How Do Track Cyclists Go So Fast? | Track Bikes Explained

[@MrWrob32]

Is it just me, or is Ollie just the ultimate loveable geek. He's just such a joy to watch and listen to

[@BartAppleseed]

YES

[@hjphan1030]

He's got good sense of humor!

[@konradmarais7726]

No. Its too immature for me. I don't need all that facial articulation and cringy punchlines to keep me interested. It actually puts me off, every time. Couldn't get over halfway of this video, even though the content is on point. Some people just don't want to feel like they're watching Cee Bee Bees. 🍼

[@markblanch2905]

I see someone who loves being on camera and a team of writers

[@telusjaya3670]

@@BartAppleseed ok untuk err

[@mpatek4696]

It’s obviously the equipment! I could go just as fast, but my bike isn’t optimized *proceeds to run out of breath going up one flight of stairs*

[@donnaml8776]

LoL

[@ebenvanepps2092]

Why are stairs so hard?! I feel like I can be in great shape and still be out of breath after stairs

[@donnaml8776]

@@ebenvanepps2092 THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVISE. This is only a suggestion and something for you to do some research on. From what I’ve learned it sounds like your adrenal glands need attention. They may be under-active. You can look for these three things: 1 - Getting out of breath going up a flight of stairs and your heart’s pumping hard. 2 - When you stand to fast you get dizzy. 3 - If you shine a light into your eyes (go in the bathroom look into the mirror and shine a flashlight into your eye) your pupils should get smaller and stay that way as long as the light is shining into your eye, but if you notice your pupils fluctuating from small to a little bigger, that’s your adrenals. These are signs that your adrenal glands are under-active and need help. Vit B5 helps, but there are some other vitamins and minerals combos out there that can help too. I encourage you to look it up. You’ll find once you address this it will help your over all health.

[@ebenvanepps2092]

@@donnaml8776 I'm pretty sure I got all that stuff checked out when I started taking antidepressants last year and everything looked good. but I'll definitely check in with my doctor just to make sure

[@donnaml8776]

@@ebenvanepps2092 just know that most doctors do not know nutrition as well as they should. Many things that happen in our bodies do not always show up in their tests unless they are looking, but even then it can be under the radar. If you’re having a problem with depression you could also be deficient in many other B vitamins. Sure of course speak to your doctor, but also do your own research. There are physical causes for depression and most anti-depressants will only make it worse not better. Plus most medicines will block our absorption of the vitamins and minerals of what our body’s need, and then there are the side effects. A friend of mine started taking anti-depressants and now she rocks from side to side when she stands. She never did that before. The best thing you can do for yourself is start by looking at your diet. If you eat a lot of sugar, starches, breads, pastas you’re setting your body up for failure. Anti-depressants should be a short term solution to life changes that you might need to make. Please do research into eating healthy. I’m on a keto diet and it’s a life style change that was worth making.

[@triskelly6486]

Ollie’s hair is almost like a separate being. Impressive.

[@raychambers3646]

A lot of drag factor !

[@brauljo]

He does have pretty good hair

[@filipski595]

it is soo good that Manon brought track cycling to GCN for good! I was thinking about going for the track for a long time, and now I'm almost convinced! :D

[@d.b.cooper170]

I definitely am convinced

[@carstenpfundt]

Do it! Its much different than any other kind of cycling.

[@shhhdontshout]

Goodluck azizulhasni awang for tomorrow! 🇲🇾🇲🇾🇲🇾

[@liquidSpin]

Track cyclist don't have to worry about various wind speeds since they are inside. So being aero inside a group will make life easier than being outdoors where the wind can definitely make a difference slowing you down (gusts, cross winds and head wind)

[@paulwintermute1495]

Yep, you wouldn't want to ride one of those bikes on the street. You would get blown all over the place! Plus you would really want to shift into a smaller gear... and brake once in awhile!

