When do you sprint?
Hard question, it’s different every race. I’ve one after sprinting from 3 laps out and suprising everyone, I’ve also waited till the last 100m holding someone elses wheel and rolling them on the line.
As you race more, the more you’ll understand how a race unfolds, idealy you want to be second or third wheel with a couple of laps to go. Then you are towards the front, but not taking the wind so you have beans left for the final sprint. This can backfire though, if someone behind you comes round then you end up getting boxed. The best way to get out of this is wait for them to just pass you and then swing up onto their tale and use them as a leadout man and then go round them coming out of the last bank (on a 250m track this works very well)
As for wheel position, ideally you want straight behind. But if you’re still a bit new and nervous always stay a bit high. You can always swing up more, but you runout of track pretty quick going the other way.
If you’re ever going to submarine a rider, you want them at least higher than the top of the sprinters lane, and even then you want to be dead sure they aren’t coming back down again. (I’ve had a race where I managed to come from 15th to 3rd in a lap and then go on to win because the whole field was staying high to stop people going high round them, but instead they just opened the bottom door for me to come through) Some people frown on this technique, but you’ll figure out when it’s kosher or not after a bit more racing.
Hand position?
Where ever is comfortable. I usually have my hands at the front of the bends when rolling around behind someone, but when I’m sprinting I’m trying to rip the grips of the flats of the bars while I crank away. You’ll figure out where works for you over time.
For more explianation of the races, like the madison, check this site:
http://home.vtown.com.au/~pcraft/Race%20explain.htm
Some of the races are only raced at the FNWTR series, but it’ll give you a good idea of some of the different ones. (My favourites are the one lap screamers)
Keep an ear out to some of the more experienced riders out at the track to pick up some more tactics. It’s not always the strongest rider that wins, it’s the one with enough legs to pull off some smart tactics. An example is a bloke named Kieth Oliver at FNWTR, he’s 67 and raced in div2. He was racing against guys who were half his age and much fitter, but every race with a lap or two to go, he was second or third wheel and in the hunt for the final sprint. He managed to come up second overall for the series (and then won a World Masters a few weeks ago at Dunc)
Keep at it, it’s awsome fun and the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll be with how to race and when to go.
-Garth
ps. I really should get the track bike out again after being off it for 6 weeks >_<