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 ...
So the clusterfuck of my Nr.2 continues…
I bought a replacement hanger and RD. Fitted, no problem. When I started trying to set up the mech I noticed that the chain had become permanently bent/kinked (presumably by being jammed in the bent derailleur plates.
No biggie, I thought, got a nice new KMC chain, fitted last night. Started trying to index the RD, but when I got the chain onto the smallest sprocket it was jamming against the hanger. I had a close look and the whole dropout on the drive side appears to be bent. I had an experimental pull at it, and the whole thing came off in my hand, hanger and derailleur.
It now appears that as well as being bent, the bolt holes in the dropout (to attach the hanger) are pretty much stripped.
Am I getting to the point where this frame is a write off?
@RobSandy
Possibly, if I get that correctly, your only option sounds like tapping out the rear hanger for larger bolts and corresponding drilling out of the hanger. Could be worth trying if you know someone who can do the cheaply before you bin it.
@Teocalli
I’m going to pop it into the LBS before making any decisions. Even if that’s possible re: tapping out bigger bolt holes, the rear dropout looked pretty bent to me.
However, I’ve just come up with a plan which would in effect result in me having 2 new bikes;
Buy a budget Dolan frameset (my club get a discount and they are suppose to be excellent value for money) and move the current groupset parts onto it (most of which are brand new). I then have a decent winter/training ride.
I then re-fit the flat bars to the giant and mount a new single speed crankset and SS converter onto the rear wheel. I then have a simple beater bike I can use for razzing up and down the Taff Trail to work.
@RobSandy
That could be a result!
Been trying to find a way to get some of my Hampsten Ti build up here and finally found a way to get a few. Frame is Ti made in Kent Eriksen’s shop with Steve and Andy Hampsten’s designs and measurements after I met up and rode with Steve last year. Handlebars are Fizik Cyrano “00” with matching stem–saddle and handlebar tape is Fizik as well. Seatpost is a Ti Eriksen “Sweetpost”. Headset and seatpost clamp are Chris King. Cages are King Ti cages. Groupo is complete 2015 non-electric 11spd Campag SR (Ti cranks) with 53/39 and 12-28. Wheels are Ambrosio Nemesis with Royce hubs with FMB Paris-Roubaix tubulars. Skewers are old Campag SR. Pedals are Speedplay Pave’.
I have been riding (somewhat–who am I kidding–not really) competitively since 1988 and no bike that I have ever swung a leg over has come close to this ride. Even with the heavy, bombproof wheels it still only weighs an even 8.0 kgs. It rides absolutely amazingly smooth. I rode it on the 250 km full RVV cyclo for over 9 hours and it was a dream. I’ve also done a few other 150 km rides on her now and she climbs and descends an just rolls like a fucking dream. Hands down the greatest bike that I have ever ridden.
@Buck Rogers
Very nice Buck, that’s stunning. Chapeau.
Speedplay Pave. Me wanty.
Big Al’s Masterpiece Wheelset. Fucking bombproof and smooth as fresh Bretagne butter.
Final photos. Last one is of Frank Dressler (former German Pro who owns the local bike shop 5 km from work) and the amazingly humble and really great guy Udo Bolts. Udo bums around the shop a few days a week but he still rides 4-5 hour rides at least 4 days a week. Dude is a BEAST but such a nice guy. Really challenged my thinking on doping as he later admitted to doping when he was top 10 at the tdf. Good to put faces to these people and talk and joke and drink espresso with them (although I still have no desire to do so with the true COTHO).
Holy fuckballs.
http://www.oldbici.it/featured_item/bianchi-mercatone-uno-pantani-tour-de-france-1998/
@frank
I know where there is a NOS frame in my size, it ain’t cheap though but I sooo regret selling mine before I found The Way. It is seriously tempting.
@Teocalli
You know what? They bedeviled me. This isn’t Pantani’s real bike…it has a level top tube, they just made it look compact by angling the photo. Fuckers. I hope Sir Brad knows he’s got a fake.
Great repro though. If it were like the bike he rode…
@Buck Rogers
I haven’t posted here in a long whille, but saw this and had to say “welcome to the family” Buck! Good to see this come to fruition. And totally appropriate to be wearing Vincenza’s best.
How cool to be fit by Andy and Steve. Class acts, both of them.
Royce hubs, Nemesis. Mmmmmm.
Regarding Nicky Hayden. Goddamn, to race that fast on a motorcycle, only to be killed on a bicycle. Jeez. Chuck…I’ve said it before, but what other license do you get so easily at age 16 and possess until you die, with no recertification? It’s insane! X-Ray techs have more stringent standards. Yet…we allow distracted drivers behind the wheel day after day after day. I actually motioned to a cop last week on my commute. He was sitting RIGHT behind a guy who drove through the bike lane to make a right on red. Cop was about to do it as well, until I waved at him, asking him to ticket the offender.
I hate to admit it, but with a wife and 1-year old son, I’ve been doing more cross and mtn. riding, as I just do not trust drivers.
As for lights, I’ve been running a bar light on my fork. Keeps my bars clutter free and still allows me to run a light when I want to, which is almost always.
@Ron
Yes. I hardly ever ride on the actual road anymore. Way way way too many distracted and pissed of drivers out there that love nothing more than buzzing me and yelling, etc or just being fucking clueless and texting or watching their GPS.
Fortunately here in Germany there are 1,000’s of paved hiking paths that go everywhere. I rode over a 160 k’s a month ago and all but around 2 k were on these amazing, hilly paved trails through fields and woods.
My son is a quite good runner but I do not want him to ride the road bike, my greatest sporting love, b/c of the danger. Quite sad.
Folks – Don Walker is apparently selling of a number of bikes from his personal collection elsewhere on the ‘net.
