i made a post in the fixed/SS forum. i wanted to know if for a track only bike if it is an alright bike. i was told it is the same frame as the fuji and did a little research of my own to see they are made of the same material and the specs are exact so either they are the same or someone copied someone. i have no track experience but since i live around chicago i am about 1hr from the northbrook velodrome.
i am being told that the components are crap but no one tells me why. the crank is a truvati crank which is made by sram so that cant be complete garbage. the only components left on the bike are the wheels which i am told are crap but once again i dont know why. i spent 359 from BD and since the IRO which i would have wanted would have costed me around 700 i dont mind dropping some money on some good hubs and wheels.
the bike should arrive at the end of the week and i was just makeing sure i made an "alright" desicion. i know i should have bought an iro or a this or that :rolleyes: so i dont really want comments on the other bikes i just want to make sure the windsor will do the job as a cat 4/5 track bike.
thanks,
Steve
Jimbobunyons
07-25-06, 09:29 PM
I think you're going to be fine.
Make sure you are comfortable with the pedal set up. I run clips/straps now... just until I get used to the track.
So many people ride on those ugly clunker monstrosities that give them better aerodynamics and yada yada... What you're running will be easy to learn with and will prove to be a solid investment.
What gear ratio is on the bike?
STEVO820
07-25-06, 11:19 PM
it is a 48 crank with a 16 teeth cog. i might want to down side the cog maybe ill have to find out.
Jimbobunyons
07-26-06, 03:56 PM
Sounds good.
I'd grab a 15 just in case.
fordfasterr
07-26-06, 04:26 PM
I know a guy at my local track that uses one of those 100% stock. He is 60 years old and still beats me in sprints ! DAMN !
=(
You will want to change the cog to something smaller if the velodrome is longer than 300 m ... otherwise you will have to spin like mad !
Gear wise:
48 x 16 = 81
48 x 15 = 86.4
48 x 14 = 92.5
The Carpenter
07-26-06, 11:32 PM
My daughter has one. She's got two state championships and an ominum bronz from Jr. Natz on it. The bike is stock, except the tires and pedals. The only thing that I'v had to do to it, was to clean and re-grease the back hub, once, in two and a half years of training and racing. Nothing has worn out and nothing has broken. It has been the perfect starter bike. Now she is out growing it and she will get an up-grade. She has earned it!!!!!!!!!!!
Our track has about 30 of the fuji versions as rentals and they hold up really good. Remember they get abused by people that don't own them. When we need to "fix" them, it's from people putting their own parts on them and then at the end of the night they remove their parts and toss the bike in the container.
ultraman6970
07-26-06, 11:36 PM
Still??????? that means that I have a good chance to kick your ArrrrSsss?? hehehe...
This is for the original poster.... The bike its fine... the racer is the important part in here, besides its your 1st bike... what it would happend after your 1st accident? maybe u wont race anymore so... why spend a lot of money now? I think u see the point... if u need something else get it but by now any fixed bike will work because u have to learn.
When I was junior I used to use 50x15 (1 min 09 secs, 1km tt and I didnt win hehehe) when I was 15 y/o i used to use 50x16 and when I was 14y/o I used to race using 50x17... so after reading all of this recomendations about the multiplication u have to use I would say this... 48x15 isnt enough at all specially when u r racing cat 2 or cat 1, but u have to have the power to move 48x15 anyways, build your cadence 1st.. be fast... high cadence all the times...
Well one of these days i'll show up to miami to sprint w/u ford hehehe.. U might have a chance.. Im 40 pounds overwheight, but i have 25 years of experience in my old legs hehehe....
48x14??? darn!... still trying to figure it out eh? hehehe... listen to me... get a 50... and put 15 to it...
:)
I know a guy at my local track that uses one of those 100% stock. He is 60 years old and still beats me in sprints ! DAMN !
=(
You will want to change the cog to something smaller if the velodrome is longer than 300 m ... otherwise you will have to spin like mad !
Gear wise:
48 x 16 = 81
48 x 15 = 86.4
48 x 14 = 92.5
STEVO820
07-27-06, 12:28 PM
UPDATE: got off the phone with dave from BD. they are out of the windsor hour in 56cm red. he told me he will give me a Motobecane for the same price. only problem i have to rip the brakes off of it but im in no hurry to get hardcore racing yet so i can take my time on that. i planed on getting a smaller gear in the back 15-14 and get a crank later if im anygood and i stick with it.
i talked with a guy at chicago bicycle cbike.com and he was telling about some of the racers and things you need to know when racing. he said keep an eye on your front wheel and get your elbows out when things get tight. he also said some of the biggest guys at the northbrook velo are faster than the smaller guy. so i am very interested in trying it out.
STEVO820
07-27-06, 02:48 PM
scratch that i am getting a 56cm YELLOW windsor hour. its funny that if you look at the bikes : fuji, windsor, motorbecane. they have the same geometry. materials, as well as they share components. except that fuji calls them fuji components.
i also believe that yellow is the fastest color if im not mistaken lol
ultraman6970
08-02-06, 09:21 PM
yellow isnt a bad color... well it depends of the yellow hehe... post pictures when u get the bike :)
STEVO820
08-03-06, 01:59 PM
i got it last night. i was working so i wasnt able to put it together until 12:30. it is the good yellow. yellow has a bunch of shades and i didnt want a bad yellow it is not to light and not to dark its right where you would want it. i will get pics up once my sister gets home.
also since its my first fixed gear. i dont know how tight the chain is. its seems to be fairly tight and when you spin the crank it makes the clicking sound. how do i know what the right tension is?
platypus
08-03-06, 05:02 PM
I've also decided to take the plunge and get a yellow 56 Winsor Hour as my first track bike.
(yellow, since that's the only color BD has at this point)
:D
STEVO820
08-03-06, 06:12 PM
i took it around the block a few times to get my fixed gear bearings and love it. it is a whole new thing compared to freewheel. i need to learn how to get off the bike a little easier. i cant wait to try out racing.
-Steve
Retem
08-10-06, 04:19 PM
I have a mercier kilo tt that came equiped very similar to the windsor same cranks everything actually except frame my frame is reynolds 520 and the geometry is a lot different
the cranks are ok the chainring is not the most round thing in the worls but it will get you ont he road
now I am 6'4" and weight 230lbs the bb is dying on me after 3 months and the bars were flexy like a wet noodle and I striped out the rear hub in about a month but once again it will get you rolling and all in all you can't get a frame for 300 bones anyways right?
I don't really care for the crnks either because well my weight makes em flex a little but its all good
I think if you replace the bottom bracket with an fsa isis it will fit it will make things alot smoother for you and just mkae sure the headset is adjusted right mine came a little too tight
the wheels are ball and cone style hubs which aren't the best just cheapo formulas laced to ritcheys I think they willl get ya started like I said
should you decide to get some better wheels look at the soma somax wheels thebikebiz.com has em for like $240 they are pretty tough and the hubs come threaded on both sides for fixed gear so you can have your track cog on one side probably a 13 of 14 since you are running a 48 chainring and then the standard 16 that came with the bike on the other side for street or even a 17 for the lower gearing so you can ride it home
good luck hopefully this was some help
getting off the bike lock one leg kick the other out of the toeclip let the cranks lift you swing leg over saddle and hope off