[@isakholmgard9606]

Well if you like to play with death you could go way faster outside, using headwinds

[@liquidSpin]

@@isakholmgard9606 you mean tail winds 👍🏻

[@davemoss6976]

And they control the air temperature

[@LadyPedaller]

Not all velodromes are indoors!

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

There is something to be said for standardizing equipment (a la Japanese Keirin) so we have a true contest between humans. But there's also something to be said for competition driving technical innovation resulting in trickle-down to affordable consumer products.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

@@1newme425 me neither. 😉

[@imyourmaster77]

Could we then have two categories? An all out tech fest, and a competition where riders use standard bikes

[@Jaydcoke]

There's something to be said. Yeah, but I find often it's best not to say it. Ah well.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

@@1newme425 with streamers flying out of the bar ends. 'Cause they look pretty. 😉

[@chocolate_squiggle]

@@Jaydcoke I don't see any point watching a competition between which team has the most money. It's a shame the Olympics especially is not all standardised.

[@ipikture]

My friend and coach pulled me aside one day as I was trying to break into the 11 second club on my flying 200's. He very delicately told me, "Rob, there's really not much you can do when you have the aerodynamics of a barn door"! Ouch 😐, I guess a little too much powerlifting in my youth. 😂

[@MrIlovesubaru]

lol

[@JAIMELUIS]

lmao

[@888johnmac]

about 7-50 .. best merch plug ever , nicely done Ollie ( or script writer )

[@camwsa]

You make it sound so simple as if it was only because of equipement. No mention about the crazy training, weight lifting, plyos, etc etc.

[@m4yd0g]

Please show us an episode with the presenters training like track cyclists. I'd love to see the crew lifting some iron in the gym. 💪

[@a.l.s.718]

Ollie is def the biggest tech nerdy up there! thank you very much Ollie, for always bring the best tech content. I have a question: what would be the difference in Speed on an indoors velodrome and one outdoors velodrome, (same rider, same bike, same effort)? maybe you could come over to London to do such a test (Herne Hill Velodrome and Lee Valley Velodrome) - in the same day as air pressure would vary very little!!! :-)

[@brauljo]

Depends on wind, temperature, sunlight exposure, humidity. Maybe even pressure.

[@Ditypo]

Jon Cannings is better

[@kevinvanhollebeke]

Just the difference in wind vs. no wind, makes a huge difference. When you are going around and around, every lap you hit the spot where the 10mph tailwind now hits you square in the face. Mentally, it can be crushing!

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

@@kevinvanhollebeke THIS, PRECISELY!! I liken it to 'hitting a brick wall' every single time you face that long westerly headwind straight if the track is built in an east-west layout for the middle of the turns (in the U.S. at least where we have prevailing westerly winds, like 95% of the time, especially when it is nice enough to hold the events with no rain, which also generally means/equates to fairly high barometric pressure which is also a time killer ☹). Given the gears called for to ride these events, yes, that above scenario can be extremely disheartening! A local rider recently won the National kilo TT at Valley preferred Cycling Center (generally referred to as "T-Town" since it is kind of in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania), with ~ a 1:04 time, in ~6-12 MPH winds. It is decently smooth as far as outdoor cement tracks go, (I believe?) about 32* banking and 333.3 meters per lap. I would estimate that same wattage effort would translate to a time somewhere in the 1:01 range on a smooth, world class, TOTALLY WINDLESS, UCI spec/approved, indoor Siberian Pine track, especially given (as Ollie has stated) the better, much faster rolling at higher pressures, tires which can be ridden on those tracks. They just have to be faster, regardless of their interior barometric pressure, temp, etc. than a windswept, outdoor, not as perfectly smooth, concrete or asphalt track.😉 As an added advantage for the indoor, world class wooden bowls, events could be held rain, snow, ice, etc. as long as the power did not go out from a storm. Whereas, I'd hate to tell you just how many times I traveled the almost 2 hours in traffic to that outdoor T-Town venue, only to have them call it once I was there due to rain, or even the THREAT of rain. 😡

[@kevcroft2815]

It seems that I’ve got a huge advantage over these track cyclists. My thighs are much more aerodynamic.

