do people begrudge other people earning a living these days?

[legrandefromage]

I wanted to run a bike shop. heck I even found a nice little place for it but we couldnt make the numbers work and it all fell by the wayside (but not forgotten, its still a possibility).

The 6 months I worked at a busy store, the wages were low, the hours long (definite bending of Sunday/ bank holiday trading) but I liked the job.

We had those 'engineer' customers and it was usually down to me to sort them out with the full backing of the manager if it went tits up. I would carefully say that they were welcome to try elsewhere (a loong trip to find a bike shop with the facilities of ours). They usually came back and were repeat customers because I was capable of talking them round.

I only remember one really daft customer who complained bitterly that another mechanic had replaced his beloved matching Ultegra groupset with a SRAM chain/ cassette despite the fact that they were better and more suited to his needs and quite a bit cheaper.

Another perhaps similar dafty was the guy who commuted on a ss ti track bike to the train station and back - he came in asking for a service and before I'd even quoted him, I said 'I'm going to look for cracks as this frame isnt really suitable for what you are doing' - sure enough, cracks around the BB and headtube - he was angry because this was the second frame that had cracked and that would we help him with the warranty. I told him that we couldnt because he was using the bike for the wrong purpose - 'but it cost £1500 just for the frame, its not fit for purpose, I want my money back' - We said that it was impossible for us to help him with the warranty as it was a TRACK BIKE designed to be ridden around a nice smooth surface not a 20 mile daily trip in the rain and shit 300 days a year. I believe he bought a new bike.

 

[legrandefromage]

Actually he was a 'larger' gentleman.

And I take you to task over the track bike stuff - geometry and fork rake: The fork is supposed to act as suspension by flexing - you would know that. Proper track bikes have steeper head angles an little rake so really really not designed for commuting on the UK's buggered roads.

 

[mattr]

It's ok, I've deleted it. After all, I'm an engineer, what do I know.

 

[legrandefromage]

But he was using the wrong tool for the wrong job - surely you can see that?

 

[mattr]

Still no reason for it to fail. Physics doesn't work like that.

Bloody horrible to ride, but nothing intrinsic in the fact it's a track bike that would make it more or less likely to fail. I suspect any lightweight ti bike would have failed.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Still no reason for it to fail. Physics doesn't work like that.

Bloody horrible to ride, but nothing intrinsic in the fact it's a track bike that would make it more or less likely to fail. I suspect any lightweight ti bike would have failed.

But it's strength and flex would have been design for the track. Add in impulse style hit* of pot holes and it may go over its design.
Like taking a formula one car around a Rally course. It just wouldn't come out in one piece. But physics isn't like that of course, the F1 car should be fine.

I can't take a competition road bike around a offroad trail centre and expect bits of it not do have died sort of thing. Also bloody awful to ride, probably great laugh for a bit


(* placing heavy weights on glass and then dropping the same weight onto the glass are quite different.)

 

[mattr]

But it's strength and flex would have been design for the track.

You are reading far far (far) too much into tubing design. Track tubes are one and the same as road tubing. And most mtb tubing.

I can't take a competition road bike around a offroad trail centre and expect bits of it not do have died sort of thing. Also bloody awful to ride, probably great laugh for a bit

Except for a lack of traction, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why you couldn't take any pro quality race bike round a trail centre. I've done it, it's fun. I've even taken my 19 lb carbon hardtail down a rock strewn black run with skull and crossbones at the top...... no one died. Nothing broke, not even a flat tyre. There seems to be an idea that anything other than a mountain bike is fragile, with track bikes being very very very fragile. They aren't. Neither are road bikes.

You have seen the northern classics haven't you? Most of them are ridden on standard road bikes (unless the weather is bad, then they need bigger tyres and more clearance, but the components and frame make up are the same). Many of the "specials" are rolled out year after year, with revised paint. Most amateur riders would struggle to even hold on to the bars at race pace. They don't break that often.

(* placing heavy weights on glass and then dropping the same weight onto the glass are quite different.)

LOL, I do this for a living, I have done for the last 20 years, I know what impulse is.

And your F1 argument is flawed, as every single component is designed for one thing, there is virtually no carry over. You could make an F1 into a rally car, but it'd make a rubbish F1 car.

A ti track bike does make a crap commuter, but there is no reason why using it as one would make it fail.

Actually, when you get right down to it, a ti track bike wouldn't make a particularly good track bike either.

 

[xerxes]

Re:

I would have thought that track bikes would be made fairly sturdy given that some of the riders are pretty hefty, pint sized Laura Trott-a-likes not withstanding.

 

[mattr]

They are governed by the UCI minimum weight rules these days, many of the carbon frames come in at significantly over a kilo and a half. Still need ballast adding to meet minimum weight.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Re: Re:

I would have thought that track bikes would be made fairly sturdy given that some of the riders are pretty hefty, pint sized Laura Trott-a-likes not withstanding.

Gosh; I doubt I could produce a whole pint. Maybe over a weekend.