eyefloater

While you're in the neighbourhood, what did Marinoni come up with design-wise for your custom FCV bike? I remember reading either here or on fixedgearfever that you had one built. Let me know please if you get a chance.

Mike T.

Good memory! I had many talks with builder Luc and I wondered if our "extreme" track (short radius, very steep) needed anything "extreme" in geometry. I'd been using a 77 degree head & seat angled early '70s Colnago for months (yep I measure the H&S angles at 77 and a very short trail) and I was not happy with its twitchy handling. It took total concentration.

Then I got to try a vintage "Lovell" track bike (Lovell - probably Canada's finest track rider turned quadraplegic who used to make frames) and that thing handled like a dream on the 50 degree bankings. I didn't want to ride my Colnago after that. I talked this over with Luc and as he used to make frames for Lovell he knew what geometry Lovell liked. I've seen Lovell race 6-day on a 55 degree/125 metre track (Delhi Ont in '74) so Jos knew what worked.

Luc suggested nothing extreme at all. We settled on this -

Seat angle 74.5°
Head angle 74.5°
Fork rake 34mm
Trail 58mm

The trail on my Colnago was (ouch!) 43mm.

The frame arrived 5 weeks later and was assembled and up the banking that evening. It rides very nice. Custom Marinonis are a great deal for $775 canadian for frame and fork!

Thanks for asking!

Meek

Umm 2043 by another Cogswell that bosses around Jetson.