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

HAD to laugh at this, thanks! 👍👍

[@davehollingworth5537]

Ollie, you’re such an aero nerd. And I love it! Thanks 🙏

[@ott_s]

So proud of the Italian team in the picture 🥰🔥

[@cheeheifoo9282]

Best technical explanation I've had on track cycling. Thanks very much!

[@emando10]

For me the most exciting event in track cycling is keirin...so entertaining

[@Maddogtheman]

OMG finally a video I understand. Thanks for speaking in an American accent! I love it. Keep it up y’all 😅!

[@davidsorensen1769]

When it's just Ollie presenting, the G in GCN stands for GEEK 🤓. Keep it GEEK Ollie!

[@feedbackzaloop]

Made me chuckle how Ollie paused not to say "my bike" about minimum weight

[@stephanjud4569]

You forgot to mention the few outdoor concrete Tracks, as i.e. The open Track in Zurich - where they still do Stayer Races! Otherwise I LOVE the Track features❤️

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

I am old enough to remember when that event was still part of the Track World Championships. Back then, they had the event for both amateurs and pros, as well as separate events in other disciplines as well.

[@v0ldy54]

5:30 I hope my drivetrain is more than 3% efficient :D

[@marcalvarez4890]

Yeah, why is nobody commenting on this, or why didn't the video editor put a correction up on screen? Weird. 97% efficient is what he meant. I hope.

[@stuart4984]

I always enjoy Ollie busting our chops over here in the US ... or -- sorry -- if you're in the UK, "taking the piss" (said in my best, if terrible, imitation-R.P. ;)

[@bryanqueme996]

I felt so attacked when Ollie called me out for not knowing UK "grocery stores" hahaha Great video!

[@12pagani]

At least UK top gear told me all I needed to know about sainsbury's

[@michaeljenkins2535]

Ollie, you are the best. Your presentation made this topic 30% more interesting over the standard presentation. Those are some sick gains . . . from Gainsbury. Did I do that right? Sorry, I'm American.

[@kamucho]

The American version of Gainzburys is Big Gains & Beyond (bed bath & beyond)

[@jonathanzappala]

That’s confusing then because you bed bath and beyond isn’t at all a grocery store. And it’s going extinct haha.

[@kamucho]

@@jonathanzappala that explains why the USA track team is nowhere in sight 👀

[@jonathanzappala]

@@kamucho he could explain what a velodrome is then, their rarity here is probably the main reason, especially indoor ones 😆

[@dominicjames4848]

Ollie's clearly having fun here and I'm all for it

[@brucekemp2578]

A very detailed study of the various factors involved in Olympic track cycling. There is a lot of detail provided for the various factors that make track bikes go faster than street bikes.

[@hisdadjames4876]

Ollie, love the barnet but don’t forget that CdA stands for coefficient of drag of your ‘air.

[@martinandersson5833]

That was really interesting. Thanks Ollie. Great video👍👏

[@ralr]

Love learning about track with all these videos surrounding the Olympics

[@markmiller9579]

It's his last comment that I found compelling - that world records are broken in track cycling more frequently than in other sports because of the improvement in the sport's technology.

[@stuartchester6899]

The way that Nike shoes with their springy energy return foam and also a carbon fibre spring built in are going means that we have seen track records beaten on a soft trampoline Japanese track too.. The 400 mtres hurdles bloke does NOT knock a full second off without bouncy shoes .He did nt use Nike but a competitors version..First 3 in the final all bounced through the old record .Technology doping , just like the Lotus bike the Brits were using.Even though we had quite a few golden oldies who were passed it , the Lotus bike came to their aid

[@TomwithaDream]

Thanks for the "for you in America" bits... :)

[@AngryFrankReviews]

You charismatic geekin son of a gun. Bravo.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

"I can'e change the laws of physics, Cap'n". "Try your best Scotty."

