The Bikes
The Bike. It is the central tool in pursuit of our craft. A Velominatus meticulously maintains their bicycles and adorns them with the essential, yet minimal, accoutrement. The Rules specify the principles of good taste in configuration and setup of our machines, but within those principles lies almost infinite room for personal taste.
It seems in some ways like a kind of Stockholm Syndrome, the way we honor our machines. We love them to a point that lies well beyond obsession. Upon these machines upon we endure endless suffering, but also find an unending pleasure. The rhythm, the harmony between rider and machine, the outdoors, the wind in our faces and air in our lungs.
The Bikes is devoted entirely to our machines. Ours, The Keepers, and yours, the Community. It features articles devoted to our bikes, and proves a forum for uploading photos of your own machines for discussion. We will be harsh, but fair; this is a place to enforce and enhance our observation of The Rules.
If you’d like to submit an article about your own beloved bike, please feel free to send it to us and we’ll do our best to work with you to include it.
- Rule #12 and the Cascade Effect
That is a very reasonable opening salvo for the Rule about bike ownership. Three is good and certainly a minimum, and we are talking road bikes here, if there was any doubt. They naturally become ordered: the #1 is ichi-ban, top dog, go-to bike for every and all rides. #2 was the old #1, ... - Guest Article: Black Is Not The New Black@kogalover is singing my song here. Bikes are beautiful. ’nuff said. VLVV, Gianni With all those posts on riding in winter and being visible, either by putting Eyes of Sauron or other car melting devices on one’s steed, or by even considering a YJA instead of donning plain black kit, it was about time to finally get ...
- Dialing in the StableThis was going to be an article about Rule #45. It is amazing how much time is wasted and matches burned when professionals stop for that second bike change to get back on their #1. With all the jigs available to team mechanics it would seem they could set up five bikes exactly the same. And ...
- Matching the drapes to the rugAs a longtime titanium bike owner, I’ve always been jealous of a beautiful painted frame but Ti and carbon frames don’t need paint like a steel frame needs paint. But I want some painted beauty. It’s like buying a white car; I can’t do white, need some color. So between a Ti frame and a ...
- Festum Prophetae: Waiting for the HourEveryone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. – Mike Tyson The one thing everyone should always plan for is that however well-conceived a program might be, things will never go to plan. The high level plan for my Festum Prophetae Hour Ride was as follows: Have a custom Hour Bike built by Don Walker. Because reasons. Reasons like custom ...
@tessar
20 degrees C is downright pleasant, if not moderately warm. That’s short-sleeve temperatures. Like May in Seattle.
@Puffy
Your post reminded me of a couple of old parts waiting for the rest of an equally old bike. And a rainy day. Or month…
@cognition
yeah, merino base layer & jersey will get you through that any day…
@Puffy
That’s quite a haul you got there, if I recall correctly there’s a similarly named frame waiting for all of it?
@cognition
Where I live that’s called boiling, in July…
@Mikael Liddy
Goddammit. I did call it moderate, and I did ask about a short-sleeve jersey – the Gabba.
Thing is, here in the mountains I’ve got sub-zero temps in the valleys yet ~20c if the sun’s out at the top, all within the space of an hour’s riding. Since I live on a peak, my “warmup” involves ~5km of descenting into thick, subzero fog. By the time I’m riding back, I’ve got direct sunlight and a 5km climb back. Currently, the choice is risking a freezing start and a pleasant return, or a decent first two hours, and a sweaty return.
Which is why I’ve asked Frank how the Gabba fairs in warmer weather – will it cook me like my long-sleeves do, or is it still close enough to a regular jersey. If so, I’m thinking Gabba + merino base with a stowable gilet and warmers will be enough for just about any weather.
Probably not going to go down to well with some on here, but the helmet the tarmac smashed up last week when it leapt and hit me the head was a Specialized Prevail – anyone recommend a replacement in the same price-bracket (£160 ish) and weight?
@tessar
A nice thing about the Gabba is that the material has just enough stiffness that it vents beautifully when partially unzipped.
@markb
I’m a big fan of the LG Quartz helmets. They’re 250g, a PRO level helmet (Europcar has been wearing them), and I’ve gotten all mine on sale around $75USD. That’s about half of most pro level helmets. I guess I’ve got a slightly oblong, non-round head but they fit me extremely well, are light, and have nice vents that accept all my different types of shades well. Glad you’re just shopping for a new helmet and not more.
@markb
Try KASK. I like the fit of mine.
@Teocalli
Giro Synthe- $240 Kiwi peso
@Puffy Right. Lets try that again… A picture tells a thousand words.
