+1

I've always wondered why we use the same diameter that was set by road bikes.

Barbells come in at least 9 different diameters, from 22.2mm up to 32mm: https://www.roguefitness.com/weightl...lates/barbells

Yet 125lb sprinters use the same off-the-rack sprint bars as 250lb sprinters. Just doesn't seem right.

FES makes different bars for every sprinter in this photo:

https://i.imgur.com/ckOJ6hE.jpg

OK. Maybe that wasn't the best example. I guess I could say that FES makes a different frame for every rider in that photo as well. Could be same design but different dimensions or different frame altogether.

There's a lot of generations/models of the fes frames and it's not uncommon for the same riser to use a different one for each event

Found this on VeloNews today

Photo Essay: The inspiring athletes of paracycling track worlds | VeloNews.com

That's awesome. They are really fast, too.

I saw this gem, "Coach Sarah Hammer..." Whaaat? Nice.

Almost looked like you could put levers on them too....
Maybe some 33s for the track bike and 39s for the roadie?

Are these bars carbon or aluminum?

Based on the shape, I'd guess carbon....but that's a great question that Dixie should have answered on the product page, but didn't.

Given the price and shape, I'd expect them to be carbon. It's hard to shape aluminum that much.

Had I not just gotten some Scattos for Christmas last year, I'd be all over these bars.

The Dixie bars are carbon.

"Monique Sullivan sees beauty — and madness — in what athletes put themselves through"

Monique Sullivan sees beauty ? and madness ? in what athletes put themselves through - CBC Sports

I'm not sure what it's called, exactly. But it's the time of year when a few Western riders race NJS Keirin in Japan for a few months.

https://i.imgur.com/CJUj2fp.jpg

This pic makes it seem like an 80's teen movie, hahaha:

https://i.imgur.com/CFmwZAv.jpg

All are on IG and some post sorta frequently:

Thomas Babek (CZ): https://www.instagram.com/tomasbabek/
Theo Bos (NED): https://www.instagram.com/bostheo/
Matthew Glaetzer (AUS): https://www.instagram.com/matthewglaetzer/
Joe Truman (GBR): https://www.instagram.com/joetruman1/
Matthijs Büchli (NED): https://www.instagram.com/matthijs.buchli/
Sam Webster (NZ): https://www.instagram.com/sammywebster/

We've all seen NJS bikes before. But, it's cool to see a rider go from this:
https://i.imgur.com/mKoANRD.jpg

to this:
https://i.imgur.com/SHhOTfb.jpg
(Truman's bikes above)


Glaetzer's new whip:
https://i.imgur.com/77Ra5vb.jpg
So...if these guys can't flex properly built steel frames, we can't :D

This is generally called "International Keirin" over here. They used to have special shorts for them but now it seems like they just wear the usual s-class shorts.

There's a YouTube series on this from when Shane Perkins and Theo Bos did it a few years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyem...ature=youtu.be

Ever see the video that Pervis made, where he put a gopro on his headtube facing his BB?

These guys can flex steel frames.

No doubt!

They can also flex carbon frames just as much (depending on how they are built).

I can only assume that the rider in this video doesn't make 2,300-2,500W like Pervis probably can:


As I'm sure you'd agree, the frame's build quality is the biggest factor in frame stiffness. More so than simply the material used.

I can’t produce over 1000W, and can still flex the BB on my old steel Paramount P14 track frame. My old steel road frames auto shift when I really stomp on them. Anyways, as I’m sure you know, other factors such as wheel flex play an important part as well.

These steel frames still flex quite a bit. More than their usual carbon steeds. A lot of that flex is where and how the frame will flex. Being able.to spread that same amount of flex over the whole of the frame leads to a bike that feels more predictable. It's when the tube choices concentrate that flex in a certain area that it starts to feel noodley, because it makes for a disconnected feel. Even back in the day the guys were flexing their steel frames quite a bit. Singleton' s bikes had almost parallel head and seat tune angles, but when you look at pics of him laying the power down, you can see how twisted his frames get.

