Classic & Vintage - Track bike popularity?

Okay, I gotta ask...what's with the track bikes? Are there actual bicycle tracks all over the place where people can go and exercize their bikes and themselves by riding around in a loop?

I don't get it. I would have thought a track bike would have essentially no appeal outside the racing world.

I've got a velodrome within 20km and two more within 50km.

Regarding your other question, fashion's fickle finger is pointing at bicycle minimalism and rarity, at the moment anyway.

The Frisco Superdrome is 5 miles or so from my house. Otherwise I wouldn't have
a pure track bike.

marty

Forest city velodrome [london Ontario] is were I ride. I comute on a fixie so it kind of goes hand in hand. Its nice to ride in doors when the weather is real bad. Plus Ive learned how to race and to ride in a stait line. I have 2 fixed gear bikes.And 1 track.

Far out. The only place I've ever heard of anything similar is at universities, and they're used for running not (afaiaa) biking. Live and learn, I guess. Thanks for the latest increment in my education :)

Far out. The only place I've ever heard of anything similar is at universities, and they're used for running not (afaiaa) biking. Live and learn, I guess. Thanks for the latest increment in my education :)

The velodromes are specifically made for bikes. The turns are sloped. The Frisco one is a 44 degree angle on the steepest turns. I love that place!

There's a veoldrome just down the road from me, which is how I justify my pure trackie, though I haven't taken it there yet. I definitely intend to. But also, you know, they're cool.

I am looking for a cool old Italian track bike myself. 58-61 if anyone knows of one. Anyway, why do I want one? I have a road bike (Roberts w/campy) that I ride and my grocery getting piece of crap MB. I want a track bike for several reasons. 1. I want one for the loop up the street and the track less than 1 mile away from my home. Also, on the days I have limited time, I was thinking of riding it on the road for fun and some good exercise. Why am I looking for some crazy Italian track bike? I like interesting bikes.

Fixed Gear Fever has a track or velodrome data base on their website that shows locations and has links.

http://www.fixedgearfever.com/modules.php?name=Velodromes

The only track in N.Ca is in San Jose which is 80 miles from here. The SF bay area is full of fixies that will never see track time. It is an interesting trend in bicycling and in alot of ways it's fine by me. The exception is when I see someone who appears to be a beginner rider tooling around on a bike that is geared too tall and has no brakes and no ability to coast.

People are realizing that riding fixed is really fun, and experimenting with ways to use them beyond their intention. its pretty similar to the early days of the skate scene. its quite fun.

Track racing is fun to watch. This thread has some info and the links in post numbers 2 & 4 are interesting reads. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=207295&highlight=keirin+what

I have got to agree that there are a lot of track bicycles relative to the number of veleodromes. I see track bicycles owned by people who are not even remotely near a velodrome and are obviously not racers. I think a lot of it is the prestige of having something different from the guy next door. Factor in fixies, as opposed to true track bicycles and it's almost epidemic proportions.

I used to ride a Miyata Pista before they converted the Olympic Velodrome in Montreal to a BioDome. Once that happened, I let it go. The nearest velodrome is now a 6 hour drive. The time away from the family did not justify it. I probably should have kept the bicycle for sentimentality and winter riding on the rollers. They are good for developing and maintaining a smooth spin.

Puget Sound has the Marymore Velodrome. Oddly enough, I have yet to see any track bikes where I live. I would suspect the hills around here keep most of the track bikes where they belong. I haven't even seen that many fixed gears on the East Hill. One of the streets leading off the hill advertises that it is a 13% downhill grade. There'd be some huge calves and thighs up here if the trackies/single/fixed gears rode their bikes up these hills. One of the back ways I get back up the hill after riding in the Kent valley is an 500 something foot climb in one mile of switchbacks. It's not too bad except I have yet to successfully negotiate one of the switchbacks actually riding any of my bikes (it's actually a triple switch in about 60 feet--I'll have to measure it one day) other than my late lamented mountain bike. No track bikes in the East Hill household!

