Track Cycling - Planet X is on it's way

Just ordered and it's on it's way. I bought the fuselage only (AKA frameset, why the change to fuselage?)
Frame, Fork, Seatpost & Headset.




The build will continue over the winter. This is the first new track bike I've had in many years.
I'll be spending time scouring the internet and LBS for deals on cranks, chain, BB, bars, stem, wheels (tubular and maybe a new/decent set of clinchers), cogs. The only things set are saddle and pedals. I'll be using a well worn Fizik I have for a perch and have MKS RX1 and Look pedals to put on it.

Since I'm cheap AND on a budget, this should be fun looking for deals -- but even more fun when it's put together and on the track.

Feel free to throw in your two cents on what I should look at, what works and what doesn't. I haven't bought new track gear in a while and would love to hear what y'all think.

Very cool. I've seen a lot of people using them at various tracks. They all seem to like them.
Can't wait to see how it turns out.

What kind of crank are you going with?

oooooo i'm jealous man!! I'm lookin to order one myself in the next few weeks... did you end up goin with the compression bung headset??

Congrats on the new build. I have a Planet X carbon and I can say it's definitely the best bang-for-the-buck frame/fork going right now.

By the way, that setup in the photo is purely for show. There is no way a normal (or even abnormal) human can ride the bike with that stem/bar combo.

The geometry is modern, so it actually requires a zero degree or likely a rise stem for a proper fit. And that's using road bars. If you use track bars that are deep by design, a rise stem will be the way to go.

Riding the bike above will have the steerer in your chin and the nose of the seat stabbing your innards. Just sayin :o

By the way, that setup in the photo is purely for show. There is no way a normal (or even abnormal) human can ride the bike with that stem/bar combo.

The geometry is modern, so it actually requires a zero degree or likely a rise stem for a proper fit. And that's using road bars. If you use track bars that are deep by design, a rise stem will be the way to go.

Riding the bike above will have the steerer in your chin and the nose of the seat stabbing your innards. Just sayin :o


+1 Good example is Nothstein with the riser stem




Then at the other end are these derny bikes

Thinking about painting it once I get it . . . . Anyone have experience painting a carbon frame?

Thinking about painting it once I get it . . . . Anyone have experience painting a carbon frame?

I want to paint mine, too. The black weave is cool, but I'm not afraid of a little color. Maybe we should ask in a different forum.

I've got one answer: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=581715

Well, the Planet X Stealth Carbon fuselage arrived yesterday (Frame, fork, seatpost and headset)
I put the fork and headset on (temporarily, still need to cut the tube and put spacers on it)
Mounted a saddle and some cheap, but pretty nice, Vuelta wheels I bought from bikeisland.com

A few thoughts on the frame so far

1- the quality is really nice. Carbon, clearcoat and decals look first rate. Dropouts front are nice. The rear dropouts are as good as I've seen on any track bike and better than most.

2- frame size. I ordered the S, 54cm. I ride a 55cm road bike. I compaired measurements from my frame and the published specs from Plantet X. They all tracked nicely with my tape measure margin of error.

3- frame size 2 and set up so far: I took measurements from my road bike and another track bike I have and tentatively set the seat height and stem position.
The Plante X has an aero seat tube and aero seat post to match. It's quite nice. The bottom part of the seat post is "roughed up" carbon to provide better grip for the seat post clame. PROBLEM. When setting my seat height the seat post is too far into the frame by about 2 inches for the clamp to be grasping the roughened part of the seat post. This may cause some seat post slippage (which I hope could be solved with carbon friction paste and perhaps a shim) and it hides part of the nice Planet X decal on the seatpost.

The rest of the bits will be bought as I find good deals on them. Still needed:
Crankset (preferred in order, Dura Ace, Campy, SRAM Omnium -- it all depends on the best deal I can find)
Handlebars (Probably Deda, but if I could find the sweet aero sprint bars Chris Hoy uses, at an affordable price, that would be sweet.)
Chain
Stem (will depend mostly on getting the fit right)

Last note: I've never cut a steerer tube to fit before. This one is Carbon. Any tips on getting the size right?

Take it to a local high-end bike shop and they will get you fitted properly and cut your steerer tube with a pipe cutter to keep it evenly square.

Hopefully they aren't cutting the carbon steer tube (it appears to be one) with a pipe cutter.

