mark1914

Joy! My Moto Track arrived yesterday! Ordered it Monday got it Thursday. I couldn't wait to get home after work and bust the box open. I got the necessary tools except for a chain whip lockring tool. Unboxed it and put it together. There was a small paint chip missing on the rear stay but it wasn't dented. Oh well adds character I suppose. I'm impressed by the weight and feel of the bike. It is rather "snug" in the top tube to jewels area. I probably should have gotten the 54" but I can manage.

Btw I got the mink blue to match my Trek Discovery Edition roadie. I do plan on getting a chain whip and lockring tool today from REI. I need to visit a LBS for a 20mm nut for the front brake. Somehow I've got to get that cable cut too. I'm excited to finally try fixed gear riding! I know it will take some time to get used to pedaling all the time. I want my first upgrades to be a seat and good pair of bullhorns. Any suggestions?

thisisbenji

Make sure to tighten the lockring really good before you try resisting the pedals. That thing slips like no other.

I hope your as happy with yours as I am with mine!

Btw, I see your from St. Louis, MO I have a road race out there, well kinda(In St. Charles), in a couple of weeks. I'm excited.

mark1914

Nice. Yeah it was pretty tight out of the box. Now I can give a first ride report

Fixed gear is totally different!!! I almost fell twice as I forgot I couldn't coast. Getting my feet into the straps was impossible! I can't pedal and try and get my foot in at the same time. Now I need a front break! Do I need to buy the cutters? Could I just use some regular electrical wire cutters?

thisisbenji

Whatever you can get a clean cut with. The pedals and clips that come with the bike are impossible, you should get ride of those promptly... (mine broke in two days).

TejanoTrackie 

Electrical wire cutters are worthless on steel cable. You need a cutter that acts like a shear, the way a scissors does. You can buy a good set of steel cable cutters for about $25.

escoe

well i just read the whole thread ....after i already ordered my track wednesday.

im 6'0 even with a 34 inseam. i went with the 58cm. i hope i made the right choice. my original plan was to order the kilo but it was sold out and of course it came back into stock as im waiting for my track. o well , new plan is to eventually switch out the frame in the future if i can find a buyer for this moto track frame

dont know where im going with the post...i was just throwing it all out there

i currently have a giant roam1...its a hybrid. basicially a mountain bike with 700c wheels except i have 700x28c road tires and an aero bar. and i flipped the stem to give it negative degrees.

decided to get a ss track/road bike for the simplicity and to ride while bar hopping in the french quarter

tharris

I just ordered my Mink Blue Track today.

I bought it to be a cheap commuter, so I'm going to put a freewheel on it.

Two questions: What size freewheel should I get? I live in a pretty flat area, but there are some bike paths with a few hills that would be nice to try. 90% of my riding would be done on roads with very little elevation changes, though.

Also, what tools do I need? I know everyone says to tighten everything when you get this bike, but I'm not going to ride it fixie, so I'm going to forgo the lockring wrench (I'll buy one if I ever change my mind). I assume I'll need some cone wrenches. Anything else? I'd like to buy all of the tools before the bike gets here so I can hit the ground running (rolling?).

Thanks in advance for any advice!

SSbalt

15mm wrench, and a set of allen keys should get you going.

tharris

Thanks for the advice!

I think I'm leaning towards an 18T freewheel, to make it 46/18.

mauricelm

I have been very happy with my motobecane even though everyone thinks they are crap. Having two old steel bikes the motobecane is my first new steely. I have changed almost everything on it which was my intent because I wanted to fully customize it and most of the components were crap anyways. Here is the list of things I have changed:

-Cobra Risers (white)
-All-City track grips (pink) got them for the cheap
-Brooks B17 (honey)
-Gr9 MKS pedals
-Mks Toes clips
-leather straps
-Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 23c
-Specialized tubes
-Origin8 80mm stem
-Shimano 18t Freewheel
-Niterider Minewt 150
-Planet Bike 5 LED tail light
-Red Knog
-Water bottle cage from LBS
-Inertia Designs Saddle bag

Thats my build so far hopefully soon I will replace my seat post and cranks out but right now they work great.

homebrewk

I actually really like the color combo on your bike; however, why do you have just a rear brake?

jasonnc80

I think they come setup that way from BD

OP should prob move it to the front

homebrewk

That's odd.

Scrodzilla

BD doing something janky? That's not odd at all.

homebrewk

True.

mauricelm

Thanks Homebrew, I really need to get a front brake bad I've just been putting it off.

homebrewk

No problem. Just be careful.

SSbalt

My Windsor Hour(same thing as a moto track) also came with just a rear brake. I didn't really have the longer nut required, nor the know-how to install it as a front properly.

Took it to the LBS and they threw it on for $10 bucks and that included the piece they added.

I've only got about 20 miles on it so far w/ the brake but so far so good. Definitely very happy I got a brake put on. I feel a lot safer bombing down hills knowing its there.

mauricelm

Ye I am going to get a front brake this weekend because I have had a couple close calls where I really needed another brake. Yesterday was the first day I have taken the track out in the rain and I had a hard time stopping. Have you done anything to the Windsor Hour or is it stock?

bluntmonster

So you paid $10 for a nut and five minutes of someone's time?
I guess you've got more cents than sense.

Scrodzilla

Your lbs charged you for that???

homebrewk

Seriously...

TejanoTrackie 

Extra long brake nuts aren't free, and can easily cost $10+ if you order them. Just because some lbs comp them to good customers doesn't mean they have to. Also, shop labor isn't free, and workers have to be paid regardless of whether a customer pays for their time. My lbs was nice enough to trade me a short nut that they really didn't need for a long one, because I've done thousands of dollars of business with them in the past, but I doubt they would have otherwise. Also, I didn't waste their time installing it.

Scrodzilla

We seriously have a one-gallon bucket about half full of brake nuts in just about every length imaginable at the shop and I would never charge someone to "fix" something that takes less than a minute. Maybe that's just me...

SSbalt

Hrmm, guess I got ripped off then. $10 for peace of mind seemed worth it to me. If i had the knowledge I guess I would have just asked to buy an appropriate length nut from them and do it myself - but I was feeling lazy and had the bike in the shop buying a lock ring spanner and some other odds-and-ends anyway.