New Bike Project
The tubeset for my pursuit frame.
From left to right: the aero down tube, the aero wheel-wrapping seat tube, the top tube (which I will be ovalizing), the bottom bracket shell, the head tube, and the chainstays (which I will also be ovalizing). I've also got a pair of chainstays (Columbus MAX) that Paul is hooking me up with. So it'll be a mix of those with some True Temper Platinum OX and Verus HT. Also, not pictured are the rear dropouts, which are Pacenti MkIII track drops with stainless faces.
I've already got a good chunk of the parts needed to build this sucker up -- I just need a crankset, headset (integrated), fork, and wheels.
Color scheme: going with a basic white frame, with BC04 Stratto Blue panels from House of Kolor. Subject to change.
Track Bike Progress #2
There are parts! Bottom bracket, tubular tire tape, lockring, track cog, and such. So yeah, right now, it's just a trickle of the cheap stuff, as I'm just sacrificing my bike shop paychecks for these things. Once the money starts to flow from the new full-time gig, I'll be bringing in the handlebars, crankset, etc. Specifically:
- Shimano Ultegra SL pedals
- Tufo Extreme Conditions tubular tape
- FSA Platinum Pro Track Bottom Bracket (ISIS)
- Shimano Dura-Ace Track Cog (14T)
- Surly Stainless Lockring
The frame will probably happen on the 21st. I heard from the guys at Blue today, and the news is good. The wheels, the most expensive part of the whole bike, will have to wait until April. It's all good -- with the way Minnesota is, the track won't be open until later that month, anyway.
Track Bike Progress
So. I've started assembling parts -- mostly the cheap stuff. Track cog and lockring, pedals, tubular tape, bottom bracket. I'm still waiting to hear back from Blue as to whether or not I can employee-purchase a frameset from them. If I haven't heard anything from them by Wednesday, I'm going to give them a ring and see if that gets me any traction.
(I know this post seems odd in a day when I'd also post about financial planning, but do bear in mind that there was a reason I was sticking to a budget on the new bike.)
I'm getting more and more psyched up about the concept of racing on the track this year. I know it's going to be a steep learning curve -- in some ways the fixed gear is going to be like learning to ride all over again -- and I'm going to end up with some serious splinters at least once, but I think that this is going to be awesome. It's a distance and a format suited to my abilities, and something I think I'm going to enjoy a great deal.
This doesn't mean I'm giving up on the road or cyclocross -- far from it. Even though I'm probably a little less-suited to those events, I'm still going to rock that shit every chance I get.
Choices!
So I've narrowed the field to three possibilities:
- the Blue TR250 frameset
- the Fetish Attack frame
- the Trek T1 frameset
Right now, the Fetish is leading the cost battle. The Blue is winning the appeal battle.
I need to go get working on the spreadsheet that determines what we're getting here. Figuring out parts and such. Should be an interesting experiment, trying to balance affordability and performance. Once I make some determinations and get some parts here, you'll get pictures.
Narrowing the Field
Okay, so I'm starting to narrow down my choices for a track frame:
- a Trek T1 frameset
- a Fetish Attack frame
- telling financial common sense to go "fuck itself" and buying a Bridgestone Anchor PHM9 (pictured, click for larger view)
Obviously, given that this is my first season on the velodrome, I'm not dropping the bank on a frame that retails in the $4000-range. But damn, it's a beautiful bike.
There's this thing about bikes -- they're fucking expensive. That's the one thing that really bugs me about this sport (other than hearing it called "the new golf") -- the price outlay is enormous. This year, I'm trying to keep my spending on bike stuff under control, because last year, I was really bad. Yes, I'm buying two more bikes this year, but I'm trying to be as inexpensive as possible without compromising performance. (So, inexpensive aluminum track frame instead of multi-thousand dollar track frame. Single-speed MTB instead of cross-country rig.) It's tough. There's part of me, knowing I could technically afford it, that wants to buy that PHM9 frame, but there's this majority voice in my head that says, "Fuck that! We have other shit to worry about!"
Wait. Did I just admit to having some degree of financial responsibility...and that it's important to balance responsibility with the hobbies?
Damn. I'd like to think my parents, my ex-wife, and a few ex-girlfriends would be proud.
Track Frame Woes
So. I was all geared-up to employee purchase a Felt TK2 frameset to race on the track this year. Unfortunately -- and not just for me -- the shop I work for elected to drop Felt as a product line. I was pretty gung-ho about this frameset -- I've always been impressed with Felts from the first time I encountered them, and had been considering an F1X as a pit bike for 'cross this fall.
Minutiae
- I think I found a WP template that I am going to modify to create the template for this site. Pretty cool.
- Offseason project #1: pursuit bike. No question about this.
- Offseason project #2: single-speed mountain bike? Many questions about this -- need? 26" or 29"? Mix of the two? Huh.
- I still owe a write-up on the Critical Mass stupidity.
- Also, I choke down way too many pills every day. Last count? Eighteen. A dozen and a half pills. All in the name of better health and more optimum performance. (Yes, everything's legal and above-board.)
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Why does everyone assume I'm in my twenties? #helpidontunderstand [fontosaurus]
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Beat. 3 hours on bike. 8 hours at shop. 2 hours rearranging. Day's not over yet. Contacts pick-up and the Northeast Palace yet to come. [fontosaurus]
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Checked in at SuperAmerica - Lynlake
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I'm at SuperAmerica - Lynlake (801 W Lake St, Aldrich Ave S, Minneapolis). http://4sq.com/5GaQUl [fontosaurus]
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I'm at Penn Cycle Uptown (710 W, Lake St., at Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis). http://4sq.com/7Xn9Ev [fontosaurus]
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Checked in at Penn Cycle Uptown
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Shared 2 photos.
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First day back at @penncycle. Excited for another season at the shop. [fontosaurus]
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I'm at Surdyk's Liquor (303 E Hennepin Ave, at University Ave, Minneapolis) w/ 2 others. http://4sq.com/6n6XNM [fontosaurus]
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Checked in at Surdyk's Liquor
