New Track Bike

CyclingWMD offered me his nearly new Felt TK2 track bike frameset at a price I couldn't resist.

I built it up using some of the nicer parts that I have laying around and rode it for the first time in prospect park yesterday. It has 74/75 degree angles and a steeply raked 25 degree fork - all making for a very pleasant, nimble, and stable ride. A friend was doing 15 second standing start sprints, and I asked if I could join him on a few. I was amazed at how stiff and efficient the bike Felt! It also seems to fit me a little better than other bikes I've been riding in the 49-52cm size range. The Felt is marked as a 54cm and I have it set up with a 100mm stem instead of the 130-140cm length that I usually have.

Sprinting against my buddy I was able to keep both wheels planted on the ground for the entire sprint. Typically I find the front wheel bounces around beneath me in an all out sprint - maybe this has something to do with the larger frameset or the stiffness of the frame. It doesn't feel too big, just bigger than what I'm used to. And the weight is great, right around 16lbs.

I also like love the flat black paint. I've covered almost all of the decals with black electrical tape and am pleased with the result. I'll post a picture soon, in the meantime I'm going to try and ride this bike as much as possible before spring racing starts.

Here's a short video of the inaugural ride on the Felt with some buddies.