buying a track bike

mrushton

Thinking of getting a track bike to ride at Mcr. Any suggestions as to what to get? Fuji look a bit basic. Tubular or clincher?

Eddy S

It kind of depends what your budget is and what long-term aims you have – my view is that it’s best to buy something better now especially if you think you’re going to take to riding the track fairly seriously.

The Fuji will get you started and it is great for that but as I’ve posted in the past, as you progress you will find yourself wanting/needing to upgrade various parts on it.

I’m absolutely delighted with both of the Dolan track bikes that I’ve got and would steer you in their direction without hesitation. If you are buying new, you can control the end spec (and price to a degree) and get what you want built-up quality/spec wise if your budget stretches beyond the Fuji. Take a look at both the Pre-Cursa and Track Champ.

There are plenty of other options and I’m sure folks will pitch in with their favourites.

The tubs vs. clinchers question similarly depends on whether you see yourself racing in the future. Clinchers are great for training or even general use on outdoor tracks although you do have to chose your tyres carefully for indoor use. Even the GB squad trains on clinchers. I now have 5 pairs of track wheels :shock: - 3 pairs for tubs and 2 for clinchers – I find myself almost exclusively using tubs these days at Newport and Manchester.

Hope that helps give you some things to think about for starters... 8)

velodromeorguk

Personally I'd go for the Dolan Pre Cursa as its in the beginner range yet ridden by riders such a Jo Rowsell and Lizzie Armitstead to World Championships titles

http://www.velodromeshop.org.uk/index.p ... ent=8&pg=1

oldwelshman

I would go second hand for first bike, I did that.
If you buy an expensive bike then decide after a year or so track is not for you, you will loose money.
With a second hand bike you will not loose so much if you sell on.

Blonde

Thanks for the replies (mrushton posted on my behalf). The Pre Cursa and Champoin (Dolan) are available in a size I could use I think. I need to check my exact cycle fit measurements. The measurements I have are of course for the road bikes though. I am assuming I'll need a lower front end on the track than on the road anyway? How low though (in comparison to saddle height)? I still need to be comfortable and not sitting on any tender bits for the two hour sessions!

Also should the stem be fairly short for the track, or is it just the same as for the road? The hire bikes look as though they have a short stem but it might be the angle that make them look that way. The 20.5 " top tube does feel a bit short to me though, even though I usually ride a 52-ish top tube. I didn't take a tape measure! I usually use a 10cm stem with a slightly over 52 cm top tube (custom build), but could go to 53 frame with 9cm stem I think. Its the head tube height and form steerer height at the front end which is cucial to me. Long-ish legs in relation to torso length mean I have loads of seat pin out, so I need some corresponding height at the front end or I end up not sitting on my siit bones but on front bits. I was hitting my chest with my knees on the hire bike last night!

Eddy S

If you are going to use the bike for endurance/mass start type events then I’d suggest sticking as close as possible to your road bike measurements if these work for you and are comfortable.

You only need a smaller frame or low headtube if you’re planning to use the bike for pursuit events.

Some of the newer carbon frames (like my DF3) have very short headtubes. I’m currently getting around that by using a greater (then ideal) stack of spacers. I will eventually get a rising stem when I can find one that looks as good as the EC90 currently fitted but for my chosen discipline (sprinting), my bars are now considerably lower then my road bike set up anyway.

With regard to overall length, (toptube and stem) there is some received wisdom to run this ever so slightly shorter then you would on the road just to add a bit of comfort. Ideally you should be able to ride with a flat (or flat-ish) back but not feel stretched out.

If you do go for buying directly from Dolan, the guys there will build the bike up to your measurements – a friend of mine recently had a Prefissio winter bike built up to her Bikefitting.com sheet.

mrushton

Thank you Eddy S. I think I will stick pretty close to my usual road measurements then as I'll mostly be doing SQT, and derny paced training sessions. I would like to try the madison and the sprint training at some point, but I know I'll need a selection of gears for the sprint training anyway. The SQT and derny sessions will be the main ones to start with and they are two hours long/ With the SQT you are riding pretty much the full two hours, so I need to be comfortable. Cheers.

Blonde

mrushton wrote:

Thank you Eddy S. I think I will stick pretty close to my usual road measurements then as I'll mostly be doing SQT, and derny paced training sessions. I would like to try the madison and the sprint training at some point, but I know I'll need a selection of gears for the sprint training anyway. The SQT and derny sessions will be the main ones to start with and they are two hours long/ With the SQT you are riding pretty much the full two hours, so I need to be comfortable. Cheers.

In case you're confused, that was me wot posted that, but I used the home pooter after him and so was still logged on as mrushton!

Eddy S

Blonde wrote:

In case you're confused, that was me wot posted that, but I used the home pooter after him and so was still logged on as mrushton!

Yeah, I figured it was you incognito! 8)

With regards gearing – if you get a double sided wheel (like the Mavic that you’ve been asking about), you’ll have the chance to run combinations of sprockets to give you a warm-up and race gears – this will be useful to you from the outset. Depends what you’re used to now but 48/50 (or 49/50) chainrings and 14/15/16 sprockets will be all you’ll need for a while.

When you are ready to take you 1st forays in to sprinting, you’ll be fine with your ‘endurance’ position. If needed, you’ll probably have scope to move the stem down the steerer tube. And if you really take to sprinting, there are both road and track specific negative rise stems (like the Deda Newton Pista or CKT) to get a lower position.