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 ...
@frank
No doubt, the difference is significant in so many ways
@RobSandy
Really depends on budget, how you ride, how big are you etc. I picked up my Dura Ace Wheels for a few hundred bucks used from a local, the wheels new are like a $1000. If you wait and search a really good use set of high end wheels can be had for a reasonable price, carbon is nice, but you can also have a pretty light set custom built for the $600-800 range, check out the Bike Hub Store, he know his stuff and the components are pretty good.
@frank
I didn’t really mean that. Just getting the 20% together for purchasing our house, so I strayed a bit. But, it was only momentary. I’ll be living in n+1 mindset once again as soon as our mortgage is secured. My apologies.
Do the grips and the saddle follow the rules?
@JCM
Was once a keg of beer, neatly converted into a beer cooler, with a flip top lid! Great for parties , just roll in out to the pergola and throw a bag of ice in it and just add some ales !
@Nate
Tried the balance bike route, sadly he wouldn’t go for it, built this little beast up and its hard to get him off it. You win some and you loose some. Agree with the balance bike theory though. If I could keep him on the balance bike we’d be on a winner, but riding a pedalled / trainer wheeled bike as opposed to no bike at all is a good compromise.
Dropout reverence.
@Barracuda
I had the same with my daughter initially with a balance bikes. She wasnt keen but I kept trying and took her to a different park where there was a very gentle slope. She was able to ride it without too much effort and from then on it was all good. The next time at the park she was zooming around and going across a low skateboard bowl, and then down the ramp onto the skateboard bowl as her confidence built up.
Now she has a bigger bike but I had to put trainers on it as it was slightly too big for her, so we have gone backwards. But I took them off the other week and I am building her confidence in riding a pedal bike without trainers.
Article/video explaining the TT bike that Thomas Dekker used at yesterday’s hour record attempt. 30’000 EUR, custom made of course. Tubes with silk in it, which you can throw away after the hour.
http://www.rtlxl.nl/#!/u/3e815cfd-6aa7-6d4e-8f5f-226aaee6ae7c
@tessar
Quick question. Except puncture during the race, why would you want to repair clincher inner tubes, be it latex or butyl, with sealant. Surely patching them is easier and more effective.
Also there is no rule that sealant works better with latex than with butyl.
There are many sealants on the market now and some work better with latex, while others don’t.
If you’re interested check tests below, tried most of the sealants tested there myself and had very similar findings. Generally I hate using sealants myself but just wanted to see what works better and what not. My main concern were tubulars of course. Don’t see a point of using sealant on clinchers.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Tires/Sealant_Test_-_Part_1_4147.html
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Tires/Sealant_Test_-_Part_2_4155.html
Photo upload issues
@Barracuda
can see all 3, not complaining though. Bike looks good in each one (though if I’m being picky I could point out the bidon related Rule #26 infraction).
@Barracuda
all three photos look good!
@Mikael Liddy
Sorry about that, no photos showing my end. Shit internet no doubt.
@piwakawaka
One would of been sufficient no doubt ! Shit internet connection down here doesn’t help uploading
Just felt like saying “Bitches” !!
@TommyTubolare
Exactly, for racing. Even if there’s just a 20% chance (random number) of a successful seal, for the price of 50g and a slight hassle, I’m willing to take those odds if it saves a race even once.
As for latex vs butyl effectiveness: There’s a lot of “anecdote-science” going on with sealants, but the thinking is that butyl, being relatively stiff, interferes with the sealing more than the pliant latex (but either way a small difference, especially compared to a tubeless situation). I’m not too clear on the details though, but some of that is MTB lore, and tyre guru Tom Anhalt mentioned it a few times, as did Schwalbe representatives (right before these idiots killed their excellent One and Ironman tubulars with a butyl tube).
Anyway, for me it’s latex for racing with a sealant if I can be bothered, and butyl and a patchkit for everything else.
@il muro di manayunk
It’s a 48. I’m that huge.
@frank
Easton. Ran across it at Cyclepath down in PDX. I had to order more because in my excitement I wrapped the drive side all kitty wampus. (Kind of you not to bring it up.) It feels good to the touch, but I haven’t had it in the wet yet because I got drug off to Hawaii for the week.
How do you think black tape and orange cable housing would look?
(Was planning to bring it to HI but discovered that Hawaiian Airlines has this ridic size limit on checked items that my bike box would not have met.)
