As usual, it has taken me a lot of procrastination to get here, but here it is, and as always, this is as many tracklocross frames as I could find; I’m one person, and this takes effort.
As always, there is no affiliate links on the go.
By this point, I feel the Squid SO-EZ is a classic tracklocross frameset. It is made of 4130 and has a cool 5-segment fork. It clears 43mm tyres, but to make that possible, it has a 135mm rear end, which affects crank choice, though they do list options on their website. Paint options are off the charts, whether you choose them yourself or go with Squid.
Scolarian Zanskar Tracklocross
A newer player on the block is the Scolarian Zanskar, and I own one. The wind whistles through the internal brake routing, and I kind of like that. It is constructed from Reynolds 525 steel and can clear 38mm tyres, with a long-reach brake on. Again,, we have a cool fork, a bi-plane design this time, and lots of colour options.
Our first non-steel bike. The Ranger has a 6066 T6 aluminium frame and a carbon fibre fork, which is great if you’re conscious of weight. We are looking at 43mm tyre clearance here.
The bike that started it all for many people is back again, thanks to popular demand: the Surly Steamroller. We’ve talked about paint jobs and options, and it’s great to have a choice, but Surly offers the best paint names in the world. We’re back to 4130, and with 38mm tyre clearance, we are good to go.
If you’ve been on Reddit in the last year, you’ve seen a thousand Pepto Bismol State 4130s. The new yellow will probably follow suit, since it’s a great price for a 4130 framset and a cheap (relatively) bike. It’s got clearance for 45s, and I bet you can guess what it’s made of.
The Santa Fixie Wild is either Europe’s State 4130, or vice versa. It does, though, have fork mounts, making it easier to fit that front rack than the State. It has 45c tyre clearance and is constructed of good old 4130. It’s also available as a cheapish bike.
Here’s a frame that comes as-is, though you can buy the 8bar NEUKLN STEEL v2 with a carbon fork and a headset for that tapered headtube. It also comes in stock colours and options for custom paint. It has a generous 35mm tyre clearance, and the reversed seat collar is a nice touch.
The Wabi Prism is their newest frameset, and sadly we’ll probably never hear Zach talk about it, or maybe we did and I just don’t pay attention. It is built from Reynolds 720, so a nicer steel than 4130; is that a thing? It is also one of the few steel frames that comes with a headset, which saves you from having to get a chunk of wood and a hammer out. It has clearance for 38mm tyres.
Want to pull endos? Then the Weapon TC01 is the choice for you, since it has a nice disc brake mount on the fork. The TC01 is made from heat-treated steel; the website doesn’t specify the type, and it can clear 42c tyres. You’ve probably seen it on AliExpress.
Brooklyn Machine Works Gangsta V4
Possibly the most BMX-style fixed gear frameset on this list, the BMW Gangsta V4 oozes steeze. 4130 chromoly is the heart of this frameset, and with 35mm tyre clearance, you can look good pulling skids in the woods.
The Soma Rush is a classic looking CrMo steel track frameset. We’re back to 35mm tyre clearance, 32mm if you run brakes. It’s going to look classic, all built up.
I was only going to do one frame by each brand as I sat down to write this, but then I thought about the State Ti Track frameset, and as Chad Cheeney rides one, I had to include it. I guess we needed one baller option, and being a titanium frame with a carbon fork, it fits the bill, plus it clears 35mm tyres. I think I might covet one.
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