The bicycle ridden on the track is different from the one ridden on the road, and it is one of the simplest and most beautifully designed machines in the world. A bicycle that has been stripped to its basic components, it has none of the complicated, and sometimes delicate, gearing and braking systems found on a road or mountain bike.
A track bike is a direct drive mechanism with a single, small gear cog on the rear wheel that is firmly attached to the hub without the usual "freewheel" mechanism found on most bikes that normally allows the rear gears to spin independently of the wheel. It is therefore referred to as being "fixed" in place, hence the fact that track bikes are sometimes also called "fixed-gear" or "fixed-wheel" bikes. A track bike also has only a single larger gear, or "chainring" attached to the pedals. Simply put, this direct drive arrangement means that every time the wheels go around, the pedals also must go around as well, because the bike has no freewheel for coasting.
Additionally, a track bike also has no brakes for stopping, and also no derailleur for shifting gears. On a track bike, the rider controls the bike's speed directly through the pedals, and through the pedals alone. When the rider presses down on a pedal, the bike moves forward, and, as the rider pedals harder, the bike moves faster. To slow down a track bike, the rider simply relaxes his or her feet on the pedals, making them "heavy," to slow the pedalling motion. To bring a track bike to a complete stop, the rider firmly resists the pedaling motion or back pedals.
Designed especially for use on steeply banked tracks, the frame of the track bike has much steeper angles and is more "upright" than the frame of a road racing bike. In addition, a track bike has a shorter wheelbase with less space between the tires and the frame tubes, and a higher bottom bracket coupled with shorter crankarms for greater pedal clearance on the steeply banked velodrome.
Bicycle track racing first became popular in the US in the 1900's. In fact, in the 1920's, indoor track racing had become one of the nation's most popular spectator sports, drawing huge crowds and filling stadiums the size of Madison Square Garden. Then along came the motor car...
During the late 1930's and early 40's, track racing declined as a spectator sport due to the wide availability of the automobile and the thrills of watching motor racing. Many of the hundreds of bicycle racing tracks in the US were torn down or left to disrepair during this period and track racing was forgotten about.
Fortunately, public interest in cycling was revived in the late 1950's and early '60's. Tracks were rebuilt and bicycling became popular again. Though not as prolific as before, there are a handful of velodromes in use today and the sport continues to grow in popularity.
The oval tracks used for cycle track racing are called velodromes (VELL-o-dromes). They can be found indoors or outdoors, and can be made of wood, concrete, asphalt, or cement, and, occasionally, grass or dirt. Velodromes are usually 333.3 meters around, although they can run as long as 500 meters or more, or as short as 200m, or, in the case of some of the "portable" tracks, even less.
All velodromes have two long sections called "straights," which are linked by two curved end sections, giving the track a total of four turns. Bicycle track races are always run in a counterclockwise direction, so all four of the turns are to the left. The turns on a velodrome are usually "banked," or constructed at an angle, and the banking on some of the shorter tracks can reach such incredible angles that it would seem impossible for anyone to ride a bike on them. The centrifugal force generated by the riders' speed, however, usually keeps them firmly glued to the track's surface no matter how steep the banking may be.
The area inside the track is called the "infield," and is used as a warm-up area for riders and as a seating area for competitors and coaches. Encircling the infield, just at the edge of the track itself, is a flat, paved surface called the "apron." This can be used as a warm-up area, as a place for mounting your bike, or as a run-off area for coming off the track in case of an accident.
Several lines are painted on the track and run around the full oval. The line, usually black, at the bottom of the track, nearest to the infield, is called the "pole line," and is the line along which the length of the track is measured. Some seventy centimeters up the track from the pole line is painted another line, usually red, called the "sprinter's line." The area between these two lines is called "the pole," and is involved in the rules for a very popular event called the "Match Sprint." About halfway up the track is another line, called the "stayer's" line," which is usually blue, and is used in team racing and in motorpaced events as well.