carleton

?

Where are you looking?

Here are 9 track drops in 31.8: https://www.benscycle.com/

Or just go to Bike Central in Portland. They have just about anything you'd need for track racing in stock on the shelves: https://www.bike-central.com/.

Huffandstuff

I just googled it and then checked out Amazon and couldn't find much.

I've been trying to get to Bike Central for about 2-3 weeks now but work has been insane and I finally got off early on Friday but you know, snow and stuff.

Brian Ratliff

Deda has some pretty good 31.8 track drop bars. It's what I use. They come in either steel or aluminum.

carleton

I just stopped by Bike Central and they had an entire rack of dozens of different aluminum and steel track bars of all shapes and sizes. They also have high-end carbon bars in stock, too. I noticed Alpina Sprint bars and 3T Scattos.

I've found their prices to be as good or close to online prices. Plus you don't have to pay for shipping and you are supporting a local shop.

Also, don't be afraid to use shims like 25.4 to 31.8. I've used shims for years and they hold fine. They are tricky to get in place perfectly, but once set, they don't budge.

Edit:

There are other great shops in Portland that have track equipment. I just know that Bike Central has this stuff.

Huffandstuff

I always buy local, I just use the internet to see what all is available and read reviews. Guess I'll cut out early today and hopefully swing down to see what they've got.

carleton

(Forgive me if you know this already)

Also, don't forget that you don't need deep drop, sharp bend "track" bars to race on the track. Most endurance racers uses standard road bars in the width of their choosing. You can find some road bars in 40cm or less. I have 40cm Zipp Service Course SL bars on my road bike. It really depends on if you need to do standing starts or not. Scattos seem to be the only popular bars between both Sprint and Endurance riders. But those aren't cheap.

Huffandstuff

I did not know that but currently have only one set of drops and they are in use so would you recommend track drops or a road bar for a first time racer?

Kayce

Recomendations are hard, I prefer laying out pros and cons.

"Track bars" look cool, designed for the velodrome, have clearance for standing starts, easier to find real narrow.

"Road bars" more shapes and sizes, generally cheaper, easier to ride warm up and recovery, easier to set up similar on your road bike.

carleton

Yeah, these guys are using regular road bars:



About half of these ladies are using Scattos:



One reason why Scattos are popular with both sprinters and enduros is because:
- They clear the forearms during the standing start for spriters. With traditional bars, you would get bruising on the forearms.
- They have a comfortable "compact" drop shape that is popular on the roadie scene.
- They are short and shallow.
- They are narrow at 35 or 37mm. A big plus for ladies who may have a hard time finding bars narrow enough.




Now compare that bend to the previous reference sprint bar, the Easton EC90:



So, unless you have $400 for Scattos, you have to pick which qualities you want:

Clearing of the forearms for standing starts or comfortable compact bend to endure longer races.

You can (and probably will) change bars later on. We all have gone through several bars till we found what we liked. So, really you are just picking a starting point.

So, it starts with what type of riding you think you'd like to try: Sprinting, All-Around, Long stuff.

If it's All-Around or Long, then look into regular road bars in a narrow width (no wider than 40cm). If sprinting, go for aluminum or steel sprint bars.

What is your budget?

Huffandstuff

Trying to stay around or under a hundred. Ideally I'd like to do sprint oriented things since it seems more exciting but who knows if I'll be Any good at it.

carleton

Look into steel Nitto B123 if you have big hands (longer grip area) or Nitto Bi25 if you have smaller hands. Those are around $80. You will need a 25.4 - 31.8mm shim ($5?). The lighter heat treated aluminum "AA" variants are close to $100-120. The Dedas that Brian mentioned are in your range too. They come in Aluminum or Steel.

Choosing handlebars is like choosing a guitar. You can do lots of research, but it really comes down to holding them to make the final decision. One tip: DO NOT HOLD GUITARS THAT YOU CANNOT AFFORD. This makes sadness.

