I might be off on my banking for Delhi. It could very well be closer to 55 degrees. I think the actual size was 12 to a mile, but they said it was a 10 lap track if I remember. Small tracks need real steep banking or one drifts up too easily. Many riders used to angle their saddles a degree or so to the left because of the quickness of the track. The small off angle wasn't noticeable in the short straightaways, but gave a little perception and actual feel of easier lean into the sharp fast turns. The amount was so minimal that it felt natural because of the small size of the track. The 200meter plus tracks were/are almost all 45 degrees plus so a top speed of 100 km per hour can be ridden for safety purposes. The UCI standard is now 250 meters and 45 degrees in turns and around 32/33 degrees in the straights. The more a person rides the track the easier it gets, slow on turns, no handed, swooping up the banking, all in a fun ride. If the wood is too smooth then it gets a fine sanding to take sheen off. Smart riders take a little fine sandpaper to take fresh smoothness of new tires off and then take regular rubbing alcohol to the protector or rubber strip/ tread and get rid of sanding dust and to remove any possible slippery factory preservative coating and make the tire more secure to race on. If one was lucky the tire wouldn't get a flat and the rubber strip would actually wear through where it was ridden mostly, so that the casing was exposed. Time to change wheel and get new tire glued on. This usually was just off center and caused by the slower riding higher up on track with the downward pressure on the rubber strip from being more upright at lower speed while the friction was being stressed with the angle. Ted Ernst Pal;os Verdes Estates, CA
> Was it ten laps for a kilometer on the Delhi track? There must have
> been some particular concerns on a track that small. Was there a
> problem getting stopped? I rode the 200 m track at Detroit recently and
> had problems with that.
> The banking was only 50 degrees? I thought tracks that small were at
> least 55 degrees. The track at Indianapolis in 1937 was one twelfth of a
> mile with 56.5 degrees on the curves and 32 degrees on the straights!
> Was it heated? It looks like guys were wearing short sleeves.
>
> Tony Welch
> Indianapolis, IN
> USA