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 ...
Cheers @chris
I’m a lucky dude for sure. And really, the more I think about it, it’s not that the bikes are nicer so much as they are just newer. After all, a cool bike is a cool bike and I dig my old bikes.
@frank
What a phenomenal paint scheme. Wow. More and more the the painted stems on custom bikes to match up with frame are really making for that extra special touch. Wasn’t there an article on that not long ago? That whole push button shifting and having to plug your bike in with usb to charge up? A person can get over that fast given the ultimate performance. Such a beauty! Cheers
@frank
wow. i remember seeing a pic of this bike with David Millar in the frame, and you sporting a Sagan beard. these sunlight pics do it even better justice than the fluoro shop lighting in the Millar pic! the orange almost glows, here. very nice indeed, man!
@frank
I ALMOST managed to overlook that little bit of information there. Many (belated) congrats on turning this particular corner and many happy returns (and needless to say, I suppose, that you don’t seem to look a day over thirty. Guess cycling does that to a person)
During the present year (2017) I can still pretend that nothing serious is looming on the horizon, age-wise – but next year it’s the big six-oh for yours truly. I was hardly bothered crossing the 40 and 50 lines as I recall it (or at least; didn’t fret too much about them) but this next one seems a tad more serious for some reason. Ah well; I’m still riding my bike like a maniac, so things could have been a lot worse, I reckon.
And yes: gorgeous bike. Good ol’ Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan is still a source of inspiration every time.
@frank
That is one beautiful bike. The best possible reason to turn 40!
@chris
@Teocalli
For that bike, that is clean. Oddly, I tried again with a star-ended screwdriver bit and it tightened easy as.
I’ve also ordered a replacement FD from the ebays, as that model is now obsolete so I have a full suite of spares now.
I’ve also finally got the FD properly adjusted, what a joy. However, trying and failing has damaged the cable so I am going to do it again. I think I can repeat the last adjustment though.
I have learned much on this quest.
@Cary
I spy with my little eye-two rules violations! She is a beauty Frank, congrats and enjoy.
@Rick
I do like a bit of I spy but I’m struggling with this one unless it’s one of the discretionary parts of Rule #26 and possibly Rule #45 – I can’t tell if there’s a space above the stem or not.
@RobSandy
Rob, I’m confused. Surely cleanliness is binary; it either is or it isn’t.
Good to hear you’ve got it working although tightening something with the wrong tool sounds like a guaranteed way of not being able to loosen it in the future.
@chris
Yeah I’m thinking Bidons. Does that make the 2?
(Remembering that Frohnk runs Tubs and noting that the pedal strap matches the orange though I question the flappy end. Attention to detail and all that……)
@chris
One is a discretionary part of Rule #26, but I hold our leader to a high standard. I was counting a Rule #40 violation but now realize that those are tubular tires and are therefore granted an exception.
@Teocalli
I hadn’t spotted the flappy bit, or is it something in the background. @Fronk can’t be that sloppy.
@Rick
I’d discounted the Rule #40 violation and associated Rule #29 violation. Confusing his tubs for clinchers is almost as bad as calling him out for a ridiculous bike fit.
@chris
It’s defo a flappy bit.
@Teocalli
Think of the drag that flappy bit must create.
@Teocalli
I’m not sure, it doesn’t look like it’s in focus despite everything else on that plane being in focus
@chris
You can see the colour just at the end. The worrying part here is realising that Frauhnck has a limp, dangling, orange, flappy thing blowing in the wind.
@Teocalli
Lexicon Entry // Dutch Floppy/Frhonk’s Dutch Dangle
@chris
Shades of grey are par for the course on a commuter. Of course, now it’s become a proper Nr.2 it will remain much cleaner and looked after than when it was just a commuter.
I think it will be ok.
@Rick
Valve stem and tire labels ? Though admittedly in this circumstance it works given the the tire, wheel, valve stem combo going on.
