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 ...
@Marko
My VMH has this nutty “friend” who works in the restaurant industry. They always have Mondays off, not the weekends, so they’ll have Monday parties. Being “friends” with this girl is honestly the only thing I don’t understand about my VMH. The girl is a ball of bad energy.
Anyway, at these Monday parties there is always a dude with lots of rings and necklaces and general accoutrements on. He has a gal with him most times too. Turns out…they’re into swapping in that creepy 70s way. I remain in such a state of shock that I have yet to talk with them period, much less about their lifestyle.
@Ron
Mmmm…there is no accounting for idiots….here in the UK it is actually illegal for cyclists to cycle on the pavement/sidewalk, but as we all know quoting that would have done no good at all….I would love to see some sort of comedy sketch where this happened only for one of those huge quarry lorries to turn up and threaten to run over the car if they did not get the fuck out of the way!
The sad thing is, as you have pointed out, giving aggro back is only ever going to make it worse and so I try desperately not to point out how:
1. They can not drive very well.
2. They don’t seem to know the highway code or the law are they stupid, were they born like it or did it happen overnight?
3. Fuck they are in a bad mood, did they shit the bed this morning?
These things all quietly pass through my head and I carry on knowing that I am now going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the ride….funny thing is the man with the hammer never comes knocking after one of these incidents…I think he gets scared!
@Marko
Looks a lot like a trailhead a few blocks from where I live in Boulder. Great looking bike.
@Ron
I was stopped at a traffic light on my Thanksgiving day ride last week, in a ‘not so nice’ part of town. Not dangerous, just run down and trashy.
There was a lady across the street at a bus stop, totally wigging out. I hate to make assumptions but I imagine she lives a rough life and was either “on something” or had just “come down” from being high. So was pacing all over the place, couldn’t sit still, turning her jacket inside out, what-have-you.
So my light changes and I ride by her (in the street, in a bike lane), and she yells at me “Hey, get on the sidewalk bro!!”.
Totally bizarre. No point to the story other than it’s not usually pedestrians that tell you to get off the road…
@Nate
@pistard
@Blah
@Deakus
@unversio
Cheers for your recommendations, I think I’ll pick up one of those Ritchey Torque Keys that will cover the common adjustments for now. Bars, stem and seatpost are the priorities and they all need 5nm.
I hadn’t really considered what new tools i’d need moving to Campag, hopefully everything will work smoothly for a few months before I can afford any of them.
@motor city
You probably want to get something like this reasonably soon if you don’t already have one so that you can keep your rear cassette nice and shiny…they are campag specific and not too expensive…
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-btl-12-lockout-lock-ring-removal-tool/
Or one of these fine Crombie tools from Abbey Bike Works. Can’t speak highly enough of this beautifully made and very handy tool that handles both Campagnolo and Shimano cassettes, in many cases without even needing to remove the q/r nut. Jason will even arrange for personalised etching…
@motor city
Yep – got one of those, too. Too inexpensive not to.
Don’t think I’ve used it, to be honest, as I have the torque wrench and that ratchets (love a ratchet). I think I imagined I’d travel and stuff and just throw it in the bag, but even going back to Melbourne I take the torque wrench. I hear they work fine.
@Oli
These things are the duck’s nuts if you change cassettes with any regularity.
@Oli
Perfecto! Thanx for posting. I copied my mechanic on this too.
@Oli Just ordered a single-sided Crombie. Thanx again!
@Deakus
@ErikdR
@mouse
@minion
@beers,
thank-you for all of your advice. @beers, actually you are very close to what I looking to do. This will be my second road bike and for me the main thing is upgrading the components, the frame can be upgraded later. So, I have settled on two bikes, one comes equipped with full group-san of 105 and mavic aksium wheels. Also I just find the bike too be beuatiful, I like the graphics, colors and lines, it just …fits me I suppose. The second bike is eqipped with Ultegra shifters, and derailers, an FSA Gossamer compact , and Fulcrum 5 wheels. The Ultegra bike is also about $40 dollars less than the 105, but I just don’t liike the graphics or styling as much. I don’t know, my brain says go for the Ultegra but the rest of me says screw that go for the one that might fit me better on a purley asthetical level. Oh well I’ll figure it out.
