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General: ***************** SSSSPEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDD?

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    • CommentAuthorcjpark86
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009 edited
     
    hey guys, i'm quite new to the fixie world and i just wanted to know what is the most important component in making the bike go fast??

    i run a SRAM s300 crankset 48-17t ratio.
    i have a b43 on front and velocity deep v on rear with just forumla hubs.
    Does changing to a higher quality hubs mean i will be able to ride faster? what else matters?
    Thanks! please let me know!
    • CommentAuthordas_pyrate
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    go to the gym. your body is the most important component in making the bike go fast.
    • CommentAuthorsfbee
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     


    Top of the line components aren't going to help a damn thing if you can't use them to their potential. You've gotta walk before you can run...
    • CommentAuthorcjpark86
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    i got pretty good leg power, i just wanna step it up a notch if there is any improvement i can do with my bike.
    do hubs really strongly matter in this issue?
  5.  
    Yep.

    If you want to make a change in miles per hour instead of seconds per 50 mile race, ride a lot. Keep your cadence in the 60-120 rpm range. When you can do that, other stuff will start to matter.

    If you're already pedaling around town at 90 rpm, then you'll want to change your gearing. But since you're new to biking (or at least riding a fixie), you're probably not.
  7.  
    No, hubs are not critical. What's your cadence?
    • CommentAuthorcjpark86
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    how do i measure this? getting a computer?
    • CommentAuthorRood
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    a calculator:
    http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/articles/steve-cadence/
  10.  
    Well, you can count. Count "1 one thousand" from the bottom of your stroke and note where your leg is when you get to "nd". If you've gone around once, that's 60 rpm. If you've gone around twice, that's 120 rpm and you're a biking monster. If it goes around once and then ends pointing up, that's 90. Give or take.

    You can, of course, get a computer with a cadence sensor. It will tell you more accurately. But this way will tell you what it tells me: more biking will make you a better biker.
  11.  
    I'm amazed this thread has gone almost an hour without anyone bashing CJ into the ground. Thumbs up, Velospace.
    • CommentAuthoreaglerock
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    Posted By: suicide_doorsI'm amazed this thread has gone almost an hour without anyone bashing CJ into the ground. Thumbs up, Velospace.

    Well, you have to start somewhere...

    (as do we all)
    • CommentAuthorSkidMark
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009 edited
     
    Posted By: sfbee

    Top of the line components aren't going to help a damn thing if you can't use them to their potential. You've gotta walk before you can run...


    And the best way to make your bike lighter is to eat better (healthy diet) and exercise (RIDE) more.
  14.  
    My best suggestion is to shave your legs, arms, eyebrows, and head, it really cuts those extra grams and makes me so much more aerodynamic.
  15.  
    I've heard that crystal meth did wonders for Andre Agassi's speed.



    HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAahahaaaaaaa
    • CommentAuthorcjpark86
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    funny people
    but good people on velospace, thanks for all the advice.
    i'm learning =)
    • CommentAuthorwes m.
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    Posted By: sfbee

    Top of the line components aren't going to help a damn thing if you can't use them to their potential. You've gotta walk before you can run...


    I agree, removal of the testes and penis is the key. lighter, more aero, less junk getting in the way.
  18.  
    If we've learned anything from Lance Armstrong, it's that losing a nut really cuts down on race weight.

    Suicide, it was an honest and non-idiotically phrased question. I like to think that we can handle that as a community.
  19.  
    Oh, I'm sure we can, but that doesn't always mean we do. Like I said, Hi5, Velospace.


    I think my joke was really funny, by the way.
  20.  
    Posted By: Joshua A.C. NewmanIf we've learned anything from Lance Armstrong, it's that losing a nut really cuts down on race weight.

    Suicide, it was an honest and non-idiotically phrased question. I like to think that we can handle that as a community.


    I'd like to think that too but let's be honest here. If we can go ten posts into ANY thread and someone hasn't already called the OP retarded it's a day to celebrate.

    I'm proud of us Velospace, we managed to not rag on a new guy just for being born. Yay us!!!


    cjpark86: pink aerosp0k and bmx risers is the only way you're ever gonna get speed like the pros. Trust me.
  21.  
    There will come a day when the retard-calling gets to be too much for me and I'll shuffle back to bikeforums' mechanics forum. Until then, I'm going to do what I can to ask and answer stuff for real. Bikes are too much fun to play little girl namecalling games.

