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 ...
@RobSandy
What I meant really was to be able to inspect it fist vs buying blind.
Took my son to his first day of “school” today via bike/bike trailer. I’m very blessed to live nearby the school AND have a very safe commute, including through a university campus…gotta show him what he has in his future (though I won’t force uni on him NOR will we be able to send him to that one without a scholarship. Thankfully to state school 8 miles away is world-class as well, like 1/6 the cost, and his mother and grandfather went there!)
@Ron
Nice one Ron. I took my son to school on the tandem this morning.
The tandem is a treat, normally he sits on my pannier rack.
So nice to glide along chatting to him watching everyone else lose their shit trying to park their cars.
@RobSandy
The fun is in the hunt! The hunt for what you want. I find buying really big frames with components I can use, then on-sell the frame for the price I bought it for = free parts! When I buy a part, I sell a part which is free upgrades! Study “The Wicked Sick Project“
@RobSandy
I’ve been car-free for so long my mind can’t even comprehend sitting in traffic or waiting for someone to leave a parking spot so I can squeeze in there, and then have people open their doors into my car. Ugh.
The little guy has been on about a dozen rides at this point. LOVES looking around and also loves to fall asleep on the way home.
Our house is small-ish and lacks closets/storage, but the location is incredible. I can walk/bike everywhere, including my office and out to the country for weekend riding. Also can cut through a uni using bike lanes to get to cx woods riding. Also should be able to walk/bike my son to school through high school. Heck, if he gets a scholarship, we’re walking distance to one of the best unis in the world.
Oh, mother in law wants to be closer to her only grandchild, so bought a house in town. She has TONS of storage, so now I can get some bikes out of the house AND things I own but use only rarely. I’m seriously pumped. Oh, not to mention free baby sitting!
Retired from the Air Force, got a 5 pound frame for my pound of flesh. (And they’re paying me forever. I’ll let you know when we’re square.) Reminds me of Bassano del Grappa Italy in 1984 – and the girl, Marriuchia was her name. In the words of Jeremiah Johnson, “long time gone.”
I made no attempt to go period-correct of course although those are new GP-4’s with 7400 hubs. Call it an homage? BTW 7900 down tube shifters are excellent if you like that sort of thing. Incredibly positive. Zero slop.
@Randy C
it seemed a little slim to me, too. i weighed in on a digital today and it’s just shy of 20lbs.
@Gerald Wilson
this bike is completely gorgeous. if i could get indexed downtube shifters with modern, fat brake hoods, i’d have them in a hearbeat.
@Cary
The SRAM brake levers have a fatter feel. This comes in just under 20 lbs. What are the opinions here about spraying the inside of the tubes with Frame Saver? It’s Columbus Spirit; not sure how rust prone that stuff is. I’m considering pulling it apart and spraying that $hit in the tubes.
@Gerald Wilson
i use this Progold stuff.. $7-8.00 on Amazon.
@Gerald Wilson
I built up a steel frame CX bike not long ago and opted not spray anything inside of it. I swear I recall correctly that the Jaegher folks posted here at time saying wasn’t necessary. Don’t hold me to that but I’m guessing the post could be found.
Spirit tubes, if fall under their Niobium alloy line, and I believe they do, would include alloying with small amounts of Cr, Ni and Mo. It’s just not your avg steel and that beauty of a bike would need some long time neglect in bad conditions, as in locked to a bike rack outdoors next to the seashore 24-7 for a summer season I’d guess, before any rust could set in. My opinion.
I have a twenty some year old steel framed bike in my garage that I rode to college every day for years in every condition and winter thru salt so many years ago and rust has never set up in that bike. And yea, I gave it a little tlc often enough.
What a gorgeous bike you have. I love it.
Cheers
@sthilzy
Uh uh. Just done something silly/awesome.
N+1 under the radar and to a silly low budget.
Updates to follow…
@Gerald Wilson
That is one sweet looking Bottechia
@RobSandy
Sounds interesting……..
@Gerald Wilson
Simply stunning.
@Teocalli
It’s tremendously exciting. I hope I can rely on this community for advice on the build and also how best to lie to my wife about where certain things have come from and how much they cost…
@RobSandy
Get everything shipped to your office.
@chris
Get a “Load-and-Go” VISA card
@sthilzy
Already implementing both of those.
@RobSandy
…and get that PO Box!
@sthilzy
Useful for the big stuff.