[@simonroebuck7145]

Firstly, Ollie, the best presenter by far!! Secondly, im sure i seen somewhere, Jason Kenny only got 1 skin suite for the Olympics. Thirdly, dear i ask for a video on drive train loses and how inefficient they can be?

[@aqlanazizul1411]

Azizulhasni Awang, the pocket rocket man 🤩🤩🤩

[@srddrs9285]

Why doesn't the small rear cog become a drivetrain liability when used with a large chainring?

[@MrRedzib]

Weight weenie conclusion missed: If you decide to loose your kidney over a sub 6.8 bike, don't forget to throw the weight of the kidney in there as well. Your welcome! :)

[@h_alkhalaf]

It was interesting to know that track bicycles not only doesn’t have gears, but the the pedals, chain and the wheel are actually locked, there’s no one way drive there. Basically, you can drive in reverse, and you must keep pedaling to slow down.

[@stevemawer848]

It's called a fixed wheel. Oh, and it does have one gear. ;-)

[@h_alkhalaf]

@@stevemawer848 Heh, I didn’t know what it’s called, thanks for the hint 👍

[@AnthraXXmS]

We dont really need to clean our drivetrains, you proved it in a video you made a few weeks ago.

[@VanillaSky23ffm]

Oli: The wining margins are usually 1/10s of seconds German Team Pursuit Girls: Hold our drinks 😁 Improving the world record by 2s and wining by 4s

[@christiang6960]

That was so impressive! A lap more and they would have caught them. And that in the olympic finals 🤯

[@VanillaSky23ffm]

@@christiang6960 yeah, not the best advertising for the new Hope/Lotus super bike 🙈

[@christophbraun5682]

Actually they improved the old World Record held by the British think by 6sec !!! during the whole competition. Only they did it in steps beating their own record over and over for 3 consecutive rounds of the quarter and semi final up to the final.

[@MacedonianGrace]

nice video, can you guys talk about allowed doping and speed gains in road and track cycling ?

[@francesco5254]

The 2020 Olympic champions came to our wind tunnel for testing! ❤️ So proud of them 🏆

[@davemoss6976]

"tarmac" hasn't been used on our roads for donkeys years, it being made with coal tar. The material used it made with bitumen, derived from oil, bitmac for short. Hot rolled asphalt is also used, though that too is a misnomer since we stopped using Trinidad lake asphalt and replaced it with stiff bitumen.

[@stuartchester6899]

That info is actually better than what the rank amateurs in GCN come up with ..I ve come to the opinion they re basically a load of shite and make it all up themselves

[@gudrune]

Great recap actually! Very nice video.

[@jamesfiegel9675]

Good job thanks for all the info😁

[@rexjamerson9316]

Spent a little time on the Encino velodrome in Southern Cal. Course being an outdoor concrete track, nothing like the indoor wood tracks. We had a guy worked part-time at the pro bike shop near Venice Beach California and he had set the kilo record one year for something like 111.55. That was the USA Record for that year. Give you an idea how much faster the guys are today! Mind-blowing.

[@thehandleiwantedwasntavailable]

The low pressure behind a rider does not result in a ‘suction’ force. It’s a ‘pushing’ force from the surrounding high pressure airmass, not a pulling/sucking force from the low pressure.

[@joshknight2696]

Had you had a couple cans of redbull before filming this? 😂😂

[@budyeddi5814]

Cola

[@joem99999-l]

Big Simon Miller vibes from this video “If you want to get imperial about this”

[@geoffers1985]

The tech is a prominent factor but you also have to consider that training methods have improved and sports science is becoming more sophisticated.

