Track Bike.

rokt

I'm not sure if this has been covered before, if it has please forgive me.....

I'm thinking of buying a simple/basic track bike to train on over the winter months
on my rollers. I'm not looking at anything too fancy, just a good basic bike. Can
anyone recommend one as I've not much idea on track bikes.

I've been given the go-a-head from my wife, only if I buy a 52cm so she can also use it.

cougie

I don't see the point of a track bike unless you're going to race the track ? You could use your road bike on the rollers anyway ?

For the money you spend on the track bike you could get a spin bike that both of you could use - at least you have resistance on that.

slowbike

There is a point in having an indoor bike that can be dedicated to the job - I wouldn't want to have to meticulously clean my road bike every time I wanted to use it indoors. So I have my Allez (that I hadn't sold) to use on the turbo (in my case) permanently set up and available for either myself or my wife to ride.

To the OP - does it need to be a track bike - has your wife not got a road bike that would fit her and with the saddle raised (I assume!), you too ... ? Failing that - just a single speed off the second hand bikes should do ...

Omar Little

Track bikes are a bit specialist in terms of geometry and features (no brakes, no bottle mounts etc) - you might better off with a more road orientated fixed wheel as it will be nicer to ride should you take it off the rollers.

Although in saying if you live near a velodrome i wholeheartedly recommend getting a track bike.

cougie

Slowbike wrote:

There is a point in having an indoor bike that can be dedicated to the job - I wouldn't want to have to meticulously clean my road bike every time I wanted to use it indoors. So I have my Allez (that I hadn't sold) to use on the turbo (in my case) permanently set up and available for either myself or my wife to ride.

I use mine in the garage so I can use any of my bikes on the turbo. I'd rather have a bike that could do outdoor service if you need it to - rather than the white elephant of a track bike.

Is your wife exactly the same dimensions as you ? Or are you really going to be faffed raising and lowering the saddle ?
Would she do that if you're not around ?

slowbike

Mine is in the conservatory - it is a road bike ... I agree on your point about track bikes - it depends how much it's going to be used though - I can see the point in using say a TT bike on the turbo if you're trying to get yourself into the position, but if you're like us and just use it for exercise then as long as the seat-pedal height is about right you're ok for most sessions. In essence all we need is the cheapest & easiest method of getting a bike on the turbo/rollers - if you don't want the faff with your normal road bike (and don't have a spare) then the cheapest bike will do ... perhaps thats a track bike, perhaps its a secondhand road bike... or something entirely different.

No, my wife isn't the same dimensions as me - she takes a smaller frame - the bike is left set for her, I can raise the saddle when I want to use it and then drop back when I get off - not that she couldn't do it herself if she wanted to.

rokt

Thanks for the replies. My wife is only a few inches shorter than me so size wise
if we go for a 52cm it could suit us both.

My wife is a very keen mountain biker and has little interest in the road side of
cycling but would like to keep up her fitness levels over the dark winter months
and so would I. The problem is both my road bikes are too big for her so a smaller
frame would suit her and I can lift the saddle !!!

My thinking on a track bike was that it would be quite cheap, under £500 and could
remain set up on either our turbo or the rollers. I must admit I hadn't thought
about the frame geometry on a track bike, would this be a problem.

marcusjb

A fixed-wheel track bike on rollers may not be best for tailoring workouts either. Certainly whenever I have been to top-flight track cycling, riders use regular geared bikes on rollers for warm-up and cool-down.

If cost is the main driver - you'll pick up a second hand road bike for way less than £500 that is more than suitable for turbo/roller usage. It really doesn't need to be anything fancy and can be pretty tatty cosmetically. I know people who use bikes that have cost them less than £50 on their turbos - as long as the gears work and the wheels are roughly round, it's going to be just fine for the abuse.