To sell the Winter hack for a track bike?

CRAIGO5000

I have an Allez which is my Winter/crap weather commuter to work and also a Ribble Stealth which is my weapon of choice for the commute. Because of this I now don't get excited when forced to use the Allez as it feels heavy and sluggish.

I was thinking of selling the Allez and going on the hunt for a track/fixie of some description? Ideally I'd like a flip/flop hub so I could ride fixed or freehub. To keep the "on the hoods" feel to riding, I was thinking that bull horn bars with a single aero brake would suit me well.

I guess with the lack of components that these bikes feel more nimble/responsive and cruise quite well? Or am I opening a can of worms by choosing a bike set-up like this as a commuter? I can hold 20mph at a cadence of 90-100 all day long on the road bike and I'd like to do the same on the fixie but i'm dubious about getting up to decent cruise speeds on a single speed bike due to cadence issues and poor gear ratios that might be a faff to get right?

Can anyone guide me in the right direction of what I might need in terms of ratios and also what kind of bike I should be looking at?

Cheers,
Craig

SimonAH

I love riding fixed, but unless you are way more adaptable than I am it will take some getting used to.

Plus points? I'm now much faster on my geared bikes due to the enforced pedalling discipline. The maintenance burdens are laughable. The whole 'oneness' zen poop is real. You are by definition an automatic badass. I love the clean aesthetics.

Bad points? On any significant ride you will be slower. The tossup of acceleration vs top speed is always a harris. Pedal strike is very very scary.

Your speed / cadence is better than mine was when I went fixed and my bike is set up exactly as you propose (albeit belt driven).

For ratios I suggest sticking in one gear on your road bike until you find one you can live without changing all day (and then checking Sheldon for skid patches). For brakes I would suggest exactly as you outline, but making sure the caliper and pads are the best you can afford.

Go for it Grasshopper!

CRAIGO5000

Cheers for the reply.

I have a few bikes Im watching on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261071787709? ... 1438.l2649

and this monster with a MAHOOSIVE crank GULP! I've also asked him about top tube length and if the frame can be fitted with a front brake but I've not had a reply.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251111134473? ... 1438.l2649

I'm in no rush.

SimonAH

You do realise that the second one is just a frame?

CRAIGO5000

Ahh.

dhope

Not sure I'd go for an out and out track bike, might not be the comfiest ride if it'll be ridden on the road. There are plenty of SS/Fixed that aren't so aggressive but will still get you riding fixed. I'm selling one as it happens

Or take a look at the lfgss.com classifieds - far more of a target audience than you'll get on eBay

CRAIGO5000

Looks like Im looking in the right places as I have the LFGSS tab up as we speak

I'm not too fussed about the comfort as my commute is only 7 miles each way and I absolutely boot it as hard as possible each way.

The fact Im mixing it with cars and junctions is the reason I want a brake but I have no problems with an aggressive geometry or bumpy ride. Or am I missing something else?

dhope

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

Looks like Im looking in the right places as I have the LFGSS tab up as we speak

I'm not too fussed about the comfort as my commute is only 7 miles each way and I absolutely boot it as hard as possible each way.

The fact Im mixing it with cars and junctions is the reason I want a brake but I have no problems with an aggressive geometry or bumpy ride. Or am I missing something else?

Yeah, you definitely want a brake, unless you're already very adept at leg braking and skidding (and even then...)
Over short distances it'll be fine, I've seen a fair few track bikes on the commute, though I'm not sure that you need one to reach a decent pace on one gear. I'm running 48x15 at the moment on a pretty relaxed frame and tend to pootle at 20mph and reach low 30s without it feeling too spinny.

Though a stiff, light, Alu frame is definitely fun to throw about on the commute. Before getting the Condor I was seriously considering a Langster Pro for just that reason.

phy2sll2

Why is it so hard to buy a s/h track bike?

I like the look of the Canyon v-drome though...

clarkey cat

difficult to break wind when riding fixed.

wgwarburton

clarkey cat wrote:

difficult to break wind when riding fixed.

You need drops.

Cheers,
W.
(read that how you like...)

kieranb

well, pick your gearing small enough to make sure you can get up the steepest part of your journey but large enough so that you don't spin out of control on the steepest downhill section, although after a while you will be able to let your legs go 'loose' and spin down no problem, just watch out for speed bumps/pot holes, not easy to hop over an obstacle on a fixed. I would use normal drop handlebars, actually I do use 'em on my track bike with which I commute in when its dry, I have normal brake hoods but only one connected to a brake (the front), give more hand positions. In case of rear wheel punctures you probably won't have quick release so carry a spanner to undo the rear wheel.