Is that a problem with all black alu rims using rim brakes? Are there some that don’t have this (purely aesthetic) issue?

If not I guess carbon wheels or disc brakes are the two options..?

DT Swiss ones with the oxic braking surface don’t.

For anodised ones, Yes, because anodising is a surface treatment. The Mavic ones with the ceramic coating didn’t used to wear particularly badly.

Yes

If not I guess carbon wheels or disc brakes are the two options..?

Or brakeless…

Seems like chinese carbon is the budget option here then, I hear there are some decent options around today.

Also found that this was discussed ad nauseum here: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131819

To be fair slightly scuffed rims would be low down on the pictured bikes list of aesthetic issues.

Seems like even the DT coating isn’t that good “From my experiance I can confirm that OXIC coating from DT works great in dry conditions. In wet is very fragile, lasts very short and is not as good as advertised on DT website.”

Is that a problem

In what way do you regard it as a “problem”?

Most black alu rims have an un-anodised brake track anyway IME.

What beard oil do you use?

And why are you posting pics of track bikes (which don’t have brakes)?

cause

Mavic Open Pro CD used to be okay (the ceramic coated ones as referred to above) but even those don’t completely hold up once you have wet and gritty brake pads rubbing against them. They were also dark grey rather than black.

If you are using a rim brake then not much choice really other than carbon as you say.

If you want a fixie, get a fixie with brakes, not a track bike without them.

The reasons are thus:
1) Legality, and rule 1, riding brake less is a dick move.
2) 99% of people DGAS about what bike you’re on, you are a cyclist and therefore sub human, other nuances are irrelevant to them. Of the other 1%, 99% of those think you’re a hipster on a fixie and don’t care about further nuances of your bike. Of the 1% of the 1% (other fixie riding hipsters) you’d probably get more kudos riding something that actually looked like it was ridden 365 days a year rather than looking like you got lost on the way to the velodrome wobbling around east London on an occasionally dry day.

Besides, track riders wouldn’t be seen dead outside a velodrome. Tubs are a faff to fix after a puncture, riding outside gets punctures. And indoor velodromes won’t let you ride bikes that look like they’ve been ridden outside.

And…… this time of year silver rims are hidden under a crust of brake dust anyway, what’s the problem.

What beard oil do you use?

Bulldog if I want to smell nice, beard balm if i just want to make it shiny.

Personally looking to build a fast singlespeed (again), the frames I’ve shown are designed for both track and street use w brakes.

Black wheels look sweet on some frames, but wondering if it’s worth a damn if the black just rubbs off, hence this thread.

Seems like carbon is the only surefire option, and then whether cheap or used carbon wheels are safe is another can of worms 😁

I hated the brake rub on black rims or the silver brake surface on a black rim.

Just upgrade to disc and don’t worry about it again.

Finding a track frame that has disc brake mounts is not going to happen, a track frame shouldn’t even have holes for calliper brakes (mine doesn’t)

Seems like carbon is the only surefire option, and then whether cheap or used carbon wheels are safe is another can of worms 😁

Well, that and whether it’s worth bothering with carbon rim brakes in the wet.

Why not just go with some nice deep silver rims? Less fashion-victimy. On the flip side, less fashionable so less choice.

I’d go disk brakes and deep carbon rims. I think it looks ace on a steel bike. If you want to impress hipsters, get those Pauls anniversary calipers.

Finding a track frame that has disc brake mounts is not going to happen

Genesis day 1, surly cross check, Arkose SS, Charge Plug, All City Nature Boy, On-One Pompetamine. Or any road disk frame with a PF30 converter.

I wouldn’t mind converting to disc on the front and running the rear fixed for the ultimate bastard hybrid, but I’d need a new fork and wheel, which also wouldn’t really match the rest of the bike.

I’d rather just get a cheap pair of carbon wheels and sell the original ones, it’s flat where I live so overheating isn’t likely, also the reason why singlespeed is appealing (48x14T as I like to mash).

Thx for the suggestions notaspoon!

Not so much the overheating, just the lack of friction once wet.

Genesis day 1, surly cross check, Arkose SS, Charge Plug, All City Nature Boy, On-One Pompetamine. Or any road disk frame with a PF30 converter.

