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 ...
unversio – Thanks for the reply. Hmm, metal? Never seen a metal one. I have the plastic ones on a few bikes though and all except this one have been fine. I got the bike used and the guide was mashed when I got it.
Bolt on – I’d have to tap the hole. Not that hard. But, then I’d need to find a bolt that is 8mm and short enough to not hit the BB.
This is not my #1 so looking for an easy, inexpensive, quick fix. I think just tacking a plastic guide on there would work, just don’t have much experience with glues & metal. Once on I really think as long as the glue provides any hold it’ll work, given the cables holding it against the shell.
scaler – a chicken coop, eh? Just moved into a new place. Order of business #1: build a bike shed. Order of business #2: build a chicken coop!
And ballsy. Do you mean the VMH Cost Reduction scheme or buying a bike without previous green lighting?
@Ron
To question #2: greenlighting. I’m pretty sure she’d notice another rig in the stall, and a few thousand duckets missing from the account. Policy around these parts dictate that we discuss spending of this magnitude.
@mouse A mini BMX is a great choice for the velominippers. Both my lads started getting serious about bike on one. The youngest is still on his and the larger one is on the size up. They’re loads lighter than the pseudo mtb offerings, the gearing is spot on, they can get a good turn of speed and the geometry is perfect for thrashing round the block, the BMX track or even some serious single track. They both had big days out in the Pyreneese, 40km of fire trails and single track
As long as the seat posts are long enough to raise up so that their knees aren’t round their ears I wouldn’t worry about the seats. Mine have never complained about them and if anything it teaches them to stay off the saddle when the going gets rough.
@motor city
I wish you luck with that – I am blessed with a VMH who knows how much my bikes cost, and is extremely reasonable when it comes to my habit – although she has enforced a limit on the number of bikes at 4. Not including her 2. Or the motorbikes. I reckon for the price of that Rose you might get away with admitting its real price – or something close to it. That’s a bloody bargain!
Hope you enjoy getting out on your new steed on Monday – my new #1 is also not so far away, went for the fitting on it the other day. Damn, Look know how to make a handsome bike. Pics to follow immediately after delivery!
@scaler911
Nice purchase! Their frames get great reviews….suggested tack with the VMH is a pincer movement….tell her the price i.e. real cost minus 30%, then tell her you got an end of season deal and take another 20% off to arrive at the final figure which will sound eminently sensible to her, she will congratulate you on your shrewdness and demand something in return…but at least you will not be in the chicken coup or “cooler” for a week!
@Deakus
Ah yes, the “I got it on sale!” tactic.
@motor city Might as well convince her that “this is your cry out for help” and you desperately need her help. Help is what you need foremost… and then just go ride. This maneuver can be known as the Desperate*
Rehearse: “I got nowhere else to go!”
@Ron I would go with the double-sided tape option.
Hey, Oli. Okay, sounds good. I’m guessing because it’s the easiest, should stick in place but not be permanent?
Since I’m asking away, has anyway ever adjusted the bearings on Mavic Ksyrium wheels? The lightly used set I picked up has too much side-to-side play in it. Doesn’t appear to take regular cone wrenches.
@Ron Exactly.
As for the Ksyriums, there is a pre-load feature which requires a pin tool – see the little holes on the bearing covers? Turn those until the play is removed.
@xced beautiful, a worthy rig indeed!
@graham d.m. thanks! i need some kind of support, as everyone seems to think i’m nuts. it’s my eighth bike…
@Nate
@Mikael Liddy
@Daccordi Rider
thanks to you too ;)
@scaler911
With an eye open, no less…
@xced ah, well when you are with this crowd, your sickness will only be encouraged, mate!
Campagnolo will be celebrating their 80th Anniversary in 2013. I received a 2013 Camapagnolo (Everything*) Book this past Friday from my Campy mechanic. It’s like a Gruppo encyclopedia.
Shit me Campagnolo!
@unversio
Sweet!
@unversio
They successfully made the Dogma(?) uglier.
Awesome CX race today; the G’rilla and I served it up proper Rule #9 style in the masters race before the skies cleared up for the later races.
Just loaded up on this little number today. Will need to load some TT wheels on it shortly and mess with the bar setup.
The sad thing about this next photo is that I noticed how aggressively she was set up before I gave her a closer review.
@Marcus Her position needs to move forward.
My new (used) IndyFab Planet X bitsa, built up with parts I had laying around.
