Repsych Cycling Development Winter Track Racing Series Round 6 at Chandler Velodrome

Following are a few photos from the Repsych Cycling Development Winter Track Racing Series Round 6 at Chandler Velodrome. Anna Meares set a new State Record for the Elite Women’s Flying 200 metres at this event — 11.44 seconds.

A great turnout for the Repsych Cycling Development Winter Track Racing Series Round 6 at Chandler Velodrome

Penny-farthings racing during the meal break

Chandler Velodrome banking is apparently 31 degrees — it doesn’t look steep … until you are riding around the top!

Kieran racing, with a motorbike setting the pace

Sprinting for the finish line

The start/finish straight towards the end of the night with few people left in the stands

Chandler Velodrome hire bike — Fuji Track 54 cm

I hired a Chandler Velodrome 54 cm track bike through Cycling Queensland for the Sunday training session with Repsych Cycling Development last weekend.

All my bikes are 56 cm frames. A while back, I had a bike fit done and they recommended a 55 cm frame. That left me wondering whether 56 cm was really the right frame size for me, or whether I was better off on a 54 cm frame. This is particularly so for track frames, where a size smaller than used on a road frame is often recommended because the steeper seat tube angle lengthens the effective top tube length.

I therefore took the opportunity to hire a 54 cm track bike. I was given this 54 cm Fuji Track bike for the training session. The bike was running 48/15 gearing. Even though the Fuji Track was a steel frame, it was quite acceptable for a beginner bike.

I noticed that the wheel axel bolts had not be cut so that they did not protrude through the nuts; nor had the bottle cage bolts been removed or taped over. I was expecting to have to do these two things to get my own bike on the track.

Photos of the 56 cm and 58 cm Chandler Velodrome hire bikes are here.

Chandler Velodrome hire bikes

I had my first ride on a velodrome today (apart from a few laps around Launceston Velodrome 25 years ago). I rode with the Repsych Cycling Development Sunday afternoon training session at Chandler Velodrome. Awesome fun and it was great being coached by a world class cycling athlete — thanks Kerrie Meares.

While I have several fixie bikes, they are road-oriented hipster-style bikes, rather than proper track bikes. What is the difference? Simply put, my bike frames have lower bottom brackets (less pedal clearance on the steep velodrome banking) and more relaxed seat tube and head tube angles (slower steering).

I decided to hire one of the Chandler Velodrome track bikes through Cycling Queensland, rather than risk taking my own bike and finding that it was unsuitable and then not being able to ride.

I usually ride a 56 cm frame. My bike for the Repsych training session was a Geoffrey Butler (front of the photos). It has obviously been well used over the years, but did the job of getting me around the track safely. The other beginner rider for the session was riding the 58 cm frame at the rear of the photos. Both bikes were steel framed and were quite acceptable for the session. The 56 cm track bike was running 48/15 gearing; the 58 cm bike had 49/15 gearing.

Photos of the Chandler Velodrome 54 cm Fuji Track hire bike are here.

The first two uses of the Chandler Velodrome track hire bikes are free. After that, Cycling Queensland charges $7.00 per day. Bargain! You will need to bring your own pedals. You should also bring your own tools so that you can make any adjustments yourself without having to borrow tools. A set of allan keys, pedal spanner, a 15 mm spanner for the wheel axel nuts and a track pump with a gauge should cover most things.

Cycling Queensland Chandler Velodrome track hire bikes

Sweat session on my rollers

It is the middle of winter, raining and cold (for Queensland, anyway!). But I still managed a sweat session on my JetBlack rollers this evening on my parts bin special built around a Cycling Deal track/fixie frame TF.

Sweat session on my Jet Black rollers using my Cycling Deal track/fixie frame TF parts bin special bike

Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W — finally built!

I have finally built up my Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W.

I originally purchased this frame for a bike build project that I lost interest in when I purchased a Wabi Special. I was then going to build up the frame as a rain bike. I then realised that I had enough parts lying around to put together a bike to use to train on my rollers.

The bike, as shown in the photos, with no brakes, but with pedals and heavy wheels and tires, weighs in at 9.0 kg. I am yet to cut down the fork steerer, and the handlebars and saddle need to be dialed in.

The 56 cm frame/fork/headset was advertised as being 2.4 kg; by my kitchen scales, the frame is 1752 grams and forks are 882 grams — a total of 2.634 kg. That is a bare weight without the seat post or headset supplied with the frame.

The Cell Bikes wheels came from my first fixie. I have weighed them (with rim tape, but no tubes/tyres/cog) on my kitchen scales at 1.361 kg for the front wheel and 1.433 kg for the rear wheel. They are not lightweight wheels, but they have withstood a good flogging, and are still lighter than many other cheap wheels on the market. The Maxxis Xenith tyres are also not light, but I was unable to weigh them. Investing in a half decent set of wheels and tyres should see a similar build using this frame down around 8 kg, which is not too bad.

For more information on this bike, explore here and here.

What is in the parts bin? Project Beetlejuice is coming to life!

I had a dig around my parts bin on the weekend to see whether I could find another bike in there somewhere. It seems I could! I am just missing some handlebar tape and bottom bracket bolts (I have a sprocket and stem not shown too).

The frame is a Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W. I bought it for another project, but then lost interest in building it when I got my Wabi Special. Being an aluminium frame, I thought about building it up as a rain bike, but really could not be bothered. When I realized that I had enough parts to almost build a bike to use to train on my rollers, I finally built it up.

The wheels are from my first Cell Bikes fixie. I used them on my second Cell fixie for a while before replacing them. I have pulled them out of the shed to complete this bike.

For more information on the bike, explore the Project Beetlejuice tag on this blog, and here and here.

Picnic Point, Toowoomba

Picnic Point is 700 metres above sea level and perched on the edge of the Great Dividing Range looking east towards Brisbane. With a modern café and restaurant, Picnic Point also offers parklands and walking trails.