The Radavist

2018 Philly Bike Expo: Pratt Track Bike
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

Sometime after Red Hook Crit this year, Jocelyn Tipton had her race bike stolen, luckily for 2019, they found a new ride, this Pratt.  Joining Dani Moreshead and Sam Fox this year for a new all-women team Pratt/Phil Wood will be competing at Red Hook Crit Brooklyn and Milan, Mission Crit, Redbull Last Stand, and a few others in preparation for 2020 fixed gear nationals.

The build features some nice touches from Phil Wood, including their hubs, headset, and seat collar as well as tires from Challenge and rims from Princeton Carbonworks.  The paint was a mix of spray-bike and the graphics were designed by Still Life.  One thing for sure this bike will turn your head at breakneck speed during the races, so take a moment and check the gallery above and good luck to the new team!

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Pratt on Instagram

Jack’s Ground Up Speed Shop Track Bike

Words and photos by Spencer Harding

At this year’s annual Fixed Gear Classic at the NSC velodrome near Minneapolis there was a whole field, literally, of the fastest, meanest, slickest bikes from all of our forgotten fixed gear dreams. Although, one truly shone out, like a beacon, and to say this bike sparkles is an understatement.  Jack Lindquist’s track bike is without comparison. 

Eric Baar of Ground Up Speed Shop is  known for his outlandish bikes combining multiple frame materials as well as exquisite pinstriping done by the man himself, and this bike does all his skills justice. After being introduced to Eric’s work by a fellow sprinter, Jack wound up crashing with Eric after a race in Colorado back in 2012. A few years later Jack was looking for a new bike and Eric was just the builder to call on for such a machine.  It needed to be the stiffest bike possible with geometry to give someone of Jack’s proportions a low position while sprinting.

The frame started out as a tandem tube set, with the massive 3-piece seat mast acting as the backbone of the bike. The top tube is made from rare Easton Rad tubing, possibly the only appropriate tubing for such a frame.  The custom CNC machined Ti dropouts are permanently bonded to the bmx chainstays with a second set of mini chainstays just to make sure no efficiency is lost.  In the end, there is over 25 feet of welding stitching the frame together.

The finish is a combination layers upon layers of 13 colors of large flakes over a dark red base which was then covered by enough clear coat for 4 tandem frames. With the multiple layers of metal flake the bike gives the illusion that you could almost reach into the clear coat and stir the flakes around.  The logos and racing number were hand painted in gold leaf and 1 shot by Eric. 

It is amazing to see this much fun being had with the finish of such a purpose-built racing machine.  While the mechanics of the frame are purely and seriously speed-focused, the finish is flamboyant and ostentatious. To quote Eric, the frame is, “part weight lifting equipment, part race car, part welding challenge, party crazy custom paint challenge, and part social experiment.”

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Follow Jack on Instagram and follow Eric at Ground Up Speed Shop on Instagram

As I ease back into normal blog content, I’ll be posting some of the bikes that the dudes rode on our bike tour. The first of the bunch is owned by one of the most famous track bike riders in China, MMC. The story goes that MMC was one of the first people in Shanghai to really embrace track bikes. When he wasn’t tearing through the streets, he was scouring the internet for deals on vintage Italian and Japanese components and frames.

Once he started working for Factory 5, the guys made sure he was on one of their new prototype aluminum low pro track frames. These frames look great with their classic lines, true track geometry and a 1″ threaded fork mixed in with oversized and shaped tubing. This particular frame is the third prototype. Many changes will be made for the final production model.

You can build them out however you want (you’ll see more examples). MMC usually rides his Zipp 404 laced to gutted Novatek hubs (upgraded to titanium bits and ceramic bearings) but we put the HED3 on for the photo shoot. Even his cranks are balleur. Campy C-Record Pista with a custom manufactured carbon chainring. He literally contacted a local factory to make it for him (53 x 18).

It’s a slick bike and he rode it like a champ on our tour. It really has one of the meanest stances I’ve seen recently in a track bike… Check out Factory 5’s current frame offerings here.

When Kyle first made his Save the Track Bike! buttons for the 2010 NAHBS, I doubt he thought it’d take off like it has. For 2013, he’s working on a few STTB products and while I was in LA, I took a few photos of them. The kit looks great and the musette ain’t too shabby either. More info to come…