@chris
Oh man… that’s a good reminder that nothing needs be dangling off a bike.
@Randy C
….and the fact that he rides tubs!
@frank
When did this place turn into facebook? Are we getting emojiis too?
My TIE-fighter’s here! I’m off to chase some Rebels up hills!
@Quasar
Sweet. None more black.
@RobSandy
Wow. I thought my #1 and #2 were black, both that’s a black bike! Nice!
@wiscot
It looks like death!
Oh, and slam your stem.
@wiscot
Cheers guys! I like to think of it as Sith black, with (six) Sith yellow eyes…
@RobSandy
The stem will come down gradually. In this position the saddle to bars drop is almost exactly what a professional bike fit recommended on my other bike a couple of years ago. With quite a lot of riding (and some massage sessions) since then I’m sure I will be fine at least 5-8mm lower, maybe more, but I have to work up the courage to pull hard enough to loosen the stem first…
@Quasar
You know I was only teasing.
I’m working up the courage to cut 10mm off my steerer tonight. I had to drill out a top cap bolt (which was bad enough) to get the nut out (which had come loose). Next I have to take a hacksaw to my steed.
Somehow, I only realised last night my bike has a carbon steerer. I was sure it was alloy.
@RobSandy
Of course. That’s what we do here! But since this was the plan anyway I saw no reason not to answer it.
As for cutting the steerer if the stem goes down far enough to warrant it, there is no way in Hell (or any other unpleasant place) I’m doing that myself. When there is any chance of permanent damage I getting pros to do it…
WTF!!!! It’s Thursday. The Giro starts on Saturday. Why can’t we post our picks?
@Quasar
@Quasar
I used to think like that but I’ve started going for it more. I stripped all the cables off my commuter and re-cabled the lot (and fit some drop bars and brifters while I was at it), then set up the brakes and drive train myself. Nothing went disastrously wrong. I’ll post a pic because even though in the scheme of things it’s a piece of shit bike, I’m inordinately proud and love riding the thing.
As for the steerer, it’s all fairly simple and I’m not cutting it down to remove all the spacers (I currently have about 20mm above the stem and that feels like too much). I think my chances of completely fucking it up are low. I’ll report back.
@RobSandy
They may not be as low as you think. First, put 1″ or more wide painter’s tape around the steerer tube where you want to make the cut and (obviously) mark on the tape where you want to make the cut. This will help prevent fibers from fraying. Second, you really need a jig and saw guide to lock the steerer tube in place and to ensure you get a completely straight/level cut. Fortunately, the shop my wife used to work for had this and I was able to use it when I cut my steerer tube. If you try to do it “by hand,” you actually do risk fucking it up.
FWIW, I run two 10mm spacers above my stem because I ended up lowering my stem (now, no spacers under it and just the headset top cap but it’s a semi-tall top cap ~8mm) after about a year of riding on my original set up. The look of it has actually grown on me. But I’m also running a semi-longish -17 degree 120mm stem.
Different view/angle from same ride last Sunday in Ashland, VA.
@RobSandy
It needs to be square – do you have a saw guide?
@Teocalli
At the risk of sounding sloppy and giving bad advice, it doesn’t need to be absolutely square (though I do everything I can to ensure it is). The top of the steer tube will have a gap between it and the stem cap to allow tightening of the headset. This gives you a little bit of leeway with the cut. I’ve found that using a metal hose clamp on the steerer will act as a guide for a straight/square cut if you don’t have a saw guide. It also protects the steerer from getting scarred from a slipping saw should you have an ‘oops’ moment.
@Quasar
Nice! Just in time for Star Wars Day.
@wiscot
Actually, unless I am mistaken, it starts in about 16 hours, not Saturday, Mate!
