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 ...
@Teocalli
Been looking for those cleats for my old Dynamic Drive Shimano 600 AX gundecks for many years and then decided to install the now-common SPD-SLs. But for the Eroica I need to put on the original gundecks so those cleats are still a must have. Did they come with the shoes or can you buy them separately.
To be fair, I did see some cleats on the webs but they were horrendously expensive and since I use cleats by the dozen, I decided against buying them, so now the toes of my shoes have a V inscribed into the leather.
@KogaLover
Having some grief posting if I put in a link seemingly.
I bought some of the ones from Yellow Jersey recently, not all that cheap though.
Dromarti used to list them at a decent price but they don’t seem to have them on their web site now. You could try asking them.
@Teocalli
I have these in the bright white in the 1976 model. Maybe that is what those are? My bottom heel area looks a bit different. Mine are insanely light and very comfortable. Best of all, I happened to see mine on ebay. They’re the carbon sole version, seller (big shoe store, so not an individual) listed them as nylon. I picked them up for about 1/4 of retail.
I use mine with modern LOOK cleats. Paired with white socks, they look wonderful. Problem is, now when I wear my Sidis they look so ugly and overdone, all of sudden.
@Ron
Yes they are 1976 and as you say are amazingly light and fit like slippers. I’m tempted to get another pair in white or red for clipless pedals to replace my Sidis that are getting on a bit in miles.
@Teocalli
1976? there were no 3-screw holes in shoes back then?
@KogaLover
Ha Ha! It’s the model/name that Vittoria use for them.
@Teocalli
Where do you find such wondrous shoes? They remind me of my first real cycling shoes in the early 80s – except mine had leather soles. And you say they’re available in white? Be still, my beating heart . . .
@wiscot
they’re available in red, and wide sizes, too, with carbon soles. sheeeit!
And you can custom order about any colour apparently. ‘Net search on Vittoria 1976. I think standard colours are Red, White, Blue, Yellow, Black.
i looked at these before i happened upon my Sidis. they’re really cool looking.
and Orange…….
@Teocalli
@Teocalli
one of my observations regarding steel bike frames over the years is this: 52-54cm is really the sweet spot for traditional geometry steel road bike frames. my second really nice steel frame was a 56c Merckx Corsa SL. (my first was a Tange Prestige Schwinn Paramount, which i wrecked before i knew what i was doing) the Corsa was good, but too large for me. i bought it because i was in love with the idea of having a Merckx bike, and used with Campagnolo Chorus for $600 was affordable to me in 1994. overall, it was merely OK. it wasn’t until i got my 54c Serotta Atlanta later on, that i was able to grip the difference. varieties of round double butted steel chromoly tubes basically are what they are. some are lighter, some heavier, but across similar diameters and tube lengths, they are the same as far as ride characteristics, all other things being equal, weight is the only difference. it’s down to the design of the frame and details of geometry that make them special. also, welding is welding. tig welding saves grams vs lugged construction or fillet brazing, but the difference in a Ritchey Logic, Torelli Nitro, or Merckx Corsa is not about the welds, or who does them. it’s about the fundamental design of the frame. in my experience, that 52-54c is the sweet spot that epitomises the lively ride quality of steel, yet remains stiff and responsive enough for REAL acceleration and laying down some wattage. Columbus Chromor more or less rides the same as Reynolds 531, or Tange Prestige of equal geometries and diameters.
i’m interested in your opinions and experiences.
Thought I’d share this. Yeah, I know, loads of Rules violations. But to me, this is pure joy…
@RobSandy
It’s fully Rule #3 compliant which is enough at that stage!
@Teocalli
I’m sadly powerless to control his sock height at this stage.
@RobSandy
They probably still comply against measurement by Recovery Ale Bottle height.
@RobSandy
That’s awesome. The rules don’t apply when it comes to getting your kids into cycling.
I wouldn’t worry overly about the sock height, I still have little control over Angus at 14. They’re either awful and probably not cycling specific socks or he’s pinched mine.
Fortunately, it was the latter yesterday.
His first big day in the mountains. Went a bit hard on the first climb and suffered on the big one. He sat out the last climb but got out and ride th last 40km to the finish.
I was following on behind in the support car as a result of my broken toe and being slightly more than three weeks from peaking. I decided to hang back far enough not to watch the descending. Frightening stuff. I came round one hairpin and saw several corners below that either Angus or his mate Sean had come off. I felt sick.
It was Sean an fortunately the damage was nothing that my 1st aiding skill couldn’t deal with.
There are some amazing old photos here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/61477030188/?hc_ref=ARTfUvhsz2w13NQavI8zqM4nGQZGlOLTeGorkMMsBYYaM5XUBXzGcQs2G6JR8TQkXw4
@Teocalli
The fit of mine is incredible. I have very narrow feet, narrow soles. These fit like a glove. If I wear anything thicker than a super slim sock, they feel too snug. That’s okay though, reason to buy new socks! I’d like to swap out the laces…but cannot find the right length/thickness of laces no matter where I’ve looked.
I’ve read that you can contact the factory and get them custom made, including different sizes if your feet differ by that much. Mine around around a 1/2 different.
As for Sidis. I bought my first pair in 2006. I was stunned by the price, but they’re still totally functional and I’ve ridden them many, many KM. Would be nice to replace the Velcro, as it’s a bit worn. Have some awesome early 90s ones I got on ebay to wear with my classic bikes, but the plastic beneath the buckle cracked. Shoe makers have wanted far too much money to fix them. Oh well.
Yeah, someone listed my Vittoria 1976s with carbon soles as nylon. I got them for like $60 USD. Oh man, what a deal. I really forget I’m wearing shoes when I have them on while riding, they’re that light and form-fitting.