@Oli Cheers, that tool looks great. May see how much getting one the the UK will cost.
@crashin in jpn
Go for whichever one you really want, no logic. You don’t want to regret it. Also, just the 105 crankset vs. FSA is probably worth it. The one thing I really dislike about my bike is the poor front shifting, Ultegra with FSA crankset.
@DerHoggz
Completely agree….you are going to have to look at it everyday and not regret. 105 is a perfectly good groupsan I ran it on a Spesh Allez Elite for about 10years with faultless performance….these days I run Gruppo but the primary upgrade to Ultegra is really probably a few grams in weight so don’t worry too much about….
Go buy it, get on it and ride ride ride…o and let us know how it goes! Maybe a pic?
@crashin in jpn What Deakus and Der Hoggz say is true. I was more alluding to buying a carbon frame with a shitty generic group set, rather than something a cheaper frame with 105 or better. Sounds to me like you found the bike you want already! It’s not prescriptive, your guts are already telling you which one you want to buy, so get it and ride that puppy into the ground….
@Sauterelle
Yeah i guess you have a point there. Like ‘too much coffee’ it seems a bizarre thing to say.
@Oli
Sweet! On the list to buy! Thanks for the info Oli.
Any pointers on ways of uploading pics from an iDevice? I take it I have to upload to a pic hosting site and use a link? Or can I upload pics directly if I do it through my laptop instead?
I only ask as I’ve taken delivery of the Look and have some bike pron to share…
Hmm, how does that tool manage to allow removing the cassette without taking off the skewer? Can the inner diameter be that wide, yet still narrow enough to engage the lockring? I’m intrigued.
In today’s installment of Tales from the Bizarro Reality of the Fixster we have a guy riding his bike on a warm, sunny day. That’s pretty cool. From a distance I notice the lack of helmet, the anti-cycling shades and the general poor form on the bike. As I approach him at a light I notice he’s dragging and kicking his feet on the ground. “Oh gosh, does this guy not have a brake and can’t backpedal to stop?” Then I notice his pedals aren’t turning. Okay, well he’s on a single speed. As I pass, offering plenty of room, I notice he has two front hand brakes. Hmm, maybe they don’t work. Or, does the street cred of Fred Flinstoneing to a stop trump the function of working brakes in his secteur of the Alternate Realm of the Cycling Universe?
@Ron The ID is big enough to fit over the screw end of most skewers, but not something like a Campagnolo skewer with D-ring on it.
This is No. 1 Her name is Lilah and she has new shoes!
I’m working my way down the steerer two spacers to go…
OK. Been a long weekend-ish away. Spent the last few evenings (that i normally reserve for hanging out here) doing a down to the bearings overhaul and swap (from SRAM Rival Compact to Standard Dura-Ace) on #1. #2 is all Ultegra, and ditched the Power Cranks (for sale now if’n you know anyone interested). Fucking awesome. I’m not normally one to dis products, but the DA is sooo much nicer. Love the lingering smell of Phil Wood grease (like there’s any other kind).
This is No. 1 Her name is Lilah and she has new shoes!
I’m working my way down the steerer two spacers to go…
Seems theres no camera icon for upload on my iPad, but works on the MacBook?
Having issues “down below” ….. bike fit is fine for the SST …… current saddle is the Selle Italia … tested the Specialized Romin …. although both offer the cut out the Romin “feels” far superior.
Thoughts !
@scaler911
Surely you are not comparing like with like? You would need to compare DA with SRAM Red, it would be like me saying my Campag Centaur is better than Shimano Sora….both are 10 speed but there is simply no comparing the quality…
Still…always good to do the full strip and rebuild duing those dark winter evenings to ensure full fautless performance during the summer!
