Superdrome Century

We've put together a 100 mile ride at The Superdrome to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer research. This event is piggy-backing off the 100 Miles of Nowhere proposed on www.FatCyclist.com and our registration is benefitting his efforts to raise money for the LiveStrong Challenge.

Superdrome Century Information

Event t-shirts are available for PRE-ORDER ONLY and will be on sale through May 19th, 2009. Please help us out and order a t-shirt. $15.00 0f every t-shirt sales goes direct to the LAF!

100 Miles of The Superdrome

Yes, you are reading correctly. This is a non-racing event; it is a fund raiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We propose to ride 100 miles (644 laps) at The Superdrome, and we would like to invite anyone else that is track certified to attend!

The idea was influenced by FatCyclist.com and the 100 Miles of Nowhere that has been proposed as a means of raising money for the LAF. We would like to encourage you to sign up through FatCyclist.com because this will benefit his fund raising efforts for the LiveStrong Challenge. His proposed event date is May 23rd, but that is Texas State Crit Champ weekend so we're riding May 30th.

We only found out about the FatCyclist.com plan today (4/29) and sign-up through his website is only open through 5pm April 30th... We know this is insanely short notice, but if you sign up now you can get a bunch of cool swag through his promotion (there is another option).
Check it out: 100 Miles of Nowhere
A cool t-shirt, some water bottles, chamois cream, etc is part of his bundle package.
Sign up is $75 with $50 going straight to the LAF and $25 will help pay for the swag bag.

We do not want to discourage anyone from signing up and participating so we have contacted fatcyclist.com and will work with him to donate all donations to the LAF. Getting an extension on his swag offer is not possible (deadlines for t-shirt production) so we will offer another means of signing up (donating money) and we are also seeking alternative swag options. More details and a proposed donation amount to come.

Here is what we know:
- Ride location: The Superdrome
- Event Date: May 30th
- Start time: TBD
- The initial idea is courtesy of FatCyclist.com, we are simply expanding on it
http://www.fatcyclist.com/2009/04/23/register-now-for-the-100-miles-of-nowhere/
- This is a Fund Raising event and donations are required for participation
- Even if you don't think you can make it 100 miles at The Superdrome, we could surely use some pulls! Please come out and show your support by lending a wheel to suck at a friendly pace
- We are proposing a sane pace, 18 MPH, that will allow anyone to sit in the line, take some pulls and ride 644 laps in a reasonable amount of time
- You are responsible for tracking your own laps/miles (Garmin, cycle computer, etc)
- There are no prizes, awards or officials
- You must be certified to ride at The Superdrome. If enough interest exists from folks who are not certified, we'll propose a development class to SMG for mid-May

If you need additional information or would like to participate please contact me or Will Swetnam so we know what to expect... gresam(at)gmail(dot)com and/or will(at)willshootphotos(dot)com

Fuso thinks...

Fuso must watch his step. This great lion is not so much of a coward.


Fuso pays a visit to the Meyerson, but knows deep down he is music in motion.


Fuso wonders if ancient Egyptians worshiped the power of the fixed gear.


Fuso stops for a few moments of silent contemplation with the all powerful Buddha of Fixies. “May all your journeys be as swift, smooth and silent as the Eastern winds.”


Fuso counts his lucky stars for having paint and clear coat to protect against the elements.


A little arrogant perhaps, but Fuso thinks everyone should be bowing down to him now.


Fuso poses with the pastel goodness of the Color Wall.


Fuso wonders where Steve Martin is when you need him.

Fixie Commuter #2

Dennis,
Once again I must thank you for all of the up keep you do on Fixed
Gear Gallery. This is my second submission, although this is my third
fixed gear bicycle! My first submission, #5355, was sold to another
happy owner in late 2007 when a career change took me away from the
ability to bicycle commute. My second fixed gear, an EAI Brass
Knuckle, is used for track racing at The Superdrome and is currently
sitting in the garage awaiting the start of the 2009 racing season.
Having recently changed jobs once again, I found myself with a
wonderful opportunity to commute to work by bicycle! I started out
looking to build up a Salsa Casserole or Soma Delancy, but then I
found this excellent gem at one of the many LBSs.



This is Fuso #1020, a 53 cm creation of the wonderfully talented Dave
Moulton! I had seen the bike hanging in the used section for about a
month before I bothered looking it up online. Thanks to Wikipedia and
Mr. Moulton's own website I learned that this is from 1987, and is a
30th Anniversary model. One ride had me in love, and I knew I needed
to pick it up with the intention of a fixed gear conversion. The paint
scheme is beautiful and something of an oddity compared to most
current designs. The ride is classic steel, and feels wonderful on the
road. This frame is so well constructed, it makes my carbon road bike
seem almost unnecessary. I commuted for several months on the original
equipment, late 80's Dura-Ace, before the cone bearings in the rear
wheel made gliding nearly impossible and I decided to strip the bike
the second week of January and completed the ground-up rebuild and
conversion in a couple of hours.



