Prudy

I have a Soma Rush, which I love --

I am starting to get OCD about bikes and can definitely see myself having one or two more by the end of the Summer and I've already started to take an old bike apart, etc. in order to learn a bit how it works and in hopes of updating it.

I'm hooked. I'm wondering from the more experienced riders of track frames here -- are there any reasons to get certain frames in particular for performance reasons when used on the street and not in the velodrome?

Is it mostly just aesthetics or are there real legitimate reasons for getting one track frame vs another for street use?

By the way, thanks in advance for all the help so far -- I've already learned a lot on this forum.

667

Purely aesthetics. Track bikes are not practical on the street. They have toe overlap with harsh riding geometry and no accessory braze-on's.
But that didn't stop me... aesthetics won.

elTwitcho

Sure. Comfort is a big reason. Preference is another. How one bike handles and fits you will be different than another bike. Different bikes will put you higher off the ground (with a higher bottom bracket), put more weight in your hands, put the pedals further under you or in front of you, absorb shock differently, flex differently under heavy torque loads, weigh different amounts, have different body positioning and different periphery features (such as how wide tires you can fit, or if a certain frame can or cannot accept fenders easily).

There's alot of subtle differences beyond simple aesthetics

elTwitcho

They're not entirely practical on the *road* but I believe they're quite practical for riding in the street.

ZiP0082

In terms of chosing one track frame over another, for the street, some things to think about:

Materials: steel rusts, but can be a workhorse, aluminum is near impossible to fix once dented, carbon is expensive.
Geometry: some frames allow for more fender clearance, can be handy with commuting year round.

Prudy

Interesting --

I had an old Peugeot 12 speed that was converted to a fixed gear and compared to my Soma Rush there's obviously a difference in geometry but -- although it is arguably less comfortable, I wouldn't say the Soma is uncomfortable at all -- at least not for rides under 25 miles or so.

Definitely faster and more aggressive -- it is fun as hell to ride. Also, the Soma is drilled for a front brake (which i do run) unlike other track frames and I believe the geometry may be slightly relaxed compared to some others.

Is there a good shop to check out on the west coast, particularly the NW that has a variety of track frames? I guess I should do some testing of different frames to figure out what I like and don't like ultimately.

667

If you are talking about twitchy-ness for quick response... I don't know - debatable. The aggressive posture is definitely not conducive for situational awareness, and track drop definitely not for control.

elTwitcho

That's getting pretty debateable.

Quick turning I believe is absolute crucial to staying alive in traffic. You survive stupid drivers by having a tighter turning radius than they do IMO.

Your other two points I believe relate more to handlebar choice and to an extent I agree that track drops are not well suited to riding on the street. A set of road bars or bull horns on the other hand negate the issue (purely my opinion of course) by allowing you to get fairly upright when you need to and having less drastic drops in the aero position.

For my 2 cents the type of tight handling and rapid sprints track bikes are meant for are ideal for the conditions I come across riding in the street daily. Be it a fixed drivetrain or singlespeed (or even a geared bike with steep geo like a crit frame) certain characteristics make it IMO the safest thing to be riding in an environment where you may have to dodge quickly

667

Haha. I just noticed your screen name. I guess I'm debating twitchy-ness with the wrong person.
For messengers, the response, sprint speed and narrow bars are a moneymaker with the posture being conducive for carrying heavy pack while on the move - but for commuters, that's another story.

Prudy

Out of curiosity 667 --- do you commute and what do you ride?

667

I no longer commute. I wish I could but my job is 50 miles from home. I bike for exercise and errands in town. I do approx 15 miles a day... as long as the temp doesn't drop below 30 here in Boston.

My main ride is 61 cm Alien build (fixed). I'll jump on my mountain bike from time to time, and am debating selling my single speed Raleigh Rush Hour.

My next one will be a nice vintage 10 speed.

dc1215

Hey 667, this is wayy off topic, but were you walking your bike up the bottom part of Market street on Tuesday morning? I rode by and saw (i think) that bike and thought it looked familiar, though I wasn't able to place it until just now.