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

Ollie failed to mention that in order to get those "quads of STEEL", most world class trackies, especially the sprint type event riders (Match Sprint, Team Sprint, Keirin, Kilo TT) spend more time in the weight room/gym than they do on their $30K+ (or much more in the UK Team's case!) USD bikes! The pursuiters and Omnium, Points Race, Madison, etc. riders spend much time there as well, just not quite as intensively/intently as the sprinty types do.

[@shainexxxsescrimshaw7605]

Noticed how he said typically lighter than what we have and not lighter than his

[@patricj951]

I obviously have missed the progression in the cycle sport. The fastest speed on a velodrome I have seen is around 70km/h. And according to my knowledge the world record top speed was 72km/h. But 80km/h on a velodrom, wow!

[@anddyyxx]

I admire your correct pronunciation of asphalt. I’m from a region in the US where we messed the language all up, so we pronounce it “ash-fault” lmfao

[@karlwalters3763]

Love the track content. Keep it up guys!

[@kevinlavery6194]

Guess I'll never be an Olympic track cyclist. I refuse to give up my spokey dokes.

[@xXmartypooXx]

Anavar seems to help in this regard, I personally prefer the chippy and a three hour gap 👍

[@pilkjaer]

That 2KW toaster video still gives me goosebumps

[@hawkdl2]

You might have mentioned the irony of after spending huge amounts on aero clothing with fancy seams and such, then end up having to pin a floppy billboard of a rider number on the back.

[@nowthenad3286]

You appear to have figures for the cda of the various team's bikes. Would you be able to publish them so that we can see which teams are doing the best with their aero designs?

[@funkycoldm3dina]

just watched the sprinters going at it and the were clocking in 46mph! man that is so fast. i mean the way things are designed is awesome but this speed is on another level.

[@stuartchester6899]

Thank god someone on this shite channel uses MPH which all the UKs road signs display as a measure of distance. I m only using Km s if and when I cross the channel to visit our "friends and neighbours " lol over in the EU .

[@funkycoldm3dina]

@@stuartchester6899 Hi there Stuart. Yeah the thing that I can't understand with GCN is they always keep mentioning the figures in kmh first and then maybe they will mention their numbers again in mph. Shouldn't they mention the number in mph and then kmh because like you I reside in the UK and I don't see kmh anywhere. sometimes they are just pandering to the euro guys and I am glad that someone like you has brought it up. I tip my hat 2 U!

[@darwishakmar4116]

congrats to team gb especially jason kenny winning the keirin .from malaysia azizul also doing a good job but not enough to beat jason idk how you guys train.maybe you guys should do a video on how gb track cycling train?

[@galenkehler]

I love it when Oli drops in with a great tech video!!!

[@hazmasterocks]

"You get less sucking and you go faster" Ollie I think you got that backwards wink wink

[@ianiscaratti4924]

nope it is right

[@alfredtalafrig5517]

Well done Ollie. I enjoyed the video very much.

[@shamuslamont100]

It's not the bike, it's the riders, we make the speed!

[@dreswan1]

Fantastic video!

[@tizziejames9040]

Would have been great to have had some of the kit in the studio. Surely a track bike is reasonably easy to borrow for a video about track bikes?

[@ivancamacho7668]

Interesting to see would be a comparison using the same rider but two different bikes in the same track, with one professional track bike and one conventional 11 speed road bike, and why not also a gravel bike and a XC bike. Great and interesting episode! Thanks!

[@kstethespokes1051]

Much coffee that day Ollie?! Fascinating stuff and wondering why this kind of aero tech knowledge hasn’t devolved into athletics or even swimming?

[@tristanguillemette6777]

They banned full suits in swimming a few years ago...

[@galenkehler]

Those sports are just more restricted

[@budyeddi5814]

Nope. Just coacain

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

It sort of has in 'athletics' (Track and Field to us 'Yanks'). Many to most of the athletes in the 400 meter and under events (maybe even some 800 runners now??) are wearing their running versions of skinsuits, albeit not quite as 'form fitting', long sleeve or elbow length sleeve, as our trackies/TT riders don.