East Hill

They're around because, like most competitors, track racers tend to want the latest thing all the time. A 15 year old steel trackie will in most hands be just as fast as a carbon whatever rocket ship, but it's the look of the thing, you see? So, as a result, lots of perfectly servicable track bikes aren't used on the track. Might as well ride them somewhere - it's better than selling them.

Oh boy........At least 20 days went by after the last 'why fix' thread.
I guess another one is waaaay overdue :rolleyes:

Oh boy........At least 20 days went by after the last 'why fix' thread.
I guess another one is waaaay overdue :rolleyes:

I don't know, I think there is a world of difference in a "fixed" bike and a
true track specific frame.

Track/Fixie fad emergence in San Francisco and other big cities began as part of the 'hipster' scene. It intially was confined to the art-punk bike messenger scene (who recalled Carribean fixed trends of the 70's) and then adopted by urban fashionistas. Now we see average folks riding fixed as it becoming a mass-appeal trend.

It was partly a statement differentiating suburban, conserative mountain-bike culture from artistic, progressive, urban road bike culture. As many trends, it was based on a percieved dividing line between cultural ideas. As the Country slightly veers left, you will see this trend grow.

The actual track bike is a lovely machine and a delight to ride...like a racehorse, it seems to want to sprint about, and your job is to restrain it's urges somehow.

It's a very integral feeling, to be pushed into your pedals. Add the very quick geometry, and it's almost like dancing on pavement, rather than riding on top of a vehicle.

Like a good pair of running shoes, useless to anyone not competing on an Olympic track....but what a rush to be so connected through that elite stuff.

A grand toy to have, even if you never actually make it to the track.

The actual track bike is a lovely machine and a delight to ride...like a racehorse, it seems to want to sprint about, and your job is to restrain it's urges somehow.

It's a very integral feeling, to be pushed into your pedals. Add the very quick geometry, and it's almost like dancing on pavement, rather than riding on top of a vehicle.

Like a good pair of running shoes, useless to anyone not competing on an Olympic track....but what a rush to be so connected through that elite stuff.

A grand toy to have, even if you never actually make it to the track.

best description ever>>>>>

I don't know, I think there is a world of difference in a "fixed" bike and a
true track specific frame.

Point taken......:( *gULp*

I would say for me the benefit is the seat tube angle.
The road bike frames Im used to have too relaxed seat tube angles
for comfortable pedaling.

Track/Fixie fad emergence in San Francisco and other big cities began as part of the 'hipster' scene. It intially was confined to the art-punk bike messenger scene (who recalled Carribean fixed trends of the 70's) and then adopted by urban fashionistas. Now we see average folks riding fixed as it becoming a mass-appeal trend.

It was partly a statement differentiating suburban, conserative mountain-bike culture from artistic, progressive, urban road bike culture. As many trends, it was based on a percieved dividing line between cultural ideas. As the Country slightly veers left, you will see this trend grow.
So where do the vintage/classic bikes-are-small_footprint-healthy-transportation folks fit into this worldview?

People are realizing that riding fixed is really fun, and experimenting with ways to use them beyond their intention. its pretty similar to the early days of the skate scene. its quite fun.


I have no choice but to agree. I have been biking seriously in Philadelphia for over a year now, all of which has been done on a single speed. I am now in my 3rd week without coasting and I have to say that I am into it. The Fixed gear always held a certain mystery. Ive tasted it and find myself learning the subtleties of the road through her cadence. She is a creature onto herself. She needs to be respected and worshiped with the most supreme concentration.

I would like to leave you all with a thought that occurred tonight after my nightly commute home:

I can't wait till I get a ******** road bike.

I think you might be mixing the C&V folks up with some other folks here. I guess there are a lot of us here who care about a healthy lifestyle and a small footprint, but it's mostly secondary - what we love is old bikes. Beautiful old bikes. Old track bikes fit that description well.

