If you are competing in sprint events I would argue that the stiffness of the frame does have a noticeable impact on performance, even if that is just the ‘feeling’ of a stiff BB area when out of the saddle. Standing starts on a thin tubed steel frame is just not a good feeling at all - even for a very lightweight and skinny rider like myself.
As for what actual frame to buy, the obvious choices might be the best.
Dolan DF4 or a used DF3 are super common and you’ll have a hard time beating the performance for the price, especially if you can pick one up second hand.
I’ve heard good things about the WXR Alloy track frame. They make a long reach version which is tempting. If you are thinking of racing UCI races where you might have your bike measured you might find that useful; in my mind longer reach is almost always a good thing on the track.
To be honest at lower levels your frame really isn’t going to hold you back, but if we are all honest it is nice having a cool bike to ride and race on..
And personally I wouldn’t buy a Planet X. Plenty of people race on them totally fine but they are reportedly fairly flex for a CF track frame and in my mind, the worst crime of all, really ugly.
If you are competing in sprint events I would argue that the stiffness of the frame does have a noticeable impact on performance, even if that is just the ‘feeling’ of a stiff BB area when out of the saddle. Standing starts on a thin tubed steel frame is just not a good feeling at all - even for a very lightweight and skinny rider like myself.
As for what actual frame to buy, the obvious choices might be the best.
Dolan DF4 or a used DF3 are super common and you’ll have a hard time beating the performance for the price, especially if you can pick one up second hand.
I’ve heard good things about the WXR Alloy track frame. They make a long reach version which is tempting. If you are thinking of racing UCI races where you might have your bike measured you might find that useful; in my mind longer reach is almost always a good thing on the track.
To be honest at lower levels your frame really isn’t going to hold you back, but if we are all honest it is nice having a cool bike to ride and race on..
And personally I wouldn’t buy a Planet X. Plenty of people race on them totally fine but they are reportedly fairly flex for a CF track frame and in my mind, the worst crime of all, really ugly.