Impreza_aL

i ride the deda 01 on my road bike and love them. i rode the deda zero 100s 40 c-c last year which i believe are the same shape just a lighter aluminum. i had to move to the deda 01s since they are only model that come in 36cm c-c. yes 36 c-c on the road! i rode with rotundos 40 c-c last year on the track. i picked up the scattos 35cm for the track bike this year. it'll be my first time riding them. i'm probably going to regret it after the first night of mass starts. i was supposed to have madison practice this wednesday but realized i can't because i don't have anywhere to place my non throwing hand. i had another set of deda 01 but i had to throw them on a spare road bike i'm borrowing.

rotundos



deda zero 100s



3t scatto


nitto b125aa



lulz

Huffandstuff

Well they had a set of 40cm deda drops in black for fifty bucks so that sold me.

carleton

iz gud deel.




Seriously. Those are good bars.

carleton

Does anyone here use Wahoo Fitness for speed, cadence, and possibly power data?

A Wahoo rep wrote this on DC Rainmaker's site:

I'm hoping to get a sample (non normalized) raw file to see how much data I'd receive. I don't need speed, cadence, AND power in the file. Just one of those will suffice for my analysis. Can anyone offer me a small file to view before I invest in this product?

Thanks!

Carleton

noglider 

Carleton, what's the deal with your avatar? There must be a story.

carleton

This used to be my avatar:


Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Well, some think that the cop is Carlton's fairer-skinned cousin. So, I went with it.

I've also used this (for the videogamer in me):

sbs z31

Do people use any of the ISM saddle for track racing?

carleton

They aren't very popular. I've never seen one at the track. I think Rebecca Romero used to ride one. But, she's a dedicated pursuiter (steady-state, no in and out of the saddle).

They aren't very good if you need to get in and out of the saddle like in a mass start race or match sprint and this is why:



I've heard of people slipping off of them on normal road/tt bikes. If that happens, you just coast and hop back up there. You can't really do that on the track.

The way you sit on them is quite different than normal saddles. Basically, you perch your "sit bones" on the edge...and your perineum (and your junk) hangs in front and doesn't get squished. I found one at a swap meet for cheap and tried it on my trainer...for 10 minutes. It never made it to the track.

A decent compromise is the Cobb Cycling saddle made by John Cobb (the same guy who designed the ISM):

(Pete Billington's Kilo setup)


It works. I used it for a while at the track when I was training in aero bars or using really deep drop bar setups. It feels good, but it was a bit wide for me and seemed to get in the way during high-cadence efforts. I used it for about a month then went back to standard saddles. Maybe I should have tried one of the more narrow options.



Cobb Cycling has a nice trial program where you can try any of their saddles for a month and return it to the shop if you don't like it no questions asked.

Hida Yanra

I use an ISM in my pursuit setup, but it doesn't work for me in a mass-start setting.

There are several women (cat1s FWIW) I've seen that use them in mass-start racing.
I'm not sure about getting in and out of the saddle, but the people I've seen use them love it.

Baby Puke

Here's something random: How long should one expect a carbon track frame to last?

rensho3

I have been using the Adamo Attack for about a month. Once you get used to it, it works just fine, and you don't have that nasty numbness in your special place after a long race. It probably is not for everybody, but if you need it, you have more incentive to accommodate to it. Once you get past 60, your prostate might demand it, like mine did.

noglider 

I'm not being flippant: what does last mean? Or better, what does wear out mean? Or do they last until they break?

Baby Puke

Your question is a more specific restatement of my question. Anybody got any knowledge of the answer?

Brian Ratliff

I would expect the frame, if it fails at all, to start failing at the carbon/metal glued joints. I had a Trek Madone 2006 come apart at the bottom bracket, with the joint between the bottom bracket sleeve and the frame failing. I've seen this happen to other people's frames as well. I would expect the bottom bracket it the only part which will show actual wear as the frame ages. The dropouts might be the other place, but the bottom bracket, I think, is the weak link.

My Madone lasted 5 years and was replaced on warranty. The bottom bracket failure might have been exasperated by heavy use on a trainer, or it might have been a simple manufacturing defect. I am now of the opinion, though, that using a bike on a trainer that grasps the rear dropouts increases stress on the frame at the bottom bracket.

I wouldn't expect a track specific frame to wear out under almost any circumstance, if its use is limited to rollers and the track. Also, carbon track frames are built much more ruggedly (at least Dolans are) than their road bike counterparts. Basically, barring crash damage, I wouldn't expect the frame to last any shorter than an aluminum frame.