    Suicide, I think I would find that funnier if I followed tennis at all. Pro cyclists are most fond of cocaine, apparently.

    That reminds me: I just read an article about the pervasiveness of performance enhancements in biking... lemme see now... Here we go. The take-away was that drugs like EPO and cocaine are viewed as noble sacrifice by European UCI fans. Removing them from the sport would be like removing hours of training. Defying the law is also a noble sacrifice.

    CJ, have you considered taking drugs that increase the oxygen absorption levels of your blood and will probably cause clots around your heart? It's apparently a favorite technique.
    • CommentAuthorAaron C
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009 edited
     
    personally i think anabolic steroids are your best bet

    for those of you who post on here frequently: my body is still trying to grow a third, auxiliary, testicle to give me that "ummph" when it really counts.

    i think the secret is a good body to testicle ratio- and two just ain't cutting it, the net performance to aerodynamic penalty is just horrible. this leads me to believe that if you want to increase your sssspeeeeeeeeedddddd out put you need to follow one of three courses of action.

    1. loose one or both testicles (a la Lance)-
    Posted By: wes m.lighter, more aero, less junk getting in the way.

    2. take anabolic steroids- in the same line of thought, for those indecisive folks would like to shrink the size of their package, but aren't quite sure they want to go "all-the-way"
    3. grow a third (or forth) testicle- apparently the route my body has chosen for me, i am already feeling a dramatic increase in my power output with only minimal discomfort.
    • CommentAuthorsfbee
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    Posted By: Aaron Cmy body is still trying to grow a third, auxiliary, testicle to give me that "ummph" when it really counts.


    pics or it ain't happenin
    • CommentAuthorAaron C
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    if i had the ultrasound i would post them.
    • CommentAuthoreaglerock
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009 edited
     
    Posted By: Aaron Cmy body is still trying to grow a third, auxiliary, testicle to give me that "ummph" when it really counts.

    Where would you put it? You'd either have to get a Brooks and carve the hell out of it, or get some bunch of Italian designers with skinny sunglasses to engineer one for you in crabon. Not to mention all the custom Lycra, to emphasize your extremeness.

    Posted By: sfbeepics or it ain't happenin

    Please don't. We have enough problems.

    OP, a serious question: How fast are you going now, that you need to go "faster"? And what is the purpose of going "faster", whatever that means?

    Are you racing? What kind of race? Against what kind of competition? Do you have the kind of job (bike messenger, track/road/CX racer) where going faster means more money in your pocket?

    Are you trying to get to some particular destination sooner? What's the road conditions (road surface, traffic, elevation) between departure and arrival?

    Wanting to go fast because it's fun is a legit thing; I'm not trying to bust your chops about that, if that's your reason. But the best answer to the question "how do I go faster" will be different, depending on the reason for the question.

    (let's get existential)
    • CommentAuthorLyKqiD
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    Didnt expect this conversation from the thread title.

    However, gear ratio is just about the only thing in my experience that will yield any noticeable result, speed wise. Changing your hubs will not give you any discernible gain.
    Want to go fast? get a 64t chainring and 8t cog (threads only to bmx hubs) and find a really long straight road.
  27.  
    fastest track hubs in my opinion are Dura Ace High Flange. Those loose ball bearings spin like a mofo.

    but yea a bike is only as fast as the pilot. and a b43 is not going to help you in your conquest for more ssssspeeedddd, unless of course you relace it to the above said hubs!

    I know for a fact that NJS frames sprint and race real fast! But really any track frame will be superior in power transfer and acceleration than a trick frame or conversion/whatnot.

    Take baby steps and keep on rolling, someday you might be as fast as me JK lol

    On the real tho, track drops have conditioned me to be a much faster rider than i used to only have risers..
  28.  
    omfg. Where's TO49 when you need him?
    • CommentAuthorthe rabbi
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    hubs are only as fast as your legs amke them move. smoothness, on the other hand, is an entirely differnt story.
  30.  
    Want to go fast? get a 64t chainring and 8t cog (threads only to bmx hubs) and find a really long straight road.


    At 90 rpm, that will get you up to 56 mph. Good luck getting the wheel turning in the first place, though.
    • CommentAuthoreaglerock
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    Posted By: LyKqiDWant to go fast? get a 64t chainring and 8t cog (threads only to bmx hubs) and find a really long straight road.

