riding track bike

Hello there,

This area is all flat; there are no hills. Riding a minimalist
track bike (fitted with brakes) is a temptation. What are the
pros and cons? It seems to me it is cheaper, less things to
go wrong.

TIA.

Ken

Why brakes if you live in the flats? I have a front brake on mine (it
doesn't get used) only because there are some monster hills around here.
I'd rather wuss out than crash out descending but in traffic and on
the flats there is zero need for a brake on a fixie.

Fixed is the best, especially when your bike is steel.

Jon

Ken wrote:
Hello there,

This area is all flat; there are no hills. Riding a minimalist
track bike (fitted with brakes) is a temptation. What are the
pros and cons? It seems to me it is cheaper, less things to
go wrong.

TIA.

Ken

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 10:51:20 -0600, Jon wrote:

Why brakes if you live in the flats? I have a front brake on mine (it
doesn't get used) only because there are some monster hills around here.
I'd rather wuss out than crash out descending but in traffic and on
the flats there is zero need for a brake on a fixie.

This is bad advice. Track bikes are great -- gee -- on the track. You
can slow down a bit very quickly, more so than with a brake. But on the
track you are not faced with pedestrians, cars, people darting out of
driveways, etc. For all these things a brake is safer.

The front brake does all the work in a rapid stop. Why do road bikes have
two? They have two so that you have a backup (the rear) in case the
front brake breaks. With a fixed gear you can use your legs --- as a
backup, so the rear brake is not so needed. I have two on my fixed gear,
though, since I find it more comfortable with two hoods to hang onto --
and maybe in this I'm a belt-and-suspenders sort of person.

Fixed is the best, especially when your bike is steel.

What the tubes are made of doesn't matter here.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and
_`\(,_ | Excellence.
(_)/ (_) |

Hold on a second!

It depends on your gearing and your weight. I'd say that one should
not encourage others to remove their brakes just because it works well
for you. My bike is geared pretty high (around 80") and I weigh 230
pounds. Even with clipless I simply cannot stop my bike in less than
30' (without going into a very dangerous skid move) if I'm going my
cruising speed of 20-25mph. With my brake I can stop much better. To
feel safe without brakes I'd have to keep my speeds too low. If I
weighed 100lbs and had my bike geared at 54" I might skip the brakes.

Maybe you don't like in New York City, though, where hazards abound.
If I lived in the country I might feel differently.

"Jon" wrote in message
...
Why brakes if you live in the flats? I have a front brake on mine (it
doesn't get used) only because there are some monster hills around here.
I'd rather wuss out than crash out descending but in traffic and on
the flats there is zero need for a brake on a fixie.

"Leg braking" is only rear wheel braking, and not even very good at that
(modulation is tough). Rear wheel braking is much less effective given
weight transfer. Even with a good front brake, braking on a fixer is a
little worse at the limit since it's harder to move your weight down & back
while your feet are still rotating. It's not the grades that determine
braking requirements, it's the hazards.

(Ken) wrote in message . com...
Hello there,

This area is all flat; there are no hills. Riding a minimalist
track bike (fitted with brakes) is a temptation. What are the
pros and cons? It seems to me it is cheaper, less things to
go wrong.

I ride a single speed mountain bike only and I live where there
are lots of hills (central Pa.) Pros and cons will vary with each
person but for me the the pros are simplicity and the silence
of that smooth operating drivetrain. Cons are the hills of course
but I got my first SS back in 1999 so I'm used to the climbs.
I use it for both road and trail riding. Have ridden as far as
35 miles with it on a mixture of on and off road. Tried the
full suspension thing for 2 years but went back to SSing.
A relative of mine has a number of track bikes, some with brakes,
some without. One with a left-hand drive. He lives in this same area.
His website: http://www.fixedgearhooligans.com/

Thank all for the info.

There are not many models available. The Bianchi Pista, Fuji Track, and
Specialized Langster. Besides the obvious (single gear, often no brakes),
how are track bikes different from regular road bikes? I read in someone's
review of the Fuji complaining that it is more suited for road use.

I do intend to ride the bike around (not on tracks) and will have to deal
with traffic. An added front brake and possibly a rear one will be necessary.

Ken

Jon wrote in message ...
Why brakes if you live in the flats? I have a front brake on mine (it
doesn't get used) only because there are some monster hills around here.
I'd rather wuss out than crash out descending but in traffic and on
the flats there is zero need for a brake on a fixie.

Fixed is the best, especially when your bike is steel.

Jon

Ken wrote:
Hello there,

This area is all flat; there are no hills. Riding a minimalist
track bike (fitted with brakes) is a temptation. What are the
pros and cons? It seems to me it is cheaper, less things to
go wrong.

TIA.

Ken

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 16:49:08 -0700, Ken wrote:


Thank all for the info.

There are not many models available.

There are *tons* available!

All you need is a frame, a crankset, wheels, chain, saddle, stem, post,
and bars, plus or minus a few things like tires...build your own, it'll
take no time at all, the hardest part's finding a nifty frame.

Pretty much any frame can be made into a single, check Ebay or your local
thrift shop, often you can find a nice old bike, with crap
components--remove them and singulate it.

Track bikes and derailleur bikes have a different dropout spacing, so be
aware of that. There are plenty of ways to create a single with a cassette
hub or you can set a derailleur frame to accept the narrower track wheels.


I do recommend getting a flip flop hub for your first endeavor. With
these you can put a freewheel bmx sprocket on one side and a fixed gear on
the other, I'd recommend making the bmx sprocket a wee bit bigger so you
can flip to it on a windy or hilly day.

When looking for bikes to convert that already have derailleurs which will
be removed, checkout the dropouts--the slots where the rear axel goes.
You'll want horizontal or somewhat horizontal, but not vertical, so that
you can adjust the rear wheel and chain tension. You can make a single out
of a bike with vertical dropouts if you use a tensioner such as Surly's
Singulator, or recycle an old derailleur for the job. Be aware that if you
do this, you can go single, but not fixed as a tensioner will not be able
to handle the pressure.

I'm definitely of the found object type frame with a reasonable set of
single wheels kinda guy--You can collect old funky frames for very cheap,
clean them up, add a fresh single speed chain, and mount the decent wheels
you bought to whatever style seems attractive for the day. :P

Just rode my Langster fixed gear on the New York City Century ride (111
miles in 6ish hours.) I have to say that I seemed to do as well or
better than the riders with variable gearing that were at my level of
exp and fitness. On a long ride it is nice to have a clean, light,
quiet bike that you don't have to worry about changing the gears on.
Just your legs and the road.

I say front a rear brakes are fine, and I use mine all the time even if
is not 'cool.' That way you can flip flop with a freewheel, too.
Safety is paramount, right?

Ken,

Read Sheldon Brown's fixed gear pages (
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html ), and consider joining the fixed
gear list at http://lists.davintech.ca/mailman/listinfo/fixed-gear

Riding a fixed gear is different. For one thing, it's very relaxing once
you find the right cadence and your legs learn to go in circles all the
time.
--

alan............42x20 commuter

Anyone who believes in a liberal media has never read the "Daily Oklahoman."


"Ken" wrote in message
om...
Hello there,

This area is all flat; there are no hills. Riding a minimalist
track bike (fitted with brakes) is a temptation. What are the
pros and cons?