A while back an email was sent round the whole office requesting that people limit the size and nature of the items being delivered to the office. Various odd items were mentioned, including packages of meat. The last item on the list was garden furniture. Just as I turned to one of my colleagues to say “who the fuck would have garden furniture delivered to the office”, the lad from the mail room appeared in the cubicle with an enormous box addressed to me.
My wife had ordered some new chairs from ebay, but hadn’t thought to change from the bike parts delivery address to the home address.
Any saving that might have been had from ordering the bloody things on ebay was lost when I had to get them couriered home.
I was very sorely tempted to get them couriered to her office.
@Gerald Wilson
I am extremely jealous! I had a white Bottecchia Chromor of approximately the same vintage as yours. It was my first real road bike and of course, I loved that bike. I sold it due to space constraints but I wish I had not done so.
Yours is an absolute beauty. Enjoy!
@chris
I knew I could rely on you guys. I’ve bought the frameset with FD and RD still attached – Ultegra 6800. There are really good deals on Ultegra 6800 components at the moment, so the only lie I’m actually going to tell the wife is that I’m going to buy the components bit-by-bit, but actually I’ll probably order shifters, crankset, cassette and brakes as soon as I have the frame in my grubby little hands, bit bring them home bit by bit.
All I’ll need then is bars and stem.
Anyone know what Jagwire compressionless cables are and if there’s any complications fitting them? Apparently it’s what I need for this frame as there are no cable stops.
This is great.
What length Stem are you after? I have a couple lying around but they won’t be long. Similarly I have some bars but they may be too narrow, I think they will be 42. I’ll measure and photo them later.
@Teocalli
@RobSandy
I have a 3T ergonova pro handlebar in 42 c-t-c 44 outer that may work for you. Looks like I sold the longer stems I had just have a short 80mm one.
@RobSandy
@Teocalli
They look just the job, I must say.
@RobSandy
You can have them, PM me your address – or the one you want them sent to! – and I’ll get them in the post.
“Free from a mate” should help with the budget radar – need me to include a receipt for £0.00?
@Teocalli
Serious, sure you don’t want anything for them?
I’ll PM you now though. Gift horses and all that…
@RobSandy
Yeah, had them lying around for a while. Bought them for my #9 bike but the shape didn’t work for me. Good to see them go to a good home.
@RobSandy
In the post……..
@Teocalli
Wow, you’re an absolute gent.
*doffs cap*
@Teocalli
Also currently tracking my bike…
I have tracked down my old race bike and will be reacquiring it after a gap of nearly 30 years. It remains largely as I sold it and still ridden and enjoyed which brings a small tear to my eye. I did ride it last week and what a delightful machine it is.
As befits a machine of its heritage, it will be refreshed with an Italian drivetrain and wheels with a view to enjoy long into the future.
Can’t wait.
An aside, it has the front wheel I built all those long years still on it, running true and smooth. Campag hub, DT Swiss spokes, Mavic rim. Enough said.
@Keith
i had the same wheels on my Merckx Corsa. smooth as butter. i’m sure they’re still going strong for somebody, if they haven’t been wrecked.
@Keith
gorgeous bike, btw.
@Keith
Sweet bike and cool story, thanks for sharing.
What on earth is that bag though?
Tick tock, tick tock…
@RobSandy
Gorgeous bike indeed! As for the bag, my guess is a small ping pong paddle.
@chris
It has arrived, so I can now unveil Il Progetto. Felt AR1, came with seatpost, saddle, and Ultegra 6800 FD and RD included.
All Ultegra components are now roughly 50% off so I’ll be able to get this on the road for a totally wife-pleasing budget.
@RobSandy
Ooh, that looks nice. and a bit quick. Are the seat stays lugged at the top or is that some sort of fairing?
@chris
@RobSandy
That much carbone must provide additional stiffness.
@chris
Said the bishop to the actress. Put some wheels and the bars Mr Teocalli provided on last night so I could pretend it was a real bike. I need a +-17 degree stem. And why did they fit such a huge tall cone spacer as the top race of the headset on an aero road bike? I need to get something lower there.
@Keith
Are those Modolo or Weinmann brake levers/brakes? Helmet Brancale Giro?
@RobSandy
I have a 17′ stem 120mm not using……
@sthilzy
That’s a really kind offer, I think 120mm would be too long however.
I’ll have the same geo as with my current ride if I have a 100mm -17deg and a lower headset cap – I will try and get more stretched out but the saddle is a good 30mm further forwards so it makes sense to slide it back rather than lengthen the stem.
@RobSandy
There isn’t a flat spacer under the cone? There was on my SuperSix. Otherwise slamthatstem.com?