Anyone Here Train On a Road-Bike
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Anyone Here Train On a Road-Bike
Or can you get away with training/riding streets with your fixed/singlespeed all the time?
Right now I have a dilemma; I want to race track, I want to ride track, but I'm currently obsessed with building a road bike with Dura-Ace 7400 parts I have collected over the years (just got the pedals yesterday!) but I'm having second thoughts. I can't build both bikes...Well actually I can but it would cost a lot of money.
So, I was thinking of grabbing a Euro-Asia "Godzilla" frame (their upgraded bareknuckle made in Japan that is better made with better materials). I can still use my Dura-Ace parts (crank, pedal, stem, post and I'll get hubs).
Any opinions?
Right now I have a dilemma; I want to race track, I want to ride track, but I'm currently obsessed with building a road bike with Dura-Ace 7400 parts I have collected over the years (just got the pedals yesterday!) but I'm having second thoughts. I can't build both bikes...Well actually I can but it would cost a lot of money.
So, I was thinking of grabbing a Euro-Asia "Godzilla" frame (their upgraded bareknuckle made in Japan that is better made with better materials). I can still use my Dura-Ace parts (crank, pedal, stem, post and I'll get hubs).
Any opinions?
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I'd think that unless one lived next to a velodrome and had unlimited access to the facility, a track racer would need to spend some time training on a road bike.
I sort of have the opposite problem with swimming - I race in open water, and I prefer to swim in open water. But because I don't live in Hawaii, I need to train in a pool 4 days a week.
But then, I'm not exactly sure what your question is. What bike do you have right now?
I sort of have the opposite problem with swimming - I race in open water, and I prefer to swim in open water. But because I don't live in Hawaii, I need to train in a pool 4 days a week.
But then, I'm not exactly sure what your question is. What bike do you have right now?
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System Six 4, Sram Rival. The shop said it was the last one off the line for that particular model. The only proof I have is my Cannondale headtube badge is upside down...sort of an homage from the workers or something . I've ridden about 30 miles on it and decided I want to ride classic road bikes. Cost me $2,400. I'm in the midst of selling it. I hope to get a bit more of it since it's a 2008 model and the last year they were made before Cannondale replaced it with the bloody "Six".
So I've collected almost all of DA 7400 8 speed and I'm just looking for a frame for it. I desperately want a Bridgestone RB-1, or a Panasonic, since they're Japanese (and so is Shimano...yes I'm one of those people...).
Please don't tell me to keep the Cannondale, I feel like a real ass on it. It's so "fancy" and it's just not me.
I contacted www.yellowjersey.org in Madison Wisconsin who has an account with Panasonic and they want $1,800 bucks for a frame!
So I paid a visit to Yojimbo's Garage run by Marcus (great fellow), and he had a Fuji he was dying to get rid of with a 1" threadless stem and a horrible (to me) paintjob. He said he'd give me the frame alone for about $350ish, and with the massive money I saved I could repaint it anyway I want and get a threaded straight fork I wanted.
EDIT: Maybe YellowJersey would consider a trade...
So I've collected almost all of DA 7400 8 speed and I'm just looking for a frame for it. I desperately want a Bridgestone RB-1, or a Panasonic, since they're Japanese (and so is Shimano...yes I'm one of those people...).
Please don't tell me to keep the Cannondale, I feel like a real ass on it. It's so "fancy" and it's just not me.
I contacted www.yellowjersey.org in Madison Wisconsin who has an account with Panasonic and they want $1,800 bucks for a frame!
So I paid a visit to Yojimbo's Garage run by Marcus (great fellow), and he had a Fuji he was dying to get rid of with a 1" threadless stem and a horrible (to me) paintjob. He said he'd give me the frame alone for about $350ish, and with the massive money I saved I could repaint it anyway I want and get a threaded straight fork I wanted.
EDIT: Maybe YellowJersey would consider a trade...
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ultimately the answer is yes.
You will need a road bike to train on. and no, it doesn't have to be made of unobtanium to be effective for training purposes.
How do you think it will feel to do a 3-5 hour ride on a fixie without the ability to shift for hills and other things, or when you want to do spin work and then mix it up with a little heavy work... you can't do that on a fixie without flipping the wheel during the ride which is a pain in the arse.
Anyway, good luck !
You will need a road bike to train on. and no, it doesn't have to be made of unobtanium to be effective for training purposes.
