How often and where do track cyclists really get hurt? Real injury numbers from the velodrome, and how to avoid falls and friction burns.
The honest answer first: the track itself isn't the risk — the crash is, and it happens more often in training than in racing. A study among club-level track cyclists shows: 84% of all injuries happen during training, not competition. Sounds alarming at first, but it's logical — training is simply where you spend most of your time on the track.
Of 85 track cyclists surveyed, 48 had at least one injury in the past two years, 75 incidents in total. A little over half — 52% — were classic falls, the rest split between overuse and other causes. Most commonly hit: the shoulder and knee, and when a bone actually breaks, it's usually the collarbone — eleven cases in this sample alone. For comparison: road cyclists report 48% upper-limb injuries, BMX riders as much as 65% — track cycling sits in between at around 44%, benefiting from the controlled environment of a velodrome, but by no means risk-free.
The second typical track injury type is the friction burn — doctors call it exactly that: a combination of abrasion and skin burn, the kind that typically happens on tracks, gym floors and artificial turf. The good news from research on this injury type: the vast majority stay superficial and heal with simple wound care alone — only a smaller share actually need surgical treatment. Train Smart. Play Hard. here means: know where it can hurt, and prevent exactly that.
84% of injuries occur during training, not competition — mostly because that's where new techniques get practiced and focus fades over time. Stay deliberately alert especially in the final minutes of a session, once fatigue sets in.
The shoulder and knee are the most commonly affected body regions, and when a bone actually breaks, it's disproportionately the collarbone — typically because riders reflexively extend an arm to catch themselves during a fall. Deliberately "rolling" instead of bracing with a straight arm lowers this risk, but is only safely learned in real fall training.
Anyone who slides on the wood or concrete track surface almost always ends up with a mix of abrasion and skin burn on elbows, knees or forearms — the body parts that make contact first in a fall. Research on this injury type shows: most cases stay superficial and need only wound cleaning and a dressing, not surgery. Still, the rule holds: the more skin is covered, the smaller the contact area for the surface.
In the same study, women were injured more often than men — a sign that technique progression and load management should be individually tailored rather than run as a one-size-fits-all program. Bring this up openly with your coach instead of writing it off as chance.
After any fall: first briefly check whether it's really "just" an abrasion, then clean and dress it. If you suspect a fracture, feel strong shoulder pain, or hit your head, get it checked by a doctor immediately — the collarbone breaks often enough on the track to take that suspicion seriously.
The numbers are clear: most injuries in track cycling happen during training, not racing — exactly where you have control over your own risk behavior. Take new techniques slowly, tell your coach when you're getting tired, and always wear long, close-fitting clothing as a first protective layer against friction injuries.
Any fall involving head contact is always a case for a doctor, even if the helmet held up — that's true on the track just as much as on the road.
Ask your club specifically about fall training — many offer it explicitly, especially for riders coming from the road who don't yet have a deliberate falling technique. That single session lowers your personal injury risk measurably more than any single extra endurance workout.
A detail few consider beforehand: clothing on the track isn't just aerodynamics, it's real skin protection. An extra lycra base layer costs no noticeable speed, but in a fall it's the difference between an abrasion and a deeper wound.
In a study among 85 club-level track cyclists, 48 had at least one injury in the past two years, 75 incidents in total. Over half of those were classic falls, the rest split between overuse and other causes.
In training — a full 84% of all injuries happen there, not in competition. The reason is simple: that's where you spend most of your time on the track and practice new, still-unsteady techniques.
The collarbone — it was the most common fracture in one study, with eleven cases, usually from reflexively bracing with a straight arm during a fall. A deliberate falling technique clearly lowers this risk.
In most cases, no: research on this injury type shows that the majority stay superficial and heal with simple wound care, with only a smaller share needing surgical treatment. Still, clean thoroughly and watch for signs of infection.
Track Cycling: Getting Started in Competition