carleton

These bars are still legal today:


However, the mis-matched 650c front with 700c rear are no longer legal. Both front and rear must be the same size (doesn't matter what size, just have to be the same size).

carleton

For the uninitiated, a Time Trial or Pursuit is raced over a predefined distance against the clock. The person/team with the fastest time wins.

This is in contrast to a "Mass Start Race" where, over a predefined distance (say...10 laps) the first guy to cross the line is the winner...no matter how long the race takes. These races involve several people from the same or different teams.

craigcraigcraig

That should do it. I am using one of the rental bikes as I don't have a track bike any longer so ya. I'll be riding my road bike to the track then taking off the pedals and what not. I'm pretty excited but a little nervous as to be expected. The boulder indoor track is pretty short at 142m so lots of quick turns. P.s. There was a lady there riding a red and white tiemeyer, shout out to Internet bike contemporaries.

carleton

There's nothing to be nervous about, seriously. Don't work yourself up. Remember how unusual fixed-gear riding felt at first and now it's no big deal? It's like that. Literally, after 3 laps it will feel normal to you. The class is more about learning the rules and what is expected of you than getting used to the track.

jpsawyer

in the team time trial, why did one of the guys pull out before it was finished?

prooftheory

What are the rules for the team time trial? Whenever I see these things I'm always surprised that they aren't in a tight train, especially at the finish line. Do they take the time of the last rider or the first? If they take the time of the last rider is the goal to have the strongest sprinter at the back for the last turn and then have everybody go all out regardless of the draft, or is something else going on?

seau grateau

I believe most team time trial finishes are determined by the time of Nth rider (depending on team size, for example 5th out of 9 team members). Rotation is usually based on individual rider strength, with stronger riders taking longer turns at the front. They strive for an even pace as much as possible because accelerating takes a great deal of energy. Pacing is very important. I saw video of one race where Chris Boardman's teammates couldn't keep up with his pace on a TTT and got dropped, which is naturally very bad for the team.

carleton

Only 3 of the 4 are required to finish. Consider the 4th guy as a helper. Sometimes the job of the 4th guy is to ride extra hard and drill himself into a hole then peel off and let the other 3 hang on for dear life.

There are a few ways to do this. Sometimes the stronger riders will take more than one consecutive "pull" (turn) on the front. Other times, they will simply pull harder/faster than the others.

They take the time of the front wheel of the 3rd rider. They split up and ride parallel at the end so the 3rd rider isn't as far back as if the were in a straight line.

Yes, that's exactly what's going on.

calv

Dear Carleton,

having a hard time deciding on which I want, Omniums or Sugino 75 w/ Pro-type BB.

Main concern is GXP bb in the street. The Kagero probably won't see too much time out in bad weather, but I do plan on riding it on the track every once in a while.

I figure at my level, I won't notice a difference between Omniums or the 75's but have a slight concern with the bad rep GXP bb's have.

What would you recommend I choose? I'm really convinced by the price savings by choosing the Omnium.

Also how would you review the chainring that comes with them?

carleton

I don't like the chainring that comes with the Omniums simply because it's thicker than my FSA and Sugino Zen rings. The SRAM ring requires double chainring bolts. I gave mine away. I wouldn't figure the stock chainring into your comparison.

Expect to replace the SRAM BB after about 6 months to a year. A quality one will cost around $100 or so.

So, you can spend the cash up front with the 75s and a nice BB or spend a little new on the Omniums and spend a little more on them later replacing the BB.

Both are nice. I've seen photos of both being raced at the local, national, and world class levels.

calv

Thank you. I find for my type of riding + a few trips to the Velodrome a month when it's in season, I'd probably be replacing the BB closer towards a year if I went with the Omniums.

Though I do find it a little sad that you say you don't like the chainring. I think I will get Sugino 75's w/ a protype BB and an FSA chainring.

Thanks for the help.

carleton

Don't get me wrong, the chainring is solid as a rock. It's just that when I've got several chainrings that use single bolts and only one that uses double bolts, it's a pain in the butt. But, if you intend to use the 48t chairing for everything, it's a non-issue.

jimmytango

Dear Carleton,

I tried the Romin comp gel today. Me gusta. Especially for the price. LBS has them for $90. Thanks for the tip.

carleton

Sweet! Yeah, I'm a fan.

I stopped by a shop during a ride this weekend and one of the mechanics was raving about that saddle, too.

calv

I'm sure it is, but you bring up a good point. I didn't intend to use a 48t for everything either. I was actually hoping for 49x18 for this next build anyway. The Protype BB is about the same price range as the GXP that it comes with also. So it's not that out of the ballpark anyway. Thanks a lot!

carleton

Good luck!

jimmytango

Also, I'm gonna build a dedicated track bike. I plan on grabbing Scrod's gold 722ts cuz I'm on a budget, and putting some upper mid-level components on it. I'm no pro, but I'm not gonna try and compete on my Lager ya know? I plan on going clipless for it. Any advice for someone who's never rocked them?

carleton

Shimano shoes and pedals are the best bang for the buck. The basic models work just as well as the high-end stuff. The high-end stuff is just lighter.

Kayce

Want to confuse every one a little more, and explain how an olympic sprint is different than all other pursuits?

redpear

Isn't the olympic sprint just a team sprint with three riders, and the lead guy drops each lap until there's only one left to do the last lap?

/notcarleton
/nottrackie
/watchesyoutubetrackcylingalot

carleton

The original name for the event was "Olympic Sprint" but is also more commonly called "Team Sprint". Think of it as a one guy with a 2-man lead-out. Each of the 2 lead-out guys leads for 1 lap then gets out of the way (they are usually toast by that time anyway).

Another way to think of it is, think of the 3rd guy as the running back with two full-backs in front of him "blocking" the wind. One guy blocks for one lap. The 2nd guy blocks for the 2nd lap. And then the guy is on his own for the last lap. Best time wins.

When you are riding over 30 mph, something like 90% of your energy is used to overcome wind resistance (don't quote me on the %). At 40MPH, the wind force is even greater because the force increases exponentially with speed. When going 40MPH, having 2 guys block wind for you saves you A LOT of energy. Stick your hand of the car when driving 40MPH. Now put the hand behind your side-view mirror. Notice how much shelter you get when something (or someone) is blocking the wind for you.

It's explained here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_sprint

Video:


+1

carleton

FYI: Men do 3 laps with 3 riders. Women do 2 laps with 2 riders:

calv

Is it possible for someone 5'8"-5'9"ish to ride 172.5mm cranks? For ****s and giggles, I did the online bike fit again since I got some new measuring tape.

See anything messed up?

carleton

That's within reason. If you go buy a 57-58cm bike today, it will come with 175mm cranks. So, 172.5mm cranks on a 54-56cm bike stands to reason. 170mm cranks come on bikes smaller than that.

Remember, there is no optimal crank length based on your leg length. There are suggestions or starting points. You may find that you like shorter or longer than that which is suggested for you. I'm 6'1" and I ride a 58cm bike and it came with the recommended 175mm cranks...and I hated them. I prefer 165-170mm.

evilcryalotmore

Dear carelton, how much would does it normally cost to get wheels trued and tensioned? Also how often do you check that stuff on your wheels? well your mavic io and disc, obviously you cant check spoke tension :/ but like your other racing wheels?