I'm turning a 42 x 16, which I have found to be perfect for commuting,
spin training and still provides me with excellent speed. I stuck with
the Dura-Ace cranks and liquid smooth bottom bracket, and a Mavic
Aksium wheel I had picked up to replace the original -whose cone
bearings had bought the farm a month earlier. The rear wheel, an XRP
creation, comes off my Brass Knuckle after two season of track racing.
The Sella Italia seat, Campy Daytona front brake and Profile bar tape
are off of a retired Pinarello Galileo, while the Chorus carbon seat
post and hoods were salvaged off of a Fausto Coppi Neuron that was
destroyed when I was hit head-on by a motorist in June 2008. My
commute is 12 miles each way on typical, traffic congested Dallas
roads so the Delta rack and Novara bag are great for carrying a change
of clothes, lunch and any extra gear I'll need. For visibility I have
installed a pair of Planet Bike Beamer headlights plus three tail
lights, all set to blink in different, random ways. I had been running
two tail lights, but after nearly being hit my another motorist a few
days after my birthday, I decided to slap on a third. She was too busy
writing an email on her phone to look up the road, and I'm only
writing this today because her Lexus SUV was equipped with ABS.



Thanks again for all the inspiration, a day after completing this
build I was already thinking about my next project!

Fixie Commuter

This used to be my Nishiki Sport Fixed Gear Commuter. This is the bike that got me started in fixed gear riding and eventually lead to the construction of my Brass Knuckle Superdrome racer. I eventually sold the bike on CraigsList as I had started a new job in outside sales (a huge mistake) and was no longer riding the bike.

Now that I am back in a cubicle and have attained access to a shower and locker, I have been planning the construction of a new fixed gear commuter. The planning stage has been brief, but I knew exactly what I was seeking from the get-go. Unfortunately, I've had trouble settling on a budget and the quick build I was seeking has not materialized. I got stuck mulling over a few framesets before finding some off-the-rack bikes that would suit the job, but I loathe buying off the rack.

Framesets

• Soma Delancey
• Salsa Casserole
• Eighth Inch
• Jury
• IRO

Off the Rack

• Specialized Langster
• Kona Paddy Wagon
• Redline 9-2-5

The Redline is the best bang for the buck, but the 53.6 TT might be a little long. I'm trying to order one through RBM but sometimes they don't do what you ask them... Sgt D. had a bad experience with this when I bought his KHS fixie and it is still hard to convince him to trust the guys and gals at RBM for parts and service. Given his experience, I don't blame him. Essentially, they ordered the bike and never called to tell him it had arrived. He called them numerous times with no success and eventually walked into the shop, some 35 days after ordering, and found the bike hanging from the ceiling. It had been there for quite some time. Likewise, they neglected ot call me when I special ordered a 144 BCD 51 tooth track gear. Instead, I found it displayed on the sale rack...

The Langster looks awesome in the London paint scheme, but I think a full aluminum frame with aluminum fork will be harsh on the roads. I prefer steel, and don't mind the excessive weight of 4130. The Langster would save me some serious weight, but sacrificing ride quality might not be a smart choice here. I prefer to get a work out... but the Langster does feature bottle cages, rack mounts and a badass paint scheme.

I need to make a decision. If the Redline comes in this week that will likely be my choice, but if the TT is too long and the bike is not balanced (54 cm TT bikes typically do not handle properly to me), I may opt to build up a smaller frame. The real factor here is cost. Do I want to spend twice the cost of the Redline to build a bike from the ground up? I'm tempted to say yes. Choosing the parts is half the fun and I can certainly keep the build cheap as long as I reuse many old parts and concentrate on the frame for construction. Problem is, I'm having trouble finding a frame that has bottle and rack mounts. The Soma is nice, but sporting only bottle mounts does me no good if I can't mount a rack. I could use clips, but its not as solid, and why compromise?

Perhaps the Salsa? I'll need to check the specs again. What else is there? I wouldn't mind building an older steel like I did the Nishiki, but oddly enough I am having a lot of trouble finding one in my size. There are a lot of 56+ cm bikes on CraigsList, but very little in the 53cm range of TT I'm seeking.

Track Season has Begun

By the time you read this the track season will have already begun. Evening practice sessions will be underway and the Superdrome will be gearing up for The Matrix Cup on April 19th and 20th. So, what is The Matrix Cup? Is it a massive Stanley Cup style trophy to adorn one’s kitchen counter? Is it a brilliant golden chalice used for drinking the sweet Accelerade of victory? To be perfectly honest, I have no idea.

