Ground Up - Double Trouble

It''s no secret that I am a fan of Ground Up Design bicycles. I am the very proud owner of four of them. Some would be quick to say "But yes, you have ties to Eric". Yes, I do. I also have a long reputation of not riding things I do not consider to be good equipment! I say this only to be open and honest. I do not want to write a cheerleader type review.

The Bike:
The frame is a custom Ground Up Designs track frame made completely of Columbus Steel. I believe that the downtube was originally designed to be used on a mountain bike, however Eric used it here in an effort to keep the bottom bracket under control. The geometry is not a traditional track geometry, but I think a lot of people are headed that way. The 73 seat tube angle allows me to mimic my road position on my track bike. The 74 head tube angle keeps the front end agile but not really over-reactive like you experience when you go much above a 74 degree head tube. The top tube is level and 57.5 cm long. I am not really sure what length the seat tube is, but it does have a custom extension above the top tube. This just helps shorten up the seat post and keep things tight. The head tube is slightly shorter in an effort to produce something similar to the "Dual Purpose Geometry" on the Van Dessell Drag Strip Courage. (Jame Carney did help Eric and I design this bike). The bike is fully capable of doing standing starts all day long as well as riding madisons. Overall, the tubing is heavy duty, but not overkill. The bike does have an interesting feature in the "mini-me" stays that effectively stiffen up the bottom bracket and shorten the chainstays from a mechanical point of view. I am here to tell you, she is stiff! The final "feature" is the Paul dropouts that Eric no longer uses (He makes his own custom dropouts that have all the features I am about to discuss). These are very nice for 2 reasons! They are long... so I can accommodate many gear combinations. They are also threaded and have a screw to act as a chain tug. This is great when sprinting or doing standing starts. No more worrying about pulling your wheel! I think using the one on the left side is overkill, so I personally just run the right one! Great idea, these screws are!

For componentry, I stick mostly with Campy stuff. Record cranks, record headset, campy hubs from various generations, mavic or campy rims... I do have an assortment. I have Nitto steel sprint bars on there as I tend to use a lot of upper body when sprinting or doing standing starts. I run Dura Ace old school track pedals with double straps for that secure feeling (and, to be a retro grouch!) The Strong Keirin Grips keep my hands from ever slipping, though they do make it almost a requirement to wear gloves on this bike. The classic Rolls saddle is functional and as my buddy would say "Straight pimpin".

The Ride:
Should the bike not ride right, I would be partially to blame on this one. I pretty much designed this (with a little help from Eric and Jame). I wanted something I could comfortably finish a 120 lap points race on, but at the same time, if I wanted to explode stuff in a chariot race or a keirin, it would still work out for me.

This bike is right for me. From the time I built it, I have made almost zero position adjustments. I did raise the saddle just a little bit, but I sat on this thing, rode it around in the street and knew it was right. I have ridden countless bicycles. Many of them fit, many of them I liked, but this one... I knew it was right. I wouldn''t change a thing on the sizing/position.

The bike handles great. From long straight drives to diving into the corners, the bike tracks straight and allows for any adjustments I see necessary. I am just as comfortable running through the corner hot in a 200, elbow to elbow in a sprint or packed up tight in a points race. The rear triangle is virtually flex free. I have a rather abusive pedalling style at times, but have never felt any flex or issues in the back end. With the dropout screws I discussed earlier, I never have any fear of pulling a wheel. They do make wheel changes a little longer, but the safety and security of them far outweigh the penalty. The paint job was done by Spectrum Powder Works in Colorado Springs. Overall I think the finish is spectacular, though the color are a bit off what was originally intended. The nice thing about the Spectrum finish is that it is very hard to scratch, and should you scratch it, it won''t chip any further. Very durable. While I absolutley love the frame, it does have a couple of really minor issue. The seat bolts have to be milled to work with the bike. This is not so much a problem as Eric has given me a couple extra to keep in my race bag, but you don''t want to go sticking your average 5mm allen bolt in there! It will mess up your finish. A similar problem existed on the fork tips. The excess powder made it difficult to get the front wheel in and out until the powder wore/compressed a little bit. Again, a very minor issue. On other frames, I have asked Spectrum to mask this area, that does help!

Conclusion:
Simple a great track frame. Built to withstand the abuse of a very large and powerful rider, yet still comfortable enough to allow the rider to survive longer events without issues. Superior finish, incredible filet brazing. The bike is nothing short of a top of the line professional project. Is it for everybody? Probably not necessary, but why not? When you look at the prices for a custom Ground Up frame vs. some of the entry level bikes, you really are not spending that much more. Eric can make them road worthy (set up for brakes) so you have a winter training bike as well. Will you need all of the heavy duty stuff? Maybe, maybe not! The good news is that Eric has tested his work in some extreme situations (me riding his bikes) and they have passed the test with flying colors. He has built bikes that are still being ridden in World Cup events as well as local racing. He does understand track racing and it shows in his finished products. I would highly recommend a Ground Up to ANYONE looking for a good quality track frame!

-Scott

Added: September 23rd 2005
Reviewer: FGF
Score:
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