@Barracuda Those look like two completely different “types” of saddle. One is quite flat the other is rounded and they suit different types of “body”. It may be you fit far more comfortably on a flat saddle than a rounded one.
Prologo distinguishes this in their product line, but either way it is worth considering….others may also vary their ranges this way, I am not sure though, I think most Selle Italias I ahve seen are rounded..
http://www.prologotouch.com/saddles.php
@Deakus
My point was although both offer perinial cut outs, the Romin ( white) versus my current flat Selle Italia feels more comfortable … there is argument and discussion threads elsewhere to sway both sides of the coin re flat saddle (selle italia) vs curved saddle (the Romin pictured) and which one best suits the “sit bones” ….. experience counts so was looking more for feedback on flat versus curved.
@Barracuda I see what you mean, but it is a bit like shoes…unless you a prepared to stand side by side trousers down next to a line of people who prefer curved vs flat saddles I am not sure you are going to get far. I have been round the houses on this one and for what it is worth my experience is as follows:
1. I have not yet found a cure for numb nuts….I have however managed to lessen it.
2. cut outs do not help me at all, after years of using them because it seem to make logical sense, I find after using non cut out saddles that there has been no difference at all.
3. As an interim measure I have moved to a Brooks swallow saddle, the model is less important it just happens to be their race look saddle. The key thing is, for comfort leather is king! (once broken in) nothing will come close to it, however the saddle weighs half a kilo. I am at stage where I can probably lose that with a weeks dieting so I cannot use the weight of the saddle as much of an excuse.
4. I do intend to get a race saddle and move the brooks to my winter bike but after eons of searching reading blogs and asking people my conclusion is that trial and error is the way to go. I have been liasing with my LBS and they have some fizik and prologo test saddles so I am going to start with the Arione and Prologo Nago Evo and then move on testing each one till I find the one that works.
At this point I will be so happy that I will probably divorce the VMH and marry the saddle!
I hope you find comfort and relief….I feel your pain….or numbness!
@Deakus Well said sir …… Testing another Specialized Romin asap …… sadly i like the look of the Selle Italia I have ….. compliments the steed nicely ….. however not much good if the old “gooch” cant handle it…
@Barracuda
Don’t know the shape of your arse, but FWIW, the Romin is the saddle to end all for me.
Highly recommended.
@Barracuda
I have a frient who rides SItalia SLR saddles and loves them, I have not tried, I tested a SI Signo for a couple of rides on the turbo the other day and I thought the world was going to end! After having sat on a leather one for a couple of weeks I think I have been spoilt and will now struggle to find that dream sub 200g armchair to replace it…
@piwakawaka
Grrrrrrrrrooooowwwwwwlllllllll! Nice, nice bike.
@Barracuda
You got me intrigued now, just had a look around at the Romin saddles and the width of the vent might work….heres hoping..I am adding the romin expert to my list of candidates to test….question is how to tell which width?
@piwakawaka Latifah doesn’t have a big butt though. Man, nice bike. Always fun to see another BMC rider.
@Deakus
Not so sure about that. The shit works the same at those top three levels – the difference comes in weight. My Ultegra equipped bike shifts butterier than my SRAM Red one does. And not one to shy away from dising a company – I’ll never buy SRAM again. It’s not a bad product but doesn’t perform as well as Campy or Shimano.
@piwakawaka
@Marko
+1 with a side of Nipple Lube.
@Deakus:
I’ve ridden all 3 levels of all 3 groups. Campa is by far the sexiest, but Shimano is the best all the way around. Regardless of level.
@scaler911 Now we’re getting down to a matter of opinion. Yes, Campag is the sexiest but I also like how it works/feels more than I do the Group-San. I won’t say it out performs it, just personal preference I suppose.
And if I ever see a sticker of Campy Calvin pissing on a Shimano (or SRAM for that matter) logo, I’ma get medieval on some bitches.
