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 ...
@G’rilla
Sweet! Love that head badge!
@Deakus
Went near there in July for our hols – place near Mirpoix which is 40 or so k’s to the South East. Jet2 and RuinAir both fly to Carcassone and will carry bikes – I got around the problem by driving down (whilst sending the ladies by plane – male Engines road trip – bring it on) which gives you a cheap car at the other end too.
You could play safe – there are pretty professional bike tour companies as you head west toward Pau and th Tourmalet etc.
However if you’ve a sense of adventure (and hey you’re a Velominati) http://www.cyclolmespyrenees.com is a shop in a place called Laroque D’Olmes. I discovered them when my wheel disintegrated in mid-nowhere and they fixed in beautifully. Their workshop is a cycling wet dream – no pretension just bits of bikes.
They sell Bianchi, Focus, Cervelo and other porn but they also do the sweetest second hand stuff in good condition at sane prices from epic Colnago’s of a couple of years back to original spec Peugots from the ’80’s plus wheels, groupsets – frankly prices to buy some of the less glamorous stuff would compare with hiring shoddier hire kit for two weeks and you could take the thing home after.
They don’t hire bikes as such but if your French is up to it (no English spoken) and they don’t think you’re a tourist looking for a sub-Halfords “MTB” they run an unpretentious LBS based club that may be able to hook you up with a source of bike and some decent routes to use it on.
When you going because we’re likely going again next year?
It has occurred to me that it would be eminently possible to arrange a Pyrenean Cogal when the VMH’s weren’t looking. EU Velominati just happen to be holidaying in roughly the same place at the same time and go on a ride over some big cols one Sunday – where’s the problem?
The Pyrenees are much cheaper, quieter and less pretentious than the Alps and everyone’s a winner because its a nice place to be.
My big 50’s next year and I’d consider it the highest honour to convene a Sunday Cogal somewhere near Foix.
This is from todays attempt to get a ride in before the sun went down. This trail may be a bit above my level and its damn hard to find also.
@G’rilla
Ah yes! I believe Max builds the TIG frames for Hampsten as well.
@VeloVita
That is correct.
@RedRanger
Don’t do a Wile E. Coyote, crashing into the saguaros!
A new helmet awaits under our bamboo holiday tree! Tried out a new one but didn’t feel as nicely nor were the holes good for shades storage and some of the arms of my shades hit the helmet as well. Thus, I got a second model of the helmet I’ve been wearing for a year, just in a different color. The Limar Ultralight didn’t work for me, stuck with an LG Quartz.
I need a recommendation on a chain tool. Shimano 105 ten speed cassette and chain. My bike specific stuff is mostly Park. Do I stick with them or look at other options?
The chain is original to the bike and has been ridden about 5,000 km. No problems yet. Do I be proactive and replace it now? The cables and housing are also original. Should they be replaced as well?
@Kyle I like the Park CT5 mini. Probably a good idea to replace chain so it doesn’t trash your cassette. It may have already with those kind of K’s but the 105 stuff is durable so maybe not.
@Nate It’s inevitable
@RedRanger ouch
@Nate
Is the jumping Cholla to really worry about
@Marko What are the signs that the cassette has been damaged?
@Kyle Rear shifting goes to crap; cog teeth look like shark’s fins. Unless you get a lot of grit in your drivechain you ought to have a good deal of life on that cassette.
@Kyle
The sound quality is crap and your tape player eats it – oh no wait…
@Nate I’ve been careful to keep the chain clean and lubed so the shifting is OK. and there doesn’t seem to be excessive wear on the teeth.
@ the Engine No untidy sound. While I may violate a lot of the rules the Principle of Silence is not one of them.
This just in! Good component makers are horrible at marketing!
I just learned that Chris King will be selling a PF30 bottom bracket in January. BUT…it’s not a regular PF30. It only works with standard 24mm cranks. They made the bearings bigger to take advantage of the larger bottom bracket area.
A sensible marketing expert would have named this “Chris King’s Big Balls.”
