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velocity boy - well that sounds like a terrible morning for you.

BTW you're really stuck money makes a good tire boot, just fold it up and pop it between the tire and tube. Most modern notes have lots of very strong fibres.

Had to do this on a bike tour once (in America mind, so you could use a dollar bill). Rode for about 25 miles with a large sidewall tear.

Those Suntour Superbe hubs (with the bronze circle) are the jam. IMHO better than high flange DAs or Suzue Pro Max NJS.

Smooth like butter, build into strong track wheels and they look great. They're all round lovely lovely hubs.

Not the best hubs for street riding as they're loose ball, but if you know how to maintain hubs you can keep 'em rolling for years. Its also hard to find parts for them (ie cones, axles etc) these days which is another reason to treat them well.

Used to fetch a pretty premimum on Ebay, so either they're going to get expensive or the market for NJS bling is cooling off.

I have a free 3TTT quill stem, 10cm long. GONE

http://www.56a.org.uk/bikeshop.html - looks pretty interesting and Elephant & Castle is pretty central.

I was a LCC member. I joined because I used to be a San Francisco Bike Coalition member who did an excellent job lobbying for bike lanes, traffic calming, free cycle training, free valet bike parking at all major city events, safer bike parking, access for cyclists to public transportation etc.

So when I moved to London I joined the LCC, as making bikes a practical form of transport is something I care about. I have to say that I found LCC a disappointment. They come across as really dis-organised, not very active and I've found myself at odds with them over some of the few campaigns they did seem to run. The magazine is decent though. I did find the 10% discount handy, but at best shops gave it to you begrudgingly or with some caveat attached.

I know London is a terrible disjointed mess, but I my experience with LCC left me feeling that they're not delivering on the service that London cyclists need. That said, due to work commitments, I did jack (aside from a few letters to my local authority) to help improve cycling in London.

Oh and someone really needs to open a Bike Kitchen in London. I know they're are a few spaces where you can work on your bike but they're not open daily. Someone must know a bike mad trustafarian :)

What crankset you running? More importantly what BB is this?

Have you checked the adjustment of the `adjustable' cup? If its loose you're going to get side to side movement potentially. If its a sealed unit and BB seems correctly installed, then your bearings are shot so its time for a new BB.

I love Phil stuff, but its over a 100 quid (with tools) for a Phil BB. They're lovely lovely things but you can find tons reasonable sealed BBs for a lot lot less. The only other real advantage of the Phil is that its got 5mm of adjustment so you can really dial in your chainline. Would expect Condor or Brixton cycles to have the tools which could save you some expense).

ImOnCrank: fucked those things up so hard in the three wretched months that I had them.

Thats cause you ride like a moron :)

Fair comment though. Just heard enough bad things about Formula/IRO/System EX hubs, as well as seeing how easy people can strip the threads, to know that I want to build a wheelset with stronger hubs if possible.

Like you, I would go for the Dia Compe's myself but I've been told the hubs have to be silver. So I'm going to either get one of the new Soma hubs (no longer rebadged Formulas) or a Gromada (if I ever hear back from 'em).

This guys got a whole bunch of Japanese Keirin Race posters. Some are awful mind:

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZphilQ5ftheQ5fpowerQ5ftaylor

Fixedwheelnut:Goldtech, Goldtech, Goldtech, Goldtech, Goldtech

Two problems with Goldtech hubs really: they're not silver (I don't have any control over that requirement) and secondly they have a 45mm chainline (or do BETD not know what they're talking about?).

Aside from that, everyone has love for the Goldtechs.

There is a fashion/rarity element to it.

But I think for most people, its the fact that its a mark that this component is burly enough to be raced professional by people who take it all very seriously. While there is a degree of protectionism to the NJS mark, it also does mean a component has been really riguorously tested.

Plus Keirin athestics match up to most folks on this board - steel frames, minimal elegant design, bikes stripped to the essential and then ridden 'effing hard.

Also forgot about:

Surly Track hubs
Soma Track hubs.

Going to try and see if I can weasle a Gromada but if not will probably just do the Formula/Ambrosio/IRO cheapness.

Ta for all the advice for far.

Jos:Gromada's from Poland? Don't have the url at hand though.

http://www.gromada.waw.pl is the website. Still doesn't look like they're officially selling these. Anyone ordered 'em?

Ok just ignore this - he can't confirm its actually a Harry Quinn. Fork crown does look a little odd.

Very sweet Harry Quinn 55cm Track Frame - £170 quid from Robert.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Harry-Quinn-steel-lugged-track-pista-frame-Campagnolo_W0QQitemZ220101226333QQcategoryZ22679QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So I have to make my lady some new wheels. Looking for fixed/fixed, high flanged, silver and sealed bearing (cause they're used all year around).

Options seem to be:

Phils - way too expensive and shiny to be locked up outside pubs.
Pauls - stupid 44m chainline, also too shiny/expensive
'Formula/Dimension' - (inc System Ex, Ambrosio, On-One etc) - Anyone got any strong recommendations?
Royce - way too expensive
Levels - Don't trust their cog system to be around in the long run.

Miches are just single sided and Suzue Pro Max are only fixed/fixed in the loose-ball kind.

