Single Speed death trap. Why is my bike posessed? Newbie ? re: track frame geometry
 

Saturday is the third time this bike tried to kill me. It drives fine in a straight line - very responsive and as fast as the wind. But when I took a gentle 15 mph corner over the weekend, I had to go off the road - I felt like I would have dumped it had I not gone off the road on purpose. I feel like I sit real high on the bike and feel "topheavy" - like driving a 15 pass. van vs. a Corvette. The bike seems to have incredible straight-line directional stability and is happy going straight, but to feel safe and in control in turns, I have to slow it way down. Maybe this is normal for a track bike - I don't know. My regular bike is a '67 Paramount P-10. Compared to it, this bike is a whirling dervish on acid. Thanks for the comments on the headset. The headset is a little crunchy at the far right end of its travel when I turn it in free space, but a gentle bump with my finger will move it through full travel. Perhaps when I get on this under load, it gets real tight for some reason and is causing the problem. Thanks for any insight. I will try again to load pictures from tinypic -Andy

CANT MAKE PHOTO LOAD. Sorry. Try HTTP://Tinypic.com/r/11ttp4h/5 or http://i42.tinypic.com/11ttp4h.jpg

What was wrong with the other thread you started that was exactly the same as this one?

Couldn't make photo load. Thanks to the responder who recommended tinypic.com.

A: Fix your headset, that means until it is smoothly moving throughout the full range.

B: Sounds like you are turning your bars way too much by this description. It is impossible to diagnose such problems online, find an experienced rider and ride with them, have them observe you. That said, if you are turning your bars more than a pinch, you are trying to control your turn with your bars instead of your lean. That's a recipe for disaster. Lean more, turn less, way way less.

Are you riding the flats or the drops when cornering?

If your bike does manage to kill you, I'll take it.

I was thinking the same thing,

This bike seems too nice to be in the hands of someone this clueless though...

I smell a troll.

Unless there really is something terribly wrong with the bike. Even if there was, about 20 people on here would still buy it!

On Sat. it was the Flats. Hunkered down on drops, it's better, but still scary.
 

On Sat. it was the Flats. Hunkered down on drops, it's better, but still scary.

the top tube looks bent...

It sounds like you suck at riding bikes... or something is terribly wrong with your bike.

I think maybe so too. That'll do it. Also is that a little ding on the top tube? Hard to tell from the photo tho.

That's just a ding from the end of the handlebars hitting it. It should not affect the handling.

I think the issue here is that this track bike has tighter geometry, a shorter wheelbase, and a higher bottom bracket than the bike the OP is used to riding.

That Cinelli is going to feel very twitchy compared to a 67 Paramount. And the reason you feel like you're sitting up higher is because you are, given a higher BB height. It's just a matter of getting used to it.

Could also be that OP is so used to coasting through corners he can't lean properly while pedaling.

This sounds like a bike handling problem, not a bike problem. Take your turns slower until you accustomed to the bike.