@MangoDave
I may be misinterpreting you, if so then apologies, but I read this to mean that you cut the steerer tube so short that it doesn’t protrude all the way through the stem? I personally think this is wrong, and the steerer should be long enough to protrude beyond the stem, so the stem clamp is supported through its entire depth. Otherwise the stem clamp will exert crushing forces on the end of the steerer. You should fit a spacer above the stem onto which the headset cap is tightened. I also think the cut should be square, as if you want to get the lengths right and use a fairly thin spacer (3-5mm) then there’s not much room for a ragged or diagonal cut.
Regarding the saw guide, you can buy a perfectly good one for about £15 that allows you to clamp the whole lot in a vice and get a perfectly square cut. It’s worth noting (assuming carbon steerer) that carbon saw ‘blades’ are in fact just strips of metal with an abrasive coating on the cutting edge, and are more susceptible to wandering about during the cut than a normal hacksaw blade cutting metal. Weigh this against the cost of a new fork, or the pain (or worse) of a face plant in the case of a steerer breaking…
@Geraint
I’m keeping a 5-10mm spacer above the stem, which should eliminate the crushing problem of which you speak. I wrapped the steerer in duct tape (I tried masking tape but it wouldn’t stick), measured and marked where I wanted the cut (2-3mm below the top of the spacer), clamped a jubilee clamp (hose clamp) above and below the cut line then went at it. Nice, straight, level cut in exactly the right place.
My headset is now all right and lovely again (I also discovered how to tighten the steerer nut today), and one spacer less. I was feeling so good about it I trimmed a bit off my commuters steerer too (metal in this case) to get rid of one annoying spacer.
Easy.
@RobSandy
Sounds good – very nice bit of improvisation with the jubilee clips too! My comments were intended as a counterpoint to MangoDave’s suggested approach, just saying that it’s not desirable to have the steerer below the top of the stem clamp.
@Geraint
I read the jubilee clamp suggestion somewhere, they were £1 each. I can think of various other uses too.
I agree with you about cutting too low, I’ll make sure I keep a thin spacer above the stem for that purpose.
@RobSandy
It’s a quality hack that is. Just developing the idea, you could clamp an old mudguard – fork bracket into one of the jubilee clips and grip it in a vice…
@Geraint
OK, just so people don’t take me as being too casual to the point of carelessness — I only meant to suggest that there isn’t a need to be so perfectly square that only NASA engineers are capable of doing it. With some care and some reasonably good shop tools, it’s something that can easily be done yourself. If you (generic “you”, not you specifically) can’t get it square enough that a 3-5mm spacer won’t fit correctly, then you probably need to take it to a professional shop or invest in better tools. I’m suggesting that a half millimeter or so won’t make a difference. It doesn’t matter if the spacer is on top of the stem and the steerer goes all the way through the stem, there’s still a small gap between the top of the steerer and the stem cap inside the spacer. If not, the headset won’t tighten properly. I’ve done enough of these over the years without any issues that I’m confident that I’m doing it correctly. Maybe I’m not explaining it properly, though.
@Geraint
No, that’s not my suggested approach. You are correct, make sure the steerer goes all the way through.
@MangoDave
Clearly I did misinterpret you, so apologies again. Sounds like we’re all on the same page here.
@Geraint
No apologies necessary. If you misunderstood me, chances are someone else might, also. I rather clarify than spread misinformation. Cheers!
@MangoDave
Best May the Fourth I can remember having!
Enduringly the #1 bike – British-made Engima Esprit Ti. SRAM Red and tubs on Zipp 303s. Silk. All-up weight of just over 7kg. And the sweetest love.
@MangoDave
But it does take people who have English as a first language (and PhD) to understand it. They say a picture speaks louder than a 1k words, so please can you post a pic what you are trying to say? Thanks (am really keen to understand it; I equally struggle with the Rule explanation on cable length/routing.)
@Quasar
Man I love black bikes. And that black bike is blacker than my black bikes.
@Monty Stubble
Sweet Ti bike. Very.
@chuckp
And that Felt is dressed up just right for this time of year!