Looks like you missed the track frame part of my “finding a track frame”. Yes there are loads of single speed frames but no track frames.

I wonder if anyone can spot the clue in the words ‘track frame’ that hints at why they are not very good for the road.

My carbon rims are nice and black. No overheating. They’ve not had that much riding in the rain (why go out in the rain?) but what they _have_ had has been fine.

Who (bar hipsters) actually wants to ride a track frame on the road.

Utterly the entirely wrong tool for the job.

Looks like you missed the track frame part of my “finding a track frame”. Yes there are loads of single speed frames but no track frames.

Indeed, but the OP doesn’t want a track bike

On Ambrosio Cronos etc it just rubbed off round the spokes which would really set off some folk these days

These are examples of hybrid track/road frames, designed for the track and road. The key feature is the horizontal dropouts. Geo is a bit more aggressive than pure SS frames (which I like), the trade-off is lack off disc brake or fender mount options.

Quite like the look of that Aventon TBH, I’ve got delusions of joining the local track league next year so that + an easily removed front brake and cross-top lever could be a good setup that avoids having to drive to the track (it’s an outdoor track to tubs are less of a benefit). Something like a Langster would also be an option, but possibly too road biased.

These are examples of hybrid track/road frames, designed for the track and road.

They are not really hybrid track/road frames, they are track frames that have drilling for brakes to expand the market. That is the only difference.

Who (bar hipsters) actually wants to ride a track frame on the road.

Me. I have ridden track frames on road and gravel for the last 20 years and ride around 4,000 miles per year on one. They ride pretty much like a road bike with a slightly higher BB yet are much cleaner looking (helped even more by riding brakeless) and I just prefer them.

kerley

Looks like you missed the track frame part of my “finding a track frame”. Yes there are loads of single speed frames but no track frames.

Most full suspension track frames have disc mounts. I run Lyriks on mine.

Indeed, but the OP doesn’t want a track bike

Well maybe the OP shouldn’t have posted two pictures of track bikes and then also stated they like the more aggressive geometry of a track frame…

Ceramic braking surfaces are the only option that doesn’t rub off. (Mavic CD ceramic, the DT one both mentioned above, and Rigida even does it)

It can chip off if you hit potholes etc. though.

Calm down Kerley, you’ve argued yourself into a circle.

a track frame shouldn’t even have holes for calliper (sp) brakes

they are track frames that have drilling for brakes

They ride pretty much like a road bike with a slightly higher BB

No they dont – unless your reference point is 20 years out of date.

The Aventon should look even better in person, but I suspect the tone of the paint varies between production batches, hopefully it looks closer to this:

Kerley: not sure if they have a pur(ist) track geo, seems like most of the Cordobas end up on the street?

Calm down Kerley, you’ve argued yourself into a circle.

Not at all. A track frame clearly doesn’t need holes for brakes. If however you take a track frame and drill it for brakes then it is still a track frame – as the two examples pictured in this thread

Looking at the geo chart it’s actually steeper/taller than some out and out track frames.

Semantics though, road bikes aren’t a homogeneous set of geometry figures and neither are track frames. You could probably find some Crit specific frame with similar geometry if you shopped around.

Not at all. A track frame clearly doesn’t need holes for brakes. If however you take a track frame and drill it for brakes then it is still a track frame – as the two examples pictured in this thread

So we’ve ascertained that a whole gamut of fixed gear frames with anything from out and out track geometry through to disk braked SSCX bikes is available. Track/road hybrids if you will?

FWIW the difference between that Cinelli and my CAAD4 road bike is 8mm in the BB, the HA is the same. The Aventon is half a degree steeper. It’s different, but not to the extent it’s going to become unrideable.

No they dont – unless your reference point is 20 years out of date.

My reference point is 20 years out of date yes. I hadn’t realised that the geometry of the road bike had changed in the last 20 years, enlighten me.
Anyhow, I like riding them on the road.
0.5 degree of head angle, 10mm less rake and 10mm less BB drop do not make a bike go from the perfect fast road bike to something “Utterly the entirely wrong tool for the job”

Semantics though, road bikes aren’t a homogeneous set of geometry figures and neither are track frames. You could probably find some Crit specific frame with similar geometry if you shopped around.

Agree, although the higher BB of the track frame is fairly consistent.