@Chris
When are you going to Qatar matey…
Do you want a cycling contact there?
An Irish chap I know, Ben Keane, has been there for a few years and knows all there is to know about cycling in that particular part of the sandpit. Lovely guy and is always happy to help out. He’s due to move to Abu Dhabi soon I think but is still in Doha for now.
Let me know and I’ll hook you up on Facebook.
In fact you might just want to meet up with him anyway… never hurts to have more contacts in a place like that, and hanging about with work people can get a bit claustrophobic.
@ChrisO
That would be great, thanks. It’ll be good to meet people outside of work and the networking that’ll need to be done.
Not that I’m going to be cycling much for a bit. My broken toe doesn’t look like it’s going to fit in my Fiziks. I may need some super wide Bonts.
I’m going on the 5th of September, 2 days after we get back from France. It suddenly starting to feel very real!
DONE!
it’s been six weeks since i’ve had a ride. this week will be a fucking opera of joy and suffering.
aside, overcast skies make for good bike photos. and GREAT bike rides.
Very pretty bike! Enjoy.
@Cary
Gorgeous! Those chrome lugs are the wee dug’s baws. In this day and age of straight forks, you’ve gotta love the elegance of a nice fork rake. My #2 has a carbon fork with a nice rake to it.
Hope the joy outweighs the suffering.
@wiscot
if i could have joy without suffering, i’d stay on my couch with a bottle of Jameson and have done with it, lol.
@Cary
Love the Masi. A modern classic. Have to respect the traditional frame and lugs and all and w/latest drivetrain. Just very cool. And Ritchey’s polished bits add to the style for sure. You ride up a lot of hills on the bike btw ?? You’d sure earn the trip back down ! Cheers
@Randy C
i love lugged steel frames, and especially steel forks, but that’s where my retro fetish ends. i can’t abide downtube friction shifters, toeclips, full length cable housing, etc. i’m too used to modern functionality, and the Ultegra 6700 groupset on this bike runs like a gazelle.
the bike is 17lbs, helped by the excellent Shimano RS80 wheelset. there are no mountains in the American deep south, and i have to go out of town for real hills, but when i do, i have no problem staying with carbon bikes worth 3x as much. when i want to check out real mountain riding, i turn on YouTube’s Col Collective channel and watch Mike Cotty do it.. lol
@Cary
That Masi looks amazing but do you live in a pub?
@Cary
Nothing like Gleaming Metal Bits!
@RobSandy
kinda. i run a few bars restaurants and nightclubs. i spend more time here than on the road or at home, for sure.
@Ron
On the subject of shoes, I had to show you these. How cute?
@Cary
A lugged frame steel bike with steel fork coming in at 17lbs is pretty slim for steel frame. That’s all right. My last steel framed Ritchey bike I built up with 105 group san and hydro disc weighed a lot more than that. I ride a larger frame size however.
My son and I were down in NOLA the other week as he was checking out Tulane and I had to remind him that cycling just wasn’t going to be the same for him down there if that’s where he chose to go. We’re still deep south of US being in AL and not that we have mtn’s (at least not real big majestic snow capped ones) but there are plenty of long steep hills. And a lot of woods, parks and single track.
Gorgeous bike. I was checking out MASI’s web site because of your bike pic’s and saw they’d built some pretty cool “legacy” frames too. Nice stuff.
Cheers
@RobSandy
I actually almost asked the same exact question!
@Randy C
those legacy frames are the tits. the geometry is wrong for me, though. i looked into them. gorgeous bikes.
@Randy C
also, if your son wants some experience big ringing into a 35kph headwind at 40-50kph, he could do worse than to join Tulane’s cycling team!
Pave’s !! That time of the year to break ’em out. Last season’s of course. Maybe can still find some NOS for sale I’d guess. I’m not sure what size these are as a prior season of dirt road riding leaves the sidewalls illegible. But more than enough tread for another season of AL red dirt. I did super glue some of the tread cuts closed. Casing was fine but I figure best not leaving little crevasses for road stuff to work in to. So, Pave’s stuffed with some frilly pink underpanties and mounted on HED’s Ardennes +’s ? That’s good fun. Cheers all
@Oski Bear
damn fine
@Oski Bear
Chapeau! Nice, very nice!
@Oski Bear
I’m not much of a one for retro bikes…but that looks spectacular.
I’m looking into the viability of building up a race bike from second hand parts. I’ve joined several buy and sell forums and decent frames and wheels seem to come and go quite frequently for very affordable prices.
Anyone ever tried doing this and is it viable in practice? Seems I could get a very nice frame for between £300 and £500, wheels similar, and if I could get a groupset deal for £500-600 (can get a full Ultegra groupset for that at the moment) I could have a very snazzy bike for around £1500.
Or is this wildly optimistic and I’ll end up spending loads more than that and wasting half my life putting the thing together?
@RobSandy
My experience in renovating and building up 30 – 40 year old bikes is perhaps not completely analogous to your project, but I’ve found it to be a fairly economical method of putting a bike together. My only concern in dealing with modern carbon components would be wondering if they were subject to over torquing or other heavy handed stuff. Putting a bike together is pretty easy if your frame is properly prepped and aligned.
good luck on your future projects
@RobSandy
I did that to build up a #9 bike. You just need to be sure that the frame has not been crashed really. It is very easy to get carried away with sparkly bits and letting the budget run. It can also be surprising the added little bits bars, stem, saddle, cables, tape, bidon cages etc all add up.
@Oski Bear
Stunning.
@Teocalli
It would be impossible to rule that out when buying from someone you don’t know.
Unless it’s clearly as new with no dings or scratches.
Seems to be a very good way to buy wheels, though. And I’d probably want to get some fast race wheels whatever method of bike buying I chose…