How to build fixed / track bike? List of parts

timmyflash

(sorry - posted in commuting workshop by accident as well)

Tempted to buy a qoroz fixed frame and build it myself.

Is there a 'how to build' website with a full list of parts i'll need to source? (hopefully slowly get them when i find them cheapish)

I know about sheldon's website, but figure this might be different as it's for conversions rather than straight track / fixed bike?

Want to build a fixed gear that i can also use on the track, so simple brake to take off and on.

Suggestions appreciated. Sorry if been asked many time before, could't find in search..

mz__jo

there surely is a site, probably several, mainly american. I must have visited several but not bookmarked any as they don't give me anything I don't know. If you are competent to build the bike you should be able to work out the component list yourself, adapted to your choice of technical solutions.
The only thing I would add to your list is 2 sets of handlebars (and possibly stems as well) so that you can keep one with the brake lever for the road and one clean for the track. Just makes life a little easier.

acidstrato

frame and forks (drilled forks if you want the brake)
headset
stem
handlebars and tape
saddle seatpost and collar
big hub wheelset with a single gear or a flipflop hub (1 gear either side, 1 fixed and 1 free)
Bottom Bracket
single ring crankset and pedals

nothing more too it

edhornby

what acidstrato said, plus

fixed gear sprocket
lockring
tyres and rim tape

if you want to use it on the road and the track you will need to, at the very least, have 2 sets of tyres and select the gear size carefully

ex-pat scot

Building a fixed wheel bike.

Frame choice
Get bike with stays drilled for caliper brakes. Many track bikes aren’t.
Forks drilled for caliper brakes too.
Don’t get frame / forks with braze-ons for racks/ mudguards. Track rules don’t like them – they may refuse your bike or make you cover them up with tape. Check the Mcr velodrome website for more info.
If your frame has rear brake cable guides, make sure these are slotted so you can easily remove brake. (but see above point about brazeons and track riding).
Frame will be 120mm rear hub width
Frame will have horizontal rear dropouts
Frame might have chain tensioners built into rear dropouts – nice to have.

Build
Get a nice pair of tub track wheels. Smooth bearing hubs.
Get a bomb-proof pair of road clincher wheels, with the best seals for the bearings you can afford.
2 sets of bars. One with brake levers and cables for road use; other set without for track use.
You’ll need different ratios for road and track use. Road – use 42 x 16 or 48 x 18 . Track – no idea. Perhaps 48 x 16? You’ll need 2 chains (with quicklinks) ideally.

Parts list
Frame, Forks, Headset
Bottom bracket & Chainset
Chain x2
Bars x2, stem, bar tape x2
Brake levers, calipers, outer cable, inner cable.
Saddle
Seatpost
Seatpost collar
Wheels with tyres & tubes
Tub wheels with 2 tubs
Pedals.

andy_wrx

mz__jo wrote:

The only thing I would add to your list is 2 sets of handlebars (and possibly stems as well) so that you can keep one with the brake lever for the road and one clean for the track. Just makes life a little easier.

Agreed. I ride my track bike on the road in Summer, Mcr velodrome in Winter.
I have one handlebar with brake levers, cables, brakes and another bar simply taped - to remove the brakes, I just undo them from the frame and also take the entire bar, cables, brakes, etc assembly off with them - my rear cable is simply cable-tied to the frame.
I also use 175 cranks with a smaller chainring on the road and (track legal) 165 cranks with a bigger ring for the track - again easy to swap, with a different length chain

ex-pat scot wrote:

You'll need different ratios for road and track use. Road – use 42 x 16 or 48 x 18 . Track – no idea. Perhaps 48 x 16? You’ll need 2 chains (with quicklinks) ideally.

Mcr velodrome hire bikes are 84", which is 50 x 16. Stronger riders may use higher

Personally (in flat Cheshire !), I use 46 x 16 on the road (77") and 51 or 52 x 16 on the track (86 or 88 ")


See Mcr velodrome website for what's legal for use on track - I think other door tracks like Newport use the same spec

geoff_ss

I have seen riders put a brake lever on the end of the drop section of the handlebar but with the lever pointing forwards to ride home after Summer evening track meetings.

The only fixed wheel bike I had was simply a road frame with Campag drop-outs to allow adjustment. Made it easier to remove the wheel with mudguards fitted than track ends.

timmyflash

Cheers for all comments. I knew it was going to require a little bit more thought than i hoped.

markos1963

Do you need to have a second set of tyres for track?

blackhands

Also, make sure that as well as using 165mm cranks your frame has a higher bottom bracket so that you don't gound your r/h pedal when going slowly up the banking.

Its advisable to use tubs on the track so that you can hold the bike better in case of a puncture. You won't be too popular if you can't hold the bike and bring lots of people down.

andy_wrx

markos1963 wrote:

Do you need to have a second set of tyres for track?

Read that Mcr velodrome weblink - they specify a whole set of tyres they don't want you riding on track : basically I guess they don't want you riding tyres like ProRace3 which have different strips of hard-wearing rubber centre-tread and also grippy strips on the shoulders, as riding on the banking you're riding on the shoulders more anyway and you don't want grip levels suddinly increasing/decreasing as you go from one strip to the other as potentially you'll then slide down the banking.

Additionally, riding on the road you'll pick up bits of stones or glass which might be in the tread and can cause punctures on the track, meaning you crash down the banking.

Plus you're taking all that dust and stuff on your tyres onto the track - they even tell you to carry your bike from your car into the velodrome,rather than rolling it actoss the carpark and covering your tyres in dust and muck, which then causes either you or someone else to skid down the banking