How do you think it will feel to do a 3-5 hour ride on a fixie without the ability to shift for hills and other things, or when you want to do spin work and then mix it up with a little heavy work... you can't do that on a fixie without flipping the wheel during the ride which is a pain in the arse.
Anyway, good luck !
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ultimately the answer is yes.
You will need a road bike to train on. and no, it doesn't have to be made of unobtanium to be effective for training purposes.
How do you think it will feel to do a 3-5 hour ride on a fixie without the ability to shift for hills and other things, or when you want to do spin work and then mix it up with a little heavy work... you can't do that on a fixie without flipping the wheel during the ride which is a pain in the arse.
Anyway, good luck !
You will need a road bike to train on. and no, it doesn't have to be made of unobtanium to be effective for training purposes.
How do you think it will feel to do a 3-5 hour ride on a fixie without the ability to shift for hills and other things, or when you want to do spin work and then mix it up with a little heavy work... you can't do that on a fixie without flipping the wheel during the ride which is a pain in the arse.
Anyway, good luck !
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Put the miles in on the road bike and use it for hill work. When you get closer to track season, transition to the track bike for intervals in your race-gearing or around it. That's my plan at least.
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A road bike is really helpful. On the other hand you could easily get a decent road bike and a raceable track bike if you started caring less about how **** looks and more about how it works. So I guess the question you should be asking yourself is which do you want more, to race well on a track or to have a bike road bike that looks exactly how you want?
ps the 7400 pedals are completely inappropriate for a road bike.
ps the 7400 pedals are completely inappropriate for a road bike.
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oh **** nevermind you haven't even sold your cdale yet, though I guess you don't ride it anymore? Are you just not riding or do you have a street fixie or something? If you want to race
ditch all your 7400 crap except maybe the pedals,
start actually riding the perfectly fine road bike you have instead buying bike ****,
now that dst is here start going on some group rides,
take your track classes on a rental
buy a reasonably priced track bike and race.
ditch all your 7400 crap except maybe the pedals,
start actually riding the perfectly fine road bike you have instead buying bike ****,
now that dst is here start going on some group rides,
take your track classes on a rental
buy a reasonably priced track bike and race.
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oh **** nevermind you haven't even sold your cdale yet, though I guess you don't ride it anymore? Are you just not riding or do you have a street fixie or something? If you want to race
ditch all your 7400 crap except maybe the pedals,
start actually riding the perfectly fine road bike you have instead buying bike ****,
now that dst is here start going on some group rides,
take your track classes on a rental
buy a reasonably priced track bike and race.
ditch all your 7400 crap except maybe the pedals,
start actually riding the perfectly fine road bike you have instead buying bike ****,
now that dst is here start going on some group rides,
take your track classes on a rental
buy a reasonably priced track bike and race.
DA 7400 is not crap. I find it immensely easy on the eyes and have been in love with it's aesthetics for a long time; so why do you care that I have them? I'm not allowed to buy pretty things? I mentioned it would be tough building two different bike, but I didn't say it was impossible, just expensive.
Regarding my parfectly good System Six and why I CAN'T ride it, it's because my right knee is broken and I had a seizure in November with leaking spinal fluid after they f'd up the NINE spinal taps they did on me.
I don't want to ride the System Six and risk damaging it and hurting it's resale value; after all I plan to use that money TO BUY A RACEABLE TRACK BIKE. I'm currently getting a really good deal on a 853 Fuji Roubaix Pro frame that I'm going to slap my DA 7400 on.
Seriously Dutret, get a life and stop the running commentary on everyone else's. It's getting old.
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DA 7400 is not crap. I find it immensely easy on the eyes and have been in love with it's aesthetics for a long time; so why do you care that I have them? I'm not allowed to buy pretty things? I mentioned it would be tough building two different bike, but I didn't say it was impossible, just expensive.
Regarding my parfectly good System Six and why I CAN'T ride it, it's because my right knee is broken and I had a seizure in November with leaking spinal fluid after they f'd up the NINE spinal taps they did on me.
I don't want to ride the System Six and risk damaging it and hurting it's resale value; after all I plan to use that money TO BUY A RACEABLE TRACK BIKE. I'm currently getting a really good deal on a 853 Fuji Roubaix Pro frame that I'm going to slap my DA 7400 on.
I don't want to ride the System Six and risk damaging it and hurting it's resale value; after all I plan to use that money TO BUY A RACEABLE TRACK BIKE. I'm currently getting a really good deal on a 853 Fuji Roubaix Pro frame that I'm going to slap my DA 7400 on.
