track gearing

any ideas on what size gear I should use on a 250 m indoor track, new to this and what I have tried
(46/14) seems to be too low and I feel that im spinning out. I know you are supposed to rev quite
fast anyway ,but I don't feel im using all the power in the legs. if you go too high you cant react
fast enough, so I have been told any body got any experience on this or is it try all sorts of
combinations to get it right?

 

"g.hopkins" <[email protected]> writes:

> any ideas on what size gear I should use on a 250 m indoor track, new to this and what I have
> tried (46/14) seems to be too low and I feel that im spinning out. I know you are supposed to rev
> quite fast anyway ,but I don't feel im using all the power in the legs. if you go too high you
> cant react fast enough, so I have been told any body got any experience on this or is it try all
> sorts of combinations to get it right?
>
>

Take a 47, 48 and 49 clanger and 14 and 15 rear sprockets.

This will develop from 6.6 to 7.4 meters in .100 meter increments.

Also take a lockring, they are compulsory on many tracks and you will need a tool to remove the
lockring when changing sprockets. A flat head ppunch will suffice if you are tight for space/weight
but you will need something to pound it with.

You don't state your age so read the foregoing in conjunction with any gear restrictions that might
be in force for the category in which you race.

If you can do 25 miles on the road on the hour, this is 40 kph and you will be 25% faster on
the track.

Note that some tracks are ''fast'' and some tracks are ''slow'' - talk to the local yokels and find
out what the score is. Ask them what they are pushing in the way of gears. Count the teeth on their
bikes. Many of the Wankerz will lie to screw up a novice pistard.

So what do you ride? Try 49*15 to start and see how that goes. That will give you just short of 7
meters and is a good reference point. Then adjust from there for the event/your-fitness/whatever-the-rest-are-
riding.

Good Luck

--
le Vent a Dos Davey Crockett Six-Day site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

 

Davey Crockett wrote:
> If you can do 25 miles on the road on the hour, this is 40 kph and you will be 25% faster on
> the track.

Hmmm. That would be 50 kilometers in an hour.

 

"Robert Chung" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email protected]...
> Davey Crockett wrote:
> > If you can do 25 miles on the road on the hour, this is 40 kph and you will be 25% faster on the
> > track.
>
> Hmmm. That would be 50 kilometers in an hour.

Somehow, I don't suspect it would last the hour ...
--
Bonne route,

Sandy Paris FR

 

You will be faster on the track than on the road - but not that much. Assuming a good track surface
and good track tubulars pumped up high psi you "enjoy" a decrease in the amount of power required to
overcome rolling resistance. You also obtain a slight benefit from the improved efficiency of a
track bike (i.e. a good chainline and no requirement for a derallier). Note that a decrease in
bicyle mass gives you realtively little improvement. So if it takes you 290W to do 25mph on the road
you could possible do this at ~270W on the track or go ~1mph faster @ 290W.

The gear selection is spot on ~ 7 m gear development i.e. the equivalent of 52x16.

Davey Crockett <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]
cm0f2069983361.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com>...
> "g.hopkins" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> > any ideas on what size gear I should use on a 250 m indoor track, new to this and what I have
> > tried (46/14) seems to be too low and I feel that im spinning out. I know you are supposed to
> > rev quite fast anyway ,but I don't feel im using all the power in the legs. if you go too high
> > you cant react fast enough, so I have been told any body got any experience on this or is it try
> > all sorts of combinations to get it right?
> >
> >
>
> Take a 47, 48 and 49 clanger and 14 and 15 rear sprockets.
>
> This will develop from 6.6 to 7.4 meters in .100 meter increments.
>
> Also take a lockring, they are compulsory on many tracks and you will need a tool to remove the
> lockring when changing sprockets. A flat head ppunch will suffice if you are tight for
> space/weight but you will need something to pound it with.
>
> You don't state your age so read the foregoing in conjunction with any gear restrictions that
> might be in force for the category in which you race.
>
> If you can do 25 miles on the road on the hour, this is 40 kph and you will be 25% faster on
> the track.
>
> Note that some tracks are ''fast'' and some tracks are ''slow'' - talk to the local yokels and
> find out what the score is. Ask them what they are pushing in the way of gears. Count the teeth on
> their bikes. Many of the Wankerz will lie to screw up a novice pistard.
>
> So what do you ride? Try 49*15 to start and see how that goes. That will give you just short of 7
> meters and is a good reference point. Then adjust from there for the event/your-fitness/whatever-the-rest-are-
> riding.
>
> Good Luck

 

"g.hopkins" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]ep1-gui.server.ntli.net>...
> any ideas on what size gear I should use on a 250 m indoor track, new to this and what I have
> tried (46/14) seems to be too low and I feel that im spinning out. I know you are supposed to rev
> quite fast anyway ,but I don't feel im using all the power in the legs. if you go too high you
> cant react fast enough, so I have been told any body got any experience on this or is it try all
> sorts of combinations to get it right?

Which track are you going to ride?

What length are your cranks?

46x14 is probably a good place to start, especially if you are still developing as a track cyclist.
For many reasons, having a gear that is a little low (or that feels a little low to you, anyway) is
better than one that is a little high.

Another poster suggested taking a bunch of rings and cogs to the track
- that isn't a bad suggestion, but you didn't mention if you have that many rings. In addition, if
you are fairly new at this, having all those combinations at your disposal might be overwhelming.
If 46x14 feels just a little low, that or a gear very close to it is probably a good place to be.
If that happens to be the only gear you have, you'll be able to do plenty of effective racing and
training on it alone if necessary.

When I was experimenting with gears at one point, I asked a very experienced racer what gear he had
just used in a points race. He said something along the lines of 'you can do anything at all on a
90,' and this is generally true (we were at a 333 track - a 250 generally lends itself to a slightly
smaller gear, like your 46x14).

There is another problem with changing gears a lot - sometimes even experienced racers forget to
change their gear from their warm-up gear to their race gear, or change wheels without accounting
for a difference in cogs. The result can be losing a race that should have been won. Remember not to
make this mistake - always be sure you are on the gear you intended to be on. I'm pleased to say
I've never made this mistake, but I have won matches because my opponent has done so.

As a side note, be sure to get plenty of practice riding in before entering any races. I'm always
amazed at how quickly some folks enter races. The track is dangerous if you aren't comfortable, and
especially if you don't know the proper customs and etiquette. Practice until you are sure you are
ready - then practice for another week. Good luck.

-RJ

 

Start with a small gear in the 80-82 inch range. Once you are comfortable increase the gear by two
inches at a time. You eventually want to work up to an 88-92 inch gear for Mass Start racing on a
250 Meter track.