Wheels to get to the velodrome

Hi,

I hope this isn't off topic. I am looking to get into track cycling; at first, I will just train, but down the road I can imagine myself racing since I enjoy competition.

I am building up a bike, and have a question about getting to the velodrome. I live in Barnet, so will sometimes go to Herne Hill and sometimes to Gosling Sports Park in Welwyn Garden City (closer). Either way, I don't have a car and will need to get there by train. I don't plan to ride my bike much outdoors at all, but being able to ride for 10 minutes to and from the station will save me oodles of time otherwise spent just walking my bike.

I am wondering what would be a good wheelset and tire setup enabling me to ride short distances off the track without getting a puncture, but then work nicely on the track. I guess this favors clinchers over tubulars, but other than that I have no idea.

Any help appreciated. My budget? Not a lot: my frame is an All City Thunderdome (£345) and I have been looking at Miche Pistards (£150 from Wiggle), Planet X Model A (£129, tubular alloy), that sort of thing.

Thanks,

Edward

I train and commute to and from the track with Mavic Ellipse with Conti GP4000S tyres. If you're on a budget then V-Sprint wheels are great and there is a forum discount available (still, I think) if you search classifieds.

Don't cheap out on the tyres as you need good ones for LVV and make sure you bring something to clean the tyres down with once you get to the velodrome. White vinegar (not malt) is what I use.

When racing, I have adapted a double wheel bag so it attaches to my backpack and that carries my race wheels

Thanks. V-Sprint look like they hit my price point perfectly. Something like the following (£179).

http://v-sprint.com/product/track-wheels/track-wheels-alloy-race-clincher/

Incidentally, here is the link to the thread offering a V-Sprint discount code:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/242621/

Just to be sure, then, am I right that it is playing with fire to commute to and from the track with tubular?

Not really playing with fire, but for training and commuting purposes there is really no need for tubs. If you get a puncture on the way to the velodrome with tubs then you're pretty muchscrewed, they don't like you using pit stop or similar foam solutions as it would make a mess of the track if it leaks out and regluing a tub takes much longer than changing an inner tube on a clincher.

Can't get a bus to/from station? I do a ten min bus ride to the train station to get to HH with wheels in one hand, frame in t'other.
Also, plenty of cheap decent 2nd hand wheels around. I got a pair of 32spoke mavic clincher rims laced to campag/mavic hub +cog &ring for fiddy dorrah off here. Even paying for a hub service at the lbs they worked out cheaper & lighter than a new budget set.

Ftr, I got vittorias on my training wheels, but they cut like butter so I avoid road on them as much as I can.

...why not use sprint carriers for your track wheels? No issues then with punctures, crud on the tyres etc etc

Quite a few people used to use sprint carriers when I was younger to transport their racing wheels to TTs.

Like this:

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/components/cyclo-sprint-wheel-carrier.html

Yep exactly those...I used to carry my track wheels up from E London to Harlow track and my TT wheels from E London to our club hut in Ugley. Took one or two rides to get used to them but absolutely fine.
I made mine in metalwork class at school - still got them somewhere.
I didn't wear plus fours though!

Sold. Where do I buy them? £130 on ebay.

Hmm don't think they'd work with carbon forks/lawyer tabs unless you can get hold of the axle extenders too.

I just use clinchers: 23mm Rubino pros get me from New Cross to HHV without any problems and don't seem to hold me back too much when I'm racing (I'm shit anyway, tbh).

I used 20mm Veloflex for a while, which made absolutely no difference to my race results but did manage to repeatedly disagre with the ultra-smooth, baby's-bottom, 100% puncture-free entranceway and car park at the velodrome.

My wheels are old-fashioned campag sr pista > omega v's, 32h. Loads of people race on heavier budget wheels and still kick the asses of others who have spent a fortune on fancy plastic things.

If you start riding indoors, however, then you will probably need a clean set and an outdoor set: zero grip Siberian Pine, steep banking and dried bits of road dust is not a good combo!

edit: I don't even bother changing gear as I have one-sided hubs.

Don't commute on tubs. It's just a dumb idea.

Not really true. I wouldn't recommend commuting on track specific tubs due to the lack of puncture resistance, but there are plenty of tough tubs out there suitable for commuting.

Tubs are for racing and pro's.... Not for commuting. Anyone who has had to rip one off and fit another in the pouring rain... Only to have that one fail 2 miles later and walk home on cleats will tell you the same.

Sure, you can get some bombproof ones, but then having a wooden tyre rather negates the point of using tubs in the first place. Every tyre will fail if you ride through a big pile of broken glass. You may as well run the same tyre as a clincher with a latex tube and be able to whack a new tube in there after you've dug the glass out - as opposed to binning a £40 tub.

I commute on tubs all the time.
But I have a team support car and a mechanic with me wherever I go, obvs.