you on your Fuji, I'll try to remember to say hi.

carleton

It's here in a public forum. Your opinion is just as welcome as any other.

She declared that she is an elite sprinter, not wants to be.

This is like me buying a pair of basketball shoes and declaring that I'm an elite basketball player after shooting around on the court at the YMCA by myself for a while.

I'm not doubting that she will do well. I NEVER HAVE. I'm just reserving judgement and titles until they are deserved. Is that fair?

Show me elite times or results then we'll be in business.

This is the biggest misconception in the Roadie-come-Trackie transition.

OK. Give me an example of how the "Sprint" at the end of a stage race relates to a Match "Sprint"? The tactics are different, the equipment is different, the gearing is different (contrary to what you just wrote), and the training is different.

tobukog

You're right. It is different. But there's much that does transfer over. And in the past there's been lots of crossover. In the US, Ken Carpenter and Nothstein became ok crit riders. Even before Theo Bos, many track riders in Europe (not just endurance) went to the road. And it would be strange to call them "track riders" -- they were often just racers who did both and then gravitated to the track because of their strengths and weaknesses. Of course, you're right that you have to learn the subtleties of whatever discipline (whether track or road), but in my years I've come to respect that class is class on a bicycle.

carleton

Also, I've been around long enough to know that there is a HUUUUUGE gap between "Should do well" and "Did do well" in the track cycling world. Trust me. I have "elite" power meter and gym stats and "local" ("regional" on a good day) results.

As Baby Puke wisely wrote years ago, "You can't kilo with a slide rule." Meaning that you can't simply postulate how well you will do on the track. You have to do it.

Air resistance increases dramatically with speed. A lot of people (especially new racers) don't pay much attention to this. For any given x speed, the force is x*x.

The forumula is Fa = K*v*v
Where:
Fa = Force of Air
K = Constant
v = Velocity

So, to match that force for a given v it takes effort. To increase v, the force increase is squared (sort depending on K).

This is why people race for YEARS chasing tenths of a second in their events.

Progression in track racing is easy for untrained beginners (most of the gains come from simply becoming fit and a better cyclist in general). It's difficult for trained beginners (this is where fine tuning comes in). It's arduous for trained veterans.

SouthernFox says she's is a CAT1 on the road, then she's not an untrained beginner. She's likely very fit and very good at spinning her legs. She might be too advanced to experience the "newb gainz" that my fat ass enjoyed. She's jumping in at the harder end of the success curve.

sarals 

I totally get the difference between a track sprinter and a roadie with a good sprint (Chris Hoy had a great explanation in his autobiography). I've certainly learned what those differences are from a personal standpoint. That said, I see your point, @carleton. I get, too, that this a money where your mouth is discussion. Please understand that my POV comes from a masters perspective, where the times and performances are relative, and yes, that's not entirely to the point in this discussion. I know you haven't expressed doubt that she could do well, and I can see why you'd reserve judgment. She has lofty goals. From what I know about her history on the road, I think those goals are well founded. We'll all see in June, won't we! I'm just glad I don't have to race her

carleton

The fitness, vascularity (number of blood vessels), pedaling dynamics, and work ethic are the most valuable things that transfer over. Everything else should be forgotten and open to be relearned.

Theo Bos' peloton tactics don't help him in team sprint or match sprints

Further, a road "sprinter" generally has the physiology of a track "enduro". Nothstein and Bos are outliers. There are far more athletes who go back and forth between road-sprinter and track-enduro than road-sprinter and track-sprinter.

sarals 

I could talk and talk and TALK, just for the sake of discussion, about how much I've learned over the last year and how much I've gained. No reason to. The sum of the last year was exactly what you alluded to, how freakin' hard it is to gain that last 1/10 of a second.