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A track bicycle or track bike is a bicycle optimized for racing at a velodrome or outdoor track. Unlike road bicycles, the track bike is a fixed-gear bicycle; thus, it has only a single gear ratio and has neither a freewheel nor brakes. Tires are narrow and inflated to high pressure to reduce rolling resistance.
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The first bicycle race is popularly held to have been a 1,200 meter race on the 31 May 1868 at the Parc de Saint-Cloud, Paris. It was won by expatriate Englishman James Moore who rode a wooden bicycle with iron tires. [1] The machine is now on display at the museum in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
The Union Cycliste Internationale was founded on 14 April 1900 by Belgium, the United States, France, Italy, and Switzerland to replace the International Cycling Association, which had been formed in 1892, over a row with Great Britain as well as because of other issues.
A track frame is specific to its intended use, with emphasis on rigidity and lightness. Frames for sprinting seek to maximize rigidity, while those for general racing seek to reduce aerodynamic drag. The dropouts or track ends face rearwards to facilitate chain tension adjustment. A true track fork, unless aerodynamics are the primary consideration, has round-section blades for greater lateral stiffness when sprinting. The crown is sometimes drilled to give the option of mounting a front brake when the bike is used on the road.
The governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), sets limits on design and dimensions as well as the shape and diameter of the tubes used to construct the frame. The UCI permits special exceptions for the construction and geometry of track bikes. [2]
A Keirin bike is a track bike for Keirin races in Japan that meets the strict system of standards of the JKA Foundation (Japan Keirin Autorace Foundation), the governing body for Keirin competitions, still popular under the abbreviation of its predecessor body - NJS (Nihon Jitensha Shinkōkai or the Japanese Bicycle Association).
A track bicycle frameset typically differs from one used on the road in the following ways:
These changes represent substantial compromises compared to a typical road bike. For example, even medium-sized track frames often have substantial toe overlap with the front wheel; while not an issue for velodrome riding, it can make slow-speed turns difficult if the bike were used on the road. [3] [4] [5]
Frames are assembled from tubular elements (typically with round or elliptical cross sections), or cast in a mould for "one-piece" type models. The most popular materials for frame building include steel, aluminium, or titanium alloys, carbon fiber, or a combination of these materials. Carbon fiber frames are most common at the professional level. [6]
Track bicycles have only one drive sprocket (or cog) and one chainring, so the size ratio is relevant. A lower gear ratio allows quicker acceleration or 'jump' but can limit top speed. A larger gear ratio makes sustained speed easier, important in pursuit racing, time trial and bunched races such as points or scratch events. Without a good jump, the rider risks opponents accelerating away; without good sustained speed, the rider will be unable to keep up with a fast race. Track sprinters make a compromise by using particular gear ratios that allow them to reach race speeds at a relatively high cadence (pedalling), around 130-135 revolutions per minute (r/min). [7]
Long-distance attempts such as the hour record sometimes use high gear combinations such as 52×12 or 55×14. Ondřej Sosenka used 54×13 with 190 mm cranks to set the 2005 record.
Bicycle chains used in track, fixed gear and single speed cycling come in two common roller widths (the internal width between the inner plates), which is either 2.38 mm (3⁄32 in) or 3.18 mm (1⁄8 in). The chainring, sprocket and chain should all be the same width. Although a wider chain will work on a narrower chainring or sprocket, it is not ideal. A narrower chain will not work on a wider chainring or sprocket. Newer bicycles with derailleur gears use bushingless 2.38 mm (3⁄32 in) chains which flex, making gear changing possible. There are also 3.2 mm (1⁄8 in) bushingless chains on the market, which can be lighter or cheaper. Track bicycles, however, need increased strength rather than a lightness or a flexibility, so most of the track chains still use the full-bushing design.
Tubular tires are most often used in track racing and training, though advances in clincher tire design have seen them being used somewhat more often. [6]
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A bicycle rider is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles.
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which often makes them heavier, more complex and less efficient on smooth surfaces. These typically include a suspension fork, large knobby tires, more durable wheels, more powerful brakes, straight, wide handlebars to improve balance and comfort over rough terrain, and wide-ratio gearing optimized for topography, application and a frame with a suspension mechanism for the rear wheel. Rear suspension is ubiquitous in heavier-duty bikes and now common even in lighter bikes. Dropper seat posts can be installed to allow the rider to quickly adjust the seat height.
