It goes without saying that mountain biking is very different from road cycling, but what about road cycling and track cycling? Both of these forms of bicycling are done on hard surfaces and both use lighter-weight bikes than what you would ever use for mountain biking. Still, road cycling and track cycling are very different sports, with different equipment needs, different strategies, and different benefits. In the most accurate descriptions, track cycling is viewed as an entirely different sport than road cycling?just as road cycling and mountain biking are different pursuits.
What Is Track Cycling?
Before we move on to comparing road cycling and track cycling, let's take a closer look at track cycling. Specifically, let's talk about the qualities that define this type of bicycling. The first thing to know about track cycling is that it is, by definition, a racing sport. Many cyclists will take up mountain biking or road biking as a leisurely activity. They'll go for long solo rides on the roads near their house for their daily exercise, or take off into the wilderness as a means of testing their physical strength and endurance.
Track cycling is a pursuit that you will only get into if you are interested in competition. As a result, it's a rarer form of cycling than either of the others. The explicitly competitive nature of track cycling is not the only reason that it is less common than road cycling or mountain biking. Another reason is the need for facilities. With both road biking and mountain biking, all you need to get involved with the sport is a helmet, the appropriate type of bicycle, and the great outdoors. Track cycling is normally done at indoor facilities with tracks that were built specifically for bicycle racing. These facilities are called velodromes and they feature banked tracks?usually steeply banked tracks?that introduce both extra challenge and extra speed into the equation. The tracks themselves are oval in shape and are not entirely dissimilar from what you would see at a track and field event. In addition to the banked Siberian pine tracks, track cycling is also unique because of the type of bicycles that its athletes use.
Track cycling does not use traditional road bikes. Instead, track cycling demands the use of a specialized "track bike." Track bikes are distinct from virtually all other bicycles in that they boast fixed-gear designs, with no freewheel. Perhaps more alarming for cyclists who have learned their craft on road bikes or mountain bikes, track bikes have no brakes. Add narrow tires, high-pressure tire inflation, and extremely lightweight bike designs and track bicycles are the fastest and most aerodynamic bicycles on the market.
Road Cycling vs. Track Cycling
Because of their major inherent differences, there isn't much of a "versus" battle going on between road cycling and track cycling. In other words, you probably aren't going to end up choosing one of these sports over the other. Instead, most track cyclists use the sport as a means of honing their speed and fitness for road biking?though that isn't to say that there aren't cyclists out there who focus on track cycling first and foremost.
On the contrary, track cycling accounts for 10 different events in the Summer Olympic Games. Still, there are some obvious drawbacks that might make it more difficult for you to embrace track cycling fully. First and foremost, of these is the fact that velodromes aren't exactly universal. In Europe (England in particular), track cycling is quite popular, to the point where facilities are fairly common. In the United States, you'll struggle a bit more to find a nearby velodrome. As for rural dwellers, you will almost certainly have to travel a fair distance if you want to practice track cycling on a genuine Siberian pine track.
The issue with track cycling is that you do need the track to do it right. Sure, you could purchase a track bike on the web right now and start riding it around your neighborhood, but 1) you wouldn't have the banking, which is a vital part of the sport, and 2) your ride would be made more than a little bit dangerous by the lack of brakes or gears. Suffice to say, if you want to get into track cycling, you need to have a track that is relatively accessible based on where you live.
The Benefits of Track Cycling
If you can find a nearby velodrome, though, you should absolutely think about giving track cycling a shot. Maybe you'll get really into competing as a track cyclist; maybe you will just apply what you learn on the track to your road biking pursuits. Either way, there are plenty of benefits to be gained from getting out on the track on a fixed gear brakeless bike. The first advantage of track cycling is that you learn to have better control of your bike. You might not realize it while you're out cycling on the road, but you rely on your brakes and gears almost as crutches. When you have no freewheel and are biking without brakes, you have to learn how to do everything without your usual crutches.
Everything from turns to the moves you make to pass other cyclists plays out at such a high velocity that you either learn to handle your bike better or you go barreling into the wall. And since learning better handling skills is a matter of necessity, you'll master them faster than you think. Just imagine getting behind the wheel of a car without brakes and think about how much that would impact the amount of strategy and thought you put into driving. The same thing happens on a bicycle. Perhaps the most obvious benefit of track cycling is what it will do for your speed. If road biking is like running a marathon, then track cycling is the equivalent of sprinting. On a road bike, you probably traverse long distances and try to build up your endurance. Indeed, long distance road bike races like the Tour de France are all about endurance. On the track, though, you go shorter distances and focus on really pushing hard for a few minutes.
Your goal is to push your speed as hard as you can, and everything about the sport?from the banked turns on the track to the lack of brakes on your bike?is optimized to help you go faster. Developing that speed adds power to your biking form, teaches you better pedaling form, and prepares you for moments on the road when you need to take on a sprint mentality. There's a reason why so many professional road cyclists will spend some time training on the track.
Finally, riding on the track gives you a better chance to gauge your speed and compete against yourself. If you are the kind of road cyclist who times your rides, you might find that there is a substantial amount of variation for rides of comparable or identical differences. That's because even when you ride the same route two days in a row, factors like wind, temperature, and humidity can affect your performance without you really realizing it. On the track, you're indoors, which means there's nothing to blame slow times on but yourself. By eliminating the other factors that can affect your time, the track helps you get a better understanding of your speed and your pacing, as well as your aerodynamics. By adjusting your form on the bike, you can reduce drag and improve your times. In turn, you can apply your new superior form to your road biking endeavors.
Conclusion
The title of this article is "Road Cycling versus Track Cycling," but ultimately, there is little benefit of pitting these two types of cycling against one another. Sure, road biking and track cycling are very different and require different equipment, facilities, and skills. However, more and more cyclists?especially those from Britain?are focusing on both forms of cycling as a means of improving in both. The track can teach lessons you can't learn on the road, and the road can provide endurance tests and struggles with the elements that you won't get in a velodrome. Together, these two forms of cycling will complement each other to turn you into a superior athlete across the board.
