Track Cycling... Just getting started

[BRad704]

1-. There's a set of Flo 60/90 tri wheels local to me for $500. Assuming it woulda cost $~200 to swap in a DT370 Track rear hub, is that still a good deal on a good wheelset?

The summer race series winners each get a set of handle Zipp 404's, which aren't crazy deep anyway. I'm trying to tell myself I don't HAVE TOO have an 88/88 combo.

I was even tempted by the 50mm BTLOS campy wheels on the classifieds here.

And I already confirmed with the track director, bolt in QR front wheels are A-OK.

2-. Thoughts on low flange road front hubs for the track. Any concerns?

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by BRad704

2-. Thoughts on low flange road front hubs for the track. Any concerns?

i ran en for years. I raced Encino infrequently and the indoor track in LA never. They were building it when I lived in Sandy Eggo.

Sandy Eggo is another 333m track with mild banking.

M

You wouldn't think 333m around is very long until you're trying to hold off the pack after haven taken a flyer with 4 to go. I got absolutely freight trained in turn 3 of the last lap that race.

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by Gummee

i ran en for years. I raced Encino infrequently and the indoor track in LA never. They were building it when I lived in Sandy Eggo.

Sandy Eggo is another 333m track with mild banking.

M

You wouldn't think 333m around is very long until you're trying to hold off the pack after haven taken a flyer with 4 to go. I got absolutely freight trained in turn 3 of the last lap that race.

LOLOL. Been that guy in a few road races before myself.

I think if I can the Flo set for $400 cash, I'll go with those as an introductory upgrade.

[mjf]

Originally Posted by BRad704

I think if I can the Flo set for $400 cash, I'll go with those as an introductory upgrade.

400 +200 for the hub relacing is pretty middle of the road IMO. Depending on the condition of the front hub it could really go either way once you add in servicing that as well. Not bad, but could still run you a little bit close to 700.

Originally Posted by BRad704

1-. There's a set of Flo 60/90 tri wheels local to me for $500. Assuming it woulda cost $~200 to swap in a DT370 Track rear hub, is that still a good deal on a good wheelset?

2-. Thoughts on low flange road front hubs for the track. Any concerns?

There's zero issues with low flange hubs.

The biggest reason to stick with whatever generic high flange variant you have is that most of the track specific hub dimensions are close enough in tolerances that you can relace a comparably similar hub in down the line if you want to, or if something goes wrong. Save some time and money on sizing rather than having to size/cut/reorder new spokes.

For myself, I'd be building them, or going through Lightbicycle (shop I work with is a dealer) for the sake of simplicity and availability. They don't always have their track wheels listed online, but they're a call/email away from getting them built. ~700 or so all said and done.

https://www.lightbicycle.com/carbon-...ial-track-bike

You can always roll the dice with some of the aliexpress or similar brands out there, 60-80mm wheelsets can be pretty easily found for sub $500. Have a few friends who've going that route at the track with no issues, but in my position I'll stick with building or lightbicycle.

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by mjf

400 +200 for the hub relacing is pretty middle of the road IMO. Depending on the condition of the front hub it could really go either way once you add in servicing that as well. Not bad, but could still run you a little bit close to 700.



There's zero issues with low flange hubs.

The biggest reason to stick with whatever generic high flange variant you have is that most of the track specific hub dimensions are close enough in tolerances that you can relace a comparably similar hub in down the line if you want to, or if something goes wrong. Save some time and money on sizing rather than having to size/cut/reorder new spokes.

For myself, I'd be building them, or going through Lightbicycle (shop I work with is a dealer) for the sake of simplicity and availability. They don't always have their track wheels listed online, but they're a call/email away from getting them built. ~700 or so all said and done.

https://www.lightbicycle.com/carbon-...ial-track-bike

You can always roll the dice with some of the aliexpress or similar brands out there, 60-80mm wheelsets can be pretty easily found for sub $500. Have a few friends who've going that route at the track with no issues, but in my position I'll stick with building or lightbicycle.

for $380 shipped, the super Team 80 eights from eBay are extremely tempting. Definitely the lowest cost of entry.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by BRad704

1-. There's a set of Flo 60/90 tri wheels local to me for $500. Assuming it woulda cost $~200 to swap in a DT370 Track rear hub, is that still a good deal on a good wheelset?

The summer race series winners each get a set of handle Zipp 404's, which aren't crazy deep anyway. I'm trying to tell myself I don't HAVE TOO have an 88/88 combo.

I was even tempted by the 50mm BTLOS campy wheels on the classifieds here.

And I already confirmed with the track director, bolt in QR front wheels are A-OK.

2-. Thoughts on low flange road front hubs for the track. Any concerns?