If I wanted a small footprint healthy lifestyle choice, I'd simply keep my Raleigh Royal tourer (£20), perhaps swap out the pedals, and sell all the rest of my fleet. I collect art!

I just needed to get that off my chest. Glad to see someone else out there is awake.

Let me 'splain. . .
. . . No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

My distinction between fixed gear and track bike, for me a fixed gear is
either an old trackie or converted road bike, with fixed gears and brakes. I personally
believe its suicidal to ride brakeless, no matter how good you are at skip stopping.
The Surly steamroller, Bianchi pista, Langoliers etc. all are fixed gear specific bikes.
I see them as great for training, workout, to work in strength and spin.

The Track bike is brakeless, has paper *** clearance between tire/forkcrown, steep angles
and is rather twitchy, (see Serendipper's eloquent post of a better explanation than mine)
and not a bike I would want to spend alot of time with on the road.
It's a specialty bike. Just as I wouldn't ride a full tourer (racks, cantilever brakes, fenders etc.)
on a track, I wouldn't ride a track bike on a century or long tour.

again, that's personal opinion, imho ymmv atmo .

marty

anyone who rides fixed/track bikes for fashion is performing an exercise in anachronicity. the things havent been fashionable for ages; i should know. i've been riding one for quite some time, and no one who is into both fashion and cycling in equal parts is impressed by the things.

riding fixed on the road, as i see it, is more about less worries. less drivetrain to clean/tune. less thinking about shifting/cadence/other competition nonsense, and more time to think about the ride itself, or where you're riding to, or whatever else might be on your mind. plus, coming from a semi-fat man who is as lazy as any year-round compulsive bike commuter can be, a fixed drivetrain helps folks like me get up hills, and keeps us pedaling down 'em.

but, yeah. whatever some folks think of as fashionable, the truth is simple: anyone who thinks your fixie is hott is likely to be a non-cyclist who will inadvertantly embarass you with comments related to messengers and skids and the like. philadelphia's bike snobs cringe and moan if you show up at a party on your track bike. (if you really wanna turn the screw on 'em, put some nitto bullhorns on your fix. it's like showing up to the prom in sweat pants.) fixed gears are, as far as fashion goes, so utterly passe that they just might end up in style once more...but, until then, they are the appropriate bike for folks who are more concerned with keeping it dirty and relaxed on their way to workor on a cruise around town.

-rob
(ps-my fixie died recently, and i'm trying to do some soul-searching before i drop any $$$ on a replacement. as long as fashion isn't a concern, i might just go cheeep and get a bianchi pista. but, in the meantime, i'm pedaling a geared bike, and i miss riding fixed terribly...but not for style concerns. i'm most often riding a touring bike now, and it's a pretty cool bike, but i'd say that the new trend amongst 'hipsters' (if such a thing exists) is more long distance tour bikes and randonee. oh, and to the OP--i rode fixed for 4+ years, but never once set foot nor tire in a velodrome. i don't feel a need to embarass myself.)

^ check out IRO as well. they're more affordable and their wheels are handbuilt by velocity usa.

riding track bikes is fun. you can trackstand and skid and ride backwards if you like. i think you'll find this sense of fun at the heart of many, many track bike enthusiasts.

It's an interesting topic. I've built up a road bike as a fixie because of the brakes and fender clearance issues (trying to combine commuting and winter road training). A true track bike can't seem to accomodate either. But they sure are gorgeous to look at. And if I could justify it, I surely would like to someday own one.

There is also a niche style that falls between road and track called the path racer or grass tracker. There were a few threads (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=226520&highlight=path+racer) about (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=233700&highlight=path+racer) path racers (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=77702&highlight=path+racer) a couple of months ago.

""and no one who is into both fashion and cycling in equal parts is impressed by the things.""