@scaler911
Sexiest is where I am at baby!
@Marko
I used to ride Group-san 105 I started riding with a new mate and he was campag, I sold the bike got a new and decided why not try Gruppo….I don’t really go in for all this “wear shimano out, wear campag in” shit my 105 worked faultlessly for 10 years but I do prefer the campag shifters, that little button enables me to drop down gears on the tops with my little fingers which I sometimes like on easy descents….I think I am pretty much a gruppo convert and can’t really see myself going back..I like what I like…it is not better, it is just different and for that I am grateful…even if the chain splitting tool is stupidly expensive!!
@scaler911
The what-group-set angle has predictably been beaten to death, so I’ll take another tack. Good on you for doing the winter strip down, overhaul and swap. Article topic should anyone want to go there. I’ve been contemplating a similar project that would involve taking the Record 10 group off the Peg and moving the Chorus 11 over to it. Then I could either put the vintage Record on Bike 2, or perhaps more appropriately, stash it in the archives for a future project, and put the Shimano gear on #2 for winter.
What’s the deal with PressFit 30 and BB30? I can’t find a decent crank that doesn’t need adapters to work (which seems like it defeats the whole point of it).
SRAM Red and Force cranks are carbon and I’m worried about all the stories of the aluminum threads coming loose from the carbon.
Rotor cranks have a reputation for being flexy and having bad shifting.
I don’t like the way FSA cranks connect to the spindle. Mine is always coming loose (I’m trying better threadlock on it).
My best option right now seems to be a SRAM Rival aluminum crank, BB30 model.
@G’rilla
I have a buddy who absolutely detests bb30. He did mention that Chris King is coming out with a bb for that setup. don’t know if that will help. My wilier has some bizarre proprietary bb(386?) that won’t allow me to use my quarq on it. It just never ends.
@gaswepass
My Pedalwan has a BB30 frame we built up last year at this time. I have to say that I am not impressed whatsoever. Among the crank options you outline, the thing needs very regular service to keep it from creaking and loosening up. It got to the point where he was pulling his crank off every third ride or so to grease it up or tighten it. If I can help it, I will not buy a BB30 bike.
@G’rilla Cannondale’s Hollowgram cranks are super light, stiff and have the advantage of a interchangeable spider so you can swap between standard and compact rings or add a power meter without swapping out the whole crankset.
They aren’t particularly cheap though.
@Marko Mine isn’t too bad, it does get a bit creaky after a really wet ride but whipping the cranks off, cleaning, re-greasing and popping them back on doesn’t take long, fifteen minutes maybe. The bearings seem to be holding up just fine.
@Marko, @Scaler911
Campa requires careful, regular maintenance. But for those willing to take the time to care for it properly (btw, for every Velominatus this should be a given and should not even need to be asked), it really does shift better and run more quietly than either Shimano or SRAM.
But, as eluded to in the statement above, it requires things to be in order, maintained, and relatively clean. In other words, I ain’t about to load up my CX rig with Campa.
Shimano, on the other hand, is reliable and it can run fairly well even when loaded up with twigs and mud.
Its kind of like the Tiger Panzer and the Sherman tanks in WWII. Nothing ran better than a Tiger, but you needed an entire battalion of mechanics chasing it around to keep the fucker running. There was nothing subtle or beautiful about the Sherman, on the other hand, but it could get by with half a track blown off.
@Barracuda
My bike fit is fine too, but have also been “testing” saddles lately. There is (somewhat dramatically) new Selle Italia products across the board coming to the US as soon as mid-January. Flite now has a 145 width.
@unversio
That would be a happy medium. I briefly had a Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow, which I believe measured at 150 before moving to the Romin in a 143 – my nether-regions are infinitely more happy on the Specialized saddle
@VeloVita
Flite Team Edition (more specifically) was at 130 last year and has been increased to 145.
Voeckler is on Selle Italia Flite (145) now.