Track cycling has gained a lot of attention from the people all around the world especially after the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was held. Due to the shape itself which is said to be unique, many were very curious about the so-called dangerous track used during track cycling. The concept of physics that is involved in this sport is circular motion and also force and motion. 

Velodrome - an arena specially made for track cycling. In the building of the velodrome, a lot of physics concepts were involved in order for the track to work efficiently. What differs a cycling track in a velodrome with other tracks is that it is built with a certain angle and causes the shape to be slope. The main reason behind this condition is to prevent cyclists from sliding off the track during racing. Velodromes have a super smooth surface to reduce the friction acting upon the tyre of the bicycle allowing the cyclist to accelerate without using a high amount of energy and the cyclist will not fall down on the track . Velodrome has a range in size and also the angle banking. The range for the tracks is usually from 160 to 400 metre in length and cyclists ride it counterclockwise on a fixed gear bike. Due to its slope shape, an inward force directly towards the center commonly called centripetal force is required in order to maintain the circular motion. Centripetal force - produced by the cyclist to keep moving with constant speed during a turn. If the cyclist fails to apply this force, they will end up moving in a straight line rather than following the original direction. How much centripetal force is needed during a turn depends on how fast the cyclist wishes for. In short, if they wanted to make a turn by using a high speed, higher centripetal force is needed. Rather than being pulled to the outside, cyclists are instead being pulled into the center of the velodrome. Other than that, the speed applied by the cyclist must be directly proportional to the angle of the slope. This is to ensure stabilization of the cyclist. 

There are a few special facilities required by the cyclist in order for them to successfully race on a velodrome. A track bike is specially designed for racing on a velodrome and this bike is unlike the other road bicycle. Furthermore , this track bike has a fixed-gear, also does not have brakes and has only a single gear ratio . The way to control the speed is by pedaling. The cyclists need to use their legs to slow down and speed up their bikes . It might be frightening at first but it is much safer for the cyclists. As to reduce the rolling resistance , the tires of this track bike are narrow and inflated to high pressure. The frame design of this bike is focused on the rigidity and the lightness. The frames for sprinting are needed to maximize the rigidity or in general, to reduce the aerodynamic drag. The handlebars on the track bike are quite same to a road bike but narrower so as to allow the cyclists to cope with a more aggressive aerodynamic position. Moreover, specially designed suits called skinsuits are often worn by the cyclist to reduce the air resistance acting upon them. This allows the cyclist to consistently move forward with a higher speed. As the name itself states, skinsuit is tight so that there is no loose area. This condition will lessen the air resistance.

Muhammad Adam Wafi Bin Mohd Damaq Syarie , Faatin Najiha Binti Jhari , Nur Safiah Binti Abdul Rasidi, Emma Ziezie

Date of Input: 15/01/2022 | Updated: 22/03/2022 | emma