[@duckylick]

Side note... your hair looks FAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MulksBikes]

Ollie's hair has been getting rad👶

[@nogringovikingo]

In the velodrom you make your own tail wind going round and round. I think that is the reason why they go so fast

[@cyclemadkiwi]

When you click on refresh for the hope bike and it's in stock....sing out lol watching the top 4 teams 8n Team pursuit hitting 73 kph was mind blowing 🤯

[@Aliff_Zainal]

I am a simple man. I see Malaysian cyclist, I like this video

[@dawormly]

When he hit that "ASSFALT", I felt that

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

do you think part of it is also the adrenalin and moment of being at the olympics that makes the athletes push a little bit harder as well?

[@CanalHMB]

It would be very informative to add some data about the evolution of speed gains as result of the technological and training techniques improvements along the last four decades. In order to compare such a subject I have been watching a track cycling video from 1976 Olympic games and figured out how this evolution changed these numbers since than. What else remains to be improved yet ? Can GCN tech antecipate something ?

[@higbert99]

🤣 when Ollie demanded a clean bike I had literally just finished degreasing and cleaning my road bike

[@carolcosta6409]

I just love Ollie

[@pano360]

Ollie's pun on "gainsburys" was insanesbury lol

[@slidey1788]

......In the membranesbury

[@reevessteven154]

Nutrition and training have also played a large role.

[@ItsCjhoneycomb]

I appreciate the American conversions in this video.

[@xMarble]

If you put a track cyclist on a normal bike and tell them to go 600 Watts, they would probably rip off the handlebars and break the pedals

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

I am a bit surprised that Sir Chris Hoy did not do exactly THAT much of the time, even on his high zoot, perfectly strong layup carbon wonder bars and bikes!! BTW; his wattage during the snap, and windup, right through to the end of the 200 meter mark was most likely more than FOUR TIMES that number! 😉

[@STRASSENPROVOKANT]

More Track Videos, pleeeease

[@GunsG57]

Big gear, high cadence 😎

[@kevcroft2815]

That’s a, erm, brave haircut Ollie.

[@GCNuser123]

i brought mullets back. now it’s undercuts

[@btbike_24]

Undercuts or die bruv. By order of the peaky blin.. Ollie?

[@jasonlhy3263]

With my one kidney, I'm ain't getting any faster. Lolz

[@ruan13o]

Pretty sure upgrading your bike feels more like going to Painsbury's rather than Gainsbury's.

[@jwbodey]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@PassiveTerrorField]

So much stuff to get the best time but they also compete side to side which can be a hindrance for all of them

[@silvermediastudio]

Chuckle. At least in the USA, tarmac is technically limited to compounds of stone, sand, and tar. Whereas asphalt contains more petroleum derived binders and fillers. Asphalt is far more common as it lasts much longer in most applications. Most roads in the USA actually use a combination of asphalt and concrete. Fun fact: Tarmacadam was invented by a Scot.

[@ericgasparro2545]

Ollie gets saltier and more sarcastic by the episode 😂

[@JThelen1031]

I pretty much always drop Ollie a like on his videos.

[@lennartkleinjans5393]

You sounds a bit like Ali G in the end of da vid.

[@lynxx8009]

Loved the video!

[@rikibike1938]

Hello, just wondering what gear ratio the team pursuiters used in the olympics?

[@tristanguillemette6777]

60x14 would be my educated guess

[@Fordworldrallyfan]

@@tristanguillemette6777 HA! Yeah, I remember back (in the 'good old' totally non-aero, slow outdoor track, spinning days!) when a 51x15 was considered the 'ideal' pursuiters gear ratio, for the individual pursuit at least.

[@roebbiej]

Squatting 800 pounds for 6 years on steroids before participating in races may have some benefit.

[@craig8694]

"Quads of STEEL" - I just questioned my manhood - HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!