agent_nomad

Most recent activity

• Track race wheels: FFWD F6T or F9T?

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 6 years

  

  Disc in the rear and a 50 to 80mm deep in the front will serve you well.

  If you go really deep at the front it will take a bit more effort to change its speed up or down and a little slower at turning all small effects but there all the same.

  I normally ride a disc and an 808 as wells having a set of 808's for outside and a front 1080

• Planet x pro track or something else?

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 9 years

  

  A mate of mine has the new Planet X TOR track frame and has measured the geometery and it turns out it (or his size is) the same as the Cervelo that team GB now uses.

  Quality and stiffness will be pro rater for the price.

  There are riders riding these frames in the Revolution series and doing OK

  If you have the very best wheels you will crave the frame and all the other bits to match it, so keep the bike as a whole a price/quality matched set if you see what I mean. Unless you are planning on continual upgrades for ever and a day, or until you run out of money.

  Enjoy whatever you get.

• Derby Arena velodrome

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 9 years, 8 months

  

  Hi for those who are interested I rode Derby last night for the probationary accreditation

  Please note the postcode does not take you straight there it gets you close but use the road names and you should see the building.

  The car park is at the rear of the building and has a barrier and ticket system, first 3 hours free (the barrier was up when we left after 10pm) you validate your ticket inside near reception.

  The building is very pleasant and the staff are enthusiastic and very helpful, the lady on reception wanted to carry my kit bag and wheels through to the riders D for me. (this may wear off in time)

  The access to the riders D and the track is through auto doors (Manchester are you listening) the riders D is small so when they run open meetings or track leagues space is going to be a premium so they may have to restrict the number of riders helpers etc to keep space for the riders.

  There is a water fountain in the D

  Loos and changing rooms are close by (a lot closer than Manchester)

  Cycling shoes are only to be worn in the riders D and track side. The floor has a rubber the covering on it.

  The track is all one colour and almost featureless this is nice but no visual markers other than the 200m and finish line this should change at they get some sponsors banners up around the wall edge to the track.

  Riding the track it is very grippy to the point that I would not have wanted to do the extreme lumps and bumps we did at Derby on the boards at Manchester (coach did explain that we shouldn't have needed to do them as extreme as we did but one one slipped)

  The accreditation process was good with a good group of riders.

  Started with riding onto the track then onto the black line then up to the red, then the blue then up a bit more then finally up to the hand rail all in a single line half a wheel off the rider in front, then reversed the process for returning to the bottom of the track.

  Then riding in pairs in a line
  Changing in a single line
  Changing in pairs in a line
  Riding 4 abreast (built up from pair to 3 then 4)
  Track chain gang
  Tacking half laps off a line of riders

  Then a mock race 20 laps first 17 neutralised then 3 laps free

  Cool down

  Straight forward enough we all past.

  They have on order (coach said they are) boards to hold up for instructions as there is quite a bit of background noise from other sports in the lower part of the track.

  The bland feature less colour is being looked into for some visual markers

  It will be different to riding Manchester for racing as the centre has white nest from floor to ceiling and the glass wall (looks like 40mm laminated glass) is in your line of sight across the track, it will just take a bit of getting use to and again you are not too sure where you are on the track sounds silly but maybe I am too used to Manchester and know which end is which.

• Derby Arena velodrome

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 9 years, 8 months

  

  I shou;d be riding Derby latter today, Monday evening, will report back.

• Fixing Garmin to an aero seatpost (or elsewhere on a track bike)

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 9 years, 11 months

  

  Just another thought would a Garmin 500 fit inside the seat tube not easy to check if is working but if it comes to it.

• Fixing Garmin to an aero seatpost (or elsewhere on a track bike)

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 9 years, 11 months

  

  I ride the Manchester regional track league and have an SRM mounted on a handle bar mount around the seat post just above the top tube (my seat post is the same size as the handle bar so fits well) and is in line so as aero as it is going to be.

  If LVV are dead against computers on bikes have a look at the photos from the revolution series there are plenty of riders with SRM's and the head units on there bikes usually under the saddle.

  Then if you use a small computer i.e. a Garmin 500 how hard would it be to put it in a self sealing sandwich bag and safety pin it to your vest under your skin suit. Around your waits under hip joint area, of to the bib strap of your shorts. They let you wear a HR monitor strap.

  My understanding and a few UCI commissars I have asked about this is there shall be no accessories that can fall off or distract the rider or other riders.

  The rule that they roll out parallel is you shall be in full control of your bike at all times so riding in the drops at all times (plenty of elite riders stretch this a little in endurance events)

• Recommend track gloves

  in Track Cycling and Velodromes • 10 years, 1 month

  

  I use golf gloves from Sports Direct, you have to buy a left and a right as Golfers only wear one glove, these work out less than a tenner for a pair.