The skinsuit looks like it would be annoying to pee with, but if that's not an area of concern for you, then I don't see any other noticeable downsides.

/notcarleton
/alsonotactuallyfamiliarwithskinsuits, just making an observation :p

No problem!

Yeah, the one-piece suits are tough in the bathroom. But, the Castelli is a 2-piece suit which is just like a normal kit. Just the jersey is tight.

I was just shopping for a new road bike and tried a Madone 5.X with H2 geometry, a 6.x with H1 or H2 (they were fuzzy about it), a Giant TCR Advanced (I have the track version and like it), a specialized Roubaix, a Gary Fisher Cronus, and a BMC RaceMachine. All were new except the BMC, which was a year old but very lightly used by someone I know and in mint condition. I bought the BMC because it handled the best of all of them and felt to me like the most comfortable ride. The 6.X felt and handled a lot like the old OCLV 5000 that the new bike replaced. The Roubaix felt like a really upright cruiser. The TCR was nice, but a little twitchier than I like in front, though it was probably the best price/performance except for the BMC (which cost more than the TCR, even used).

Dear Carleton,

I've been riding my road bike for the past weeks and I think I've got the fit down perfect. My question is can I get my track bike to be as comfortable as my road bike? Road bike has a 57.5cm top tube and a 120mm -6 degree stem, 73 degree st/ht, 190mm head tube. Track bike is 57.5 tt and +10 120mm stem, 160mm head tube, and 74.5 st/ht angles. I have the saddle set further back on the track bike to mimic the road bike's setup, but I still feel like I'm putting way too much pressure on my hands. Can my track bike be as comfortable for the road as my road bike or should I htfu? BTW road bike obviously has road drops/hoods and track bike only has road drops.

thank you :)

+1 anything that bitingduck writes. He knows his stuff...way more than I do.

"My question is can I get my track bike to be as comfortable as my road bike?"
Yes

My brain isn't powerful enough to process all of the measurements and give you the new bike settings to make you comfortable.

Start with these tools:
- Level
- Measuring Tape
- Bike trainer (in front of a big mirror if possible)
- Borrow as many stems of different sizes/angles as you can.
- Video camera locked in one place. Either a camera or video camera on a tripod would work well. You will use the video and screen caps of the video to see minute differences.
- Photoshop to line up the screen caps. Layer up all screen caps around the BB as the center point...which not coincidentally is the center point of your bike fit.

It's a bit tedious, but it's effective.

If you are able to dial your road bike in then it wont be any harder to dial in the track bike.

+1

Carleton,

Any exercises you can recommend to strengthen the muscles involved in resistive pedaling/braking? I know it sounds kind of silly, but I'm riding brakeless on the street, and would like to be more effective at slowing myself down without skidding.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...0px-Squats.png

or

http://www.bike-riding-guide.com/ima...e-brakes-2.jpg


It's up to you.

Thanks; the Kagero isn't drilled for brakes and I'd rather not drill it. Just want to be a bit better at slowing down.

I took the liberty of highlighting the excuse in your post.

These are things you have control over, right? If not, say so.

Not sure about that... definitely not when it comes to anything related to sprinting or training for it.

@ddeadserious: http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?m...oducts_id=3748 Keirin brakes clamp onto the fork.

/notcarleton

And this is why we have carleton to answer the questions. A Keirin brake won't work on that Alpina fork.

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/leader-x-...ero-4624_6.jpg

Are your wheels different sizes, or does the top tube really have such a negative slope? :eek:

The problem with riding brakeless on the road isn't so much that your legs need to be strong in order to effectively stop the bike as the effectiveness of rear wheel only braking is limited by the grip between the tire and the road. Building up your legs muscles will only help to a point, beyond which the additional strength will only mean that you will be able to bring the wheel to a skid more quickly. Once the wheel is skidding, there's nothing more you can do to increase the effectiveness of the braking action.

My wheels are the same size, the angle of the photo just visually makes it look off. The top tube isn't too sloped; I'm very comfortable on it, and I hate being all leaned over and tucked.

I understand what you're saying, but I don't skid at all. I can't get get these tires to hold a skid for any notable amount of time(meaning I can get them to barely chirp before they regain traction). Since the tires seem to stick to the ground pretty well, and I mostly avoid riding in crappy conditions, I should generally have enough traction to slow myself down appropriately. Even when I rode with a brake, I very rarely used it. I'm not making excuses; riding brakeless is probably not the best idea ever, I'm willing to admit that. I'm still toying with the idea of finishing drilling the fork, I'm just not sure I want to.

I don't know your financial situation but why not just buy a fork?

Or lower your gear ratio to 48/18 or 19?

I've definitely been thinking about grabbing another fork when my tax return arrives. I also was running 46x17 for a while, which was real nice on climbs and road riding, but I was spinning way too much on my rollers. I'm fairly comfortable with my ability to stop appropriately right now, I was just looking for a way(other than riding more, since the weather here sucks) to strengthen the muscles used in "braking", that's all. Appreciate the input.:thumb:

What gear ratio do you use now? Please answer.

You know, you can always put on a small cog on the flip side of your wheel for roller workouts, right? That just requires you to remove and turn the wheel over. Track racers change wheels, chainrings, and/or cogs several times during a training session. Not a big deal.

I'm running 48x17 right now and am finding it a nice ratio for not aerobically exhausting myself on the rollers, but still having good enough acceleration/deceleration on the road. I do have a 15t and 16t cog and a spare lock ring, putting one of the flip side of my hub is not a bad idea. Only "issue" is that my tires(Gator Hardshells) are directional. Do you think it'd matter much?

There is your problem on the road. Switch to an 18t cog and stopping will be no problem. Understand that road and rollers are two different things. If you want a bike for all situations, get a road bike. If you want this bike to work in multiple situations, you'll need to swap to appropriate gears.

48/17 is too big for riding in traffic. Yes, you can get it moving at a nice clip, but acceleration, and more importantly, braking will suffer.

Remember, roadies started using track bikes on the road to work on their pedal stroke in the off season. They used easy, manageable gears. Although your gear isn't outrageous, it's still too high in my opinion.

Get an 18t. If you want to go fast, learn to spin faster. This will make you a better cyclist.

I don't pay attention to the direction on the threads. I don't think they really do anything. Car tire threads, yes. Bike tire treads, no.

I appreciate the input, will definitely look into grabbing a bigger cog for road riding. Thanks!

yep. I did half of the Furnace Creek 508 a few months ago in a fixed gear-- 44x17 because I had to be able to go up long climbs (I had about 13K feet of climbing) and then down them on the other side. I had brakes but never had to brake much on the downhills until towards the end when my hips couldn't keep up with the spin very well anymore. Even then it was pretty light braking and a lot of spinning... Bigger gears (like the 48x17 or larger) will feel better when you're cruising, but if you're in traffic you need the smaller gear for better speed control, and just have to learn to spin better.


few cyclists ever reach hydroplaning speeds on wet road, and even then, a road tire already has a narrower contact patch than a single tread of a car tire. Vittoria claims there's some reason for the tiny treads on one version of the EVO pistas vs the slick version, but I've never seen anything to back it up, and it wears off quickly so you're riding on smooth rubber anyway after not too long.

If you're that concerned about thread directionality, put the cogs on them such that you're running your trainer gear on there with the tire facing the "wrong" way and the road gear with it facing the right way.

/notcoolenoughtodothecarletondance