Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person / needs track ends

[JWestland]

Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person

The bike build bug is itching again. Next: A fixed wheel for street use.

After building a 1978 Ciocc from frame bought on LFGSS (see my profile for pic) I am looking for a more modern frame for the next build.

Size: The Ciocc is 49.5x51, gives me about an inch standover. I'd say 51/52 is perfect, 53 TT also OK, 52 square (or equivalent) may be too high though depends on geo of course. I am 5"5' with longish arms/leg.

Material: Steel. No gas pipe as then it's no lighter than Hob...

Condition: Scratches etc. fine, no big dents or cracks please.

Geometry: Can be tight as long as it doesn't need special expensive tires. Roads here eat tires unfortunately. Some toe overlap OK. A lo-pro or TT frame is also perfectly fine.

Build thread on here for everybody to have An Opinion

Budget: Shall we say £200 and willing to stretch for the right frame. Beans on toast, here we come!

 

[FINNEY1973]

Re: Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person

Might be able to help out on this one, dependent on exactly what geometry your after?

Got a couple of lo-pro frames (Sirius) from the 90's. One's Reynolds 653, the other 853. Am willing to let one of them go.

Don't know about expensive tyres, but the front wheel is 650C, rear 700C - whether that influences you I don't know?

Anyway, if your interested drop me a line - I can measure them up as they are slightly different lengths, but they'll be in the right ball park for your height.
Cheers

 

[JWestland]

Re: Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person

Hi Tx for reply

Some frames have such tight clearances only expensive tubs fit, as long as it takes most tires it's fine. As tubs in Belfast really isn't practical...

As long as geo is "sporty" but not overly jittery it will be fine I'm happy with both Charge Hob and Ciocc geo.

I'd like to run it fixed do the frames have track ends? If so please send pictures.

 

[FINNEY1973]

Re: Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person

Your roads sound as bad as the ones here!!

I've run clincher & tubular wheelsets on both frames, I'll have to check but I think 700 x 22 is the biggest you get on them due to clearance to the seat-tube.

They're both full-on TT frames, but 'micro' as was the Sirius style of that era. Both frames have vertical dropouts - standard TT fare for quick wheel release so not track ends.

They're boxed up at the minute, I can do photo's tomorrow night if your interested but they're both of this ilk....

http://www.lfgss.com/thread20373.html - the 653 is identical to that in the LFGSS thread but it isn't that actual frame but as you can see that one was done in SS mode (hence why I want to keep one as that's what I'll be doing as well).

Hope this is of use, let me know if so & i'll dig them out and get some photos, dimensions etc

 

[JWestland]

Re: Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person

I plucked a staple from my Gatorskin tub last week...bloody things hard to get on/off and even they p_nct_r_

Ow dilemma...I love the Sirius in the pic!

But I'm right that's it's going to be difficult to run without chain tensioner?

 

[FINNEY1973]

Re: Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person

All wheels with tubs consigned to staying indoors and pumped up every couple of weeks until spring 2014! Punctured twice in two weeks so it's over to proper winter clinchers!

Yep, he did that sirius very nicely.

No expert of SS set-ups at all but there's thousands of standard frames that are used for SS / fixed - I think horizontal dropouts can be awkward to set up but vertical are fine as the shape of the dropout means the wheel can't move. Chain tightness can be perfected through use of a half link BMX chain if required, but as I say i'm no expert at all on this, am sure there's plenty of advice on the www.

 

[JWestland]

Re: Track / LoPro frame for 5"5 person / with track ends ple

I'll have a look. It sounds like you love one of the Sirius so if you want measure the other one whenever suits?
I can see if it's feasible to run it on street due to short dropouts and you said it needs 650C tires with 22 max size which may be tricky

Not in a rush this time last time I did that I ended up with a lovely bike but a hole in the bank account...went a bit perfectionist lol. There are track end Argos/Dave LLoyd lo-pros hence my request for either, as weird geo doesn't bother me. If anything, more confused onlookers on street which is fun.

EDIT: Unless the drop outs are somewhat horizontal, it sounds like a pain to run it fixed: Magic Gear can work, but it's very fiddly and as your chain stretches you need to adjust. Alternative is eccentric hubs @ £124...! So it may really have to be a trackend if you have dropouts like so: http://sheldonbrown.com/images/dropf-short.gif

Too bad as I like the Sirius I have seen on the internet...and I appeals to my small builder me :S

 

[FINNEY1973]

there you go, I did say I wasn't an expert in SS builds - and that just proves the point. Seems horizintal works and vertical doesn't! If I see anything with track ends for sale I'll drop you a line - apologies for the false dawn on this one. Looks like I'm back to the drawing board with my own plans as well :facepalm:

 

[JWestland]

Single speed you can use a chain tensioner so it's not as hard

Fixed that doesn't work.

 

[JWestland]

Gentle bump as no frame yet.

I tried stretching myself but it didn't work...