Tell that to the thousands of young, uber-fashionista SF hipster crowd that have track bike parties at Delores Park every week. These kids spend a fortune on vintage Merckxs, De Rosas and Cinellis all color-coordinated and tricked out. Certain bars have 50+ track & fixies displayed outsided on a given night. Fixed/track has been a big scene in San Fransisco for years but now it seems like literally everybody is riding fixed. I'm not saying that it is the 'cool' thing to do...it may be becoming slighty passe, I just want to illuminate that it is a huge trend in SF and I believe NY as well- within the art crowd. It's rising popularity in many cities is also the main reason for the insane prices of vintage track/pista anything.

""and no one who is into both fashion and cycling in equal parts is impressed by the things.""

Tell that to the thousands of young, uber-fashionista SF hipster crowd that have track bike parties at Delores Park every week. These kids spend a fortune on vintage Merckxs, De Rosas and Cinellis all color-coordinated and tricked out. Certain bars have 50+ track & fixies displayed outsided on a given night. Fixed/track has been a big scene in San Fransisco for years but now it seems like literally everybody is riding fixed. I'm not saying that it is the 'cool' thing to do...it may be becoming slighty passe, I just want to illuminate that it is a huge trend in SF and I believe NY as well- within the art crowd. It's rising popularity in many cities is also the main reason for the insane prices of vintage track/pista anything.


you have no clue to whats actually going on around you. sorry...

heeere we go...

How bout if you like a track bike, ride a track bike, if you don't, don't. Does the hipster on the italian track bike make your italian track bike less fun to ride?

As my third post of the night, I will ask if the old time equivalent of bikeforums.net would have had conversations RE: All the hipsters are riding bikes with deraillers?

you have no clue to whats actually going on around you. sorry...

Can you elaborate a bit? On the scene in SF?

Here in Toronto, it has always been a courier thing. There is a velodrome about 90 minutes away but I think the trend isn't that big here (yet). I think that, at least in a large city, track/fixed riding keeps the trend to a few die-hards only. It is just too dangerous in the traffic. However, I have sold a couple of frames on CL to people who used them for fixed conversions, so maybe it is catching on.

Explain exactly what i'm ill-advised on Onetwentyeight?

yes, its really popular, yes theres a lot of people into it for the fashion, and for having a blinging bike. but the civilian fixed gear people (at least the ones i know) are pretty serious riders, from hellyer racers to adventure racers, commuters and messengers.... its a pretty dorky scene as far as I can tell, far removed from fashion conscious hipsters who are so far over track cycling its not even funny. its actually a bit of an older crowd than i think most people think it is. last weekend there was a civilian run race/food drive that collected an amazing amount of food for the san francisco food bank... its a conscious group, a very civic minded group, and very unelitist, and most people both truely love their bikes and cycling. fixed gears are not status objects that i see toted around, but machines that get people excited to ride. i invited you to check out sffixed.com to see for yourself.

i am sorry if my earlier comment came off as abrasive, ive been having a pretty ****ty day. i think theres a lot of misconceptions about fixed gear riders and enthusiasts in san francisco and it bothers me some times.

""yes, its really popular, yes theres a lot of people into it for the fashion, and for having a blinging bike""
""fashion conscious hipsters who are so far over track cycling its not even funny""

Hmmm then what bikes are the "fashion-consious hipsters" riding? Anyway, this arguement is sad and juvenille. I know that there are true and original people out there but my initial point was simply that it's a growing trend among the masses in SF and other cities. Is it not? Is not every other road bike converted to fixed in SF?

if they are truely fashion conscious hipsters they probably just do blow and ride cabs. but thats another story. heh. i live right by the base of the wiggle/duboce park, i still see more road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, etc than anything else. you just notice all the fixed gears because you are looking for them... i would disagree, every other road bikes is not turned in to a conversion...