Question: I needed a replacement right hand Ultegra shifter but got a good deal on a lightly used pair. I’ve fitted the right hand one but am now wondering whether I should just go ahead and change the left while I’m at it, or wait until the old left shifter is more worn and change it then. At the moment it works quite well, although its wear means that it’s developed a trim function like my Chorus shifter! I realize this doesn’t matter much but am curious what others would do. Thoughts?
@James What Ultegra? 6700 has trim in the big ring.
I went to a Shimano demo day yesterday. The next Dura Ace will have trim in the little ring, oddly. Mostly just for a 28 cog.
The crank is still ugly, but they’re offering a crazy combo of chainrings including 50/34. 52/34, 53/39, and 53/42.
@G’rilla I’m not sure what version I have – it’s definitely not the 6700, so could be 6600 or 6500 (it’s 10 speed). So I’m guessing my ‘trim’ has come about from having to throw the lever quite far to shift up to the big ring. When cross chaining on the small ring I can give it half a shift to move the frond d over just a little way. A down side to this is that when my hand goes numb on those long winter rides we all love, I actually lose the ability to shift on the front d!
A 52/34 chain ring sounds awesome to me!
@G’rilla
My 6700 group has 4 positions on the front mech.?
12-speed wireless group, harbinger of the end?
@DerHoggz
Wish I’d patented it instead of writing about on here a month or two back – an abomination.
Why would you want someone to control your gears remotely.
Maybe they could spice up some of the duller stages by having the TV audience select ratios for the riders using their remotes (that’s copyright the Engine by the way just in case some TV producer wants to use the concept – I’m not getting caught out again)
@DerHoggz
I know it’s 12/12/12 today but I thought it was April 1 when I saw this. Really, who needs 12 cogs at the back? What, 10 just isn’t enough? 11 is not enough? Expensive, unnecessary shite for baby carrot boys.
While I’m ranting, I do like he thought of riders using this and fans at the roadside with their remotes seems fun. Half way up a steep climb Contador’s bike goes into 53 -11. That’ll put his gas at a peep!
Hmm, where have I seen this lead photo before?
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13481/Giro-dItalia-presents-universal-classification-of-the-greatest-moments-in-the-races-history.aspx
And, I hope we get at least one Velominati who is willing to churn out 324 kms…will the KT 2013 still be there when this goes off?
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13482/Flanders-Classics-to-organise-324km-amateur-Ronde-100-Classic.aspx
@wiscot
(mental not to self read original post properly before assuming you are more humorous than @wiscot)
@DerHoggz
You should have 3 clicks for the double chainset/double shifter.One click is a trim on a small chainring,second click moves the chain onto big chainring and third click is a trim on a big chainring.
OK, no beautiful bikes on this page, so maybe it is safe to post my new (to me) commuter/rain bike:
2010 Tricross, with hand-built wheels (Gran’ Compe hubs to Velocity A23 rims), 46/16 single-speed, from am on-line auction. I swapped out the black seat and tape for white.
Do you like green hubs and cams?
I do not like the, xyxax-I-am.
.
@TommyTubolare
So, four positions, three transitions. I’m just confused as to what G’rilla is getting at.
@DerHoggz I didn’t realize there was trim in the small ring. I’ll try it.
@DerHoggz
Three clicks.Start when you are on a small chainring.
1.One click on the FD shifter will move FD cage to the right allowing you to use lower sprockets (13,12,11) or whatever you have without the chain rubbing while on a small chainring.
2.Second click on FD shifter will move the chain to the big chainring. In this position you can use large sprockets (22,23,25) while on a big chainring without the chain rubbing.
3.Third click on FD shifter will move the FD slightly to the right.There you should hit the H limit screw.It allows you to run lower sprockets (13,12,11) without the chain rub, especially the last sprocket.
If you don’t pay attention and move FD shifter in one,full,fast swing you won’t notice trim function.However properly adjusted FD for 6700 works as described above.
@TommyTubolare
Yeah I agree with you, just that G’rilla made me worried that I had it (6700) improperly set up. There are three detents, thus four positions, one on either side of a click.
