Cycling is a mighty sport with a rich and complex history. Every company, racer, piece of kit, and component has a legend, a story behind it; in many cases it also has a personal and nostalgic connection to our lives. While this particular sport is steeped in tradition, it is also fiercely modern, a fact that serves only to deepen its complexity.
All these factors combine to provide an unique atmosphere and breeds devoted and loyal disciples of our great sport. We are of a peculiar nature; we seek out the highest mountains and the roughest roads on which to worship at the altar of the Man with the Hammer. Our legs are what propel us; our minds are what drive us. We refer to our shaved legs in the third person – the legs – and speak of distance in kilometres and measure sizes in centimetres regardless of what country we are in. We adhere strictly to the Canon of Cycling’s Etiquette: The Rules.
A Velominatus is a disciple of the highest order. We spend our days poring over the very essence of what makes ours such a special sport and how that essence fits into Cycling’s colorful fabric. This is the Velominati’s raison d’être. This is where the Velominati can be ourselves. This is our agony – our badge of honor – our sin.
I have a unique way of looking at bicycles. A good bicycle and it’s components are beautiful things to me. I’m not just talking about appearance, but also how the frame and components show the dreams of those who made them.
– Gianni Bugno, Hardman and Italian cycling legend
Perhaps we are too wrapped up in the past, but the Velominati don’t believe that to be the case. After all, the greatest lessons can be learned from the past and those lessons can then be applied to the present and may then allow us to more fully experience the future.
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Velominati.com is less about the articles and more about the conversation. Those of you who read more and poster more, become an integral part of the discussion and help carry the momentum forward. There are several levels of Velominatus*:
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Velominati reserves the right to edit posts with the express interest to preserve the spirit of the conversation and the community. Regarding posts that address a grammatical or typographical error, Velominati may elect to take their input, correct the error in the articles where appropriate, and editing posts that point them out. This editorial action is not to serve as a censure entity, but to preserve the spirit of the conversation. That said, we endeavor to only edit those posts that point out a minor issue and only in the event that we make the edit before the post has yielded further discussion. Furthermore, when possible, we will strive to acknowledge said poster for their correction.
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View Comments
Does this qualify me as a Keeper? Or more specifically comment #30 and the reply at comment #35
@Frenchie
Vive la belle langue!
@Steampunk, @Frenchie
The only thing wrong with your image is that your gravatard is not this guy:
@Cyclops
The only problem I see is the lack of reference to Rule 25. Other than that, spot on.
Congrats on your Level 1 status, by the way.
@frank it can be arranged!
@frank
Well the total sum paid for both the vehicles I own is $2k and I'm riding a Cannondale Six Carbon - Full Dura Ace (except for the Carbon S-Works cranks), Easton EA90sl wheels and EC90 bars, etc. I'm definitely in full compliance to rule #25.
When did I make Level 1? I thought there would be some sort of initiation ceremony involving Pantani's pubic hair and an Italian virgin or a secret hand shake or something.
You're a very heavy sleeper ...
@Cyclops
The Secret Sign of the Merckx is hidden in the Gear Page. Seek, and ye shall find.
You'll have to forgive me my first post on here.
This week I have been rebuilding my old bike. Six months ago, I had to decommission it(into individual components) under pressure from the Velomihottie. There were reasons: we were just moving into a tiny temporary flat, and mainly that I had just had another hefty crash - rear-ended by a car at about 50.
The rebuild raises a series of questions which I'm sure many of you will have strong views on.
In no particular order:
How far should one take the cleaning of a bike?
I expect some abuse for the following - I really can't be arsed with cleaning my bike all the time. Life is too short and I seldom have enough time to do the training I'd like, let alone the hours of cleaning and adjustment.
That said, once or twice a year I like to strip the thing right down. The question came to me just now as i was cleaning the rear derailleur (1.5hrs so far) and found myself polishing the bushes inside the jockey wheels and debating the various options for re-lubricating them.
I have an old tub of lithium grease I have been using. Its whiteness offends - even though you'd hardly ever see it.
I have also been using 3-in-1 oil (not for the chain, of course). While the nostalgic smell counts in its favour, it doesn't seem sufficiently specialised. In the past, I have tried synthetic diesel oil, gun-cleaning oil, even olive oil in emergency.
I have already polished the body of the bottom bracket - yes, the cylindrical part that is inside the frame and therefore not visible.
Being in London most of the time, I have no workshop. Is this an excuse?
Secondly, should one leave "scars" on your bike?
Being 5 years old, it has picked up the odd scrape. On the one hand, of course the bike should be perfect; but on the other hand, you don't go and get laser surgery to remove your own scars - you enjoy them as a reminder of a memorable event.
This summer, I collected quite a few small tar spots on rhe bottom of the downtube. I was just reaching for the Velomihottie's nail varnish remover to try to dissolve them, when I thought "No, fu*k it. I remember being out training alone when the roads melted. I loved it and I'll leave the reminder".
Third, when in the name of Merckx is somebody going to invent a proper way of lubricating a chain cleanly?
The options available now are almost pre-Industrial in their crapness.
Fourth, and perhaps most controversially: Should you ever let another man work on your bike?
Only if: 1. He is showing you something you haven't done before and the intent is for you to learn it, 2. He fully understands and respects the love you have for your steed and realizes that if he fucks it up he pays monetarily and with possible great peril to your friendship and his nose, 3. You would trust this man to take your velomihottie out on the town without fear of any hanky-panky and/or you would entrust him with your children while you go on your favorite century ride.
@George
Welcome, George. Marko covered you on the fourth. Here's the rest.
That kind of cleaning job is definitely a once or twice a year ride, or when you've ridden in the rain in your #1 Bike. Other than that, buy a set of specialized brushes, some Simple Green, take the wheels out, and wash the whole thing down in 10-15 minutes. Good heavy brush on the rims/cassette. Softer brush on the frame/hubs. Clean the chain/pulleys, and you're done. 15 minutes max. I do that once a week, and I clean the chain with a rag nearly every time I ride.
I have different lubes I use for different stuff. Dumonde Tech for the chain. It attracts dirt, but I clean my chain every day, so I'm covered. Once you use real oil, you can't go back to synthetics. It's not the same. I use tri-flow in my break levers, pivot points, dérailleur pulleys, and freehub pawls. Wax lubes inbetween my cleats and shoe soles to keep those from creaking. Also use that stuff on anything pedal-related. You don't want dirt getting in there, since cleats get dirty anyway.
No. You have rooms, right? Fuck the "office".
That's a judgement call. I say leave the scars, remove the tar. Unless it was a really, really epic ride.
The Cyclone, while distressingly phallic, is a great cleaner. Marko tipped me to using Simple Green instead of Parks expensive degreaser. The degreaser works better, but I only use it now occasionally.
Aside from that, chains get dirty, and it needs to be cleaned. As I just mentioned, I've gone away from the whole synthetic thing and back to pre-industrial crap-ness. It works better, even if you have to clean it.
Excellent questions, mate. Welcome into the fold.