A derailleur is a variable-ratio bicycle gearing system consisting of a chain, multiple sprockets of different sizes, and a mechanism to move the chain from one sprocket to another.
The crankset or chainset is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the rider's legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain or belt, which in turn drives the rear wheel. It consists of one or more sprockets, also called chainrings or chainwheels attached to the cranks, arms, or crankarms to which the pedals attach. It is connected to the rider by the pedals, to the bicycle frame by the bottom bracket, and to the rear sprocket, cassette or freewheel via the chain.
A bicycle chain is a roller chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle, thus propelling it. Most bicycle chains are made from plain carbon or alloy steel, but some are nickel-plated to prevent rust, or simply for aesthetics.
A touring bicycle is a bicycle designed or modified to handle bicycle touring. To make the bikes sufficiently robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads, special features may include a long wheelbase, frame materials that favor flexibility over rigidity, heavy duty wheels, and multiple mounting points.
A utility bicycle, city bicycle, urban bicycle, European city bike (ECB), Dutch bike, classic bike or simply city-bike is a bicycle designed for frequent very short, relatively slow rides through very flat urban areas. It is a form of utility bicycle commonly seen around the world, built to facilitate everyday short-distance riding in normal clothes in cold-to-mild weather conditions. It is therefore a bicycle designed for very short-range practical transportation, as opposed to those primarily for recreation and competition, such as touring bicycles, road bicycles, and mountain bicycles. Utility bicycles are the most common form globally, and comprise the vast majority found in the developing world. City bikes may be individually owned or operated as part of a public bike sharing scheme.
A racing bicycle, also known as a road bike is a bicycle designed for competitive road cycling, a sport governed by and according to the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
A cyclo-cross bike or cyclo-cross bicycle is a bicycle specifically designed for the rigors of a cyclo-cross race. Cyclo-cross bicycles roughly resemble the racing bicycles used in road racing. The major differences between the two are the frame geometry, and the wider clearances that cyclo-cross bikes have for their larger tires and mud and other debris that they accumulate.
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling sports include artistic cycling, cycle polo, freestyle BMX, mountain bike trials, hardcourt bike polo and cycleball. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for cycling and international competitive cycling events. The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is the governing body for human-powered vehicles that imposes far fewer restrictions on their design than does the UCI. The UltraMarathon Cycling Association is the governing body for many ultra-distance cycling races.
A single-speed bicycle is a type of bicycle with a single gear ratio. These bicycles are without derailleur gears, hub gearing or other methods for varying the gear ratio of the bicycle.
A fixed-gear bicycle is a bicycle that has a drivetrain with no freewheel mechanism such that the pedals always will spin together with the rear wheel. The freewheel was developed early in the history of bicycle design but the fixed-gear bicycle remained the standard track racing design. More recently the "fixie" has become a popular alternative among mainly urban cyclists, offering the advantage of simplicity compared with the standard multi-geared bicycle.
Gear inches is an imperial measure corresponding to the diameter in inches of the drive wheel of a penny-farthing bicycle with equivalent (direct-drive) gearing. A commonly used metric alternative is known as metres of development or rollout distance, which specifies how many metres a bicycle travels per revolution of the crank.
The Rohloff Speedhub is an epicyclic internal hub gear for bicycles, developed and patented by Rohloff AG. It has been manufactured and marketed by that company since 1998. The Speedhub 500/14 has 14 equally spaced, sequential, non-overlapping gear ratios operated by a single twistgrip. The overall gear range is 526%, meaning the highest gear is 5.26 times as high as the lowest gear. Individual gear shifts when shifting up give an increase of about 13.6%.
Bicycle gearing is the aspect of a bicycle drivetrain that determines the relation between the cadence, the rate at which the rider pedals, and the rate at which the drive wheel turns.
Oscar Egg was a Swiss track and road bicycle racer. He captured the world hour record three times before the First World War and won major road races and stages of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. He was also a noted developer of racing bicycles and bicycle components including lugs and derailleurs.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to bicycles:
| General and technical | |
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| Utility and slow recreation | |
| Sports-related cycling and fast-paced recreation | |
| Health, safety and infrastructure |
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| Other | |
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