Talk to me about track bikes

[AyBee]

I've done a couple of sessions at Herne Hill now and fancy getting my own track bike since the bikes they lend out are old and not sized to fit, so, what do I look out for? I'm possibly going to look for second hand bike to save a bit of expense, but what makes a difference in terms of a decent bike - deep/shallow rims, carbon/alu frame etc? Anything to specifically look for? Love the look of the Planet-X bikes but not really looking to spend £1200+ at the moment

[anonymous-user]

AyBee said:

I've done a couple of sessions at Herne Hill now and fancy getting my own track bike since the bikes they lend out are old and not sized to fit, so, what do I look out for? I'm possibly going to look for second hand bike to save a bit of expense, but what makes a difference in terms of a decent bike - deep/shallow rims, carbon/alu frame etc? Anything to specifically look for? Love the look of the Planet-X bikes but not really looking to spend £1200+ at the moment

When you say "sessions" are these public/open training sessions or part of a clubs structured quality training programme? I would say you might want to wait a while before ditching the rental bikes, especially if spending £1200 is too much because to be honest, and dont take offence, but thats enty level for a carbon track bike. Dolan do some good alu framed bikes for around £700 http://www.dolan-bikes.com/track-bikes/alloy/Track... but i wouldnt buy one if you are committing to track riding.

In short (and in general), carbon is stiffer, it is very responsive and transfers more power than an alu frame to the wheel.
deep dish/disc wheels are more aerodynamic than spokes and will hold momentum for longer but arent as manoeuverable so are better suited to pursuit rider than sprinters but a lot of it is down to personal opinion and there are no rules as such regarding wheels. you run what suits your riding style and your discipline. i'm no expert but frame geometry varies dependant upon discipline too, a sprint bike will generally feature a shorter (more horizontal) top tube as you will be out of the saddle (and using the upper body) for an acceleration burst, pursuit frames are a little bit longer as you just sit there mashing the pedals for four laps burning your thighs....

dont expect to get a bargain s/h as its a bit of a minority discpline compared to road/mtb bikes, although the market is smaller, when a good bike comes up for sale, it tends to sell quickly and the bikes hold their value, especially if its only been used indoors, and remember they tend not to suffer damage like a mtb will (although crashes obvioulsy do happen....)

the Giant Omnium is very popular so there might be a few of those around but the planet x is an awesome all rounder and used by loads of people, for £1200 its a bargain with the 82 wheelset. The Moda Forte was a good deal but i think its been discountinued. it had their 420 wheelset which is fantastic. Dolan are well worth a look too. go for the DF3 and then upgrade the wheels at a later date.

the planet x is a perfect all rounder. wait till you can afford it rather than buying something cheaper and regretting it later. for £1200 with the 82 wheelset, its a bargain.

[fast westfield]

If buying second hand be sure to check the bottom bracket height and crank length, when I raced at Manchester back in the day [1995 to 1997] there was a min BB height.

Paul.

[khushy]

I have just started track cycling - get the correct sized frame for you - go and get measured by someone who understands track bikes - different to road - could be an expensive mistake.

I have built my self a dolan forza with koolstof carbon wheels, royce hubs and a rotor chainset - blew the budget, but there are some good value deals to be had if you shop around and haggle!!!

Good luck

[murray]

It is possible to pick up s/h track bikes at good prices. Bought a Moda Forte for £500 from ebayin February from someome who had paid 1k for it in December and had used it in four sessions. Was an advert in a recent CW selling these new for about 720.

[summit7]

I have seen some really good track bike bargains on Ebay.

It is a specialised type of riding where people buy a bike brand new, ride half a dozen times either on a indoor track or on a dry outdoor track and decide that it is not for them - the bikes are then sold in a perfect condition for about half the price of new. Considering the prices are relatively cheap to start with (with the bike being so simple) there are some great second hand buys out there.

[AyBee]

summit7 said:

I have seen some really good track bike bargains on Ebay.

It is a specialised type of riding where people buy a bike brand new, ride half a dozen times either on a indoor track or on a dry outdoor track and decide that it is not for them - the bikes are then sold in a perfect condition for about half the price of new. Considering the prices are relatively cheap to start with (with the bike being so simple) there are some great second hand buys out there.

This is more what I was hoping for - I could afford the Planet-X but whilst I'm still starting out, I wasn't sure going all out now was worth it if I could get hold of something fairly decent second hand to tide me over, but as pointed out earlier, there's probably plenty of people in my shoes also looking for these second hand track bikes.

Thanks for your input pablo - I take it from your post that the carbon bikes are well worth the extra in your opinion, correct?

[Furberger]

If you're just starting out then a Carbon Planet X is probably a bit of a waste of money

I have a Giant Omnium for sale that has done a season

How tall are you?

Edited by Furberger on Monday 26th March 07:29

[anonymous-user]

the major issue with alu frames is flex in the chainstays, if you can generate some high wattage, a lot of it will be wasted through the frame, in principle its similar to a car with a slipping clutch.

the planet x is a great bike regardless of whether you are a beginner or an experienced racer, you wont get to a point where its holding you back for a long while. its cheaper than the other brands just like all planet x stuff is compared to the rest of the market but it still performs comparably.

[Furberger]

The Omnium has some pretty hefty bracing around the BB/chainstay interface. I don't think you could accuse it of suffering from flex....
Suggesting an Aluminium frame isn't as good as a carbon for someone just starting out is frankly bks.

[anonymous-user]

sorry, am i ruining your chances of a sale? use the classifieds and you wont be offended if I make comments about it. The Omnium is a good Alu frame and yes, is unlikely to suffer from flex........ so why are you selling it?

Why cant newbies have nice things if they are committing to a new sport? eventually he will want a carbon frame, why not get one now and feel the benefits straight from the start? and if he only does one season, fine its his money, but its not like he will need to replace it with something better after a season...

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 26th March 09:27

[AyBee]

I'm 5'9" (PM me a link to your sale ad if you'd like). New to track cycling but not new to cycling so I think most of what Pablo is saying is probably relevant. Out of interest Pablo - what's your experience and what do you ride? I'm more interested in the sprint rather than pursuit etc but would like to give all a go at some point.

[Furberger]

AyBee said:

Love the look of the Planet-X bikes but not really looking to spend £1200+ at the moment

As for why I'm selling it, I've spent a year working in the desert and it's sat in my shed doing nothing. I'm heading to Oz soon so I can chuck it in a container and take it with me as I'll use it out there. You're not ruining any sale, just keen to encourage people to get out on bikes.

[Roman]

The secondhand Omnium would be fine if it's the right size. You won't go wrong with a Dolan either (most popular track bike in the UK), some great deals here:
http://www.velodromeshop.net/index.php?p=catalog&a...

The Planet X is terrific value but ali is cheaper and less fragile if/when you stack it sprinting so maybe better as your first bike!

Get ready for lots of gym & turbo work, join the best track club you can and try and get a couple of team mates to train together as a development squad for the 750m olympic sprint. It will take time to develop your skills and tactical nouse and get to know your oponents to become a good individual sprinter. You can get a list of local track sprinting coaches from the British Cycling website.

Good luck and don't stop pedalling!