Originally Posted by
cormacf
I'm 50 and a recreational rider (centuries, 50-75 mile weekend rides, etc.). Going to try to do my first SR series next year en route to a possible PBP in 2023, so I can cross it off my bucket list before I get too old. I'm not a high-caliber athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but I like climbing, and I have the potential to put out some moderately respectable wattage for short bursts for my age and weight.
I've only ridden track a few times, but it was super-fun. I'm moving down to San Diego soon, and I'd like to try to make it a habit. My only goal is to be able to hang with other Cat4s (maybe Cat3 some day?), have a good time, and maybe bust my ass on a good day and podium for my age group so I can check that off, too. And if I can look cool doing it, even better.
To that point, I've always loved lugged steel bikes, though I got rid of my Rivendell and old Peugeot beater when I moved to Seattle and learned the wonders of hydraulic discs. I was thinking of building up some sort of NJS frame, or maybe a Mercian track frame (I've always dug their mosaic headbadges), because it would make me happy and excited to ride.
Assuming I put decent wheels and tires on it, will the extra weight and reduced aerodynamics of a lugged steel bike with round tubes going to make a bit of difference for a 165-pound middle-aged man?
What is your speed on the track? Ultimately it depends on how hard you are riding the thing.
From my experience in your shoes - took a couple of years for it really to make a difference. Steel is perfectly fine for 200 watt speed runs. But, where it really makes a difference is jumps, acceleration, madison, short sprints. Putting down 1000 watts into a steel frame just isn't that efficient. For me, going from steel to a "real" track frame was rather like changing from a 16t to a 15t cog. But we are talking doing jumps starting at 25mph - races that average over 30 mph (Madison) and of course peak around 40mph. For the first couple of years when I was mostly in 20-25mph range, it didn't make a difference. I'll say that a stiff bike (especially at 25-35mph on a track banked at 50 degrees) is a lot more responsive and a bit easier to control.