Hello--I'm an Old Guy who rode many years ago on stiff hub bikes and a road bike. I stopped riding 30-35 years ago, and just got the hots again for a bike, and picked up a 54cm Fuji track bike (freewheel & fixed) on eBay last week.

I picked up the bike in San Diego Saturday and got it home to Long Beach, where I put on the wheels and took it out for a short flight test.

I was terribly dismayed to find the bike almost unmanageably twitchy, and the steering to be a fulltime occupation, not something to be handled lightly.

I put on 3-4 miles yesterday on the bikepath here at the beach, and the bike is generally OK except for the front end. As near as I can determine from Fuji's
website, the head is set at 72 degrees, and the fork offset is 40mm. If I put on a fork with greater offset, in the range of 41-43mm, will this improve the bike's handling, i.e., slow down the movement on the front end???

I have no plans other than to use the bike on the street, eventually changing the back wheel over to the fixed gear, and doing some light hill climbing around here. But as the bike sits at the moment, I really feel quite unsafe riding around moving cars because it's almost impossible to look over my shoulder without having the bike twitch off to the right.

I would appreciate anybody's ideas here. Many thanks.

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach, California

So the last time you rode a bike, Nixon was in his first term and Elvis was still alive... you get on a bike over 3 decades later and you feel a little unstable on your first ride, and you are surpised?:confused:

Nothing to worry about, ride a little more, and the handling will feel fine as your confidence builds. :D :D

It's a track bike. That's normal. Not sure why someone who hasn't ridden for 30 years would buy a fixie as a first choice.

It's a track bike. That's normal. Not sure why someone who hasn't ridden for 30 years would buy a fixie as a first choice.
+1 on this--it's supposed to be quite twitchy. It's also possible that you're set up with too much weight on your hands, which can make the bike somewhat harder to control.

But I'd say it's just the geometry.

I'd also say that you'll get used to it pretty fast--really, you will.

and if turning your aging neck muscles is a problem, as it is with me....

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=SPRBM&tnum=5038701&c=6714362&i=1

b21

I appreciate all the concern for my rapidly deteriorating physique and for my otherwise superannuated condition. However, I do have a MD whom I consult when I have physical questions.

When I registered for this website, somebody emailed me and suggested I post to the forums. Now that I have done that, is there someone out there who can provide me with a RELEVANT answer???

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach

I appreciate all the concern for my rapidly deteriorating physique and for my otherwise superannuated condition. However, I do have a MD whom I consult when I have physical questions.

When I registered for this website, somebody emailed me and suggested I post to the forums. Now that I have done that, is there someone out there who can provide me with a RELEVANT answer???

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach
Maybe you should sell it and get something a bit less twitchy? Is that relevant enough? You don't buy a Ferarri and then complain when you can't take it 4 wheeling due to lack of clearance. Sure you might be able to put a lift kit on it and some big tires that will help, but you're making it into something it isn't.

Now that I have done that, is there someone out there who can provide me with a RELEVANT answer???

You had 2 posters tell you that track bikes are twitchy, and I told you just give it some time, and one poster who gave you a personal remedy for looking for oncoming traffic while you get use to how the bike handles. All this in one hour's time.

my rapidly deteriorating physique

Please keep this to yourself. No one said anything about how you look, nor do we care..

I do have a MD whom I consult when I have physical questions

Is he as big of a prick as you are?

http://www.in.gov/whiteriver/bikein/Schwinn_beach_cruiser_sm.jpg???

......................

Relevant? Pick your words carefully. You have already gotten a bunch of relevant answers as Kestreljr pointed out. You even got excellent and sympatheitc answers. What you didn't get was the magic-nothing's-really-the-matter-answer. That one doesn't exist. Sprinkle some pixie dust on yourself and the bike and everything will be swell gosh golly.

In the meantime, but a touring bike and sell that track buddy. There's never been a time to sell a track bike like now.

a Track bike not a street fixie. Track bikes are supposed to be twitchy. They are designed for racing on a banked drome where you are bumping shoulders

by a 'street fixie' like a Bianchi or the Masi

or just learn to handle the twitchy bike.

Thank you, gentlemen. I asked a question about rake and trail, and you can't seem to address that question.

I conclude you don't know the answer, and can't quite come to grips with that. I'll leave you now, and thanks for your time.

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach, California

Are you sure about that HTA and fork rake? They don't seem very track-like to me (usually a steeper HTA made up for a very small fork rake). The trail is in the ballpark though at about 66.5 mm. This is pretty far toward the slow end of the usual trail figures. Going to a fork with more rake would actually *decrease* trail, making the steering quicker.

Thank you, gentlemen. I asked a question about rake and trail, and you can't seem to address that question.

I conclude you don't know the answer, and can't quite come to grips with that. I'll leave you now, and thanks for your time.

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach, California

You get what you pay for....ever stop to think that a new fork won't solve the underlying problem and that's why nobody addressed that point?

I'll leave you now, and thanks for your time.

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach, California

Bye. _

Are you sure about that HTA and fork rake? They don't seem very track-like to me (usually a steeper HTA made up for a very small fork rake). The trail is in the ballpark though at about 66.5 mm. This is pretty far toward the slow end of the usual trail figures. Going to a fork with more rake would actually *decrease* trail, making the steering quicker.


Darn it Baking3- he was going to leave.

Ralph, he didn't mean it, really. None of us know anything about these bike things you talk about... :D :D

Bye. _

Raaalllllpphhhhhh!!!!!

Thank you, gentlemen. I asked a question about rake and trail, and you can't seem to address that question.

I conclude you don't know the answer, and can't quite come to grips with that. I'll leave you now, and thanks for your time.

Ralph Seifer, Long Beach, California

The central component in all your unsatisfactory interpersonal interactions is YOU. Don't forget it, or you might wind up getting all huffy on a roadbike discussion forum because you didn't get somebody to tell you what you wanted to hear. Or something.

I didn't tell you about rake and trail because a) you have probably already looked it up and b) I don't recommend changing your forks.

Your bike is brand new, and plainly the wrong bike for you. You don't like it, and haven't the patience to get used to it. I'd sell it ASAP (maybe even try to return/trade it where you bought it) rather than try to turn it into something it isn't. You'll be out less money and hassle in the long run. But you seem to have some misplaced pride issues, so it seems likely to me that you'll keep on trying to fix it yourself rather than admit you bought the wrong thing out of ignorance.

Can't you guys see what's happening here? Knock it off.

Can't you guys see what's happening here? Knock it off.

Maybe- but google does have a Ralph in Long Beach. Why don't we call him and find out if it is him, or some troll using his name? we wouldn't want RBR to be involved in any identity theft!!



Residential Phonebook Results 1 - 1 of 1 for "Ralph Seifer" long beach. (0.03 seconds)

Ralph Seifer (562) 433-4632 Long Beach, CA 90802

Maybe- but google does have a Ralph in Long Beach. Why don't we call him and find out if it is him, or some troll using his name? we wouldn't want RBR to be involved in any identity theft!!

Now THAT'S a relevant answer!

Ralph, the twitchiness is due to a combination of factors. BB drop, head tube angle, rake and trail, etc. Bottom line is that you bought a track bike and it is the wrong bike for you. At least you got it off of ebay and you probably didn't pay full price for it.

Sell the bike and get yourself a Trek or something.

Geez I was trying to help. Really.

b21