What I do know is that The Matrix Cup comprises two full days of track racing at the Superdrome, and promises a pay out of $10,000. If that doesn’t get your attention and make you want to dust off your track bike, I don’t know what will. And if you have not taken the required Development Class yet, you have no need to worry. The Superdrome staff is holding a special Development Class on Friday night, April 18th. Not only that, but rental bikes will be available as always for anyone who takes the class but does not have the time or fiscal fortitude to plop down the cash on a track bike.

The big question now, of course, is what possible reason you could have for not attending. Even if you don’t feel like racing, you might as well make the trek north and show a little support for bicycle racing. The action is all right there in front of you, there is no gate fee for spectators and it will be a good excuse to get out of the house and do something a little different with your Saturday evening. The races are family friendly and not only offer a racing program for youths, but we’ll have apron races for the kids during intermission. What could be more fun for a kid than racing around the apron? Heck, I’m tempted to bring along my own BMX bike and join in if they’ll let me!

For those of you who are seeking to get a little more from the track than just friendly advice and weekday workouts, we’re also holding a series of clinics at the Superdrome that will provide you with a wealth of knowledge and training geared to specific goals. Here’s a brief breakdown on what is happening in the months ahead:

Track Skills Clinics
• April 5th kicks off our exciting 2008 schedule of track skills clinics with Stefan Rothe’s curriculum covering Endurance track racing events.
• April 26th continues the track skill clinic series when 2002 U.S. National Track Cycling Champion Jeff LaBauve drops into the lane to teach the finer points of Sprinting.
• May 11th brings Christian Williams’ Fitness Clinic, an invaluable resource tailored specifically for new cyclists seeking to use the track as a training and fitness tool.
• May 31st former sprint champions Tim and Suzie Goodwin welcome riders to the track for event specific training. Standing starts, flying 200s and other timed event techniques will be tailored to every rider’s individual needs.
• Later in the season we’ll have Nathan Rogut on hand to teach track etiquette to racers at all levels of experience.

Other clinics are planned as well and we’re looking forward to adding to this diverse schedule. Not only are the clinics taught by knowledgeable racers, but class size is limited to ensure more one-on-one instruction during the clinic. You do not need to be a seasoned veteran to take advantage of these clinics, and many of the skills and training techniques will also apply to other disciplines of bicycle racing.

2008 Superdrome Press Release

The Superdrome at Frisco Texas proudly announces their racing schedule for the 2008 season.
This year sees the return of the Richardson Bike Mart Superdrome Points Series (SPS), the Moritz Sprint Series, the Matrix Cup, Texas Cup races, a Masters Regional, an Elite National Qualifier and Collegiate Conference racing. The Superdrome Development Program encourages youth participation in the sport by including heats for junior racers during each of the SPS events. For 2008 we will also introduce a series of skills clinics taught by National track racing champions.

Development Classes
Given the Superdrome’s 44 degree corner banking and open air design, the Superdrome staff hosts regular Development Classes to help new racers understand track racing at such a unique facility. Classes are conducted on Saturday mornings by experienced Superdrome staff and create a safe learning and racing environment for everyone participating in practice sessions and race events. Development Classes are scheduled for March 22nd and April 18th as well as throughout the 2008 season.

Track Skills Clinics
• April 5th kicks off our exciting 2008 schedule of track skills clinics with Stefan Rothe’s curriculum covering Endurance track racing events.
• April 26th continues the track skill clinic series when 2002 U.S. National Track Cycling Champion Jeff LaBauve drops into the lane to teach the finer points of Sprinting.
• May 11th brings Christian Williams’ Fitness Clinic, an invaluable resource tailored specifically for new and seasoned cyclists seeking to use the track as a training and fitness tool.
• May 31st former sprint champions Tim and Suzie Goodwin welcome riders to the track for event specific training. Standing starts, flying 200s and other timed event techniques will be tailored to every rider’s individual needs.
• Later in the season we’ll have Nathan Rogut on hand to teach track etiquette to racers at all levels of experience.

Endurance Events: 4/5 Noon-4pm with Stefan Rothe
Sprint Clinic: 4/26 noon to 4pm with Jeff LaBauve
Fitness Clinic: 5/11 2pm to 4pm with Christian Williams
Timed Events: 5/31 8:30am-11:30am with Tim and Suzie Goodwin
Track Etiquette: Date TBA with Nathan Rogut

2008 Superdrome Race Schedule

March
14 Practice Race (2 pm)
21 Practice Race (2 pm)
28 SPS

April
04 SPS
11 SPS
18 Matrix Devo Class PM
19/20 Matrix Cup Sat / Sun (TX Cup D1 each day)
25 SPS Moritz Sprint (TX Cup D2)

May
9 SPS
16 SPS
17 Moritz Sprint 2
23 Festival Of Speed 1 (TX Cup D1)

June
06 SPS
07 Moritz Sprint 3
13 Masters Regionals Weekend
27 SPS (TX Cup D2) (Tx Cup D1) *Exact date TBA

