Thanks
Thanks
That article isn't too helpful. When would you use one type of spike over the other?
Back in my day, the pins were better for gripping all weather tracks. Pyramids would last longer on the dirt/sand kinds of tracks.
First, you have to factor in the requirements from the facilities running races. This makes needles not part of the discussion (except for some high school track coaches that don't know what they're doing). Needles penetrate the track easily, but needles long enough to provide traction (3/16 or longer) also are believed to damage the track surface and for that reason are almost always banned.
Mondo recommeds 1/4 inch pyramid or christmas tree (compression).
Compression spikes are designed to float on the top and not penetrate the surface, and they work best on hard surfaces. But many facilities also believe xmas trees damage track surfaces and ban them.
This leaves pyramids as a compromise--they penetrate more than xmas trees but not as much as pins--and they are probably the required spike in the largest number of facilities.
You would actually prefer compression if the surface is hard; Otherwise you would prefer pyramid. But that decision is usually made for you by the facility.
Negligible