improper installation of BB could seriously damage the frame. since her knowledge of bike mechanics and terminology is somehow limited, maybe OP should ask someone with experience to show her how to install it first.

agreed

do you still have the bike pictured in your avatar? if so, why rush to build up the somec
with parts that you're just going end up replacing in the long run.

besides that's the great thing about a track bike, there are hardly any parts to buy, so
why not make sure they are quality.

i just don't understand why you would buy a nice track frame only to build it up with low
quality parts. if you don't really care, then buy a low quality track frame to match those
low quality parts that you want to buy.

...then sell me the somec so i can put some nice nos vintage campy parts on it.

I'm with you Seaden. You don't have to spend a ton t make this a nice bike that you love.

The one thing I would suggest to you that others have: Take your time building this up. Be mindful as you go. ENJOY the process of selecting parts, hunting for bargains and building.

It took me a week to build my first conversion, and it's taking me months to build my Soma. I built the conversion fast, because I wanted to RIDE. I'm taking my time with the currernt project for 2 reasons: I want it to be really nice when I'm done, someting I can be proud of, and I'm also savoring the process of building.

Savor this project. Enjoy the process of building it as much as you will eventually enjoy riding it. Choose the parts that make you happy. Splurge where you feel you need to splurge, but not because some online bike geek says "you can't put road cranks on a track bike!"

Above all SLOW DOWN! 2 days ago you were saying "I think I might get a track frame" then BAM you snap up this Somec! You're very vulnerable to suggestion now. I suggest before you buy anything else you wait till you have the frame in hand. Polish it up with a diaper, and take it to bed with you for a few nights. Let yourself fall in love with it, and then move forward mindfully.

Thems my 4¢

BTW Vomitron is totally full of ****. If you didn't get that yet.

Hehe, you're silly.

Alright, so you say they put extra material in the cranks (I'm assuming, you never really specified, but since you said the BB can't handle the load you must mean it's weak, therefore has less material) to handle the load, but as a physicist you must also know force balancing. That is, if he puts 180 pounds on a track crank that flexes little, or a road crank that flexes more, once the material is done flexing that 180 pounds is still placed directly onto the bottom bracket. Now, it doesn't matter if it is applied in forward motion or rear, as the BB shell doesn't get much torque from the crankset, only the forces.

The frame must then have extra material? Well, no, as track bikes are designed to take very specifically meted forces, not including being ridden roughly on the street, although they can be used for such. And the force a track rider places on the bike is no more than that of the same racer on a road frame, as if they're on the same ratio there is no difference when accelerating except for slightly higher drivetrain resistance on the road bike.

Now, tubulars. They actually have a higher rolling resistance, but the lower weight of both the tubular and tubular-specific rim decreases the rotational inertia of the wheelset, making accelerating, such in track sprints, far easier. However, due to the greater flexes in tubular tires, they have a tiny amount MORE rolling resistance.

So therefore, if you have tubulars on your bike, due to THEIR higher rolling resistance, they must be putting undue stress on YOUR bike, which is liable to fail at any moment apparently! AND you're putting more stress on the BB shell by allowing for less flex in the crank, making a more drastic application of load possible! You better just give your bike(s) to me so they can be safeguarded and made suitable for track application...

[/thinks he knows it all Junior in Mechanical Engineering who hates ignorance rant over]

As for your bike, I'd go with mattface's suggestion. Wait for deals, wait for the right part, don't just throw money at companies until you get something that's ok.

So wait...unless you got an absolute STEAL on that Somec, why are you worried about putting nice parts on it? Most newbies don't just stumble across Somec frames...

She just spent $400 on a frame on impulse, and probably doesn't have much left to buy components.

That's why I say slow down, and move forward mindfully from here on out. Aside from the potential of buying expensive parts on impulse. You also stand a very good chance of buying parts that won't fit if you're not careful. So just take time to consider each part carefully before you buy it. Make sure it will fit with all the other parts you already have. That way you'll have a bike that is perfect wether or not the parts are expensive if they are all good quality, and fit correctly, your bike will work great.

Make sure you buy parts you feel good about, but ignore the fashion police who say you can't ride a Somec with out period Campy components on it. It's your bike no one has to like it but you.

+1. Patience is a virtue. Have fun, enjoy it. Do what thou wilst.

Calm down lady. No one is telling you to spend bling bucks on the bike, just suggesting that you should take your time and pick your parts carefully. We've all been where you are now and have learned from experience and it tells us that you will sooner or later want to up grade if you get cheaper parts so why waste the money now. And no one is telling you to get campy record or sugino gigas, just that you should get cheap bits. A 75 is a nice in between so are the miche gruppo. We're all excited for you that you have this bike and also want to see you build it up but just wanted to give you some suggestions since we get this a lot from 'newb' and we don't want to see you post a month from now asking what new parts you should upgrade to.

just my .51348513982 cents.

