If your looking in that price range it might be worth saving an extra $400 dollars and looking at the 2008 Apollo Record complete in my opinion. (Formerly the Raceline Record) but they changed Racelines back to Apollos and called them the Apollo ‘Raceline series’.
they ride really nicely, Sram omnium cranks, carbon fork, nice and stiff frame with replaceable dropout inserts, Michelin Pro Race tires, Formula sealed high flange hubs to Mavic cxp23’s.
Changes I made were bars, as i had some nitto 123AA’s i already owned.
I needed a longer stem.
And the ‘nago’ saddle the comes equipped is pretty pox, so i swapped it out for a Fizik Aliante saddle that was sitting around at work.
A couple of cans of Belton Deep Black on the frame and forks topped it off.
I had been looking at the record to start with. Apparently it’s the same frame as the Monoc brand (British) sell - Taiwanese made. The only thing I have against it is the price - its a fraction more than I want to pay for a first track bike. Call me scrooge! I think SMH in Melbourne had these recently for about $1300.
I just had a look at the monoc and its definately not the same frame. The monoc doesnt have the ‘flowered’ tubing, or the replaceable dropouts that the apollo has. The Apollo looks to be a much nicer finish and possibly stiffer frame in my opinion.
Just remember that a fraction more in price initially can save you a whole heap of cash down the track (no pun intended!) I think its quite a good value bike.
But go and ride a few and see what tickles your fancy
The ‘De Derfred’ is a distinctive bike with it’s signature creeking sound and :-o bright colour. For me- The big hands say “Don’t Go There!”
My suggestion is that most clubs have a bikes for sale section on their club pages (http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/ is the cyclesport vic web sight with links to the clubs). I think this is a good way to go because you are more likely to be able to try the bike out for size at a track. I would suggest you do this when there is a coach around who can give you some advice if it is a good fit or not.
Well the end result is that I bought a Hillbrick pista off ebay in pretty good nick. I took it for a spin on some quiet roads on the weekend and its all good. Nice and stiff. It came with the carbon forks which was a nice surprise, but I did want to ride it on the road a bit too. I’ve got some road forks from an old road bike I’ve got lying around, so I might look at changing the steerer to threadless and mounting these for road training/ use, so I can use the brake.
I think I really understand the road fixed thing now, not just the track thing. Riding fixed on the road is like a mindfulness exercise or meditation. You have to be in the moment and so aware of what’s going on around you. Having nowhere to go up and down hills in terms of gears or even coasting keeps you here and now. Riding a road bike with gears is kind of the opposite, especially in a group - you get time compression where time passes and you hadn’t noticed that you’d already gone so far as the bike ports you along. Fixed is the opposite, you have time expansion. You experience every pedal stroke because you’re so linked to the bike.
I don’t actually understand you guys/girls.
I’m a regular at DISC and i have seen the green team (Bikes De Ver) and their road team.
They have a 6"2 rider on their 56cm frame, they have the guy who won the Austral 2008
heat on the bike too,Craig Robertson.
Lets face it guys if you know your stuff, this bike is better than the hillbrick.
It’s got better bearings, and the the back hub axel breaks off the hillbricks because the
the dropouts arent parelel. i sure wouldn’t want the to have a hillbrick if the back hub
axel snaps while im racing.
If you’re complaining about green, cant you get a colour change? i got a colour change on
my old peaugot for around about $110 bucks and that would still work out cheaper than
the hillbrick.
I just reckon your critisisms don’t have any evidence because i love the green machine.
plus its aussie colours.
I have been riding the De Ver track bike from August last year size 53cm(not a kids bike)and I have no creeking or noises coming fom the frame. Also the wheels have remained rock solid. In the old days lugless frames were common and all had fine linished welds to give a clean appearance.
Unlike the Hillbrick with rough tigweld and cheap steel forks.
I consider the bike very good value for money and I only paid $700 for it. Much better value than the Hillbrick.
That’s not exactly a $700 bike Craig’s riding is it?
Has anyone else heard of the Hillbricks breaking the rear axle? I’ve seen the locknuts break, but that’s because they work themselves loose (not many people notice this) and when you tighten them down hard when they are loose, they eventually crack.
I’m not sure I agree that the DeVer is “much better value” than Hillbrick or whatever - It is a very low-cost option. And the lower price is reflected in the frame and the parts it comes with. The value is probably very similar when you consider it part for part with any commercially available track bike.
I expect Robertsons bike is a custom number and not an off-the-rack one. Their stock track bike does have the cheap Quando hubs, whereas the Hillbrick comes with Velocity’s (I think). All companies with bikes around this amount compromise somewhere with their parts.
I will admit my bias and it aint with a Hillbrick either. I luv my Perkins and Pista wheels and dont see those two bikes as ever being a choice i would make but then I don’t need a bike.
The number one issue is that the bike fits you. If it does then all the power you have in your legs etc will be transferred more efficiently into accellerating the bike.
My bike fits so I fell in love with it.
I dont think I have ever heard anything serious about Hillbrick having faults tho… Will keep ear to the ground for any probs now.
Went out and looked at the Hillbrick and the De Ver.
Didn’t see any velocity on the Hillbrick in shop or the bikes at disc.
All components ie. rims/hubs were Hillbrick brand, alloy forks and an average
frame in silver. I have also heard of problems with the nuts coming loose and then
cracking if over tightened. Thought it was a tidy bike, but overpriced. Carbon fork model
$1,150.00 and up, depending on the shop.
Saw the De Ver 56 cm from a mate who is a proud owner. Nice finish to the welds,
not raw and impressed with the seat tube extension to give strengh to that area.
Surprised to see carbon forks as standard for the price.
Wheels, the De Vers look strong for the roads. Has Quando hubs, but not a complete
unknow. Yea it’s green, you either like it or not. No good getting bent outa shape
over it if the bikes runs well.
Price wise, to spend equal money, I would have to buy Hillbrick on ebay and chance
getting ripped off with a clapped bike (more money fixing) or get the De Ver, Pay & Ride
Away with a warranty.
Leaning towards the De Ver, and like the idea of supporting the local guy.
Thought the Craig Robertson ride at Austral awesome, re jersey, thought he was
sponsored by De Ver, him and Graham Carlson the Road Rider. If their got a kids
team too, good on em.
Not true mate, i was just lookin for some stuff on the bike i bought, and you blokes were giving it a worse name, i thought that aint true because you certainly haven’t ridden the bike.
I think its quite a good value bike.
and dont see those two bikes as ever being a choice i would make but then I don’t need a bike.