I have a package coming in via UPS tomorrow- may need some ideas with the build up. The missus is going nuts with my asking “What about this? Or that? Or this one with those in that color?” So I’m going to need some help and save her sanity.
This must be the female equivalent of what men go through when they go clothes shopping with their wives and girlfriends. God bless her though, she was the one that eventually made me pull the trigger and spend money, and God knows I’m a tight-ass.
So any guesses to what I’ve bought?
1st correct guess will receive the satisfaction of a well thought out hunch, and a hi-five.
(and no, It’s not a 70’s era Raleigh Grand Prix to go with these bars….) Pics tomorrow after the UPS driver drops it off.
@unversio
Is that your machine, because FFS that’s beauty brother.
@Tugman
No, no, no! Festka is doing incredible work is all.
@Tugman
Since we’re in the “bikes” section, it ought to be a KG96.
Or at least a La Vie Claire jersey…
@cognition
Yes!
@cognition
Getting warm, but not quite there.
@piwakawaka
Lovely jersey brother. Deep envy, but your guess is cold.
@Tugman
LOOK!!
@Tugman
If you’re not going old-school, then I’d imagine a new Look 695 in the Mondrian paint scheme?
@piwakawaka
Yes.
@cognition
Even warmer, but fuck sake, we could go on like this forever. So here she is…
Nope, I didn’t buy a Tarmac….or a Venge.
What is it??? Cue the drumroll…..
Look 586 Pro Team Origin 2009- from the rear dropouts to the front fork ends, she never saw tarmac, only a handful of wishful asses, indoors as a demo model from what I gather.
That soul-eating VHM 3k weave, none more black…
UD rear dropouts and replaceable derailleur hanger.
Candy coated goodness… my shit camera on my phone is not the best tool for the job, but the paintwork on this and the way the raw carbon bits interact with the paint is amazing in person. look
Got some Super Record to match, all this 3k, and an Athena AL crank to make it pop where the engine meets the machine. Looking at some Reynolds Sixty-Six for shoes.
Daddy is happy. Oh yes he is.
Almost forgot the goody bag.
What I got inside…
@Tugman
best thing that ever came out of that box….
@Tugman
dayum, daddy would want to be happy!
@Tugman
Hey you’ve been sold a duffer, that there dropout is upside down – and on the wrong side………..
@Teocalli
Smoke and mirrors me boy, smoke and mirrors….but as foggy as I was this morning, you had me for a second!
@Tugman
as it happens, I have a pair of Look carbon bottle cages that are going unused should you want to go matchy matchy?
Thought I’d post a picture of our tandem. Fatto a Mano in Toscana they are a really good tandem, made to measure and custom painted if you want. If anyone hankers after a tandem and needs Italian these are the way to go. Granted the stoker position takes a bit of getting used to in this configuration, the more fussy types may chose to fit a seat I suppose.
This bike was made for the Mrs Daccordi and the fact that she is a bit vertically challenged accounts for the slopey top tube look. Those built for normal sized pilots have a standard top tube set up. Beautifully handling bike as all Italian bikes are. Just for the record I don’t get on the back, that could see us in divorce court, that’s where the blind people we ride with go. This bike won the Australian Nation Tandem Road Race on its maiden voyage with 5 time Paralympic gold medalist Keiran Modra on the back, pretty good start to its life!
@Mikael Liddy
Yes I’d be very interested in those. Message me with the details.
@Daccordi Rider
Having had the displeasure of watching Mrs Daccordi (whose initials just happen to be V V, nuff said) & another of the trainers disappear up the road on one of these contraptions many times on the inaugural CogAdelaide, I can attest to just how demoralising a vision it is to see them in full flight.
Looking for an aggressive geometry race frame under $1000, suggestions?
there’s another roger running around so im stuck with this name
but shit on a brick if this doesnt make me smile.
https://vimeo.com/118008914
@DerHoggz
What are you currently riding? Carbon? Aluminum? What are you planning on doing with it?
@namestolen
Made me smile as well.,
R is for Reverence — this.
Sneak peak. kind of.
@RedRanger
Focus aluminum that was hit by a truck. Rear is out of alignment and unfixable, so probably just leave it in the basement.
@DerHoggz
Have you hit up a LBS to see what they can get for you? eBay maybe. I hope the driver is flipping the bill.
@DerHoggz
oh and maybe Focus has a crash replacement program.
@unversio
NICE!!!!
When you build those, realize that the English are backwards and you have to make sure the front hub will have to be flipped in order to match the rear.