Dolan Pre Cursa / PreCursa / Track Champion

6ft, 34inch leg.

I rode a 56 with plenty seatpost and a 12cm stem with long reach bars. Long stems are good on the track.

So Meek.tv you are a bit loose on it when Gizmond is kinda tight.
I am guessing Gizmond set up must be stiff and responding while Meek.tv is more comfy.
Am I right?

The top tube length is the vital part really. I have long arms and like being quite far forward over the BB, so need the larger frame + a long stem to get the right reach.
I think if the bike is going to be track specific, then it's generally best to get the smallest size that will fit you with a long seatpost and stem. Maybe the 56 would work for that as it does for gizmond.
As far as a larger frame being more 'comfy', my 60cm is still stiffer and more responsive than any smaller frames I've ridden. By no means a comfortable ride off the track.
Will it be set up for the track?

I wish I was going on track, it is just for work!
And wish I could get 57, it would help.

Are you sure you want this frame for commuting? I ride mine on the road sometimes and it's very harsh. Plus you'll need to buy some drilled forks to fit a brake.
Do you have a frame that fits you well now? If so, measure it and work out the best size that way.

As Weslito said, measure your bike's top tube length, then measure your stem length (centre to centre), if you find the reach to be fine with says 100mm stem, then find a frame with the same or similar length.

If your stem is very short, it's either likely you need a shorter top tube length to compensate (unless you like it short).

I've been commuting on mine for a while now and i dont find it too harsh.
It's only 10 miles each way and I prefer the stiffness and responsiveness over my old steel conversion but don't really notice any rattlie-bone discomfort

So Ive been ridding a plug charge lately, medium.
Just check the dim, here they are:
Tube length= 54cm
Seat tube= 58cm
Stem length= 12cm
Now this bike is slightly too big for, especially the seat tube. Still fine though.
I like giving loads of seat post by the way.

When I look at the dolan geometry, the one that seems to match me better is definetly the 56cm.
At the end the 58cm is kinda taller but the length is almost the same.

Also I am commuting but only 15min, not a long trip (camden to old street) Id rather something responsive and stiff more than hyper comfy. Plus the road kinda good around, not too much to worry about.

Thanks for the advices guys anyway, will get 56cm, if not fitting me well I sell it to buy another 58cm ;) By the way I have a dolan pre cursa 56cm, good condition to let go, thinking of £60 (pick up only/old street/camden) if intersted just PM otherwise will open new thread for it.

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If a 54 tt is too big for you then I think definitely the 56. Although the top tube on that is a bit longer. According to the charge geo, a medium plug is 545 tt, and a 56 track champ is 558. If you put a 100mm (or shorter) stem on it that'd shorten the reach by 7mm and might make it a bit more comfy.

Sorry to drag up an old(ish) thread, but on the subject of Pre-Cursas, can anyone tell me if there's any toe overlap on the the 56 or 58 models? Cheers!

I had a 56 and there was. To be expected with a 30ish rake fork and high HTA

Recently built up a fixed gear with a new Dolan Pre Cursa frame (decal'less), and just curious as to whether they're clear coated at all? Already got a few scratches, seemingly the paint isn't tough at all.

Not too bothered about scratches, just wondering whether it was the norm.

Thanks.

Anyone got a Pre Cursa with a front brake?

What callipers are you running, are they long or short reach?

Which particular mechanisms are you running with which levers?

It might be a dumb question.

Cheers folks.

Baz

I was wondering how well a dolan track champion frame and alpina carbon fork would cope with being run around a university campus/city in the hands of a complacent student?

I bought the frameset a year ago for HH use mainly, but i don't know whether to sell the whole bike (i'm sure i'll get a good price for it) and fund a more solid build or just convert the track bike... (really i'd like to keep hold of it but i won't have much chance to ride track whilst at uni unfortunately)

any advice/opinions would be appreciated,

cheers,
Sam

it'll be solid, using it as a uni runaround would be pretty fun i'd think.. i dont think theres any real risk here?

its just that i was thinking of something like a pompino which i'm sure would be bombproof, i don't think the same can be said about carbon forks though. It might be worth more sold...

if its the material you're worried about remember road bikes ridden for thousands of miles out of alu and carbon don't give out, i know somebody working on a fuji track pro for a few years and while the frames dented to hell its fine and the forks haven't given up. and you're not gonna be working the bike to the bone around uni are you? its all taste really, i'd take the track champion over a pompino (pretty boring?) . or if you want steel swap the parts over to a new precursa f+f for 200 quid and make it back off the frame?

...or if you want steel swap the parts over to a new precursa f+f for 200 quid and make it back off the frame?

Pre Cursa is not steel.

I always thought it was - a friend has a steel dolan which i assumed to be the pre-cursa, but after a search you're obviously right. ima ask what it is cause it looks similar

It will be a Dolan FXE, I imagine.

Alu frame and carbon fork are absolutely fine for city riding. Not sure why some people think crabon is weak ? (CTC beards excluded)

i'm probably just paranoid, you see so much evidence of failed carbon, but its hard to find examples of situations where carbon has lasted for ages, despite it probably been more common...

Mine gave up going up highgate hill with a bus behind me.
Under a year old and had used it on the track a few times, can't have roughed it up too much as the navigator pistas it came with were still true.
Sure there are plenty more out there that didn't just snap though.

i'm probably just paranoid, you see so much evidence of failed carbon, but its hard to find examples of situations where carbon has lasted for ages, despite it probably been more common...

I think the only fork I can ever remember seeing snapping was George Hincapie's in Paris-Roubaix. But then that's Paris-Roubaix, and was the alloy steerer rather than the carbon fork

Personally, I've cracked an alloy Giant frame (when I was a tub 'o lard just starting cycling), and seen an alloy stem snap clean in half on a Reliability Ride. I've also had the top tube on an old steel frame start to brake, but then it had be crashed. Yet to see any carbon failures in the flesh.