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 ...
@Welsh Paul
I finally got round to making the changes I wanted to do
I like how the CCU’s graphics light up under a flash:
@EBruner
Very cool.
@Welsh Paul
Think I prefer the after, over the before, I have never liked the black Ultegra crankset but looks great on your ride.
@Welsh Paul
The “After Shot” for the win. Very, Very tidy ride right there !!
Argh bike noises. Horrific clicking/pinging/knocking noise which sounds like it alternates between forks, rear wheel and BB/frame. Then after 30k of the ride this morning it stops. Completely. Fuckity fuck how annoying.
@Welsh Paul
I’m considering some Cosmic’s as my replacement wheelset when Bugetatus allows. Recommend?
@EBruner
oooooooooooooo
@RobSandy
Is it all the time or only when powering particularly standing?
@Teocalli
Nope, it happens when standing, sitting, pedalling hard, freewheeling, uphill, downhill.
I thought until this morning it was the cadence sensor on my crank hitting the receiver, or the speed sensor on the wheel hitting same. But it’s not.
And I couldn’t place at all where it was coming from. And then it stopped.
@RobSandy
Tighten your chain-wheel bolts. Check QR skewers. I’m running Speedplay’s and had a clicking sound. Injected grease as per maintenance schedule Rule #65 adhered to.
@RobSandy
Clean check tighten cleats.
@RobSandy
Basically we are all going to be saying clean everything that can be cleaned, check and tighten everything that should tighten, and lube everything that should be lubed!
@Teocalli
@sthilzy
Going outside to do some tightening now.
I gave the bike a good clean the other night after it first occurred, and found nothing amiss.
@RobSandy
The CCU’s are a cracking wheelset Rob. I’d definately recommend them. They’re light, but super stiff, so there’s no flexing when you’re putting the power down.
I’ve got a set of the SLE clinchers on my commuter bike, and they’re fantastic as well. The Exaliath braking surface on them gives brilliant stopping power even in the wet.
I’m a fan of the Mavics at the moment
Gone are they DA C24’s. Replacements roll amazing and are very, very stiff. Very happy camper !
@Barracuda
Nice!
Tubs/Singles? If not, Rule #40 breach.
@sthilzy
FC Clinchers – Rears OK, caught out on the front, shhhhhh, just between you and me !
@RobSandy
Yeh, the noises have spontaneously gone away now. Fucking bikes.
My new machine – Mason Resolution. Electric gears, hydraulic brakes, many will hate it, I absolutely love it.
@Geraint
Better check out Rule #45. Blue is my favourite colour but I can dig your interest in that machine! How much does it weigh?
@Geraint
Very nice. Be interested to hear how those wheels hold up. My gaffer has a custom Nerve Ti bike. He did the Winking Sheep sportive yesterday and lost a spoke over the cobbles of Alston on the rear drive side. My concern is disc break wheels are being built up with standard road race spokes, and they cannot handle the tension fought out between drive side and breaking forces. Would recommend Sapim Strong everytime on a disc brake bike…
@Barracuda
I just a little wee… Very nice!
@KogaLover
I’m well aware of that rule, and I prefer to have a bike that fits me. Haven’t weighed the bike, I don’t really bother with that sort of thing, I’d guess at 8.5kg.
@VeloJello
The wheels aren’t new, I built them myself years ago, I’ve done about 10k km on them in all weathers with no trouble. The spokes aren’t super lightweight ones, 2.0/1.8 double butted I think. As above I’m not a weight weenie and tend to go for robustness over weight savings.
@VeloJello
I’ve been building 29er mtb and cx disc wheels for years and this just isn’t a problem – even Revolution spokes are fine until you go below 28h, unless the rider is particularly big and/or a munter. 32 is my preference for the fuller-figured thrasher.
Whoever built those wheels you’re talking about needs to re-examine his technique, as the forces on a road disc wheel are an order less than those of a hard-ridden cx or mtb – spoke breakages just shouldn’t be happening.
@Geraint
If you’re well aware of the rule then you’re right, you should have bought a bike that fits you and wouldn’t require the spacers or the setback seatpost (winky face).
That said, from the top tube down it’s a very nice looking ride. The backdrop for the photo is an excellent contrast and I’m loving the shine coming off the saddle.
@Geraint
Very nice indeed! What kind of low profile tires are you running there? (or is it just the photo that make them look that way?)
@wiscot
Thanks. Tyres are Vittoria Pave CG 25mm, rims are Velocity A23, they’re not low profile but I agree they do look it in the shot, I think it might be due to the contrast and the highlights on the top of the tyres.
@Ron
I would be more inclined to use emery paper/fine grit sandpaper. Masking tape on the areas you don’t want scratched (the top edges of the inside of the rim braking surface).
