Track bikes

[Deleted]

After grovelling up the slopes to Cudham yesterday I have decided that I have no talent for going up hills but some talent for riding on the flat, preferably on roads without any turns in them and masses of lorries. However, The Jelly Bellied Health and Safety Society is busy making sure those courses are no longer used and want those who ride them to comepte on equal terms with them and have the same chance of getting type 2 diabetes as they do. ( It's in their mission statement. )

While the JBHSS are making it difficult to keep fast courses open recent research shows that lounging around eating cakes and drinking copious amounts of coca cola in the front of the T.V. is, in the long term, even more dangerous than riding a bike on a road with traffic on it. Unfortunately the JBHSS has joined forces with the "Only we know what's best for you society", which means the short term future for super fast time trial courses is bleak and many time triallers are forced into a sedentary caloriy consuming lifestyle. With such a bleak future for dragstrip courses and my weight I have decided to broaden my horizons and have a go at track racing next year. (I may even take my lycra overshoes off, wear socks and have a go at road racing as well but first I've got to learn how to go round a corner on a bike.)

Edwardes in Camberwell are selling a very good entry level track bike at the moment but I want to put some different parts on it. Before I go and buy it and get beaten up by my wife for spending money while claiming to have none at all I would like to know more about what bottom bracket and cranks I should use and range of gears I should consider so I would be grateful for any advice.

[mfish]

Since you are budget oriented, I recommend some bits from a Miche track groupset. This is the cheapest of the purpose-made track kits. You only need the following items:
- Crankset and right length (117mm I think) b/b
- Rear hub (120mm)
- 48t chainring best to get a road 3/32" version so you can use normal chain in my opinion
- Anything from 13 to 17t rear sprockets depending on how strong / fast you are. About 48x14/15 is usual.

Another money-saving alternative would be to use a standard road crankset with a 52t ring and some larger sprockets. It will probably require rather tedious fiddling to get the chainline right, and will be frowned upon by meddlers who think you will hit your pedals on the banking (you won't as modern pedals are designed to go round corners). Then you'll only need a cheap rear fixie hub to complete it. The hub can be 130mm, which also allows using an old road frame if you want a super cheap bike.

All the other bits can be either 'special' (expensive) track bits, or alternatively entry level road bits will work fine.

[Oli]

I'm a courier and i recommend track bikes thoroughly - the best way to negotiate London by far.