max_vain

Hi, can anyone brake down the difference between the track frames you would ideally use for match sprint event and a frame you would ideally use for pursuit events on the track. I am a road cyclist, but will be racing the track next season as an alternative in off season. I have a basic fixed gear bike at moment, but it's not going to cut it on the track if I intend to race.

Is there a type of frame that is all purpose? Or are track frames either suited for sprint or pursuit? Thanks in advance.

I've got some pretty serious road bikes R3, P2C and Soloist all Cervelo and a lower quality Bianchi Pista which is fixed gear. I am not looking to get a frame that is as expensive as my Cervelo's, but also I am not looking for a frame as cheap as the Bianchi Pista. I tend to lead toward the pursuit events. etc Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks again.

carleton

I would say that there are 3 types of track frames: Sprint, Mass Start (group races), & pursuit. Most entry to mid-level track frames have a mass-start geometry.

A typical pursuit specific track frame would be the Cervelo T3 or BT Blade. A typical sprint-specific frame would be the BT Stealth, Dolan DF3, or Look 496/596.

The Felt TK1 is a new bike that is proven to be a great all-around sprint AND pursuit bike.

Part of the difference are the angles which make the bike handle differently. Match sprinting involves lots of moving up and down track while at speeds from zero to over 40 mph (65 kph). Pursuiting is holding one line smoothly. I think mass start bikes fit more like race-spec road bikes. I guess there will always be compromises when choosing a frame.

I don't know much about pursuit geometries/frames. But, I went from a mass start geometry Planet X to a custom sprint geometry Tiemeyer and noticed a HUGE difference in handling. Sort of twitchy at slow speeds. But, at 35+ mph handles like a dream. I would imagine that a pursuit frame would feel sluggish...which is a good thing when you are trying to hold that line!

Sorry for the rambling.

Jcaf_1

I know this post is from a few years ago just checking if you have much feedback on t3 as a sprinters frame and if you think if concentrating on sprint it’s better to chase a more specific frame fit on t3 is quite low for top tube length which is good as opposed to df4/3 (for record only 160/165lbs with less than 1600w 1 sec )

carleton

Things are much different since 2010. Scatto type bars weren’t even out back then. Easton EC90 bars were the standard sprint bars. They were very deep and made fitting a T3 difficult.

Also, long and low style sprint frames are more popular due to narrow bars making one’s reach a few cm longer.

So, it’s a toss up now. It’s hard to say.

sarals 

Pretty much what @carleton said!

Urban Velo #3 - Bicycle Culture on the Skids

rustymongrel

I have a T3 (see post your bike thread) and I wouldn't recommend it as a sprint bike. It has a very long wheelbase and long front-centre which is great if you need length and are restricted by the 5cm handlebar rule on other frames.

It holds a line well but changing lines and making quick maneuvers like you would in a sprint race is not as quick/easy as it would be on a true sprint bike. It's also not terribly stiff.

carleton

Yeah, that's the feedback a former teammate gave me. He said, "it handled wonky". He bought a T3 and rode it maybe a week or 2 then bought a TK1. He was/is a top level masters guy (national champ) and CAT1 on the road. He did especially well in mass races and pursuit races.

I think what makes it handle slowly is the long fork offset and slack head tube angle. This makes it handle with stability in aerobars, but not so much for maneuvering.

rustymongrel

Yeah I mean it just shares the geometry with the TT bike. Not all that bad though, it has high trail and a long wheelbase so at low speeds it feels sluggish but I find it to be perfectly fine for mass start events. It is also still a very very aero frame design.

I think one of the reasons it works for me is because I like a very long reach to the bars so on other bikes I would have to run a very long stem and end up with my weight too far forward.

The TK1/TK FRD have similar trail to the T3 on the smallest size but trail decreases on the larger size bikes as the HTA increases. A 57 or 60cm will feel much more nimble at all speeds than a 58cm T3

topflightpro

Sprinters are allowed 10cm.

See page 34: https://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/R...NG_English.pdf

rustymongrel

Yeah so that benefit is irrelevant to sprinters, hence why I wouldn't recommend it for sprinting.