hannhann00

Hi nice forum thanks for having me,,, I have massive noob question and it's a little long but let me know what you think of my idea-

I want to buy a nice bike for road rides and was thinking of a handmade Pelizzoli frame from Italy… I wont be doing heavy training on it rather mainly commuting rides and late night rides (10-20km) plus the occasional longer road ride a few times a month (it's very flat where i live and the roads and paths are very good)… I also like the idea of hitting a velodrome some day just for a bit of fun (not serious racing).

I was thinking of getting a Pelizzoli frame and building it up fixed and/ or SS (nope not a hipster it just seems to make a bit of sense for what i want)…

Here's my idea/ questions;

- For this to work does it make sense to order the one track frame and have two different forks, bars (and maybe different hub and gearing to switch between the two uses)?

- So i can have one fork drilled with bars set-up with a front brake (maybe bull horn bars?) for normal riding, and then have the other fork (no brakes) and drop down bars for when i want to try the track someday? Does this make sense?

- Will a front brake (bull horns any good?) on a FIXED track frame be okay for daily riding or is it better to have a single speed hub for daily riding? I know the bike will be twitchy to ride due to the geometry and i'm okay with this.

- I like both the Spirit Keirin lugged steel frame called the Pelizzoli Pista GP (i like the classic look of the steel) but also the Altec Columbus aluminium Pelizzoli Leggenda… Which would be better suited for what i want and which is regarded as better? Does a steel frame last longer and have more appeal since i'm not looking for an ultra competitive racer?

- Is Spirit Keirin lugged steel good stuff or what else should i be looking for? Would the steel lugged Pista GP make a good track bike?

- Does Aluminium degrade over time and therefore wont last as long to become a classic like steel can?

- Will the same wheels, tires, seat post, BB, crank, peddles, (and anything else i should be taking into consideration) work okay for both applications (I'm thinking of getting campy gear on it to keep the italian theme)?


Thanks if you can let me know your thought it would be a massive help...

Soo__Fuego

I don't race on the Velodrome, but I can't imagine the drilled fork slowing down a weekend warrior rider considerably enough to warrant a non drilled fork. You could just swap bars and remove the brake imo.


The wheels and tires are what you might want to have street/race versions of. For the street, a high spoke count durable wheel with a good puncture resistant tire. Whereas for racing a really light wheelset on slicks.

seau grateau

Two forks is silly.
One front brake is fine for riding fixed. Two is highly recommended if you decide to use a freewheel.
Steel and aluminum are both fine things to make a frame out of.
Some say aluminum takes fatigue differently and therefore may be more prone to cracking. I don't know. I know a guy who's been riding an aluminum Cannondale for ten years almost every day and it's good as new. I know another guy who was riding a lugged Columbus steel track frame and the head tube cracked after a month.

cruiserhead

Just get the fork drilled for a brake.
If you want to go brakeless, 1 bolt for the caliper and 1 bolt for the lever.
Track swap bars= 1 bolt caliper, 2-4 bolts stem and swap the bars.

so easy.

I have bullhorns and drops, and it's so simple to swap.

chas58

yeah, I ride velodrome and street.

1) no, it doesn’t make sense to have two forks. There is no reason to switch out forks, just remove the front brake for the velodrome. Its easy to do, and I’ve seen people do that every day.

2) Yes, you will need to switch to drop bars for the track – it is an easy switch (you’ll be taking the brake off the fork too).

3) That is a personal question, but yes bull horns, FG, and front brake is a set up many are happy with.

4) Oh, in general steel is slower to respond and takes a little more effort on the velodrome, but a steel track bike will be much nicerto ride on the street. Given what you are doing I would lean towards steel, but choose what makes your heart happiest.

Aluminum: It should last a good long time and wont’ rust. I wouldn’t worry much about longevity. Steel vs Alu is mostly a choise between ride quality and stiffness/responsiveness. To a lesser degree weight might factor in too.

Yeah, the equipment for the track can be used on the street. Personally for the track I have a set of light wheels and light tires (no puncture protection) that is only used at the velodrome. I tend to ride slightly bigger tires 25 or 28mm) on the road with stronger and cheaper rims with more spokes.

IF you are going to the 'dome, make sure you have true track geometry. The most important part is that the BB is high enough that you don't hit the pedals on the tracks in the steep turns.

hannhann00

hi perfect feed back guys thanks very much for coming back to me,,, the idea of alu not being as prone to rust is nice but since steel may have a nicer street ride it will give me something to think about... hmm

thanks again!