Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Recently had my first track session using a club loaner bike, then realised later on that I nearly have a complete bike in spares in the garage. So have a few questions...

Frame: A Leader 721 frame that used to be setup as a SS for commuting, its harsh but should be ok to start with?
Wheels: A spare set of 32h carbon clincher rims, just need to order some spokes & hubs, high or low flange? is quick release allowed on the front wheel?
Drivetrain: SRAM s100 crankset and chain use to be very noisy, I think I had a mismatch of widths/sizes, what should I be looking for?
Gearing: What teeth front and rear to get started?
Tyres: Is there a width limitation, 24mm ok?

Can use a road hub with bolt on skewer for the front wheel.
Gear choice is a hard one and depends on many factors. I would suggest 49*15 is a good starting point for most...

I found 46/14 pretty good for Brisbane.

Gears you will need a variety depending on the event, anywhere from about 53-13 down to about 48-15.

I was really surprised at how much drivetrain noise you get on track bikes the first time I went out and tried it. I thought the straight chainline and wider chains would be quieter, but that doesn't seem to be the case. With a disc or a CF frame, it just seems to be amplified, and you can really hear them coming up behind you. If the Leader frame and S100 are what you already have, you may as well use them.

For the first couple of weeks of track I ran a borrowed wheel, then a QR wheel with a security skewer. Then I built a pair of high flange fixed/fixed wheels. Depends what you have, can afford, or (very importantly!) like the look of.

I started on 48/15, which was way too spinny, then took it to 48/14 which was far better. I'd like to try 50/14, I reckon that would suit me. Horses for courses. Do you know what the test bike you were on had on it?

Jim

Crawf wrote:Recently had my first track session using a club loaner bike, then realised later on that I nearly have a complete bike in spares in the garage. So have a few questions...

Frame: A Leader 721 frame that used to be setup as a SS for commuting, its harsh but should be ok to start with?
Wheels: A spare set of 32h carbon clincher rims, just need to order some spokes & hubs, high or low flange? is quick release allowed on the front wheel?
Drivetrain: SRAM s100 crankset and chain use to be very noisy, I think I had a mismatch of widths/sizes, what should I be looking for?
Gearing: What teeth front and rear to get started?
Tyres: Is there a width limitation, 24mm ok?

Frame - Leader 721 is ok. A mate of mine races on one in Perth.
Wheels - Might be cheaper to just buy a complete new set. Carbon clinchers will be around $400 shipped. A set of Miche Pistards should be around $200-250 posted from the usual online shops. Great value for money IMO and cheaper than buying a good quality set of track hubs + spokes + labour to build them (unless you can build yourself)
Drivetrain: Cranks are fine, and a good drivetrain will always be noisy. Full Dura-Ace drive train on my steel trackie is ultra loud and rattly, as is the Campy drive train on my carbon track bike. I put it down to ultra tight tolerances so you hear everything 'clicking' into place. As bits and pieces wear, the tolerances become looser and it should quieten down. Not that it matters.
Gearing - I race on 49:14 which is 92" roughly. Anywhere between 86-92 should get your started.
Tyres - 24mm is ok. I would go for a narrower tyre though so it's less 'balloon' like, but not really an issue.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the suggestions all.
I build my own wheels, so only need hubs and spokes, have near new 32h carbon rims that are crying to be used.
I'll probably grab the Token or Miche set. Along with a 14t and new chain to link up with the 48t.

HLC wrote:Drivetrain: Cranks are fine, and a good drivetrain will always be noisy. Full Dura-Ace drive train on my steel trackie is ultra loud and rattly, as is the Campy drive train on my carbon track bike.

familyguy wrote:I was really surprised at how much drivetrain noise you get on track bikes the first time I went out and tried it. I thought the straight chainline and wider chains would be quieter, but that doesn't seem to be the case. With a disc or a CF frame, it just seems to be amplified, and you can really hear them coming up behind you.

I don't know the exact reason why, but I wholeheartedly disagree with this. My track bike is known as the stealth bomber. It's big and black and really quiet. People note they can't hear me coming unless they hear the tyres make their particular sound when you're out of the saddle and on the gas! My road bike is the same. It's nice and quiet too. The track bike is full DA from the cranks right through to the hubs.

Yeah, I noticed yours at RAW, and it is very quiet. There's good and bad to everything, it just surprised me that so many bikes did sound noisy. I found the BT's that the D1 guys roll around in particular are pretty noisy, a lot of hum and whirr. Maybe its the discs that amplify it. The alloy ones seem to make more noise as well. All my roadies are much quieter than my track bike.

This build sounds like it will result in a decent track machine.

Jim

Q regarding sprockets and the carrier.
Miche sprockets look to have 7 lugs, as opposed to a screw-on sprocket, does screw-on give you more compatibility across manu's?

Miche means you have to get Miche sprockets. Screw on is generic and there's heaps of price/quality options to choose from. Cheap hubs usually have softer alloys that can cross thread and strip easily. Big time sprinters putting out 2000+ watts still use screw on sprockets.

familyguy wrote:Yeah, I noticed yours at RAW, and it is very quiet. There's good and bad to everything, it just surprised me that so many bikes did sound noisy. I found the BT's that the D1 guys roll around in particular are pretty noisy, a lot of hum and whirr. Maybe its the discs that amplify it. The alloy ones seem to make more noise as well. All my roadies are much quieter than my track bike.

This build sounds like it will result in a decent track machine.

Jim

My first track bike had an inch-pitch block chain (no rollers). (22x7) It sounded like old movie footage of a WWII tank. It did attract attention (I was asked to remove the wing nuts pretty quickly) from the old blokes. More than one commented "I see you've got the good stuff". I whinged about the noise and was told "It's a good noise, when it stops you've got a problem".

As for more modern bikes they do make a lot more noise than the old bikes.

Cheers,

Cameron

and the higher quality, often the noisier.
The noisiest bike ive riden behind was a BT with full dura ace group and a disc wheels. Nearly needed ear plugs...

like the old guy said - be worried when you cant hear anything. road chains are thin flexy things designed to cope with 53/25 crossovers. 1/8' track chains are built like tank tracks because they can be.

Found a new 48t chainring, 14t sprocket, lockring, formula high flange hubset, chain and 2 layers of bartape, all for $130 delivered in Aus - not a bad deal I think!
Just the spokes remaining now, should see me all in for around $200.

PROGRESS SO FAR, with a coaster wheelset on.

familyguy wrote:Yeah, I noticed yours at RAW, and it is very quiet. There's good and bad to everything, it just surprised me that so many bikes did sound noisy. I found the BT's that the D1 guys roll around in particular are pretty noisy, a lot of hum and whirr. Maybe its the discs that amplify it. The alloy ones seem to make more noise as well. All my roadies are much quieter than my track bike.

This build sounds like it will result in a decent track machine.

Jim

Your chain tension might be too much. Back it off a bit and you'll notice the noise go down.

Nearly ready to roll, just waiting on spokes & nipples.
Measured the ETT and its 58cm!, i'm usually comfy on a 55cm. When I bought this frame many moons ago I must have gone off the ST measurements which is 55cm... could be a stretch literally, but it felt OK on the trainer.