July
11 SPS
18 SPS
19 Moritz Sprint 4 (Tx Cup D1)

August
15 Festival of Speed 4k Weekend

Sept
12 Race TBA
19/20 Superdrome Elite Qualifier & Collegiate Regionals Weekend (exact date TBA)
26 FCC Track Racing On Speed (TX Cup D2)

Oct
3 SPS
10 SPS (TX Cup D2 makeup date if neded) (Texas Cup makeup date if necessary)

Nov
26 Tx Cup Awards Night / Makeup Date

Never a fee for spectators, food and drinks welcome but please leave glass at home
Friday Night Superdrome Points Series (SPS) races start at 7:30 pm, registration closes 7pm.
Races for all categories, juniors, youth and apron races for kids
Race schedules, updates and information posted online at http://www.superdrome.com/

How do you Win a Bike Fight?

In December of 2006 I walked out of the local CCA (rough equivalent to Goodwill) dragging my new prized possession: a mid-80s Nishiki Sport that had been sitting outside someone’s garage for what must have been several years. The bike was complete with several baskets, all of which were full of leaves, trash and some unidentifiable –and thankfully deceased- insects and spiders. The rims were bent, the tires were flat and the drive train so rusted it refused to shift or even spin. It was, for my purposes, perfect.

I took the heap home and set to work stripping it, completing the easy part, disassembly, in a single evening. Armed with a tube of Pedro’s and a garage full of tools, what followed were several days of research and parts foraging that lead to converting the 20+ pound 4130 Tange frame into a hefty fixed gear bicycle. I started riding it, rather tentatively, at White Rock Lake. It took a few laps to stop attempting to coast and a couple of days to stop worrying myself with imminent death before I equipped it with Look pedals and became a regular fixture (bad pun intended) at the lake. I met numerous people riding that ugly little heap and became confident enough to start commuting to work on it in February of 2007.


Despite the heavy rains and curious way that my route to work became somewhat water logged, I continued to commute 18 miles each way on the Nishiki. I even learned to accept that it was not possible to keep the threaded headset (rusty, pitted and dented) tight for more than a day. I had a little rack on the bike and a bag just large enough to carry slacks, a dress shirt, socks and lunch. I left my dress shoes at work and had access to a shower so commuting was not only viable, it was amazingly simple. Unfortunately, the frame was a few centimeters too small and I decided it was time to replace it with another fixed gear frame, properly sized and equipped for commuting.


In May 2007 my task began with research for a frame and some components, but as I got into the project I started to think it would be neat to have a bike that I could, if I so chose, take to the Superdrome for some random riding. Betty and I visited the track that Friday night to watch the races and for me to introduce her to the Superdrome. By 10 o’clock that night the plan changed from building a new commuter to creating a race bike on a budget. I would continue to make due with the creaky Nishiki, after all it was just a beater for commuting, and build a track bike on the cheap.

The ad’s headline “How do you win a bike fight?” was too tempting to pass up. And at $300 it was hard to pass up the EAI Brass Knuckle as a basis for my track bike. Along with being a rather thoughtfully designed Taiwan knock-off, the bike is available in your choice of File Cabinet Grey or Sort-of Khaki. Not wanting to be reminded of work I decided to go with Sort-of Khaki, but in all honesty I think it is closer to Bamboo as the hue hints of green. Going cheap on the frame allowed me to spend some extra cash on other important bits of rotating mass like FSA Carbon Pro cranks. I also decided to equip the Knuckle with 3T bars and a Deda stem while having it professionally fitted at Richardson Bike Mart. I had also managed to locate a set of wheels in Plano for a whopping $100, which helped keep things cheap at the expense of rotating mass, snap acceleration and high strength. I know that sounds like a rather lousy trade-off, which it undoubtedly is, but I didn’t think it would matter much given my ignorance of racing. Armed with my track bike and an insurmountable amount of enthusiasm, I was unceremoniously rained out of the Development Class for two straight months.


In early January 2008, just a tick over a year since I had completed building it, I sold the Nishiki to a willing new home in Houston. I hadn’t ridden it in months and was becoming a little sad that it was missing out on a lot of potential mileage. In the seven months I used it for commuting I manage to put over 3,000 miles on the steel beast. It had served me well, started my spiraling roller coaster into fixed gear racing and needed to find a new source of love under the butt of a new owner. While I was sad to see it go I was relieved to learn that the buyer would be entering it in various Alley Cat races, which I found all too fitting for a bike that had introduced me to fixed gear riding and was largely responsible for starting my passion for racing at the track.


Flashback to August 2007 and having finally completed the required morning of instruction a few days prior, I was now ready to begin practice and training at the high banked, bowl of a circuit. Clipped in and determined to make an impression, I rolled out onto the track for only my second evening of training. But that tale will have to wait until next month.