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Did it ever occur to you that that the grace period for returning the bike had passed when the injuries happened?
I'm not afraid to "mess up the pretty new bike", I merely only got to ride it less than 50 miles before a friend backed his car into my leg. The bike is very fun to ride, it's fast as hell.
Stop trying to sound like some sort of badass, it's just tacky and useless on the internet. The thing about the internet is you can pretend to be a hardass and get away with it, but it doesn't make you one, k?
Stop belittling people you don't even know; it's uncouth and just plain rude.
I'm not afraid to "mess up the pretty new bike", I merely only got to ride it less than 50 miles before a friend backed his car into my leg. The bike is very fun to ride, it's fast as hell.
Stop trying to sound like some sort of badass, it's just tacky and useless on the internet. The thing about the internet is you can pretend to be a hardass and get away with it, but it doesn't make you one, k?
Stop belittling people you don't even know; it's uncouth and just plain rude.
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Maybe you'll end up racing but I doubt it, if you really want to and don't want to break the bank get over your late 80s early 90s fetish and ditch the 7400 and the system six frame and use the grand to find a good deal on a al/cf road frame and some intro track bike.
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except you've been making threads about how you didn't like the way the bike looked, weren't riding it and planning it's replacement since you bought it. Clearly you're the type of person who isn't satisfied with function in a bike(as you've praised the functional qualities of system six and rival) if it's not accompanied with whatever aesthetic you're into this year. God you're ****ing planning on using 7400 pedalsthere aren't many greater example of form over function(except maybe for a track sprinter) currently available to stick on your bike. Are you suffering with cleats on the road or are are you the sneaker on good looking pedal type?
Maybe you'll end up racing but I doubt it, if you really want to and don't want to break the bank get over your late 80s early 90s fetish and ditch the 7400 and the system six frame and use the grand to find a good deal on a al/cf road frame and some intro track bike.
Maybe you'll end up racing but I doubt it, if you really want to and don't want to break the bank get over your late 80s early 90s fetish and ditch the 7400 and the system six frame and use the grand to find a good deal on a al/cf road frame and some intro track bike.
I'm using the pedals because they come with the 7400 set; just wanted it to be complete, that's all. And I DO care about function; does that forbid me from using parts I find aesthetically pleasing? Need I remind you they're DA parts? Some of the best parts ever made in that era!
I bought the System-Six with the intention of road-racing. I no longer have road-racing ambitions, therefore the high-performance road-bike seems out of place, wouldn't you agree?
Did it ever, at ANY time, to NOT reply to this thread? That maybe it was a waste of time to criticize someone over the internet about their quirks and weird habits?
Dutret, this whole damn website is sick of your crap. Just keep your goddamn mouth shut if you don't have anything constructive to say.
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Back on topic:
You'll probably progress much faster if you have both a road bike and a track bike. Neither has to be great, but they should work well. As already mentioned, it's hard to get enough track time unless you have unlimited access. I get a *lot* of track time, and could get more, but I get a lot out of my road miles, including a lot of riding in mountains.
Nothing wrong with clips and straps on the track-- there are still plenty of people who use them and prefer them. I keep some around because they're really reliable, though I use clipless now.
You'll probably progress much faster if you have both a road bike and a track bike. Neither has to be great, but they should work well. As already mentioned, it's hard to get enough track time unless you have unlimited access. I get a *lot* of track time, and could get more, but I get a lot out of my road miles, including a lot of riding in mountains.
Nothing wrong with clips and straps on the track-- there are still plenty of people who use them and prefer them. I keep some around because they're really reliable, though I use clipless now.
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Originally Posted by Briareos
I'm using the pedals because they come with the 7400 set; just wanted it to be complete, that's all. And I DO care about function; does that forbid me from using parts I find aesthetically pleasing? Need I remind you they're DA parts? Some of the best parts ever made in that era!
#19
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Right some of the best parts of the era which are now outdated as ****. The point is that letting "being complete" force you into something that will make the bike significantly less rideable. You didn't answer my question anyway are you using the shimano cleats with the pedals or just sneakers hipster style.
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because it gets in the way of training. dt shifting sucks on fast group rides or even hard intervals. Unless you can quickly get to a rural area the same goes for tightening and loosening straps and I don't think I even have to explain the problems of 7400s and sneakers. If he had a functioning bike with it it would be a different story but he's selling rival at a loss for some nostalgic ideal. More importantly though it's his general approach to cycling which his posting history clearly shows is more concerned with looks and matching countries than actual riding.
