It couldnt possibly be girly... it's red!

it feels tough, but if it was made compact I'm sure I could climb better.

OK track stars: got any tips on gear selection for track. New bike comes standard with 48x16, but how do you figure out what other ratios to buy?

Do I get a 14 and 15 straight up, plus a 17 for violently windy days? Invest in 49 and 50 rings as well to split the range of available ratios neatly?

you should get all of that

48x16 is a good gear to start, I have that or a 48x15.

Bigger gears are very hard to get started and are mostly for sprints. For good all around track use a 48x16 is good, just work on getting the spin going and you'll be fine. Smaller gears work better for quick accelarations which is important in most of the track racing you will do.

Guys like Brad and Mellish fly on those sorts of ratios.

Buy a 49, 13, 14, 15.

That should see you through.


Maybe a 50 ring if you start making a big wheelrace finals.

It's a pretty long and shallow track which suits bigger ratios, but by the same token its open to some hell winds! However I just found a nice little article which explains the difference between ratios in reverse: at some speed (say 50kmh) the difference between two ratios can be pretty small in terms of cadence.

Are you allowed to ride with two sprockets on a flip-flop, or do you have to remove the one that's not in use?

Big wheelrace finals? Hmmm... that'll be just a little while away.

So I'll take your advice and climbo's and just get a one or two extra gears. I can always throw away more money later

It's sounds strange, but some riders prefer bigger chainrings over smaller ones. Sprinters tend to use 47, 48, 49. The endurance riders 50....53

Yeh....bigger rings seem to "roll" better. Don't ask me to explain why....I have no idea.

Same on the road.

search the road forums, I'm sure there's been plenty of bull**** tossed around on that subject.

not all flip flop hubs have lockrings on both sides, make sure it's fixed/fixed compatible. Damon would know for sure what the ruling is on that one, I have no idea but I'll have a guess and say it's a no-no.

Yeah, but they reckon 90rpm is a 'fast cadence'

LOL

newish forum. Actually gets a little bit of traffic

https://www.serotta.com/forum/index.php?

this one ain't bad neeva

https://weightweenies.starbike.com/phpBB2/

Next time you're in town, perhaps I'll give my self a coronary by trying to pace you for a bit on my cruiser...

Not really new, I've been posting/lurking over there
since 1999 (same year as Lance started taking. . .wait wrong thread).
It is in it's 3rd incarnation.
Very savvy group over there (which is why I lurk), including
Richard Sachs, Don Walker, Don Ferris, Curt Goodrich,
Sacha White, a few ex pros (belgian trade teams), a solicitor
or two (who else could afford the new Serotta $8000 frame and
fork!).
No aussie thread tho.
oh yeah Thylacine posts there too, by invitation from e-richie!.

marty

jock, I was slightly incorrect, I have a 14 and 15 cog for my track bike. 48x14 is pretty big, 92 gear inches, equivalent to about your 53x15.5. Changing cogs is easier than rings so start with the 16, then go to the 15 or 14 if you need to. Of course you'll need the tools to change cogs with if you don't already.

So what track bike did you plump for?

I'm about to make the leap too... almost picked one up back home....ran out of time.

Was going to buy a crap KHS, but settled on a crap 2005 Raceline instead. Puss silver/grey colour, but I'll get over it once I rack up a win. :}

It was so easy to justify the extra $400, most of it in build quality of the frame alone. Rest is in overall weight, >1kg diff I'd reckon. I read yesterday that the frame on the Raceline is actually a MONOC (Czech I think) and they aren't too shabby.

Weird....no threads titled "How fast is Cat IV compared to Cat V?" or "What helmet mirror do you use??"


That's no bike forum!!

LOL, nice one Ed !

sarcasm is my strongpoint....

Be sure to read the posts made by 'jerk'. Hilarious.

the bikes ain't bad either