Inpd

Hi,

So some of you know the back story. I bought an endurance road bike 5 months ago. Put 3000 miles on and loving it but wanted something different. Spent a bit of time looking for the Chi to my other bikes Che (or what-ever).

I think I found it in the form of a track bike but will still plan buy another bike to replace my entry level endurance road bike down the track (pun intended).

I'll summarize the benefits from the perspective of a road biker because no doubt the single speed community contains many sane people like us but its been over-run with some really crazy people. Crazy like showing of your bike wearing woman's clothes, talking like a teenage mutant ninja turtle and inexcusably including random thoughts (i.e. your dinner plans) into their posts.

I'll review the bike I bought after I've ridden it a bit, but essentially there are many very similar entry level track-like geometry style bikes and are of course fixed gear and typically steel.

Track bikes compared to endurance bikes are great for:

i) Riding one hour of short sprints for a great workout
ii) Improving pedaling technique as you really feel the bike pushing back on you if you relax on the upstroke.
iii) Cornering tight twisting paths (who would have thought a 20 mm less chain stay and a 1 degree more upright head tube could matter so much!)
iv) Riding on a veldodrome is fun and hypnotically enthralling Going around and around and around is very relaxing.

So if you want to add another steed to your stable that includes a endurance style bike then a track bike is a good idea. It doesn't replace the former (though I know some crazy bastards do centuries on track bikes) but complements endurance bikes very nicely.

The only caveat so far is that you need a smooth surface to ride them on. If your in Texas and want to ride on those chip seal roads you don't want a track bike. If however, you have nice smooth bike path they are great to ride on.

Bunyanderman

I don't think one can say those first four words in succession.

Inpd

That should be one hour of short sprints! Fixed in original post.

rms13

Kilo TT?

Lazyass

Or get a regular road racing bike.

Cyril 

Some of us "crazy bastards" regularly go much further
than a century on a track bike.

Cyril...a fixed gear randonneur
Fixed gear randonneuring...a cult within a cult.

TenSpeedV2

Have both fixed gear track bike and carbon endurance road bike. Find myself on the track bike way more than the endurance.

Bandera

Riding FG on the road has been pretty well figured out for the last century or so, even in TX.
It has been noted that bikes designed for use on the Velodrome banking are not quite suitable for use on open roads with left turning trucks, steep descents and massive potholes as are relatively rare on the track.

Enjoy your new to you experience.

-Bandera

TenSpeedV2

Why are they not quite suitable? I have had no issues using 3 different track bikes on the street, with left turning trucks, descents, potholes, commutes to work, group rides, half centuries, etc. Toe overlap? Blah, you figure it out and plan accordingly. I haven't found a bike with tires and pedals that cannot be ridden on the street yet.

Mumonkan

people seem to forget that their precious giro and TDF were started on fixed gear bikes, tarmac, gravel, dirt roads & all.

there is nothing new about a FG bike on the road except aero tubing

Bandera

Aside from dedicated track frames riding like a dump truck on rough surfaces, being twitchy in cross winds and nervous on big descents compared to a road frame equipped as FG?
Designs that are optimized for the controlled competition environment of the Velodrome I find not quite suitable on open public roads.
My Zeus was an excellent bike on the track, not so much for winter base miles on the road.

-Bandera

Pantani98

Years ago I had a Surly Steamroller that I would put road miles on, no problem. But my current track steed (Tiemeyer) is great for sprint workouts in the neighborhood but would not be enjoyable putting road miles on. That's what my road bike is for. But I do miss the days on a nice steel fixed and now craving another...

Lazyass

I don't think anyone has forgotten, man.

hairnet

#KiloTT

Remember that fixed gear does not equal track bike.

BoSoxYacht

Have you noticed that no one rides the Grand Tours on FG bikes anymore? I wonder why that is?

Pantani98

Exactly! Road geo fixed gear is great. Track geo and aero aluminum tubes aren't as fun. Haha!

Pantani98

Haha!!! No amount of PEDs would help a rider on a FG in a Grand Tour. 100 mile stage with two HC climbs. How do you gear for that? Wooooo!

DMC707

True

years before the advent of the "fixie" craze, i saw a gal at the local track had converted her road bike for fixed gear use for training, so i did the same --- A nice Columbus steel framed DeBernardi --

Works great to this day. LAter on i bought one of the chrome special edition Bianchi Pista track bikes to replace it, but i went back to the De BErnardi in short order for the reasons you state --- Bianchi was drilled for a front brake too, so it was a pretty safe street ride

TenSpeedV2

I like it. I love the way my Felt rides on the road. Sure, on a windy day it can be a bit of a handful but it keeps me honest. As for riding like a dump truck, I have not experienced that yet. A few bumps here and there, but nothing that has jarred me right off the bike yet.

popeye

I drop the tire pressure 30 lbs on the street.

habilis

My fixie is based on a Raleigh road frame (1960s or 70s). It has a 3" gap between the rear tire and seat tube compared with one inch on my multi-geared Bianchi. The 22" seat tube is also and inch longer than the Bianchi's. The relaxed frame geometry helps smooth out the bad pavement. FG + road frame = good stuff, too.

TenSpeedV2

3"??? Needs more tuck.