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because it gets in the way of training. dt shifting sucks on fast group rides or even hard intervals. Unless you can quickly get to a rural area the same goes for tightening and loosening straps and I don't think I even have to explain the problems of 7400s and sneakers. If he had a functioning bike with it it would be a different story but he's selling rival at a loss for some nostalgic ideal. More importantly though it's his general approach to cycling which his posting history clearly shows is more concerned with looks and matching countries than actual riding.
Oh, and I'll be riding those clips hipster style until I'm comfortable with them, then use cleats.
The road-biking is purely for pleasure and keeping myself in shape; I'm not doing intervals on this bike I'm making, nor will I be riding with groups (you know people rode in groups with DT shifters before brifters right?). I ride alone at night when cars aren't out to get me and it's quiet.
I'm curious, why have you taken this subject to an almost crusade-like fervor? Does calling people out on the internet actually amuse or please you?
Like I said before, a lot of people are tired of your "You're a loser and I'm better than you for the following reasons..." attitude. It's absolutely unnecessary and you've turned a thread where I was asking for help into a flame-fest, good job.
I can't think of a better example of "if you don't have anything nice to say, STFU".
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You asked about a road bike to train for the track on. That means a bike for intervals and group rides. Assuming you have no pack riding experience group rides are by far the fastest way to become a safe and effective track racer. Yeah you can do them with dt shifters, even clips and cleats though you'll be getting in peoples way, but they just make everything harder/more dangerous especially for someone who hasn't been using them since before you were born.
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Meh. Track stuff just doesn't change that fast and it's entirely possible to do just fine on 20 year old equipment. It's the motor. Downtube shifters? People used them for thousands of years before STI was invented, and did pack rides on them just fine. Even crits. Is STI nice? Sure. Can you live without it? Absolutely.
And don't knock the hipster kids so much- there's a lot of them (at least around here), they're already into riding track bikes, and it's often easier to nudge them into racing on the track (and staying on the track) than it is to convert experienced roadies. Some of them even get pretty good at it.
And learning to ride at the local track will make him a better pack rider faster than riding group road rides will make him a better track rider. Way more people paying attention and correcting mistakes than on most group rides.
And don't knock the hipster kids so much- there's a lot of them (at least around here), they're already into riding track bikes, and it's often easier to nudge them into racing on the track (and staying on the track) than it is to convert experienced roadies. Some of them even get pretty good at it.
And learning to ride at the local track will make him a better pack rider faster than riding group road rides will make him a better track rider. Way more people paying attention and correcting mistakes than on most group rides.
Last edited by bitingduck; 03-09-09 at 08:58 PM.
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Meh. Track stuff just doesn't change that fast and it's entirely possible to do just fine on 20 year old equipment. It's the motor. Downtube shifters? People used them for thousands of years before STI was invented, and did pack rides on them just fine. Even crits. Is STI nice? Sure. Can you live without it? Absolutely.
And don't knock the hipster kids so much- there's a lot of them (at least around here), they're already into riding track bikes, and it's often easier to nudge them into racing on the track (and staying on the track) than it is to convert experienced roadies. Some of them even get pretty good at it.
I couldn't disagree more. On the track you're stuck with the other c's or d's who themselves aren't comfortable on the track and won't ride close to each other. Further total time actually riding shoulder to shoulder is limited to at most an hour a week. Group rides are longer and you will be surrounded by more experienced riders.
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I couldn't disagree more. On the track you're stuck with the other c's or d's who themselves aren't comfortable on the track and won't ride close to each other. Further total time actually riding shoulder to shoulder is limited to at most an hour a week. Group rides are longer and you will be surrounded by more experienced riders.
I see a lot of experienced roadies who are uncomfortable when they get on the track, but people who come out and spend time on the track come back and talk about how much the track improved their road riding.
And I occasionally see people with slotted cleats away from the track, including the odd elite rider. Anybody with a moderate amount of experience on them should be able to use them in a group ride on the road without any trouble.
And the 7400s and sneakers thing? So what. He'll figure it out really quick that he wants real bike shoes if he spends any time out on the track. We get lots of people who show up their first few times in sneakers, and then if they keep coming back they get better shoes and or pedals. If you spend any time over at fixedgearfever, there are quite a few people still using 7400s and other slotted systems.
You really don't need to have such a bad attitude towards new riders.
Last edited by bitingduck; 03-10-09 at 05:22 PM.