    Wouldn't you have to get both a custom crank and a custom chainring for that? Sounds cost-prohibitive.

    I can't imagine any reason to go that fast, unless there's one of those Ed McMahon giant novelty checks at the end. Anyone here ever been offered one of those?

    (hey, those crickets are making a real racket)
    • CommentAuthorwes m.
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    Photobucket

    If removal of the penis and testes is not an option...
    • CommentAuthorAaron C
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    Posted By: wes m.Photobucket

    If removal of the penis and testes is not an option...


    dammit you beat me to it!
  34.  
    Wow. I had not seen that before.
    • CommentAuthoreaglerock
    • CommentTimeOct 29th 2009
     
    Posted By: suicide_doorsWow. I had not seen that before.

    Neither had I; but isn't it glaringly obvious that it's a bad idea? If only because you'll get chainring grease on your right inner thigh?
  36.  
    Imagine going 100+ mph on it!! It's like a giant saw blade just waiting for you to crash so it can cut parts of you off!
  37.  
    Posted By: suicide_doorsomfg. Where's TO49 when you need him?


    Ugh. I did not want to get into this conversation.

    Although, I hear that silver hubs and rims are faster than black ones. Something about the paint, slows you down more.
  38.  
    Posted By: Aaron C
    Posted By: wes m.Photobucket



    NOTE the backwards fork. Although changing brands of hubs won't help you get faster, turning your fork around backwards WILL indeed. It's an old unspoken-of track racer secret that not many people know about. So.........now you know. Be careful, because you WILL go fast.
    • CommentAuthorLyKqiD
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2009
     
    Seriously 108 mph? That bike is epic
  40.  
    Better (bigger):
  41.  
    Look at those HF hubs and those HUGE track ends, that thing is nuts. Tha'ts such a cool stem.
    • CommentAuthordas_pyrate
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2009
     
    anyone know what the ratio is on that bike? (in teeth)
  43.  
    Posted By: das_pyrateanyone know what the ratio is on that bike? (in teeth)



    its 252 gear inches, with a ratio of 9 1/2 to 1, that what it says on that sign.
    • CommentAuthordas_pyrate
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2009
     
    Posted By: das_pyrate(in teeth)
    • CommentAuthorwes m.
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2009
     
    Umm, count yourself? Its a skip tooth so that makes the question/answer sort of odd anyways.
  46.  
    It looks to me like that's a 114:12, cuz that's probably a 12-tooth sprocket. It looks like the chain ring skips teeth, so it's twice the teeth it looks like. It looks like the chainring has some 60 teeth, though, so that can't be quite right, cuz that would be 10:1. I don't know why it would be a 13 tooth sprocket, but it couldn't be 9.5:1 because then you'd get half a tooth. It could be 133:14, but it doesn't look like the chainring has that many teeth.

    So it's something like 114:12.

    ... which still doesn't explain the backward fork. It could be intentional — at that speed, maybe you need to go super straight and it... I dunno. I bet it's a mistake when it was assembled for the exhibit.
    • CommentAuthorLyKqiD
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2009
     
    Posted By: Joshua A.C. Newmanmaybe you need to go super straight and it... I dunno.

    lol... I was hoping you were going somewhere with that because I too have no idea about the backwards fork... anyone?
  48.  
    I've thought about it. I think the backward fork is to steady steering at extreme speed. It seems dicey, but it doesn't say "108 mph and the dude exploded" so it must have worked.
  49.  
    Maybe this will help some thinkery.
  50.  
    A little history lesson for you folks:

    The "inside-out" fork is actually how the bike is supposed to be. It's used in a race called a 'Steher' where the track cyclist actually follows behind a specially built motorcycle with a roller on the back. The reason for the fork being inward is so the cyclist can get as close as possible to the motorcycle to draft and gain more speed. The cyclist communicates with the motorcycle driver by yelling Allez (faster) or Haut (too fast) so the cyclist doesn't hit the roller causing them to lose speed.

    The bikes normally run between a 66-69 tooth chainring and a 13-16 tooth cog. That Schwinn is just abnormal...

    So in short, the fork is correct.
    • CommentAuthorthe rabbi
    • CommentTimeOct 31st 2009
     

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