The ABLofA did allow track bikes in races at least into the mid '60s. I just posted a photo of Bill Halliday on a track bike taking Pierre Chares on a road bike at the line in the 1963 National Capital Open Senior race. As Gene mentioned the bike had to have at least one working brake and most of us had a front brake to comply with that rule. In the Junior races most of the racers rode a track bike, but these races were generally a 10 mile race on flat terrain. In 1963 Oliver "Butch" Martin won the Somerville Jr. race on a road bike. There were protests to his win as no one thought an unknown could beat a field of National class racers on a road bike. In the top ten there was only one road bike and that was Butch. Butch didnt' win a field sprint rather he broke away unnoticed. I have posted photos from Spokes Magazine of the finish of this race. Here is the link once again and check the Bike Racing folder
http://photos.yahoo.com/
Mark Poore in a winter wonderland
Slatyfork, WV
Genediggs@aol.com wrote: I rode the Elgin to Chicago rode race twice on a track bike. We (The Wolverine Wheelmen) took the team trophy one of those years. This was a race in Ted's back yard so he most likely rode it. The track bikes had to have at least one brake and I remember drilling the fork on my Urago so I could comply. The bottom bracket on most track bikes is higher than the bottom bracket on a road bike and most of us used 165 mm cranks so cornering was not much of a problem. If I remember correctly I did the Tour of Somerville one year on fixed gear and that race was nothing but corners. If I made it to the final sprint the track bike gave me a real advantage. Gene Diggs Rochester Hills, Michigan
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