Drops vs flat
#27
Senior Member
Oddly enough "track bike" geometry wasn't designed for use on the open public roads where the lousy surfaces, steep climbs/descents and blustery wind conditions make for a lumber wagon ride quality combined with nervous twitchy handling at pace. As @kingston noted and my experience is the same:
As always, suit yourself.
-Bandera
As always, suit yourself.
-Bandera
Old dude too, so I find myself wondering if I should just convert my old roadie into fixed, as opposed to getting another Track frame. Is the Steamroller appropriate to this?
#28
~>~
Light and lively classic road race bikes are excellent choices for FG conversion as they retain all of the ride and handling virtues of thoroughbred race machines and accept a FG drive-train readily. That preference is carried on today by some BF members in this forum who have years, if not decades, of experience riding FG on the open public roads over considerable distances at pace.
Looking online at a Surly Steamroller it has track ends and is " a dedicated single speed road bike" with generous tire clearance built for commuting.
Might be over built but I'd ride that instead of a "track-like" on my rough hilly chip seal roads.
One "modern" frame that I do know that is a capable FG road machine is the Wabi. My riding buddy has a Classic that he's ridden with me on century rides, it rides and handles well for him, a powerful ex-track sprinter. All that being said for me a classic road racing frame FG conversion is my strong preference.
Read this if your "old roadie" is a suitable candidate for conversion:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html
PS: I prefer "Senior" to "Old" Dude, it has a bit more distinction and panache'.
-Bandera
Last edited by Bandera; 08-09-19 at 10:03 AM.
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#29
Senior Member
My first fixed was an old ten speed that was a size too big. Didn't feel quick, and every bike thereafter was a track frame. I had the 1st generation Pake, and hated that you could attach a bottle cage on the downtube-unsightly! Years later and now I'm comparing a Steamroller to a conversion and lamenting that most track frames can't fit a bottle cage.
The circle of life, yo!
The circle of life, yo!
#30
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Wide risers with a little rise and sweep are very fun and comfortable at least for the shortish rides I tend to do on my fixed gear.
Loving the SimWorks Mowmow bar right now. Widest bar I could find in 25.4. Makes for a little excitement squeezing through trafffic:
https://sim.works/collections/handle...nt=42551946179
Loving the SimWorks Mowmow bar right now. Widest bar I could find in 25.4. Makes for a little excitement squeezing through trafffic:
https://sim.works/collections/handle...nt=42551946179
#31
~>~
That's been the secondary position for cage mounts for decades, suitable for carrying a full bottle to swap w/ the empty on the primary DT position as required.
Forcing a FG rider to fight for a bottle between constantly moving legs instead of just reaching down and forward to an unimpeded DT for every sip is simply Bad Design in my opinion.
After a few hours of that in the TX heat I'd be fitting a clamped on cage on the DT and wondering about the competence of designers who make such a fundamentally wrong choice in what has been SOP on road bikes since H-bar cages went away in the '60's. Traditional hardware choices like where to mount a water bottle cage, what style of h-bars to ride for distance at pace on open public roads and a host of others have been well tested and proven over the last century of club riders getting out and putting in seat time on FG machines in a variety of terrain and weather. By now, what works is pretty well figured out.
No cage mounts on "track-likes"?
Of course not, protuberances are a hazard on the track and drinks are kept on the infield of the velodrome w/ all of the other gear & stuff.
-Bandera
#32
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Looking at the Steamroller on-line I saw that the single bottle cage mount is on the ST.
That's been the secondary position for cage mounts for decades, suitable for carrying a full bottle to swap w/ the empty on the primary DT position as required.
Forcing a FG rider to fight for a bottle between constantly moving legs instead of just reaching down and forward to an unimpeded DT for every sip is simply Bad Design in my opinion.
After a few hours of that in the TX heat I'd be fitting a clamped on cage on the DT and wondering about the competence of designers who make such a fundamentally wrong choice in what has been SOP on road bikes since H-bar cages went away in the '60's. Traditional hardware choices like where to mount a water bottle cage, what style of h-bars to ride for distance at pace on open public roads and a host of others have been well tested and proven over the last century of club riders getting out and putting in seat time on FG machines in a variety of terrain and weather. By now, what works is pretty well figured out.
No cage mounts on "track-likes"?
Of course not, protuberances are a hazard on the track and drinks are kept on the infield of the velodrome w/ all of the other gear & stuff.
-Bandera
That's been the secondary position for cage mounts for decades, suitable for carrying a full bottle to swap w/ the empty on the primary DT position as required.
Forcing a FG rider to fight for a bottle between constantly moving legs instead of just reaching down and forward to an unimpeded DT for every sip is simply Bad Design in my opinion.
After a few hours of that in the TX heat I'd be fitting a clamped on cage on the DT and wondering about the competence of designers who make such a fundamentally wrong choice in what has been SOP on road bikes since H-bar cages went away in the '60's. Traditional hardware choices like where to mount a water bottle cage, what style of h-bars to ride for distance at pace on open public roads and a host of others have been well tested and proven over the last century of club riders getting out and putting in seat time on FG machines in a variety of terrain and weather. By now, what works is pretty well figured out.
No cage mounts on "track-likes"?
Of course not, protuberances are a hazard on the track and drinks are kept on the infield of the velodrome w/ all of the other gear & stuff.
-Bandera
#33
Senior Member
Yeah I don't get it either. I've gotten used to it on my All-City though and reaching the bottle while riding is no problem. On especially hot days or when I'm doing long rides without planned water stops, I just ride my road bike. And I've heard tell that ST mounted bottles are actually more aero, so you can pretend it's a marginal gain.
My cage came loose on my Fuji Track while I was riding to the train a couple of months ago, my the bottle swung out while I was pedaling and twisted the cage down. I was in a hurry, so I wiggled the bolts loose, and in so doing, tore the downtube open from the bottom bolt. Pretty ugly.
But I still rather have that than placing cage on the seat tube.
The Big Block, The Soma Rush, and the Steamroller all do that. Yuck.
#34
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That's cool, I'd rather have a functional frame than one mangled by user error, but to each their own.
#35
Clark W. Griswold
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I prefer either a road bike set up, i.e. drop bars with hoods (preferably ergonomic bars and hoods) or I was quite fond of my aero base bars. I am not a huge fan of plain old flat bars, I like alternative bars like say a VO Crazy Bar or Surly Moloko but honestly I am super excited to try the Koga Denham bars. Try some different stuff though and figure out what works for you. I can say if you go with flat or alt bars that use grips, Ergon grips are the way to go.
#36
Senior Member