Sorry, four detents, hence three clicks.
@DerHoggz The interesting thing about Dura Ace 9000 is that they are down to three positions. But the extra position is one that wasn’t present in any of the current shifters. It’s activated by the small lever once already in the small ring. It shifts the derailleur inward so the 25 cog is more easily used.
One wonders why they didn’t start with this. First they built a complicated system with four positions. Then they moved back to three by redesigning the shape of the derailleur (passive) instead of achieving it with mechanical movement (active).
@xyxax
Just about perfect for what it’s intended for.
@xyxax nice looking bike, I always forget you are 3 meters tall
I got a $100 Amazon gift card for Xmas already. Im gonna expand my bike tools. I already have 2 of these:
I m thinking a pedal wrench, an 8mm hex (for the Look pedals) and a crank puller for square tapered cranks. i got space for one more tool. Any Ideas?
keep in mind I have a Carbon Cdale, a 80’s steel frame with DT shifters and a 29er.
@RedRanger
Do you have a basic beam-style torque wrench? Those aren’t too expensive.
@RedRanger A chainring bolt spanner could be handy if you have issues doing them up and loosening them. Shimano or Park apparently the best, and the tool is cheap. I mainly think of tools that go with all my bikes and will save me having to take the bike to LBS for a simple job, so chain breaker, cassette tool and chain whip, BB removal tool, one of those Ritchey torque keys (5Nm) for carbon stems etc are things I would think of…
@RedRanger
You have a stand, right?
@RedRanger In my own shop, the chainwhip gets the most use as I’m constantly swapping ratios for different rides and races. Maybe a headset wrench for the old school rig.
@Marko
Holy Merckx Man! I thought Frank had a ton of seat post showing. Nice rig though. Very nice.
@G’rilla
The other thing is that the “click” when you make the small trim move with the lever is really subtle with Shimano. SRAM you can feel and hear it. Same with Campa (the last time I rode with it).
@RedRanger
A bottom bracket tool. And thin open ended wrenches (Park makes great ones of course) for taking your hubs apart for greasing up those sealed bearings (that aren’t really sealed). Different sizes for different hubs. Proper spoke wrenches. Little stuff makes wrenching easier, and thus “pleasurable”.
@Marko I wish! my one bedroom apartment with 2 cats and 3 bikes is starting to get crowded. big time. but eventually I really do need one.
@scaler911
In a pinch, I’ve heard that the Bronx fire department will stand atop David’s saddle to rescue kittens
@RedRanger Get a Park cable cutter/crimp tool.
I’ve been thinking about a list of required tools for any cyclist. I had to replace a rear derailleur at 10:30pm the night before a race and was glad to have the box of tools to do it.
@RedRanger
I love seeing this terrain; loose scree on the trails, sandy arroyo crossings, needled spectators waiting for a moment of inattention…
BTW, do you know the “cow trails” circuit out by the Boneyard?
As for tool ideas, there’ve been many good ones so far (esp. Stand if not yet part of the shop). I am going for a set of individual hex wrenches (like Park Tool handled wrenches) as I’ve been frustrated with manipulating the body of the all-in-one set. More expensive though.
The only other thought is to get those tools that will work across all 3 bikes first.
@Marko
@RedRanger
@scaler911
@roger
thanks for the nice feedback. The prior commute bike lacked the essential attribute of being enjoyable to ride, so the road bike served double duty, with the attendant increase in wear and tear. Even a Specialized dray horse needs to be fun.
the frame (a 63) is smaller than my other bike, so lots of seat post to get the right saddle height, from which Bronx firemen need rescuing in their turn. Interestingly, with the relatively lower bar height (from the ground) and seat set back, I feel more stretched out on this bike, in a good way.
@RedRanger
Hey snap… well on the 2 cats and 3 bikes.
I currently have a three bedroom villa but next year will be squeezing into a 2 BR apartment and sharing with another cyclist so it could be a challenge. One of the cats will have to go.