This is because often the base of the rim channel can be curved, and the file will not treat the edges of the hole the same, it will be more inclined to take more out of the outside edges because they are higher.
Plus the end of the file will interfere with the inside of the rim as you will be trying to hold it on an angle, you will find it difficult to get a nice angle to the filing motion.
You also would be cutting small shavings off that could give you the same problem as noted by others of sharp shavings sitting around in the rim and coming out and puncturing the tube.
Sandpaper scrunched to shape will ensure it is mainly fine dust, and treat all edges of the hole in similar fashion, as it can conform to shape.
YMMV, OCD here sorry.
@Geraint
I love black bikes. And that one’s a beauty. For certain. And all black Pave’s… How ’bout them apples? I have the Thomson components, stem and posts, on many of my bikes. Made in the US of A quality local here in southeast. While racing this past weekend 36 miles of dirt, gravel, rocks and mud thru nat’l wildlife refuge here in state following a lot of rain I couldn’t help but be reminded how much I appreciate hydro disc brakes. They work very well. Cheers
@VeloJello
I love the bike. White is the new black ! Don’t see many around these parts so is a bit unique given the plethora of Trek’s and Giants along our roads.
@EBruner
FOOOOOOOKMEEEEEEEEE!
@frank
I can’t stop staring at the frame. I have yet to hand a single component on it yet. I have just started at it for 4 days. Of course, it is getting 2015 Super Record and Shamals, nothing else will do!!
Not sure of the best place to put this query because there is no comments section on the Gear page, so I’ll just put it here:
Can anyone who has one of the current V-Kits tell me how the sizing runs compared to, say, Castelli gear–particularly the Free Aero Race bibs and jerseys?
I’m a medium in the Castelli bibs and somewhere between a small and a medium in the jerseys. Input before the V-kit pre-order deadline greatly appreciated!
@EBruner
That is the right treatment. I need one. And one of you a-holes is gonna land one after the VSP. And you couldn’t buy a bike from two nicer lads. As the world should be. As the world should be.
@Beers
Thank you for the detailed reply. I appreciate it! Wheel/tube has been fine now, but wouldn’t hurt to sand the valve opening a bit. I’ll get to it this weekend.
Here is another mech issue I’m having trouble solving. Jumped on the cross steed last week and the handling sucked. I haven’t had that many beers, have I? Rode it again on just panyagua and the steering was still dead. Can’t ride hands off bars, feels dead when I corner. Nothing had been changed since I last rode it, and it had felt fine. I did however ride in a big rainstorm. Pulled sealed headset, cleaned, lubed replaced. Still dead.
Shop guys suggest I add a spacer under the top cap, against the bearing, to push it off. I added one. Nothing. Now I have three thin spacers on there and the steering is still dead. Again, nothing had been changed so I’m confused why the steering would suddenly go. Bearings shot? Other ideas?
It’s an FSA cartridge bearing headset on a taper HT on a Van Dessel. Top cap is an FSA with an integrated brake hanger.
@il muro di manayunk
I’m also having a dilemma, I think I’m in between an XL and a L. The XL sizing is exactly the same as a jersey I’ve just bought (which is not quite race fit), but slightly looser. So I think I want to go for a L to get a snug fit around the chest. Just hope I can fit my arms through the sleeves.
@RobSandy
I’d class them as race fit so where I might buy a L in my club kit to be relaxed I have M in the V-kit jersey. I’m 67 kilo on 172 cm height. I would not want to try to get into a S but an L would probably not be excessively baggy for a club fit, the M is “snug”.
@Teocalli
Hmm…question is, am I one or two sizes bigger than you? I think I’ll probably go L.
@Geraint
What’s to hate? This is the bike of the future. What the pro peloton will be on in another 2-3 years. BTW, your seat post is bent. :-)
New kit. From a recent ride. My take on where to put your name decal. In that order.
@RobSandy
OhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoy!!!! It’s new bike day….Haldy is getting a new No.1 bike…stay tuned for pics of a special one of a kind….
Does your pump match your frame…mine does. :-)
@Teocalli
Thanks. I think I’ll go with mediums. I’m just about the same weight and about 2.5 centimeters taller. I like my jerseys to fit snugly to the point where they could be considered “tight,” but I’ll err on the side of “buying the jersey I know will fit” as opposed to “buying the jersey I might rip trying to zip up.”
My fellow Velominatus- I present my newest No. 1…the one and only stainless steel Don Walker frame to ever exist.
@Haldy
More please!
@Haldy
Dont stop with that pic. More, more and more.
@Barracuda
Many more to follow…going to post a few of it with it’s twin..my DW track bike.
Oh okay…one more for now.
My twin sets of twins-