OT: Track Cycling - I don't get it

[UConnChapette]

Just started watching the prime time NBC main broadcast.

Track cycling, men's sprint...start going really really slow, so slow they are barely even moving. Then have basically a one lap sprint. Makes no sense to me, but I am a former track sprinter who only knew one speed - go as fast as you possibly can from start to finish. That is a sprint.

And the steeply inclined track? Insane!

 

[pap49cba]

Just started watching the prime time NBC main broadcast.

Track cycling, men's sprint...start going really really slow, so slow they are barely even moving. Then have basically a one lap sprint. Makes no sense to me, but I am a former track sprinter who only knew one speed - go as fast as you possibly can from start to finish. That is a sprint.

And the steeply inclined track? Insane!

I agree. Really silly.....

 

[meyers7]

I think its pretty cool how they can maintain their balance barely moving on that steep bank. I haven't seen this in years though.

 

[Fishy]

If you've ever been in a cycling race of any stripe, you know that sitting in behind someone is a huge advantage - on a road bike, someone in the pace line can maintain pace with about 2/3rds of the effort the person leading it is putting out. It's very easy to pass someone leading out a field sprint - ride up in his draft, accelerate out of it.

If you were of a mind that you were going to take off hells bells in these sprints, I assure you that you would lose each and every one. What they're trying to do when they slow down (track stands) is to make the other rider either commit to the lead or be forced to take the front. Sometimes, you'll see the person behind try to gain the jump on the rider in front by dropping down and trying to get enough of a gap that the second rider cannot get into his slipstream.

If they simply sprinted full out from the drop, the person riding second throughout would win just about every time.

 

[Biff]

Just started watching the prime time NBC main broadcast.

Track cycling, match sprint...start going really really slow, so slow they are barely even moving. Then have basically a one lap sprint. Makes no sense to me, but I am a former track sprinter who only knew one speed - go as fast as you possibly can from start to finish. That is a sprint.

And the steeply inclined track? Insane!

It's hard to explain but if you ever rode a bicycle competitively (any type really, not just track) you quickly learn about aerodynamic drag. In a match sprint on the track, the winner is the first rider across the line...doesn't matter how fast you go at any time before you get there. If you rode a match sprint and tried to ride hard off the line you would lose every single time. The whole slow thing is to try to work your opponent into a position where they lead out the sprint for you (being behind in a sprint is an advantage ...see note on drag above) or to work them into a position where they cannot respond to a sprint move of your own. If you can start to sprint and get a large gap so that the trailing rider is not in your slipstream, they need to be far stronger a rider to catch you before the line.

I find it interesting and amusing at times but it is not for me. But, that is the basic reason they do what they do.

 

[JACKofallTrades]

Fishy & Biff are exactly right about the aero factor in cycling.

It's basic physics. That force (drag) that any moving object receives (from the resistance of the air) ...goes up exponentially as your speed increases linearly. Double your speed from 10 mph to 20, and the force of the wind goes up 4X... double that again & the force of the air becomes 16X. It's why cars (& airplanes) have a natural limit to how fast they can go -- the faster they go, the additional power they need (just to push aside the air) grows incredibly (too) great. If not for air resistance, cars could break the sound barrier.

So the sprint (race) in cycling, because the speeds are so fast, becomes a tactical race.... thus the banked track and cat & mouse tactics. Back in the late 1800's & early 1900's cycling was as popular as Nascar or Pro football is today. It lost much at it's luster here in the US after the auto (& motorcycle) became cheap & popular in post WW-1. Major Taylor was one the great cyclists of that era, and it's sad more people don't know who he is. He predates many later black athletes who we all know today.... boxers, track stars, baseball players etc.

Track bikes don't have gears or brakes... they're designed for one speed... fast. If you've never cycled, find a friend who does or go to a shop & borrow a bike. Most have computers today so you can see your speed. Get out on an empty flat road and see how fast you can get up to (& hold for even 2-3 seconds). You'll find 35 mph tough. Those track cyclists maxed out at ~45mph. You can't imagine how insane (difficult) that is until you try it yourself. It's a very specific (niche) type of (bike) racing today... one that takes unique skills & talents.

 

[UConnChapette]

I barely passed physics, and I tend to fall off things where my feet are not on the ground - bikes and especially horses. Must explain why I don't get it. But thanks for explaining it to my more simplistic brain.

 

[Icebear]

I went down the road with my bike once at close to 90 mph. Then it tore loose from the roof rack.

 

[MilfordHusky]

My son and I were watching that at an open air pub. It's a much better spectator sport when you have a pint in your hand! I understand one of the races went 12 minutes before the sprint began. Until the sprint starts, it's like watching grass grow.

And softball is no longer an Olympic sport?!