I'm heading to Home depot to find the parts to make this http://www.mindspring.com/~d.g1/headset.html headset press. Right now the headset/fork is just hanging there with the stem holding it in place with no spacers. I'm also going to invest in a new park tool the SG-6 cutting guide to help cut the carbon steerer. Both of these are things I'd never considered before.
I may have been racing for 30+ years but this is the first time I've put a bike together from scratch. I'm a noob!!! :)

I'm heading to Home depot to find the parts to make this http://www.mindspring.com/~d.g1/headset.html headset press.

I've installed probably over a dozen headset cups/holders, and never needed a press. I start by gently tapping the cup with a rubber or plastic mallet to get it started, making sure it is going in straight, then place a short piece of flat wood (2 x 4 works good) over it, and then use a normal steel claw or short sledge hammer to drive it home. The fork crown race/piece is a different matter, and requires a proper diameter driver pipe to prevent damage.

I've installed probably over a dozen headset cups/holders, and never needed a press. I start by gently tapping the cup with a rubber or plastic mallet to get it started, making sure it is going in straight, then place a short piece of flat wood (2 x 4 works good) over it, and then use a normal steel claw or short sledge hammer to drive it home. The fork crown race/piece is a different matter, and requires a proper diameter driver pipe to prevent damage.


Yeah, I thought about that too. I'm sure it would work. Anyway, about $8 later I've built my own tool and it worked fine. Now to buy the rest of the bits. :)

New update:
Dura Ace crank and BB are on the way. I had planned to pull a campy crank and BB off an old Pogliaghi bike -- forgot they were italian threaded -- so thanks to Ebay, got the new Dura Ace.

I'll have to make up for that extravegance by saving or making money somewhere else.

My plan was to have this on the track in February. The way things are coming together, it might be October. Woo hoo!

saw a guy riding the white one last week. Looks pretty good :thumb:

But I discovered some poop in a review for the Planet X track frame that was on fixedgearfever. That review said 23s wouldn't fit on the front and you'd need 20s. Bravo Sierra! The 23s have plenty of clearance. I could fit 25s if I wanted. I'm guessing either that guy wasn't sure what he was saying or Planet X has changed the fork a bit since then. Either way, I'm glad, because I'm a big guy and didn't want 20s for training. Too few chooses in tires and they probably wouldn't last long for me.

Not true. They have redesigned the fork recently. You have a new generation fork that was produced AS A RESULT OF SAID REVIEW. Who says bike companies don't listen to reviews?

I cannot fit anything larger than a 22mm tubular tire (which sit wide than clinchers) up front. Period. I'm a big guy. I'd LOVE to have 23 up front, but it won't happen unless I buy the new fork.

You also have the roughed up seat post mast which was probably a result of that same review, too.

OK, hope this photo upload works.

Here it is so far. Got the Dura Ace crankset and bb on it.

Vuelta wheels are cheap, but nice. I'll put them on an old track bike for winter training. Meanwhile, searching for nice, new, carbon wheels. Have my sights sent on a few types.

OK, hope this photo upload works.

Here it is so far. Got the Dura Ace crankset and bb on it.

Vuelta wheels are cheap, but nice. I'll put them on an old track bike for winter training. Meanwhile, searching for nice, new, carbon wheels. Have my sights sent on a few types.

Lookin' good, man.

You should be able to pick up some good deals on wheels in the off-season.

Lookin' good, man.

You should be able to pick up some good deals on wheels in the off-season.

Thanks. Yeah that's what I'm hoping. Part of me wants to build my own wheels . . . but I'll probably look for some deals instead.

OK, hope this photo upload works.

Here it is so far. Got the Dura Ace crankset and bb on it.

Vuelta wheels are cheap, but nice. I'll put them on an old track bike for winter training. Meanwhile, searching for nice, new, carbon wheels. Have my sights sent on a few types.

OH! That Planet X! There's an sports show by that name I see on America One Television.

Nice looking bike! You might want to follow up on the story down the line so we can learn how it holds up, what your impressions have been.

That's looking good!

...You might want to follow up on the story down the line so we can learn how it holds up, what your impressions have been.

I trained and raced a full season on one. Started riding it 3-4 days a week for 1/2 the season, then 5-7 days a week the second half (2-4 hours each session). Track only, no street. Held up fine. I managed to crack a Thomson stem doing one standing start a while back...but the frame has held up. It handles well. No complaints here.