Track Cycling: Velodrome Racing and Training Area - Lance's track bike

That's right kids, Mr. Armstrong is considering an assault on the Hour Record.
This is his steed:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tech/features/lance_tunnel/Track2.jpg

And the picture shows the dura ace FC-7800 outboard bearing cranks used for track (or fixed) use.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=87010

Either that or they are just using a tighter BB spindle to use the road cranks. Notice the track end on the back? Hmmm. brakeless too.....

Either that or they are just using a tighter BB spindle to use the road cranks. Notice the track end on the back? Hmmm. brakeless too.....


spindle? what spindle?

anyway, there's an article about his new bike here (http://www2.trekbikes.com/News/01-23-2005_-_Lance_In_France_-_Will_He_Or_Wont_He.php)

basically, it's a madone with track ends. not track geometry. which I guess makes some sense for the hour record, since he won't really need the tight geometry and the quick steering response while going around and around and around and around the track all by himself.

Funny! I read an article about that too. The article mentioned a decision to be made about an attempt at sea level or at altitude. And then another decision about the "Hour Record" or about "Best Performance in an Hour." I think he should go for the "Hour Record." There's more history behind it. Plus, he'd have to ride a '72 style track bike. Heavier and steel.

Those new trek bikes really turn me off. Something about the corporate logo being all over everything....

[QUOTE=baxtefer]spindle? what spindle?

Yup, fingers faster than brain. :o

And the picture shows the dura ace FC-7800 outboard bearing cranks used for track (or fixed) use.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=87010

i thought the dura ace track crankset was the fc-7710

I'm pretty sure they're using the FC-7800 double crank, just without the inside ring. I don't believe Shimano has made a true track crank in the new style.

The more I look at that Madone, it's really just a fancy conversion: road frame, road cranks, road bars... just slap a new wheelset and some track ends to make it fixed. I'll bet ya it's drilled for front and rear brakes, too :rolleyes:

this will only be his training bike. i'm sure they're developing something specific for the track.

this has been said on another thread, but i'll say it again --this can only be good for us, based upon the trickle down theory of technology/marketing. in other words, trek will be sure to release a track bike based on the design they come up with. bontrager has already released two track specific wheelsets in the last few months.

not all of us will want to pay the prices asked, but some jokers are sure to offer us the stuff for cheap on craig's list in a year or so (after not using it).

--this can only be good for us, based upon the trickle down theory of technology/marketing. in other words, trek will be sure to release a track bike based on the design they come up with.

yeah, but i'd rather ride a huffy than a trek. though lancey pants is the trek poster child and they would probably spend trillions designing a bike for him, i also wouldn't be surprised if they had a custom builder make his frame and badge it as a trek. my friend eric, ground up, made a bunch of frames last year for a team that badged them as pinarellos.

While it's not uncommon, particularly in the track world with very limited retail market, to have a 3rd party custom manufacturer build the track models (that Huffy you want to ride would actually be a Serotta, for example), that's not how Trek does it.

They trade very heavily on the fact that unlike many other builders, their competition bikes, even Lance's TdF rigs, are off-the-shelf retail. Expensive, but retail. I would expect that this would be similar. I mean keep in mind that Trek still hand builds its high-end frames here in the US. They're already gear up (geared down?) for niche market production.

that won't be the bike he uses for the 'athlete's hour record'. the uci will only allow a standard diameter rounded-steel tubing track frame with standard wheels (no aero rims) and standard drop handlebars as used by chris boardman when he set the record. the uci outlawed the use of any technology advances for the 'athlete's hour record' so it was recognised as a pure athletes hour record in line with when eddy merckx set the record in the 70's as opposed to a technologically assisted hour record. as chris boardman also set the record at sea level i hope, so it can be compared, that armstrong will do the same. as for the 'ultimate hour record' he can go where he likes to do it and use disc wheels, carbon aero frame, whatever but he won't beat boardman's record of 56+km/hr.

keep in mind that Trek still hand builds its high-end frames here in the US.

huh. i didn't realize that. i figured everything of theirs was made by taiwanese robotz.

Yup, they started off as a manufacturer of mid-to-high-end frames in the 70s and later moved to completes offering components not typically found on US-made bikes like Campy or Dura-Ace.

They always pushed pretty high production levels by employing a lot of computer driven machining, but they were still hand-built in the US. Only later did they move down into lower-end production and outsource that overseas.

whatever but he won't beat boardman's record of 56+km/hr

While I think you are likely right, because although Lance has will in spades he may not be physically constructed for the hour record, I think it is important to understand that boardman set that record while using Obree's superman position, which is now even outlawed by the UCI for the "assisted hour record". The lack of such an aero position for the assisted means that boardman's distance should stand for a very long time.

Milo

Given Trek's history (hey they were handbuilding frames before Lance was born)
I wouldn't be surprized if they didn't bring someone inhouse, dig out the old
jigs and build a limited number of UCI legal track frames. Get someone like
Nagasawa to help design the thing, and e-Ritchie braze it up. . .

Marty

dig out the old
jigs and build a limited number of UCI legal track frames. Get someone like
Nagasawa to help design the thing, and e-Ritchie braze it up. . .
D: Excuse me, what's the frame d'jour?
W: Um, the frame of the day...
D: mmm...that sounds good. I'll have that.

Trek started in 1975, isnt Lance in his 30s? Ditto on Nagasawa, his bikes are amazing.

Rumour has it there will be 2 attempts about 2 weeks apart, everyone's heard that right? Great Publicity for all involved to go for the one most attainable first, and if successful keep the second date for the other. It wouldn't surprise me, and big on em if they get a lot of publicity, it gets velodromes built and I bet we all agree there aren't enough

Question from related thread 'If lance rode track...what would he ride?'

A. Sheryl Crow

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=87233

Notice that the chain on that bike is too tight?

Unless it is absolutely as perfectly aligned and fitted as science can get it, which his bike certainly will be if it isn't in the pic

I say trek follows suit with fuji and bianchi by producing a racer wannabe bike (over a G) as well as a for the mases type ( around 500 bills ).

The options continue to grow!