Does this matter?

I recently bought a track bike. All looks well except I note that on the rear wheel, the axle protrudes beyond the track nuts by about 5mm on both sides (see photo). This is a brand new bike with Miche Pistard wheels. The bike spec web pages for London, Manchester and Glasgow tracks all say that the axles must not protrude beyond the track nuts. So is this going to be a problem when it comes to take the bike onto the track? Should I do something about this? I did ask the seller and they said it was normal (seller is a popular supplier of hire bikes to velodromes). Thanks.

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I cut and filed mine back rather than risk being told I couldn't ride; they're Miche hubs but on a very second hand and mistreated track bike.

I'd leave it. If you get told off then plead ignorance. You could inadvertently damage the thread of you cut it.

I found that a couple of washers sorted it out. It is just that it looked a bit odd and that a company experienced in making track bikes would find that acceptable.

I was on the track (Derby) last night and noticed at least a couple of people had 5mm showing either side. It was a club session but maybe a bit showing is generally acceptable.

The rules about axles are probably the most commonly broken but unfortunately axles are, in my experience which is repairing the damage they do, the most damaging thing for the track.

I had to repair several deep gouges this week that most likely came from overly long axles. Its also stopped play on the track for a couple hours before when it’s caused really bad damage.

@yoav as much as I rate Dolan bikes, Terry Dolan will tell you whatever he needs to in order to sell you a bike or keep you from returning one. Sadly it is probably ‘normal’ that bike manufacturers care more about the profitability of a bike than it’s suitability for the market at which it is aimed, Hoy track bikes being specced with totally unsuitable dual compound tyres being another example of this.

Washers are an alright solution but thinking about it, will result in the nuts being wider apart which could still damage the track, albeit probably not as much as the narrower axle.

As for why you see this so often on the track, keeping track (no pun intended) of the kit people are using is pretty difficult. Punters are pretty good at presenting their bike for a wee inspection before they go on the track, the first time they use that bike but it’s not long before they start upgrading bits and very rarely does anyone come see me to ask if their new wheels/bars/etc are ok to go on the track.

Also, you might get a bike inspection at a national champs or a uci event - though that will be more concerned with the legality of your position, weight etc - but smaller event organisers (ie track leagues) are shit scared of taking anything to do with inspecting bikes because, I believe, there was an instance some time who where a bike was ‘scrutineered’ and passed and then something happened like the wheel hadn’t been properly secured and the rider crashed, got injured and sued the organiser saying the inspection should have picked this up.

I’ve recently chopped the axles of my track wheelset so I can use it on a track. I used an old track bolt as a guide to hacksaw the axle - after filing the cut, I then unscrewed the bolt and it neatened out the threads.

I’d feel a right prick if I gouged a huge scar in the track the first time I took my own bike so it was well worth the 10 mins it took to chop them.

I just screwed two M10 x 1 nuts on the ends by hand to cover the exposed axle. The axle has to be long enough for alu or carbon frames with thick dropouts. Steel bikes, especially with plate dropouts, will leave a lot of spare axle protruding. Cut it down and the wheel may not be transferable to another bike.

Cut it down and the wheel may not be transferable to another bike.

Not my problem.

After putting the best part of a tub of filler into the massive gouge an overly long axle left in the surface of Glasgow a couple weeks ago I’m taking a less tolerant view on this subject.

If you can fit 2 nuts on it’s too long. Dbad and trim it.

Repairing that damage meant the cancellation of 2 hours of public sessions and a national squad training session.