"live right by the base of the wiggle/duboce park"

Yeah and I live in the Mission and I can tell you that just about every damn road bike is fixed. Market St commuters, critical mass, etc... this city has an s-load of fixies PERIOD. Box Dog Bikes is busy out thier ears selling pista hubs. Freewheel bike shop now has Kuwahara track frames in the front window. Marina yuppies ride Bianchi pistas up and down Union. What part of all this don't you see? And where the F*** is Wiggle park?

http://joelpomerantz.com/unqdesignparts/wigglegraphic.jpg

its one of the main bicycle commuter paths in the city. im supprised you dont know it...

fwiw, kuwahara never made track bikes... are you referring to the nagasawa? as i understand theyve been selling those for ever, they go through EAI. Any shop with an EAI account can get nagasawas... montano velo in oakland has them, bicycle odessy in sausilito has gan well pros...

I think that a lot of people throw the fixed/track bike crowd in with the American Apparel/lastnightsparty crowd and things get mixed up and we end up
wanting to vomit on them. The bike guys I know in Toronto are all nerdy too and ride mostly beater track bikes, but we have different weather
up here than in SF, maybe that is it.

Ah yes...wiggling through lower Haight.. I get it. Nagasawa..yes Kuwahara just popped in instead. Anyway are we done? Good.. I'm going to bed. tootaloo.

How bout if you like a track bike, ride a track bike, if you don't, don't. Does the hipster on the italian track bike make your italian track bike less fun to ride?

I can't speak for everyone, only myself. No, hipsters (or whatever we are calling that particluar
group this week) on track bikes don't make riding my track bike less fun. My point is that
there is a difference between a track bike and fixed conversion and maybe the track bike would
be better served being used on a velodrome. Snobbish? hardly, more akin to keeping to the
intended use. It breaks my heart to see things like the currently offered for sale Pogliaghi chrome
track fork badly (off center) drilled. There are only so many of these things out there, and there
won't be any more made, ever.
It's the same for me as removing derailleur hangers.
But this is the Classic & Vintage forum (sometimes cranky&vintage, eh?) where
preservation/restoration is the word of the day.
Anyhow to get back on track (no pun intended), I think the newer IROs, Langsters etc.
might be a better choice for on road SS riding.

marty

There is also a niche style that falls between road and track called the path racer or grass tracker.


I think the newer IROs, Langsters etc.
might be a better choice for on road SS riding.

okay i didn't want to sound like a shill (no, i don't work for iro) but these two comments compel me to post this picture. my bike:
http://static.flickr.com/120/314428087_1c44d88fe9_b.jpg

not exactly a path racer, but certainly inspired by them.

i agree that brakes, fenders and wide tires are often better suited for street riding. especially
in places where we have foul weather during the winter.

some claim that riding a brakeless track bike on the street is a more connected experience, that
it raises your awareness. i'm skeptical to these claims, but also don't intend to find out. tour
busses, taxis, and clueless pedestrians keep me on my toes as it is.

and it's true, if track bikes hadn't been so popular as of the past few years, i probably wouldn't
be riding my fixed gear. i'm far from the cutting edge of style, but if it werent for their popularity
i simply wouldn't have known about them, or how much enjoyment i could get from one.

as i said in another thread on the same topic, it's just as stupid (if not moreso) to NOT do something
because it's trendy as it is to DO something because it's trendy. you're still letting fashion dictate
your behavior.

i'd add that sheldon brown's website played an equal part in piquing my interest.

I have a 1977 Paramount Track bike, even though the closest Velodrome is 300 miles away. It's a lot of fun to ride, and the fixed gear makes for good off season training, just a nice change of pace and a neat bike.

It's really not a problem to ride on the road. It's not anymore twitchy than some crit bikes. The BB is high, good for pedalling through corners, and it does have a front brake. And it's great to sprint with, because that's what its designed for.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/bobstewart/track2.jpg

"I have a 1977 Paramount Track bike"

Do you mean you just got a '77 Paramount track bike?! Wasn't that frame on eBay 2 weeks ago? Sorry in advance if I've confused it with another frame. I bid on that frame but the auction hit $800!