In talking to a frame builder in Portland, he taught me that the best way to make a frame stiff is with the downtube. The more contact the downtube has with the head tube and bottom bracket, the more stiff it will be with regards to deflection during standing starts.

So, picture a typical NJS frame, then:

- Use an integrated headtube that has a wider circumference.
- Use an oversized bottom bracket.

Even if you use thin-walled material (carbon or aluminum), you'll get a stiffer frame.

https://www.pedalroom.com/p/look-l96-14774_18.jpg

This is also what made Tiemeyer's very stiff:

https://www.pedalroom.com/f/95503c7e5e_2.jpg

It's difficult to find steel in shapes like that. But, you can buy aluminum pre-formed like that:
http://img2.everychina.com/img/c6/90...le_section.jpg
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v1/112...il_up_to_4.jpg
(this isn't the exact shape of Tiemeyer's tubes, just random images from google)

Tiemeyer's downtubes and seat tubes were shaped basically like the second image above, but without the sharp tip.

Guru used to make a track bike similar to the Tiemeyer, but their BB was machined out of a solid billet of aluminium, giving a HUGE welding interface. Required some interesting tube miters. Ill see if i can find a photo. I know I have them somewhere.

On the other hand, there was the old HOOKER elite (and also a track version I believe) which was way ahead of it's time aerodynamically, but holy crap was that bike a noodle. I rode a friend's (with 700/650 split wheels even!) a few years ago and I could feel it flexing, and that was just riding it in normal TT mode. Add the Aero or Die bars and so-so aero brakes to that and it made for an unnerving ride.

Found these:

https://www.pedalroom.com/p/hooker-e...1-18674_40.jpg
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/hooker-elite-cat-1-18674


https://www.pedalroom.com/p/90s-hook...ike-5567_6.jpg
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/90s-h...rack-bike-5567

Follow the links for more pics.

I imagine that the bike above was probably supposed to be used with aerobars and a 650 front wheel like this:

http://wattagetraining.com/ttSetup/images/hSide.jpg
http://wattagetraining.com/ttSetup/hooker07/hooker1.jpg
http://wattagetraining.com/ttSetup/hooker07/hooker2.jpg
Show me your time trial bike - Weight Weenies

yeah... that thing is a BLADE in person, for it's time really impressive how far they went with the "narrow is aero" mindset. There's a great picture of Bostick on his at the TN State TT somewhere on the web.

Those "fully committed" bars :D
http://i44.tinypic.com/345bxvm.jpg

FOUND THEM!

http://i.imgur.com/TJPammz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kgF0BHm.jpg

Found another, but on a road going bike

http://i.imgur.com/aVoo6fH.jpg

Those bars are nuts. How does one get started on them?

That BB is also nuts. Very cool.

We really need to start an archive of track bikes with as much detail as we can find. There is a lot of history, innovation, and engineering in the sport. I, for one, have hundreds of photos. Some are crazy cool.

When I tried it I started with my hands on the pads. Getting up to speed and into the tuck was a little sketchy. I assume the idea is that you just start (with a holder) already in aero. A few years later I used some Scott 100k bars on my tri bike, they flared out enough that you had a moderate representation of a base bar position (although still narrow) Definitely not going to be doing any out of saddle sprinting on either!

I asked the owner of the Hooker what he thought about riding it... he said that every time he started up on a U-turn on course he was positive he was going to die.

Aside - that BB is area is pretty slick. Never seen that

That BB shell reminds me of what's on the Dolan TC1 - though it does look a lot thiccer on the Guru.

https://www.dolan-bikes.com/media/ca...w-logo-gmg.jpg

A little bit more on GURU. For anyone that isn't familiar with the brand, they were Canada's boutique bike builder. Everything from custom aluminum, custom carbon, custom Ti, as well as off the rack in your LBS. Sort of like rolling Tiemeyer, Serotta, SEVEN, Calfee, and Cannondale into one medium sized manufacturer.

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/The_Death_of_Guru_5574.html

Some of the GURU past employees have started a new company called T-Lab, no track bikes posted however does not mean they are not going to make them.
Welcome to T-Lab

I saw that. It was interesting to see a lot of design cues that were taken from their old bikes, like that flattened top tube.