@GogglesPizano
mmm, bacon.
Hi there,
I’m currently (as always) thinking about going n+1. The frameset I have in mind is the Dahon Tournado /BreakAway as advertised on bigewagon.com . Has any of you out there any experience with these “folding” frames? Are they any good? What about durability? The purpose would be to build up a bike to carry around when travelling (by car/not by plane) business-wise through the Balkan region. I tend to have some spare-time which could be used for riding in unknown places…provided I have the bike with me. renting a bike is a concept that does not exist in these parts of the world.
Thanks,
OliGali
@oligali
eh… the folding/parting principle is the same as in the Ritchey Breakaway framset
@cognition
Doing laps at the local criterium loop earlier in the week. Its crazy hot at the moment.
@Teocalli
Thanks, in the end I went for a Mavic Cosmic, best fit for my odd shaped head, 210g. In black, of course. http://www.mavic.com/helmets-road-cross-country-cosmic-ultimate-2#.VLplbi6ZWgs
Thoughts, Ti seat post with a black carbon frame?
Yes, No?
Thanks
Well, after a year of trying several different bars with various reach and drops along with various stem lengths I have finally reached the fit I want.
While it does have its violations, need to trim steer tube among a few other things, I am very pleased with my new heap.
The addition of the Dura Ace Wheelset has been sublime to say the least.
Probably one of the best riding wheelsets I have ever ridden, and I have ridden alot of wheelsets over the years.
Since a lot of you have been riding and racing for years and years, you probably have more knowledge of this. And, I know the PRO peloton has never necessarily been about, or driven, sales to the masses. Around these parts there is a love of new stuff but a healthy love of old stuff.
But…only a handful of riders in the whole pack on mechanical gruppos?! I have a friend with a new Tarmac with Di2. It’s cool. I wouldn’t mind having it, but I don’t see myself buying an electronic setup anytime soon. These days I’d mainly like more time to ride the bikes I own, not build new ones. And, I’d like small upgrades to current steeds – stems, post, wheelsets. Saw this, wondered if anyone riding seriously will be on mechanical gruppos by next year. I guess the PROs are racing for a living so that drives everyone to be on the newest stuff, but seems crazy how fast they’ve all switched over. Wonder if the companies really think they’ll be selling enough of the electronic gruppos to make it worthwhile.
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/01/2015-bike-of-the-pro-peloton/
@Ron
I don’t take any notice of what the pro-teams are on – virtually none of it is their choice, it’s all sponsored with big bucks.
As for whether the Win on Sunday Sell on Monday holds true for electronics, I don’t think it’s a direct equation.
Someone might like a 7 series BMW or a Mercedes 500SL but they’ll buy the 3 series or the 220 because they aspire to the top end.
@PeakInTwoYears
Sorry to butt in, but have just ordered a replacement gabba after my first was sliced off me by some well-meaning paramedics after a crash the week before Le Tour on the Cote de Midhopestones (all is well)! Decided I can’t live without it, largely cos it does so well with not roasting you and making you feel and smell like a sweaty kipper when V is being applied, but works well enough at -5 deg C morning rides with a decent underlayer. Essential for Classics-type rides IMHO.
@Ron
Lower-tier pros are virtually all on mechanical groupsets. For the price of DA9070 you could outfit three bikes with 6800 groups, with change.
As for Di2’s necessity… I’ve ridden 9070 on a road bike, and it’s very sweet. Quite a few of my riding mates have been on electronic for a while now, and it’s pretty foolproof – can list the problems we’ve had on one hand and some were user-error. However, it’s not something I’d see myself spending the extra money on if I were to spec a new road bike (unless I had a Felt AR, where going electronic gives a smidge of aero advantage). STI shifters have evolved into a pretty awesome setup as far as shifting positions are concerned, and since mechanical DA9000 and 6800 are as perfect as I’d ever want them, I’d save the money. For the price of Ultegra Di2 you could buy mechanical Dura-Ace, and that’s cooler than a buzzing derailleur.
But, I’ve also ridden electronic on a mate’s TT bike, and that’s a game-changer. Shift quality is miles better because you don’t suffer the convulted internal cable-runs so common on TT frames. The tiny buttons on the extensions are much nicer to grab when tucked. However, biggest of all is the satellite shifting from the basebar. Makes cornering and braking as simple as it is on a road-bike. The seconds add up quickly on a technical course. Game-changer.