@Frank – maybe you should suggest he lists availability here?
@Teocalli
Great idea. I just pinged him. He’ll post them up here tomorrow.
Raleigh USA apparently decided to bring framebuilding back in house and Don was asked to build the track bikes. Super cool, getting back to old-school contract frame building like in the old days. I really hope this trend continues.
@Buck Rogers
What the fuck is that thing on your seat post? I just watched LIFE and I’m afraid it might be that alien that killed Ryan Reynolds.
@frank
Why are you sitting around watching Ryan Reynolds movies?
@Buck Rogers
Much class. What a beauty. Love it. Cheers
@frank
Oi! When you are purposely heading out in the rain on an 8 C day for a heavily graveled ride, someone who has actually changed out a tub on the road before and who is packing a pre-glued spare knows that you need to cover it up from the muck. So that is the tub inside a gallon-sized ziplock taped to the seat tube. One of those days were a flimsy toestrap just would no cut it!
@Randy C
Thanks Mate. My total dream bike finally realized.
This really isn’t a The Bikes post, but don’t know where else to put it. A little shameless self promotion. My review of Primal Inertia QX5 kit for PEZ.
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/primal-qx5-inertia-jersey-bibshorts-review/#.WUEwx2eR6Ra
To make it semi-relevant, a pic from the article with my bike as a prop.
This year’s team car spot…….
@Teocalli
Dear GOD, where did you see this??? This is an AMAZING car! Hell, I would drive that as my daily commuter if I had it!
@Buck Rogers
That was in Bakewell, it’s up at L’eroica Britannia this year. Mavic have a stand there.
First ride on the new bike a day after I purchased it and I got a flat. maybe Ill take a better picture sometime down the line.
No introduction needed……
Advice please. Thinking of buying a cheap 2nd hand tandem so we can take the tiddler out on rides more easily and more safely than with a tagalong. I’ve seen this one on the ebays. WTF is the thing on the back wheel? It’s not hub gears, you can see a RD on the other side, and there is a normal brake caliper so doesn’t seem to be brake related either.
Any ideas?
@RobSandy
I’d bet money saying that’s a secondary brake installed later when they found out the canti’s weren’t up to the task when bombing a big heavy bike down a wet hill. Just a guess on my part. ??
@Randy C
Yup looks like a drum brake
@Teocalli
Ta both. No experience with drum brakes – would it have any bearing on what wheels you need?
Also, looks like the bike was designed for calipers originally.
@Teocalli
Bakewell?That’s where the tarts come from, isn’t it?
@wiscot
The eternal fight as to whether you are a Bakewell Tart man or a Bakewell Pudding man (they are different).
@RobSandy
My (limited) knowledge is that it is built into the hub (not a bolt on) so yes it will have a bearing on the wheels – and a goodly number of spokes might be advisable as your braking would be from the hub and needs to be transferred out to the rim.
@RobSandy Oh yes as it is retrofit, I have no idea whether that has any implication for the chainstay as there seems to be a bracket added there to ‘fix’ the hub brake.
@Teocalli
I’ve had a look around and a lot of the tandems I’ve seen of this type (Dawes Super Galaxy) have em so either it’s as fitted or they are generally required.
Looks like I’m buying it, anyway. £250.
Fortunately the LBS saved my No.2 so no new frame was required. I’ll have a tandem instead, please.
@RobSandy
I’m sure they are generally required, that’s for sure!
@Teocalli
Sheldon Brown reckons braking should be fine if the cantis are adjusted properly.
Also, the plan is to have the little one on the back so it’s not going to be as heavy as if it was carrying 2 adults.
@RobSandy
V brakes work a treat, but cantis just aren’t up to the job in my experience. I had XTR ones on mine and they were crap. Even when set up well…..
@RobSandy
Over this side of the pond we call it a drag brake. There is usually an indexed lever on the handlebars that lets you set it on a few levels of friction, and when the descent is over you release it. It’s in addition to the standard rim brakes.
@litvi
Mine just work like normal brakes off the left hand lever. Seem to work ok.
I have another question though – the brake levers are Weinmann and the right hand brake lever operates the front and back cantilever brakes. Again, this seems to work ok.
The levers themselves, however, are in a bit of a state and very uncomfortable. I was hoping to replace them with something more modern but how easy is it to get brake levers that can pull 2 cables? Would I be better sticking with what I have (perhaps replacing the hood cover)?
@RobSandy
On the drag brake front. Before fitting one one our tandem, my experience on steep descents was:
1. Feel the friction on the brakes change as the blocks start to melt
2. Smell burning
3. Stop in fear of blowing out the tyre
4. Burn finger touching the rim to test it.
Highly recommended.
@verytallguy
Can’t wait!!
@verytallguy
Holy Smoke – a drum brake overheating the rim – surprised the spokes didn’t melt!
@Teocalli
Think he was saying that the rim brakes overheated so he fitted a drum brake to prevent that in future.
@RobSandy
@RobSandy
Ah yes I see that now – but I did like the concept of glowing spokes………..
@Teocalli
I don’t! LBS solution is to replace the shitty Weinmann cantis with some new V brakes and disconnect the hub brake. Getting brake levers with a double pull is tricky and messing about connecting 2 cables seems a pain.
I wont remove the rub brake for the time being though. Could add an extra lever on the rear bars for my Velomini to squeeze if he’s nervous.
@RobSandy
Or if he wants to see his dad suffer harder (call it the “V-squeeze”).
@KogaLover
I’m not going to give him that idea. I used to tow him on his own bike, which had a rear hub brake activated by back pedalling. Every now and again he’d casually spin his legs backwards and I’d come to a shuddering stop. Normally on short steep hills.