Wow great find! Not sure if I am going to make any decisions right now though I've got school in the fall up in college station and will be training exclusively for tri's while I'm up there and later on for the MS-150. However it'll give me time to save up for next summer. Thanks again I'll know who to contact if I ever have velodrome questions, your the man Carleton.

The Tiemeyer is stiffer. Much stiffer. 5 out of 5. I would put it on par with any sprint bike on the market (BT, Dolan, Corima, etc...).

During the planning stage, I told Mr. Tiemeyer how much I weigh and the kind of wattage that I was putting out and he made some changes to my frame that he doesn't do by default. The top tube is wider where it meets the head tube then it tapers to normal size. Plus he he used tubing that is thicker than normal. I can't flex the rear triangle no matter how much I try.

Thanks! But TejanoTrackie has many, many more years on the track than I do. He's forgotten more things about track racing than I'll ever know.

Carleton, the point I was making about the Madone is this:

Why spend that much money on a bike that only LOOKS like it might be race worthy (only to people who don't really know much about cycling)? Because 1) that bike isn't a track bike, it could potentially be used as one (maybe, I'm not certain really I don't know a lot about track racing). and 2) it isn't a road bike that could be used for road racing (because of the lack of gears) again sure maybe it could be used but why? If your spending that kind of money wouldn't it just be best to A) buy a dedicated track bike or B) buy a dedicated road bike or even C) buy a track bike that can also double as a road bike if you throw some gears on it.

Unfortunately that is a pretty expensive bike that can't really be used for much other than riding relatively casually (which is perfectly fine) but if that's the only riding you'll be doing you'd be better off saving your money and buying something cheaper that will serve you just as well.

Maybe I'm completely off base, but it just seems like a waste to me.

Also, about the making bikes look like they are used for racing i.e. people running brakeless with track drops around their suburbs, I think that's one of the dumbest fad's there is and I think that is pretty pointless and a waste of money too.

The Madone is just an expensive piece of jewelry, but if you can afford it why not? Clearly, it can't be used for racing, but that is not its purpose or market. Personally, I have no use for that sort of image accessory, but I have no problem with other people who are into that sort of thing. As to unskilled suburbanites riding bikes with track drops and no brakes on the street, Darwin will eventually take care of this problem.

You're railing against something that people don't care about. Think the owner of a roofing company who came in and bought a $10k Pinarello dogma with super record gives a ****? I don't think so.

Hahaha!