helmets save

I have been riding a fixed gear bike for about a year now and I would love to get into racing. There is a velodrome in Atlanta where you have access pretty much any time through out the week for $50.

But the problem comes is that, I have a really old frame and fork from 2000 that is extremely dented and well used. However, the wheel set is pretty new. It is pual hubs with dt swiss RR1.1 hubs. I cant quite decided what to do. I could buy a complete bike, i was thinking bianchi pista concept. Then i would have an set of wheels for track and street. Or i could buy a frame set, nice cranks.

What would you do??

(sorry this was posted in track cycling forum, just that not many people come by there )

fixedpip

I guess it depends on what your current frame is and how easy is it for you to change gearing?

I would be tempted to say that unless you have lots of spare money to burn, go slow and get it right. I would attended the beginner sessions at first and use a rental bike (don't know if thats an option at Atlanta). Once you know whats up with racing and training then you can look at your current set-up.

Pista concepts are great but only if you both enjoy track racing and can make it to the track regularly. You also may want to bear in mind how you get to the track, if you can drive then its no problem. If you have to ride then the Concept is not drilled for brakes which may make things tricky.

I currently have one steel track bike which I use for both street and track. To make things easier I'm building a track 'specific' wheelset for training and racing just cause I hate changing gears and tires at the track (I have trained on Specialized Armadillos and after 3hrs of track pounding your a*** hates you).

My fitness is nowhere near where it should be for my equipment to make any difference. Until I can get fitter and faster on the track, I could ride be out there riding a Huffy for all it matters.

dutret

Do this first but try your bike as well. The beginner classes are required anyway.

If you dented a pista frame then a pista concept is not reasonable street bike for you. An entry level bike like your pista will function perfectly well at the track as well. The only reason why you would need a new bike is if yours is beat up to the point of not being safe. If you can afford to have two bikes are really want something showy for the track then feel free to get the concept but it is not at all neccessary. If you just want an excuse to get a fancier track bike for all uses then find something more durable and possibly more omfortable then the concept.

disco2000

dude, that's not old

mattface 

I'm not speaking from a position of experience here, because I don't have a track to race at, and I'm pretty new to fixed gear cycling anyway.

The advice you've gotten so far about taking the beginner classes before buying anything sounds good. If your bike can be safely ridden on the track I'd ride it for the beginner classes. That way you can get a feel for it on a bike you're familiar with, and that may well give you a better idea where (or if) your current setup is lacking.

Considering that you already have nice wheels, and decent components on your bike, and that you would want to use it on the street as well as the track. I would say upgrade the frame, and cranks, then continue to upgrade piece by piece over time if you wish. Some frames I would be thinking about if I were in your situation: Soma Rush (i Have one, and can recomend it as a streeter anyway) Bare Knuckle, or an older Cannondale track frame. Actually the Cannondale would probably be n the top of my list, although it is the only Aluminum bike in my short list, and thin wall aluminum tubes are more vulnerable to denting, and less likely to remain sound when they have been dented with, so you have to treat an Al frame nice if you want it to last.

Anyway, that's my short list FWIW. There are tons of great frames that may be more suitable to your needs, but those are the frames I would be looking at if I had a dented up old track frame and wanted to replace it and ride it 80/20 street/track. As it is If I were going to go to the track I'd probably just yank the brake from my Soma, because the time I'd get to spend on the track would still be relatively minimal compared to the time I get to ride it on the road, and it suits my needs rather well for the road. I'd have to get pretty competitive at the track before I felt 2 pounds less bike, or tighter geometry was gonna help me win races.

pathdoc

World Class cycles sells a couple of De Barnardi frames. The less expensive one is $450. That might be an option.
https://www.worldclasscycles.com/track_frames.htm