I’m doing a track day next week and need to give them my frame size.

I’ve read on the t’interweb that with a track bike you generally drop 2cm from your road bike size, ie if you’re a 58 on the road, then you’d most likely fit a 56 on the track. Is this true, or should I stick with my road bike size?

I am on a medium Defy and a 54 Croix De Fer. My Dolan track bike is a 54 also and fits perfectly.

If it is a hire bike it will likely have a QR on the seatpost. At Glasgow, the hire guys will move stems up and down for you too, but they don’t like punters using allan keys !

I always ran with the convention that the slightly smaller frame puts you in a better position for sprinting. Similar to the fact my tt bike puts me in a different position than my race bikes. It was just the info I was brought up with, but kinda made sense and I have never needed to challenge it really. But things change….

My track bikes have been the same size as my road bikes.

Check the geometry of your road bike and the track bike if you know what it is.

For every degree steeper the seat angle of the track bike is, add a cm to it’s size (works to within a mm or so).

So a road bike with a 73deg SA and a 56cm frame is the same size as a 74deg seat angle and 55cm frame (or a 56cm frame with a 74deg angle is 1cm longer than the road bike). Which would explain why you’d usually go down an apparent size.

My track bikes have been the same size as my road bikes.

This.

It’s your first session, you will want to feel comfortable with the bike. If they are Dolan Pre Cursa or Condors, then the geometry is typically 73 degrees parallel, so the size will be the same as your road bike, as will the handling. True track bikes have a steeper head angle, say 74 degrees or more, that moves the bars away from the rider, hence the need to size down slightly. That lowers the bars so you either need a shorter stem or just reach lower and further 😉 . Classic sprinting handlebars have a drop of 17 cm as well!!!

I have a Dolan Pre Cursa (73 degress parallel) and a Dolan Seta carbon. Both are my road bike size 54 cm.

Thanks

I have a Dolan Pre Cursa (73 degress parallel)

was that a custom build as standard pre cursas have a seat tube angle of 75 (with HTA of 73) so would need to size down if thisisnotaspoon is correct*

* I don’t think it is correct as I ride a 54 pre cursa and all my road bikes were also 54

Don’t over think it. People seem to be obsessed by seat angles and saddle position relative to the BB; this is a fitting myth.

THe manufacturer specced a steeper seat angle because they anticipate you should be sat further forward!

Track riding is totally different to road riding. A slacker seat angle on a road bike will put you in a comfortable position for hours in the saddle.

A steeper seat angle on a track bike will put you in a more aggressive/aero position. It’s also easier to spin a fast cadence if you’re sat further forward.

This.
It’s your first session, you will want to feel comfortable with the bike.

What he said.

Forget about an aggressive track position. Just concentrate on learning to ride on the track for your first few sessions.