I would pass on those, you have a decent set of training wheels, position, getting to know your bike, physical strengths, race tactics/strategies and your track specific attributes are going to make the largest performance differences to you currently.

The performance difference between your wheels and these wheels will be minimal. Keep your money until you find a specific dedicated set of top end track wheels and you have figured out if you want sprinting wheels or bunch race wheels.

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

I would pass on those, you have a decent set of training wheels, position, getting to know your bike, physical strengths, race tactics/strategies and your track specific attributes are going to make the largest performance differences to you currently.

The performance difference between your wheels and these wheels will be minimal. Keep your money until you find a specific dedicated set of top end track wheels and you have figured out if you want sprinting wheels or bunch race wheels.

For clarification.... What would be an example of bunch wheels? Sprint wheels?

[mjf]

Originally Posted by BRad704

for $380 shipped, the super Team 80 eights from eBay are extremely tempting. Definitely the lowest cost of entry.

For the money, it's honestly hard to not consider. If you go that route definitely true and tension them, but otherwise just send it.

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by BRad704

For clarification.... What would be an example of bunch wheels? Sprint wheels?

I can't speak for the big sprinters but my understanding and experience:

First, a sprinting front wheel is pretty rigid laterally when standing. I have a few wheels I don't put on my bike first choice in a crit because I can't deal with them flexing so much when I'm out of the saddle.

Second, top speed is generally the goal, so a disk wheel in the back.

However, in a group, for me, it's top speed, not change in speed, so disk in the back. And when I'm accelerating hard I'm out of the saddle (often) so I want a sprinter's front wheel. So I use the same wheel set.

(Also, moment of inertia of certain disk wheels, like Zipp, are low, because the rim is carbon, not aluminum. So they accelerate quite well.)

What I would NOT do is get some compromise wheel set for track. For me that would be my crit wheel set, a 75/90mm set of Stingers. For crits, great, can handle a bit of wind, it's legal, etc. For track? Why go 90%? Why not just get the disk rear and some 3-5 spoke front and call it a day? So that's what I did.

Over the course of 6 months I bought brand disk wheels off eBay sellers, I think $500, 800 a wheel (Zipp, Corima - the sprinter version but not lenticular). Got an axle for the Zipp ($300ish) from a member here (he makes them, steel, super rigid, super well machined). I bought a new frame (Dolan DF4, for fit, but also it's relatively modern, and it seems to be everywhere under self-financed teams/racers).

Except for Zipp disks, which are basically unavailable in track axles, just get a track wheel. Converting road to track requires time, money, and some fiddling with the wheel (if it's a spoked wheel it probably needs to be redished), it's easier to do a track hub wheel and be done with it.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by mjf

You can always roll the dice with some of the aliexpress or similar brands out there, 60-80mm wheelsets can be pretty easily found for sub $500. Have a few friends who've going that route at the track with no issues, but in my position I'll stick with building or lightbicycle.

I've had good luck with Nextie. Old Potato has had good luck with BTLOS.

More options for you to research.

M

[carpediemracing]

I'm looking into narrow bunch bars, both for road and track. Tried to see the limitations on bar width but couldn't find it in the UCI book. I'm sure it's there somewhere, I just couldn't find it. Running 38s on the road 37 on track, want to go narrower, maybe 36s on road, narrower tops would be great. Not sure on track.

Also, decided to glue a bunch of (road) wheels and now I'm looking at wheel inventory, tires, etc. Have a list of things to look into. Basically for track it's just gluing the trispoke and the (spare front) stinger 9 fronts. Rear disks are fine, might redo one.

Doing the Stinger 7 front so I can use on track as well. Had a pretty aggressive tread tire on it ("rain" according to Vittoria). Putting a normal tire on it now.

Will think about putting together the beater rear disk as well (needs axle spacers and such, which I need to get or find in my nuts and bolts bins). Will glue one of the older tires on, prob use outside around here.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by BRad704

For clarification.... What would be an example of bunch wheels? Sprint wheels?

Almost all sprinters will use dual disks front and rear for flying 200 qualifying, Kilo and Team Sprint events, however so will endurance Individual and Team Pursuit competitors. The primary characteristic sprinters look for in wheels is stiffness.

Bunch racers primary look for responsiveness and handling in wheels and will always use an open, spoked wheel on the front and most often a disk wheel on the back.

[Smitty2k1]

Originally Posted by Gummee

I really miss racing at the track. The drive to race equation is way out of whack here in the DC area.

Mmmm Madisons. Mass chaos on 2 wheels. ...and tons of fun at the same time

M

I've been screaming into the void for years that the RFK campus needs a velodrome and pump track as part of all the sports and rec development they did.