Got my frame

Quote from: cokey on March 24, 2012, 08:43:31 PM
Got my frame

Nice 

I'm no hipster, but I've been seriously thinking about one of these (all black):

http://www.bigshotbikes.com/

Quote from: badgalbetty on March 05, 2012, 10:13:36 AM
I bought a cruiser bike last summer and I love it. Its really old and really heavy.it was made in 1940 or so.A schwinn beach cruiser with single speed ,pedal back brake that works when it wants to, and it has a skip tooth chain. I like riding it , its fun but bloomin' hard work especially uphill!

Just saw this!  Sweet bike! 

Quote from: Speedbag on March 25, 2012, 06:33:13 AM
I'm no hipster, but I've been seriously thinking about one of these (all black):

http://www.bigshotbikes.com/

I kinda like that raw clearcoat.  My buddy had a Brooklyn- waaay too much money for what it was.

My new "fixie."  My first velodrome certification class is Tuesday...pumped!

You're going to love it. I sucked at track racing, but can't say I've ever had quite as much concentrated fun on a bicycle. If crit racing is strong black coffee, track is a quadruple espresso.

http://biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=33948

http://biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=33789

Holly shitballs that first person view down hill.. 

Got to ride the 'drome last night for 2 hours- first cert class.  I was shaking after the first lap on the Stayer's Line (upper most line on the track).  Incredible.  I think I still had a smile on my face this morning when I woke up.  Got to do a couple 250m sprints also- nothing like hitting the measurement line (bottom) through 1 and 2 at 28mph.

The velodrome's namesake's 80 year old grandfather was out turning laps while we were getting ready.

See, I toldja so.  

It took me a while to get used to just how far down the track apron appears when you're riding up on the rail in a turn. Scratch that -- I'll never get used to it, even though some of it is a trick of perception. And the acceleration you get when dropping off the rail is mighty addictive.

Did you get a chance to try any group sprints or ride a timed kilo?

We did some paceline practice, and some side by side rotation laps.  I was sketched out at first because 2 of the people in the class had never ridden fixed.  We also had 3 flats in the group- everyone kept it upright though.  Glad I was riding my own tubies. 

Honestly, I was surprised at how they just let us go considering some of the experience levels out there.  I had a buddy's gopro on my bike, but it wasn't working.  Hopefully I'll have a few vids to post after next week.

You'll need the GoPro to remember the Kilo; if you're doing it right, your vision will shrink down to a painful, narrow tunnel and you won't really remember the last 250 meters. And then you'll throw up, or at least feel mightly close to it. Fun, really!   

One of my best cycling memories was in a match sprint at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in PA (It was kind of like letting fifth graders play football in Giants Stadium, but I digress...). Six of us on the track, and one rider & I got a good gap on the rest early and were working well together in the middle laps and stretched it out, swapping the lead every half lap, using the banking to accelerate back into each other's draft. With three turns to go and him in the lead, I snuck up the banking to the rail.

The next couple of seconds are ones I'll enjoy reliving for the rest of my life. He moved up off the black measurement line and looked down & left for me to come through... Looked again, looked a third time, and then he looked to the right and craned his neck around to see me wa-a-ay up there on the rail just as I dove down the banking and blew by him on the inside. He didn't have a prayer of matching my gravity-assisted sprint, and I held a good 20 meter gap all the way through to the finish.

Even though it's the moral equivalent of remembering that great catch you made fifteen years ago in beer-league softball, it still makes me smile...

Quote from: cokey on March 24, 2012, 08:43:31 PM
Got my frame

Nashbar?  Very nice frame!

Yea nashbar..  had as a return for an extra 33% off..  paid 162 shipped..  im doing a nashbar build..  have their frame, seat post, front wheel and will be ordering their cf fork and head stem in april and some brand headset..  seat and bars pictured last page.. doing a 7 or 9 speed, not sure yet, with front hand break and rear "pedal" break..   just need to figure out rear cassette and front sprocket size and need a rear wheel..