Track handlebar shape

[Veloo]

Never rode a track bike or used track bars.
I noticed they don't have much horizontal to them. The seem to sweep from the clamp area quickly into the grip portion.

Is that for room/ space for the riding position?

Should one ever use regular road bars when putting together a track bike?

[unterhausen]

I think a lot more people are using road bars now than used to.

[HTupolev]

The main reason for the shape of old-school "track" bars is that, if you're not going to be using the ramps or bar tops as a hand position, it's theoretically lighter and stiffer (and potentially more aerodynamic) than a typical drop-bar shape.
As you suggest, it does also provide more wrist clearance for sprinting. It's overkill in this regard, though.

The old-school bars are still popular for stuff like match sprints, but in the more "endurance" races, most people use road bars nowadays. This is probably partly because they're much more ubiquitous, and - especially at the elite level - because the upper hand positions provide a means of getting slightly more aero by making the forearms level.

[rustychisel]

They're called 'Pista' and for that very reason.

Yes, better wrist clearance, generally narrower.

Within reason you can use what you like in most track races, but be damn certain you trust them.

I repurposed a pair of old Maes pattern bars on a track bike: did a timed flying 200m and after I crossed the line pulled back on the bars to slow down. The LHS folded up at the stem clamp IMMEDIATELY.

I'm only very happy they failed up rather than down as that would have been a very bad thing approx 3 seconds earlier.

[bitpuddle]

If you are really riding in a velodrome, the drops are the only safe place to be. Races and intervals are relatively short so you’ll be in the drops the whole time.

Do a lot of people ride road bars on the track? Yes, they are more comfortable.

[carpediemracing]

Track bars nowadays are getting wacky, one off bars for some riders, but due to UCI regs making it a requirement to use "publicly available parts" the bars are on sale for $10k or whatever. it's the same with the custom frames or shoes - it's why the retail prices are so unrealistic.

Generally the specialty drop bars are meant for very short distances, like Keirin, sprint, or 500m time trial (for women and Masters men). Those are the wacky bars, with basically no usable bit except the drops. They're molded type shapes (some 3-D printed, some molded), not typical stem/bar shapes. Example (a "$60k" bike with one off bars - not made in larger sizes since only two sizes meet requirements for team):


For longer races (points, Madison) more traditional drop bars are used, but even those tend to be narrow. A few riders are using a narrow randoneur bar, I think 36 cm at the drops, narrower at the tops (individual Dutch and Spanish riders come to mind). In the Madison you need two positions, the center near the stem (for when you throw your partner back into the fray) and the drops. Pure sprint bars sacrifice the tops so they generally aren't used in Madisons. There have been a few bars that increase reach (to get a sort of aero position) but some are plain illegal now. Recent Madison picture (left rider using what appears to be a road bar, the right rider has a sprint specific bar with a rounder top section):


There are a few "actually available" (like you or I could buy them, and they're not $10k) sprint bars out there. They usually have a more aero cross section up top. Seems they cost $200-400 street price.

Many newer sprint bars have limited reach and drop. More reach/drop would increase flex - better to have a ultra stiff stem and frame reach further out, versus hanging a long reach and drop bar.

Because of that track frames are getting longer and lower. Stems are still long but very beefy, and the bars don't have as much reach and definitely not as much drop as before. To wit - I bought a more modern track frame and with a 50 cm seat tube it has a 57 cm top tube (74.5 seat tube angle) and a 12 cm head tube.

Another thing is many of these bars are not meant to be clamped with a brake lever. I know of one bar that's meant to be used both on road and on the track (i.e. brake levers okay), it's available in narrower sizes, and it has a semi-aero upper section. Many/most are not though. This came across my mind as I was thinking of using track bars on my road bike to get used to the size/shape/feel and then realized that most track bars don't accept brake levers. I've found only one that specifically does.

[m_sasso]

No Madisons for me, use 34cm, 3T Scatto LTD for every thing from Sprints, Elimination to endurance events. I also use a set of base bars with extensions for pursuits and chain rings about half the size of those guys above me in this posting.

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by rustychisel

They're called 'Pista' and for that very reason.

Yes, better wrist clearance, generally narrower.

Within reason you can use what you like in most track races, but be damn certain you trust them.