Is there anything else worth looking at? I would just get some of those nice Dia Compe Gran Compes from Brixton Cycles but the hubs have to be silver (shes definite on that).

hippy: What ARE these frames?! I keep seeing pics of the 'ghetto' style one and now this!

The frame is an polish pursuit frame. The gussets are pretty much decorative.

See here for more details: http://www.ostro.com.pl/

The Nitto XT-19 stuff is all new and will be available in the US from May (according to some dodgy internet site).

Anyone one wanting a really dope pair of black pista bars. These are currently cheap (13 quid at time of posting) although they're oversize and a wee bit large (42cm). Really really nice stiff and comfy bars:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Deda-Pista-oversize-aluminium-track-handlebars-42cm-NEW_W0QQitemZ260102382970QQcategoryZ56194QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I've been running a pitlock front wheel for a long time and I like it. Nice thing is that the 'lock' part is small barely bigger than the bolts on 'non' quick releases.

Other nice thing is that the 'key' part has a 15mm nut so you can just place it in a standard 15mm wrench. As most back track wheels have 15mm nuts - you only need one standard tool.

You get two 'key' parts in every kit and can, if you order at the same time, get all the bolts in multiple kits set to the same key.

About the only bad thing to say about it, is that the parts are small so you have to be careful not to loosen it up too much so it all falls apart (did this once, while drunk in the dark - not fun) and its a little bit of a PITA if you have to take your wheel off regularly (eventually you'll need to buy a new serrated washer, as this part will wear out).

I like 'em. I'm a big fan of Pitlocks. Damn site easier than carrying two locks or lugging around a massive chain. Just use a Abus granite and this to protect my bike.

They do make a track version but I wouldn't rec it for the rear if you do much skipping/skidding.

£20 should get you a nice EAI sprocket (17.50 from Hubjub for example). Don't know how much Brixton Cycles charges.

The Condor ones better be lovely if they're 20 quid.

Alright if this really turning into a Raleigh Track Porn thread, then the older Professionals wee all over the new ones

Now this is real porn ('72 Raleigh Professional)

See http://www.firstflightbikes.com/RaleighTrack.htm

or

See http://www.bikecult.com/works/collections/raleighTL.html

I should know I had one, then leant it to a friend who stacked it on the track and so now it looks like this:

cause I was too (and am) poor to get it repainted the way it used to look like.

Don't use a V-brake lever with standard road calipers! The lever will pull too much cable and you'll basically endo. You can make 'em work but I would steer clear.

Basically you're looking for a lever compatible with standard calipers/cantis. Theres plenty out there.

The paul levers are nice but 'effing expensive. Dirty Harry levers work ok and can be had for about fiver 2nd hand. Tektro MX's can be had for about 2 quid as they're sh** but work.

RE: cheap track bars in black. ITM pista bars came in black and you could get 'em for about 10usd recently.

"The gates open at 10 am with Sprint preliminaries starting at 11. The main meeting starts at 1 pm and is scheduled to finish about 6 pm." <- From Website

Some Good Friday racers were training down at Preston Park yesterday (super ghettodrome in Brighton). Damn they were fast.

See these regularly on ebay - well Hed3, Cormias etc. Few aerospokes in this country. Your best bet are bike jumbles - places like ripley/hh meet etc cause at least you get to see the condition.

Most composite wheels have conversion kits to switch between single cog and gears, so maybe you should start hanging out at at triathalons :) However some of these conversion kits don't provide space for a lockring so it pays to know what you're looking for.

Otherwise if you're buying new these wheels are effing expensive. When I was last in SF, several of the better equipped track shops had aerospokes on display. It was crazy - used to be rare as hen's teeth.

While we're on about cheap-o cranksets. On-one make a nice one (probably a rebaged version of one of the above), but it comes in a nice black or mirror finish (which is a little different). Can get 'em with square or ISIS tapers. And your supporting a nice UK based business (although the parts are made in China/Taiwan). 50 quid.

OK ignore that, the chainline on these things is 47.5mm, which is way off for a 'track' chainset. They may be of some value if you're using a road hub in the back rather than a track hub.

For cheap-o solutions the RDs are nice. Also keep seeing cheap-o cranks (such as the Truvativ ones fitted to Bianchi Pistas) for about 50-60 quid on Ebay

Found BMX levers work great with Nitto bars (have plain 123s). Note that BMX levers come in 22.2 and 25.4 clamp diameters so make sure you get one that fits. Dirty Harry/Goldfingers are fine little levers. Currently have a crud Tektro MX lever that I keep meaning to replace but its being going strong for years.

Most levers are on the left hand side to make signalling easier. Theres a lot of literature that says you should use your weaker hand with the more powerful brake to prevent endos; so lots of new bikes come with the 'front brake on the left. Believe this only make sense if you're completely new to biking.

Much prefer drops to bullhorns, although bullhorns make skidding much easier.

Cheers for the input. Really want to pass this on to a beginner racer either at Herne Hill or the ghetto fabulous Preston Park (makes Herne Hill look like Manchester) so its nice to know what a fair price is.

Would really prefer not to put it on Ebay just because it deserves to be ridden on a 'drome and not walked to a coffee shop in the Misson/Hoxton etc.