On the track, the jumps are far more aggessive and equipment challenging.
The bike either goes forward from a "low(er)" speed and gets fast quickly or
it breaks in half!!
The road, even with more crank leverage compared to chainwheel diameter is
not quite so demanding, as the riders are moving along and speed up a little
less aggressively.
In the mountains, they're pushing extremely hard but in more of a steady
rhythm without the abrupt jerking and trying to rip pedals off cranks as on
the track
The road cadence is so hard in a chase that they would break their legs
before backing off, but the pressure is steadier which is somewhat easier on
the components.
All of this is academic if the rider has so much power that he rents the
parts asunder.
Then special stuff has to be made to accomodate.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA USA
>I think it has little to do with the setup of the bike and everything to do
>with torque generated by the massive thighs and calf's on gorillas like
>Marty Nothstein and Kurt Harnett. This is/was power riding.
>
> Warren Young
> Wolfville NS
> Canada
>
> Jerry Prigmore wrote:
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Date: Tue, 08 May 2007 17:48:04 -0400
>>> From: genediggs(AT)aol.com
>>>
>>> ...Velodrome racing puts much more stress on the bike frame than you do
>>> in
>>> the average road race. You just can't get the torque level required to
>>> keep from pulling the rear wheel, on a standing start, with a quick
>>> release cam mechanism....
>>>
>>
>> I respectfully disagree.
>>
>> Assuming equal-length crankarms, the smaller the chainring, the greater
>> the mechanical advantage applying said pulling force to the chain and
>> rear wheel. Smaller gear = more force. (The size of the rear cog affects
>> the torque applied to the wheel [larger cog = more torque], but doesn't
>> affect to as great an extent the force attempting to pull the drive side
>> of the wheel forward in the fork end). The typically longer cranks on a
>> road bike would further increase the mechanical advantage.
>>
>> Sprinting up a steep hill on a road bike in the small ring would apply
>> more pulling force to a rear wheel than would sprinting on the track. It
>> may be counterintuitive, but it is simple physics. I can't address the
>> difference in power applied by a beefy track sprinter versus a wispy
>> grimpeur.
>>
>> The cam action of a properly closed QR can apply an enormous closing
>> force, and unlike a nut, will not loosen, due to the over-center action
>> of the cam. However, "properly closed" is key, so it might make sense for
>> a velodrome official to ban QRs to be on the safe side. At least in a
>> litigious society accustomed to acommodating the lowest common
>> denominator, that is.
>>
>> Jerry Prigmore
>> Clovis, California, USA