I repurposed a pair of old Maes pattern bars on a track bike: did a timed flying 200m and after I crossed the line pulled back on the bars to slow down. The LHS folded up at the stem clamp IMMEDIATELY.

I'm only very happy they failed up rather than down as that would have been a very bad thing approx 3 seconds earlier.

Seems an odd failure. I would guess from what you say there was something amiss on the front side of the bar: stress riser, wall thickness drawn out very thin, corrosion? Seems to me that loading would be much higher getting started than slowing down. That's not to say NJS specs exist for no reason.

[rustychisel]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

...
Seems to me that loading would be much higher getting started than slowing down. That's not to say NJS specs exist for no reason.

Yep. The bars were something like SR road. They just folded, there was literally 1/4in of alloy holding the bars at about 60 degrees up.
I came in off the banking at the Adelaide Superdrome shaking like a leaf, steering on right side only.

I replaced them with a set of chrome steel bars.

[ultraman6970]

IME is more a what do you like more, seen guys with road bars in the track and they never complained about. In my particular case my ideal track handlebar was the NITTO adb 125 AA aerodynamic handlebar. Light, not too deep and stiff enough. Bad thing is that was discontinued long time ago. Liked it better than the cinelli criterium.

The problem with some super deep handlebars is that the curves are so low that you get way too relaxed and the less you can do in track is to be relaxed.

Personally i do not understand the non sense of the new handlebars too much, clearly the stuff is just marketing because the equipment is given to the riders, wanted or not they have to use it.

I would love to see track racing old style, everything steel frames, no aero carbon wheels, just plain classic stuff like it was till probably back 86 ish. And TT races with steel funny bikes.

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

No Madisons for me, use 34cm, 3T Scatto LTD for every thing from Sprints, Elimination to endurance events. I also use a set of base bars with extensions for pursuits and chain rings about half the size of those guys above me in this posting.

Haha! I was shocked at the gearing used in some of the events. I think one of the sprinters used a 65x12 to do a 9.7? in match sprint (he won) - it was a UCI World Cup events, 2019/2020, the local fitter had it streaming when I visited to talk about track stuff. Even doing a 9.7 the rider wasn't pedaling very fast.

However it does seem like riders are using larger rings to use larger cogs to reduce friction.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

However it does seem like riders are using larger rings to use larger cogs to reduce friction.

Yep, that's the trend, if you can keep a big gear rolling between 110 - 130rpm many guys are using as big as they can fit on their bikes. I have been riding larger gears, however at 66 I am not gaining a whole lot in the weight room, got calves no quads. I am also currently moving from 1/8 to 3/32 in an attempt to gain what little I can.

Working towards Canadian Nationals in Milton, Ontario this fall, if you ever get out this way to ride Burnaby or Jerry Baker at Redmond be sure to look me up. Where are you riding in Connecticut?

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Yep, that's the trend, if you can keep a big gear rolling between 110 - 130rpm many guys are using as big as they can fit on their bikes. I have been riding larger gears, however at 66 I am not gaining a whole lot in the weight room, got calves no quads. I am also currently moving from 1/8 to 3/32 in an attempt to gain what little I can.

Working towards Canadian Nationals in Milton, Ontario this fall, if you ever get out this way to ride Burnaby or Jerry Baker at Redmond be sure to look me up. Where are you riding in Connecticut?

I live just north of Hartford. In 2009 I went to the "track" in New Hampshire for as much of the season as I could handle (it's a long drive on a weekday, and it was the day after Tues Night Crit and usually a Sunday race so my legs were pretty cooked). In 1992? I did two nights of racing at T-Town. My experience is limited enough that I raced all but one race in a 51x15 and after that one race in a 51x16 I immediately put the 15 back on.

For this season I got an offer to carpool down to Kissena (2.5 hours?), another to carpool (less frequently) to T-Town (5ish hours), but that was before COVID-19.

Not really sure what I'll be doing but I'm pretty confident Masters Nationals is not going to happen in late June at T-Town. I'm also pretty confident that even if it does happen I'll be woefully unprepared.

So I'm approaching getting track stuff together with an eye out for 2021. I've bought/modified a CycleOps 300 for practicing standing starts and also to try and gauge what rpm/power I can hold for the 500m / in general. I have a bike I'm putting together. And until recently I'd been lifting to see what happens.