Trackers

[JabberingJimbo]

Re:

I remember tracker bikes, I had a few when I was at middle school (1985)...
We used one of our dad's 'borrowed' gaz stoves to heat up the forks before making them straight :shock:
Also the short little mudguards that were only about 150mm long.
And the extra fork braces that bolted to the handle bars and front axle, bolt on axle of course
Had to buy new tires all the time as they got worn out doing skids.

I think I upgraded to a Raliegh Maverick after that :facepalm:

 

[Gaddmeister]

Re:

Great topic! :-D

 

[willbloke]

i was thinking about this last night as jabberingjimbo said , some had really short alloy mudguards , I guess the theory was to keep crap off the brakes ?

I didn't have straight forks , I don't think anyone in our "gang" did , but the cycle speedway bikes did.

There was a bit of woods over by Queens Park in Bournemouth that was epic , huge drop off hills and mounds to get air-borne .

There was one guy , who was brilliant at bunny hops , so off a jump he would get massive air .

I remember him going off a small mound and landing with such force the rear wheel literally exploded , there was an angry porcupine where the back wheel used to be , with shards of rubber and steel scattered all around !

 

[mattr]

Re: Re:

Top kid at school on a tracker was Darren Atkins who used to thrash the local fields jumping brooks', sometimes with a string of young pretenders in tow. I used to think that he'd have made a great MTBer - turns out he wasn't a bad CX rider, a few years later!
I think Darren now runs Coventry Cycle Centre; back in the 80's when it was John Atkins, trackers were so popular in Cov' that the shop sold new, custom bikes complete with anodised cycle speedway rims etc.. I only knew of two kids who had one though and one was 'Akky' himself. A bit too posh and expensive for anybody I knew and not really in the bodging spirit of trackers - but man, I fancied one.

Nah, Darren runs (owns?) Ride in Coventry. Cov Cycle Centre (ex-John Atkins) folded last year, owned by someone else altogether.

 

[willbloke]

This has got me thinking (almost always a dangerous thing) ..

Is , what we used to call 26 x 1 3/8 now called 26 x 1.35 ?

ie. will http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Schwalbe-CX-Pro ... ClO_w_wcB# fit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/33127382 ... mp;ff13=80 ??

 

[kingoffootball]

This has got me thinking (almost always a dangerous thing) ..

Is , what we used to call 26 x 1 3/8 now called 26 x 1.35 ?

ie. will http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Schwalbe-CX-Pro ... ClO_w_wcB# fit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/33127382 ... mp;ff13=80 ??

Nope, the decimal and fractional " 26" " wheels are not compatible. The tyres have a diameter of 559mm and the wheels 590mm

 

[willbloke]

Arse , so how do I fit knobblies to a Sturmey Archer three speed ? :facepalm:

 

[andyz]

Re:

You need Schwalbe speedway pros, 26 x 1 3/8. I still have my tracker bike, made from a 1953 Phillips, with stainless rims and Sturmey Archer 3-speed. It had a special chainset (Williams?) with a small-ish chainring so I could use it offroad. A bit like a modern 1x10 setup, but only 1x3! I rode that bike for years, all through the 70s and 80s.
Thanks for making me feel old!

 

[al]

Re:

We all rode Trackers round our way in Manchester... the sight of a pair of forks snapping at 20 mph on a 'downhill' will live with me forever. Loved these bikes, but hell we used to nail some random stuff together. Nothing comes close to riding an old Raleigh racer with a fixed gear and massive Renthal Speedway bars offroad with your mates on the Mersey banks.

I wish I was a kid again.

al.

 

[willbloke]

Andyz I can't find any available for sale though ?