You can use uncooked spaghetti as cranks if you want, they just might not hold up as well. That being said, I've been using a set of Shimano Ultegra 600's without much problem (except my first bottom bracket crapping out of me, but it was old as hell, so ..). If you're going to buy something new, might as well be something really up for the task. If its a hand me down, enjoy using it if its decent quality.

naw that's exactly what they're not saying. it's best to get a track crankset because you'll have more difficulty getting the right chainline with a road crankset, and it'll irritate you and it makes having a track frame kinda pointless, or at least it'll nullify the advantages of having one over your, is it a motobecane? your conversion anyway.

so folks are suggesting the sugino options because they're cheaper than campy/dura exotica.

and it does make sense, since you have a bike to ride, to buy decent track stuff for the track frame, even if you don't buy everything at once.

from my own experience, upgrading to a solid track drivetrain (miche cranks and hubs w/campy bb—quality, dedicated and economical) was a terrific move.

you will be happy in the long run spending the $200 or so a decent crankset and bb costs, and you won't have to upgrade, ever.

a decent track wheelset can be had relatively cheaply. just be sure to buy a decent cog.

this can be done without spending a lot of money, and you'll appreciate the bike a lot more with the right stuff on it. you'll learn from the bike better too.

yeah i think vomitron needs to spend a minute drawing force diagrams. he may be right about internal stresses on road cranks, i'm not sure seaden or many of us here would ride fast/hard enough to yield, fatigue over long enough time maybe...but as far as the bottom bracket shell, no way would road cranks cause explosions.

who made that infamous line of road doubles made out of plastic explosives? those made my bottom bracket explode. maybe that's what vomitron is talking about.

I can't believe Vomitron is a Physist, and there is NO WAY I would ever take his advice about which bike parts are or aren't likely to fail.

Doesn't anyone else remember THIS? http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=seatpost

So Vomitron, what seatpost do you think she should use?

oh ****!


lol

That was me using non-track parts with a track bike. See what happens?

I'M A PHYSICIST GOD DAMN YOU.

Physicist by day, camp counselor by night. MY camp counselor told me never to use track cranks on a road frame, because the extra stiffness would cause the bottom bracket to IMPLODE.

Those damn physicist camp counselors can never agree on anything. I'd much rather hear from a mechanical engineer/waiter.

i'm with the folks who said take your time, and build it up with quality parts.
doesn't mean you have to break the bank buying NOS campy, but since you already have a rideable bike, there's not a HUGE rush to build it (well, other than that you want to ride it RIGHT NOW ;)).

you'll be happier in the long run if you take a little loger and go with higher quality parts.

sorry guys...I know you meant well I just felt a little like I was being pushed to a corner and pointed at.

Anyway I will look around for some quality cranks. My lbs is owned by a japanese racer and I'll bring in the frame for him to give me advice on. Especially what kind of track cranks to buy...the Jis or ISO or whatever. THat is the main part right...good cranks and bb. btw do track bikes take the 1/8 or 3/32 chain and cog?

Dolface! I did see those campy cranks you have on ebay...woah! pretty stuff!

doesn't the frame come with a bb? just checked, it does come with one, a sugino, and since it's raygunner ish, it'll prolly be a good one.

you can run 3/32" or 1/8" on track bikes, doesn't make any functional difference (some folks say they worry about 3/32" chains breaking, but it's not a big issue).

main thing is, since the frame is small, you're gonna want to run 165's to minimize pedal strike and toeverlap.

Oh, snap! It's like the Willie Horton of the Exploding Bottom Bracket thread '06! Mattface, you Swift Boat Veteran, you!

where besides ebay and lbs could I find 165mm track cranks?

PS...I wasn't planning on buying anything before I got the frame unless raygunner was planning to sell me some gipemme track cranks.

seaden - im gonna bump a thread for you. look for "useful fixed gear links"

if you want gipemme's (it's spelled 'gipiemme'), ebay and cl are your best bet, since they're not made any more (the company was bought in '89, and now makes mountain bike stuff i think).

although i've come upon this thread somewhat late, i must say that i do not recommend sugino rds at all. they flex a lot. i even noticed the flex before i had ever tried anything else for comparison. rds are road cranks, plain and simple. they were used on the bianchi pista in '05, but are not at all singlespeed or fixed specific. my friend uses my old set on his road bike.

in any case, my point is just that, if you want to buy road cranks and a bottom bracket to get you going for now, i would really advise picking up a pair of older shimano 105 or 600/ultegra road cranks rather than some faux-track crap like the rd. you'll find that the shimanos are substantially stiffer. you will certainly be able to find a nice used set that you can use with a cheap shimano un53/73 107mm sealed bottom bracket for a decent track (42-43mm) chainline. if you go that route, the set will almost certainly have a 42 tooth chainring, which will give you a good starting ratio with a standard 16 tooth cog in the rear. you just take off the larger ring, buy some single stack chainring bolts (since you will only have one ring now) and you're golden. total investment will be about $55-$75 - probably $30-40 for the crankset, another $25-35 for the bottom bracket. this will get you riding, which is what matters.

then, when you decide to pick up sugino 75s (they are the way to go to maximize quality:cost ratio), you will be able to keep the 107mm bottom bracket that you have until you can later afford the proper 109mm sugino bottom bracket (or, alternatively, the shimano dura-ace 109 square taper cartridge.. or, the ultrabling hatta). it will allow you to upgrade when you can afford to, instead of having your frame sitting in the corner for a few more months.