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Oli Brooke-White/2012.11.19.11.18.48/”/]
@frank awesome way to rep.
@Oli she is beautiful.
@unversio
And then back……….
@scaler911
Ha! Coffee out the nose!
@Oli
Nice rig there, Oli.
@Oli awesome, youve got a bit of new england in your stable!
@frank Chapeau! hehehe
@Marcus
Aero!
@Oli
Gee, those are some nice parts just sitting around….
@Dan_R
Wait: Are you replying to @Oli or @Marcus’s post?
@unversio @scaler911 @VeloVita @mouse
Not one of you mentioned her egregious violation of Rule #74. You should be ashamed. But she has made up for this with a very literal interpretation of Rule 78.
Inspired by Frank’s steel CX-V, I decided I wanted to try something different and build a steel crit bike for next season. Had to procure some new parts for the Colnago but didn’t tell the vmh of my plans since technically this doesn’t constitute a violation of the s-1 rule. Right?
One more from a better angle. Aside from leaving the bottle in the cage, I hope I am in full compliance with the rules (ignore the not at all rule compliant commuter/mongrel in the background).
@EricW
Is that bike in the background named “Original Sin”?
@EricW love the look apart from the labels on the wheels, stealth that shit up!
@DerHoggz You don’t know the half of it. I purposely cropped the butt rockets and saddle out the picture. Children cry when they see it.
@Mikael Liddy Thanks! I actually already took the white and red graphics off of the wheels, but I’ve always liked Bontrager’s logo font. Kind of goes with the black/white thing it’s got going on.
Remember how I wrote a while back about the possibility of automatic gearing controlled electronically and we all agreed that such a thing would be an abomination – well someone’s made it…
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22478-smartphone-gives-bikes-an-automatic-gearbox.html
Someone from Evans says that it would be great for triathletes – says it all really.
@the Engine the first line alone is insane!
“Forget bicycles with gears that you have to change yourself: the first wireless automatic gearbox for a bike does it all for you.”
Holy crap….because moving that tiny lever was too much work
@Oli very nice, Oli. Indy Fab definitely on my future dream list.
New bike turned up yesterday. Apologies for the picture quality, its from my phone. Will post some more pictures when I’ve sorted out the fit, I’ve got to lose around 20mm off the steerer and get the bar angle / stem right. I took it for a quick ride in the dark and you can really feel the fact that its 2kg lighter than my now #2 bike.
Spec: Rose CRS 5000, Campag Chorus 11. 39/53 11/25 Group, Mavic Kyrsium SL wheels, Fizik Antares Kium saddle, 3T ergonova bars and 3T Arx team stem, Rose carbon seatpost, Continental Attack / Force tyres
Most importantly, I didn’t have to sleep on the sofa / chicken coup. My wife wasn’t even that bothered, all she said was ‘it looks like your other bike…’ and she is right, it does.
@the Engine, @graham d.m. “Given the cost, Wilson anticipates use by riders who spend a lot on their equipment and want to improve their performance by having their optimum pedalling rate set automatically.” Loosely translated as “want to improve their performance by buying expensive stuff.”
Had a look at the developer’s website and the also mention creating the perfect pint in conjunction with Coors.
@EricW
I would have just gone the n+1 route here as you seem to have your VMH wrapped around your finger – an indoor workshop with beige carpeting? Clean bikes or not, that takes balls. My VMH would never let me get away with that shit.
@motor city
Looks lovely…is that matt paint? Watch those greasy fingers after you have had you dinner from the chippy ;)
@VeloVita The shop was the result of serious armistice negotiations, and there’s limits to everything.
@EricW
Can we refer to the logo type as the word mark or typeface — or logo type? A font is software that enables use of typography. Okay — I feel it. I am a type nerd.
@unversio
Amen brother!
Speaking of bikes check this out on Graeme Obree. Pure genius, inspiration, legend and hero. We are bombarded daily by mediocrity, false prophets, celebrities and frauds. He’s the real deal and awould anyone bet against his record attempt?Not me.
The shot of sparks over the dish drying rack sums him up. This is pure fucking genius at work.
Enjoy!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/graeme-obree-tests-land-speed-record-vehicle
@mxlmax
Brother should be capitalised as the name of a famous typewriter manufacturer….or actually to be more up to date, ex typewriter manufacturer, they made their last one here in the uk a few weeks ago…funnily enough it was on the news today. I am guessing there that font is the wrong word to be associated with Brother typewriters too ;)