After months of agonizing wait, I finally saved up enough to buy a real bicycle. I'm going to go with the Mark V, but I have a few questions for you guys first:

How long does it usually take for Tony to get the bike to you, assuming the frame and all components are in stock?

I want to go with an all-black scheme, are IRO's cranks better than the "RPM (black) cranks"?

HOW TO TRACKSTAND?!?!

Man I'm so psyched.

i feel you i just snaged my first track frame today (a GT Track) and im really exited after riding a conversion for so long.

Info on trackstands, skids, skips, Mark V's, Pistas, Deep Vs, gearing, cranks, bags, white belts, NJS, pie, pirates, etc:

https://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?forumid=178

can't help you with trackstands. i've done them like 3 or 4 times, on accident each time.

lol. track/ss scene 101

There's an article by some MTB comp lady about how to do them that's pretty good. I can't for the life of me remember where, but oen of the things she recommends is getting something like a picnic table bench that you can roll up to and push your wheel against to help you learn how to balance. Then you start trying to back off and go back to it. Then you just do it all free like. I got it after two days doing that stuff.

Watch a video first to get a general idea of what they look like too.

Oh, and remember this: it's not about staying still, it's about moving back and forth slowly.

I doubt you actually did. There's a difference between a track stand and a momentary stall.

a socialist-punk roadie friend of mine just got his first fixed today, real excited

I ordered the parts for my Mark V from him around two years ago. I placed the order on a Saturday. Back then, I believe the main IRO phone like was actually Tony's cell phone. I believe he took my order from memory while driving his car. The order arrived perfectly on Tuesday (he must have shipped it Sunday).

Last Wednesday I ordered a wheelset for my girlfriend. This week has been really busy for IRO, given the sale. I believe it shipped Friday. It arrived today.


LOTS of threads on here on track standing! But here's my advice: find an open area like a parking lot, and just practice. Don't get discouraged; learning how to track stand is often all-or-nothing and it will eventually just click and everything will work from then on. Remember to tilt your bars 45 degrees either left or right, with the associated crank forward. In other words, if you feel more comfortable with your bars cocked left, then have your cranks paralell to the ground with your left crank forward. Also, when I was first learning, I found it easier to lean forward and rest most of my body weight on my arms (instead of having the weight on the cranks). As with any balancing act, the easiest way to keep your balance is to choose an object either on the horizon or on the ground and just stare at it; your body will automatically do all of the correction.

For your first trackstand, definitely make sure you are clipped in or strapped in really tight, it just makes it way easier to balance.

nah, none have been momentary. they've mostly been at lights where i didn't feel like unclipping, but had to stay on the bike for 30 seconds to a minute...i'm often able to keep rolling, but in these occasions, i couldn't, and just used back and forth pressure on the pedals and playing with the front wheel to stay upright. they haven't been pretty, but they keep me upright and in one spot while waiting for the light. i think they'd happen more often if the situation were replicated--being around people i didn't want to fall in front of, so i was trying extra hard. when it's just me, i'll stall a bit, but as soon as balance even wavers slightly, i figure "who am i trying to impress?" and just put a foot down.

hahaha..

Hey, it's true! Plus the inverted cycling practice you get in later is good in case gravity decides it needs to switch itself about.