@tessar
I was originally running Ultegra Di2 and DA7900 on each of my bikes when 10 sp. When I swapped to 11 sp I switched both to Ultegra Di2. On its best days, the DA was only as good as Di2. Mostly Di2 was better. Then I rode a bike with DA9000 and realized what a major improvement over DA7900. Now, I also think that the internal routing on my bike was probably less than ideal for the mech cable travel, especially thru the chainstay. But, the FD was big improvement on 9000 vs 7900. When we recently assembled my daughter’s bike we planned it around the mech DA 9000 over Di2.
The Di2 is super consistent. And makes shifting that is simply a non issue every time. I dig it. The mech system is much more aesthetically pleasing and has better tactile feel. And both of those are a big part of enjoying the bike. I guess I like ’em both.
I’m with ya 100% on the TT bike. Though I don’t ride one I’ve always assumed that it’d be perfect app for button mashing shifts.
@Ron
I sure do dig those bike pic’s. Bike pictures produced from a real camera and not a phone… what a difference. Very cool snapshots of very cool bikes. Makes me wanna ride a bike. Fast. Thanks
As always, some very informed and enlightening responses. I guess I got a bit of an electro-freakout.
My latest piece of carbon fibre…
I figured it would match the bike if I need to hang it over the top tube – implicit in Rule #8.
Crap photo, but I’m excited, my #1 bike is back from the LBS. Sure, it’s a bit like Trigger’s Broom (link for non UK people, and even then you may not understand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUl6PooveJE ) with a new frame, forks, rear rim and a few other bits ‘n’ pieces, but It’s back. Won’t apologise for breaking Rule #34, I will be commuting in London tomorrow morning, leaving home before 6am, and that’s that. So pleased, I’m like a kid at xmas!
@ChrisO
Does it fit a pump-peg?
@tessar
No need – it’s also Rule #31 compliant
@ChrisO
Sweet layup and nice progress by the looks of things.
@markb
Good to see you’re back on wheels.
That is seriously cool.
Getting married and a promotion at work meant time off from web-surfing, but I’m finally back! The new position entails more travel to awesome parts of the world for meetings and conferences, and I always hate being stuck without a bike…so I solved that problem by going N+1. In @Frank‘s article “The Past and the Future”, I fall in the middle group, embracing both the tradizione and the tecnologia, and so this ride does too: S&S couplered Surly Straggler frame for travel, box section H+Son rims with discs, Record 10 Speed with an XTR rear mech, and a couple of wheelsets for running everything from 33mm Rivendell Jack Browns to 29×2.0 mtb knobbies. It’s not light, but then bikes like this aren’t supposed to be light.
The part I agonoized over was the downtube logo. I finally settled on “Hic svnt leones” – here be lions – out of respect for everything we hold dear. This bike will get its first taste of cobbles in July when I head to Lille for a conference. I am literally counting the days.
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Welcome back! And what a return. Damn, that bike is nice. My next two acquisitions might have to be either a fatty or a disc-brake bike.
@wiscot
Thanks! Good to have time again. Fat disc graveurs are totally rad.
@EricW
Rad!
@EricW
Beauty! The S&S coupling seems like the greatest thing around. Nice paint, nice brakes, nice headset, all around beauty.
@EricW
What type of beans did you use?
@VeloVita
beans?
@EricW
Ah, I assume this regards the headbadge. If that’s the case, then I used the kind of beans that would normally charge me $200 one way to make bikes fly.
Here is my De Rosa build.
Frame is 1985 (perhaps 86)
Victory gruppo.
Wheels are H+son box section with DT swiss spokes and Victory hubs.
Brooks Swallow saddle
Shifters are Simplex Retrofriction
Got the pedals from Italy on eBay. The blue trim on the pedal straps was a nice bonus. Pure chance.
I know the its not in the big ring etc. but the photo was taken by the guy who stitched the leather on the bars and its a nicer shot than the ones from my apartment (its snowing outside and I do not want the first outing to be in the slush). Soft, I know.
@geoffrey
That is very sweet, valve stems look a bit out of proportion though.
@Teocalli
Yes, very limited selection of tubes here in Belgrade. If I don´t remember to buy stuff when I am in other cities I´m stuck with what I have in the parts box.
@unversio
@Mikael Liddy
update!!! tossed a dash of 105 into the mix and couldn’t be happier with it. mainly the clean, cable-free cockpit view.
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All the old favourites reunited in one place again – Cobalto brakes and levers, Retrofriction shift levers, C-Record crankset, Super Record (modified…) rear changer and a few oddments…
@osbk67
Nice and classy!
@osbk67 That looks fantastic!
@Roger
is that a Nashbar Carbon?