alvingogo

hi,

i'm a newbie at track racing. i'm trying to make a transition from track and field (sprinter/hurdler) to the velodrome. i've been riding fixed for a little over a year and want to take things further. i'm looking for a frame around $800 or less. doesnt have to be a frameset cause i'll get a carbon fork to go with it. dont care if its an aero frame or not. i would like the frame to look like the bianchi super pista with the cut in on the seat tube though. i just like that look.

Thanks!

alvingogo

forgot to mention that i would also want to ride this bike on the street every once in a while.

Kayce

Whats your total budget? What parts build are you looking at? Which track? What height are you?

Leader 725
Leader 735
Bianchi Super Pista
Raleigh Rush Hour Pro
Felt TK2
Look 464
etc.

carleton

Also, how big/strong are you? Are you a slim/thin sprinter or a stocky/heavy type? It matters because if you are the stocky/heavy type, you will want to be sure to get a frame that can handle the torque that you will lay into it.

I've seen 160lb sprinters and I've seen 230lb sprinters both equally fast, but the bigger guy is tougher on the equipment.

Chris Hoy and Theo Bos (these guys aren't that 160 or 230, but you see my point).


I love this race:

carleton

This is a good list. My vote would be for the Felt TK2 or the LOOK 464.

alvingogo

i'm a smaller sprinter. a lot smaller. 5'8 and 150 lbs. but i can squat like 330lbs. I havent really looked into components that much. any suggestions? i think my overall budget will probably be $2000.

Kayce

With that budget I would personally buy a complete tk2, swap out the bars and get a set of race wheels.

chas58

Cervelo, Planet X, Jamais Sonik make some great bikes in the $800 frame/ $1600 complete price range.

Kayce

Where are you finding an $800 cervelo frame? Everything I have ever see is in the 1500 range.

carleton

+1

My thoughts exactly.

The Cervelo T3 is a time trial frame. The Planet X isn't as stiff as some the aluminum frames mentioned here. I'd pass on that. I don't know much about the Sonik.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot about the Cervelo T1. I haven't heard anything about it. Could be nice. Check the angles on it.

Of the choices so far, the TK2 is an awesome option, especially because it comes with the Omnium cranks and a decent training wheelset. Keep the Sphinx bars or sell/trade them for some Scattos and you'll be set.

max5480

alvingogo

i kind of dont want to buy a complete because i enjoy the whole process of building a bike. but i guess if i swap out some parts on a complete i can do that. would all of these be a good enough ride on the street?

Minion1

They'd be pretty harsh to rise on the street but do - able. You might want to use a smaller gear for street riding and look at brake options, but there are better bikes than these to ride street with.

Kayce

What do you mean by ride on the street exactly? Do you mean training with out heading to the track, commuting to and from work, using it as a short errand getter, weekly casual rides?

No matter what your plans are, the answer is no, a good track bike does not make for a good street riding machine. But recomendations for what to do will change based on what your plans are

alvingogo

mostly commuting to and from work and an occasional ride. i dont know much about training and the closest track to me is in encino which is 2hrs away. I guess what i'm really looking for is a street bike that i can take to a track every so often. and maybe later i'll get a purely track bike. sorry for the confusion.

Kayce

At the top of this tread you said you wanted a track racer for an occasion street ride, now you are saying the opposite. Its hard to give good advice if you aren't sure what you want. What would be an estimation of how much on track time vs off track time you will ride from this bike?

Another question, what are you riding now?

Brian Ratliff

OP: Check out the Bare Knuckle from EAI. Classic steel; handles very well on the track, and has all the drillings for brakes and stuff you need for the road. Our track specialty store here in Portland, Bike Central (and the dude hates the whole "fixie" trend; he's an old school mechanic that served on some pro track teams in the past), sells a huge number of Bare Knuckles to track racers at Alpenrose. I've been racing track for a couple years now. Bike Central sold me a Bare Knuckle last month and I found, despite the frame becoming popular on the back of the fixie trend, it to be a very sound, true bred, track bike. First bike I've ridden (my first bikes were not good track bikes) that I've found to be rock solid stable going through the corner at 38mph in a match sprint.

Kayce: I'm getting that the OP is looking for a "real" track bike, not one of those piss-ant fixies that bike/frame companies throw together to please the street fixie trend. Something with track geometry and a real track fork, but has some brake holes so he can run it on the road.

carleton

Like others have said, first you have to decide how you want to use the bike (street or track).

Most people who race track (and other stuff) have a race bike and a street, road, commuter, or beater bike and leave their track bike setup for track.

There doesn't exist a bike that's great for track and for road use. Especially a "sprint" bike.

I don't know about your budget or finances, but if you can afford a dedicated track bike and another bike to ride locally, you'd probably be better off.

Many active track racers live more than 2 hours from a velodrome. I live 3.5 hours from Trexlertown and visit several times a month to train and race. That's normal.

chas58

If you want an errand getter, fun street bike that will see occasional track use, a steel bike will work great. You can even put front brakes on for street use.

Felt, Fuji, KHS, Bianchi all make some steel track bikes, and they typically sell for about $800 new, complete.

The dedicated track bikes are going to be very stiff on the road, beat up your tuckus and spine.

Its back to what do you want, and what do you want to use it for.

trevor_ash

I'm not familiar with most modern frames. My track race bike also happens to be a bareknuckle. It's light enough to not bother you and fits in your budget well. I've had one for about 5 years I believe. Still going strong, never had an issue. And yes, it's stiff and responsive (I've ridden a lot of steel track bikes, and this one is nicer than most, and cheap too).

No experience with aluminum or carbon so I am not a good benchmark.

The Bareknuckle also comes with a drilled fork which saves you a lot of $$$ right there. However, I have to tell you that it's a brutal ride for road riding/commuting unless you fully wrap the bars or wear heavy gloves. You also won't be able to fit a large tire in the back (I have a 54 I think, 23's fit easy, never tried 25's but it would be a tight squeeze if it does fit and you'd probably rub on occasion in turns)

If your budget is $2000. You have a LOT of options so I'm confident you'll find something you enjoy.

alvingogo

ok thanks for all the recommendations. looks like i'll be building a commuter bike. but i'll keep all of these in mind for when i do decide to dedicate some time to track racing.

doublegun

Check out the steel Masi frame, Special sprint.

https://www.masibikes.com/framesets/s...-sprint-frame/

I'm a track noob, and have a Felt TK2. Very happy with it. Good luck. A TK3 may be a nice project bike for you.

chas58

Nice bike. Welcome to the Forum!!!

mick_park

Hi All-
New to the forum-
I'm also prepping to get involved in track racing. I'm a former messenger; have been riding fixed gear sans brakes for about 6yrs.

I'm trying to decide whether to get a complete bike and replace a few key parts, or just build up a frame. Budgets are tight, BUT, I don't want to cheap out. Would it be better to buy a complete entry-level track bike new, and replace some things, or find a solid used track frame and spend my money on good components? A lot of stuff I've read seems to say to replace a ton of stuff on a new stock bike, so my thought is to skip the 'new' thing all together and build up from scratch using a gently used frame.

Your thoughts?

carleton

Buying a-la-carte is expensive and only serves the rider who knows exactly what he/she wants.

If money is tight and you don't have any particular preferences, I'd suggest that you get the best complete track bike (not street "fixie") that you can afford.

Being that winter is approaching and sales will go down in the annual cyclical dip plus the model years will change after interbike (this week), you may be able to save a few bucks and find a good deal.