Tracklocross Curious
 

I'm intrigued by the Tracklocross idea. Just curious: why does it appear most folks go for flat bars for this riding, as opposed to drops? Is it primarily for the handling considerations? I've seen a few drop bars out there in tracklocross event photos, but seems more rare.

What's the difference between gravel or cyclo?

^
Can't tell if that was a serious or troll question, but you got me to bite either way.

Cyclocross is a high-intensity racing discipline featuring short (typically ~60 min) races with obstacles, mandatory run-ups and other interesting features. To accommodate this the bikes have aggressive geo, lightweight frames, high BB's and moderate tire clearance. Many high end cross race bikes don't even have bottle cage mounts - you don't want bottles on your bike when you're shouldering it multiple times per lap.

Gravel riding is mixed-surface and typically long in duration, often categorized as "epic" and a number of other trendy words these days. To accommodate this the bikes have relaxed geo, lower BB's, room for bigger tires, multiple bottle cages and is generally more "ovebuilt".

Of course you can use a cross bike for gravel applications or a gravel bike in cross races, but the deeper you get into it the more you might appreciate a purpose built machine. Many (most) consumers fall somewhere between that dichotomy and as such that are plenty of off-the-shelf commercial "cross bikes" that are well suited for both. Or you could just buy a gravel bike - unless you want to get way into cross, that is.

Sorry, I don't understand your reply. I'm just curious about the choice of bars for tracklocross.

Tracklocross seems to be aimed more towards the city folk "fixie" crowd. And they all run flat bars for some reason.

plenty of the bars have rise.

Try riding a fixed gear with drops on that kind of terrain and it'll be pretty clear why nobody does it.

Well, that makes sense--thank you. I ride a ss cross bike off-road which has sported both drops and flat bars, but I've never ridden fixed, ever. So, I have no idea what challenges that brings to the equation!

My point was there really isn't much difference between tracklo, cyclo and gravel. They're just trying to create a niche. Thus the reason for the flat bars, just because. It seemed to me there were geared bikes in there as well as the fixed.

I ride my fixed off road on drops. The limits are torque and traction. The bars are not a problem.

So do I. And if I was racing it with no brakes on a highly technical makeshift cyclocross course, I would run risers.

I wouldn't.

I just did a quick Google and looked at a couple of videos.
The track shown here, I would ride briskly on my fixed with drops and road tyres. Indeed, I'd ride nearly all of it confidently on a 29 inch unicycle, and most of it on my 36.

If you are considering doing it, go out now and get a bike to set up as a fix gear. Anything. You want miles and months riding fixed before you have any business riding an event like that. No, I;'ve never done tracklocross and never will. But I have a lot of experience on fix gears. A lot. Trust me. You want enough time on them that you have re-trained some very basic instincts. SS and fixed gear have nothing n common save the only one gear and the same chain, dropout, etc. The riding is VERY different.

I am saying this as much for your competitors as you. Until you have riding fixed down, you will be a course hazard to the other riders.

That said, fix gear rocks. I tried to coast (at 20 mph) and stopped VERY fast, hopped the bike 2' into the air (I was strapped in) and came down hard on my side. But no abrasions. I had almost no forward speed. Just converted all my velocity into vertical through my locked knee. (And man, did that leg hurt!) But I finished that ride sold on fix gears and I've been riding them ever since.

Second caution - to some, they are addicting.

Ben

Thanks Ben. Good info. Yeah, I dunno if I'll ever even try fixed, let alone an event like that, I was just curious about the rigs for this discipline. The whole thing seems super cool to me, but, I'm not a young guy--I don't think it's in my future. Would sure like to ride my ss to a Tracklocross race and support it though!
My teenage son however, loves riding my ss Cross Check and is curious about fixed - - I might have to do it vicariously through him....

If you do ever get the urge to try it,here's some advice. Take a piece of tape and place it on the seatpost 1/2" above the top of the seattube. Now drop the seat to the tape/ Yes, ridiculously low. But when you do try to coast, you cannot come remotely close to locking your knee. Notice I said "when". This is NOT an "if" situation. You have spent years, decades training your body and legs to coast when the situation gets iffy. It will take that kick from the pedal, perhaps a few times, before you have re-trained you reflexes. As miserable as that super low seat is, you will be deeply grateful after that first time! As you go through the learning process, you can start inching the seat back up. (This would have changed the outcome of the crash I described a lot. Big time for the better!)

If your saddle is high enough that your knee locks at the bottom of the pedal stroke on any bike, your saddle was way too high anyway.

gravel pit commanders.. i thought those were the fixie crowd that dont drink hard cider's and the cyclocross crowd has gluten free products for sponsors and PETA awarenesss week.?

My guess is the same reason MTB's have'em.

I am guessing wide riser bars are a combo of necessary bike control and that it's the "in look." Just like narrow little risers were 15 years ago.

As a singlespeed cross racer, there's a reason tracklocross races are completely separate from "regular" cyclocross. You really can't ride a cross race fixed. The turns, off camber hill rides, and dismounting-mounting over barriers would be super difficult with a fixed drivetrain. Tracklocross races are flatter, more open, and closer to XC mtb racing than cyclocross. I also see a lot of nice, dry California tracklocross races and less sleety, muddy northern races.

I believe the wide flat bars on tracklocross bikes stems from wide flat bars being very popular in the entire fixed gear scene for the past 4 years or so as a counter culture to the skinny bars that were made infamous with fixed gear bikes in the early 2000s. Although I have very wide shoulders, I never liked wide bars for some reason. I have a tracklocross bike and I was running skinny drop bars all the time, but recently replaced with skinny, cut down riser bars.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9eb13a74e.jpeg