track vs road bars
- scotto
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track vs road bars
Postby scotto » Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:05 am
i'm thinking of trying out some track racing and thought i could just swap bars and ratios on my fixie for a cheap introduction.
oh, and whats a typical ratio ?
- mikesbytes
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby mikesbytes » Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:10 am
You might also notice that some riders use steel bars, as they are super strong.
If your starting off, just use whatever you have.
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby scotto » Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:37 am
"soma urban pursuit"
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby toppity » Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:03 am
a nice allround ratio to start with is 49/15. I think that's 86 gear inches.scotto wrote:why the different shape ?
i'm thinking of trying out some track racing and thought i could just swap bars and ratios on my fixie for a cheap introduction.
oh, and whats a typical ratio ?
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby rustychisel » Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:32 pm
If you're a strongman steels bars are better, if your bars are older be sure of them. These little lovelies folded gently on me as I pulled out of a 55kmh sprint. You don't want it happening to you.
If you're strong to moderately strong go for a gearing of ~90in for general track work. Loaner bikes at the Adelaide Superdrome used to come with 76in which is rather spinny, but go too high and you'll put your legs into a world of sluggishness in 2 laps.
- foo on patrol
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby foo on patrol » Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:03 pm
toppity wrote:a nice allround ratio to start with is 49/15. I think that's 86 gear inches.scotto wrote:why the different shape ?
i'm thinking of trying out some track racing and thought i could just swap bars and ratios on my fixie for a cheap introduction.
oh, and whats a typical ratio ?
Wrong 88.2 51x16= 86
Goal 6000km
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby robbie d » Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:36 pm
If the weather holds i'm out to edwardstown tomorrow night
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby brawlo » Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:02 am
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby alex » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:17 pm
for most people it will make no difference, i like road bars personally
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby rustychisel » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:23 pm
hmmm, good luck with that [looks pensively out the window again]robbie d wrote:you are a strong guy though rusty,
If the weather holds i'm out to edwardstown tomorrow night
WRT gearing: Edwardstown is an outside track as you know, so you'd not use the same gearing as on the boards. A macdamised surface with lower banking, I'd probably be looking at a 86 ~ 88in gear, especially as I seem to recall a SW breeze on the front straight every time I've ridden laps there
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby Richard.L » Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:14 pm
+1 on the headwind down the front straight, but i dont think it makes a huge difference if you are powerful (lower grades anyway )rustychisel wrote:hmmm, good luck with that [looks pensively out the window again]robbie d wrote:you are a strong guy though rusty,
If the weather holds i'm out to edwardstown tomorrow night
WRT gearing: Edwardstown is an outside track as you know, so you'd not use the same gearing as on the boards. A macdamised surface with lower banking, I'd probably be looking at a 86 ~ 88in gear, especially as I seem to recall a SW breeze on the front straight every time I've ridden laps there
With my Felt track bars they feel like they are flatter and longer in the drops (more room to place your hand flat) than my 3T Ergonova's on the roadie
Then again the 3T's are compact bars
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby foo on patrol » Sat Feb 19, 2011 5:16 am
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby toppity » Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:39 am
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby Jeremy » Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:44 am
(body is forward on the bike, arms pretty much vertical)
I used to get bruises on my arms before I switched to steel track bars....But i'm a sprinter. Plenty of people use road bars on the track without any problems....mainly the enduros.
90" would be a good race gear to start on....47x14.....I normally go 2inches smaller at edwardstown.
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby scotto » Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:11 am
is it colder there ????Jeremy wrote:.....I normally go 2inches smaller at edwardstown.
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Re: track vs road bars
Postby robbie d » Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:22 pm
I can't remember what my gearing is off hand, 49-15 I think (googles result) 88.2"
Headwind was blowing strong, which I noticed more when the rest of the bunch had pulled away.
All in all a good night, with a second in the handicap the highlight.
Bar angle is important too. The angle of the flat part of the drops can make things really comfortable, or so annoying you don't want to use them.
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