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 ...
Advice from fellow Velominati, I have a virgin chain, Shimano Ultegra, and would like to know what lube would be best used to use for the first time and there after, please.
Preference really I would say. Wet Lube sheds moisture better, but picks up clag and mud and retains it easier. Dry Lube tends to avoid the mud better but is more easily displaced by moisture. Wax is a bit of both but you do need to watch the chain and reapply because once it has worn away you have nothing left saving your chain….
I would think about the conditions you are riding….
@sthilzy
Go with a real, oil-based lube. I prefer Dumonde Tech, but there are other great ones around. The drawback is that it requires more work to clean and if you’re not diligent in cleaning it in nasty weather, it may wear more quickly due to the dirt and such that it carries with it.
I’ve used dry lubes for ages in the rain, but since moving to an almost 90km per day commute in shit weather, I’ve found it just doesn’t keep the water out well enough to the point that I broke a chain due to corrosion that I hadn’t noticed.
In the end, you just can’t beat good old fashioned oil.
@sthilzy Don’t use any on a virgin chain the factory grease is awesome, wish you could get some of that stuff, after that I use Finish Line wet lube to clean the chain, i e I wipe off almost all of the oil applied with a rag, clean chain lightly oiled, nice.
@motor city
Need to watch the Rule #26 violation there but I can hardly care, that is a beautiful bike….is that the one you got at the end of the summer? I cannot remember seeing another Rose on here recently….
How’s it riding?
@sthilzy
Actually, it looks quite good in real life. I race long-distance in a white/brown Skinfit kit that looks much better than you’d expect.
@frank
I’ve moved to a wet lube over the winter because its rained so much in the UK.
Its slightly obvious but I have tip that might be useful to others, at the end of every wet ride I bounce the back wheel off the ground a few times (maybe 15/20cms) and the chain sheds a whole load of the debris that its picked up. Its surprising how much rubbish drops off doing this for no real effort. Just don’t do it inside your garage / house.
Luckily they’ve barely needed to grit the roads where I live so far this winter. That stuff is the real chain killer.
@Deakus Cheers man. Its not seen much action on the road I’m afraid to say. I’ve stuck to my old bike through the rain and its been fixed up to the trainer while I sort out the fit.
@Gianni
Unspoken one, anyway. I can’t wear blue or red in my kit. Stuck in a world of blacks, whites, and greys in order to match bike, helmet, and shoes. This pairs with something @cyclops said sometime back about feeling uncomfortable in anything that isn’t complete kit. I’m the same way, and couldn’t wear my Giordana LS jersey with my Castelli tights. Solved the problem by purchasing a pair of FormaRed Windfront Bibtights (not Maui-appropriate, perhaps). Bees. Fucking. Knees.
@motor city
Snap, I finally finished building up my new Argon 18 in October then went straight in for an ankle ligament reconstruction. The bike has only seen turbo anger so far and is still “road virgin”!
2 weeks to go on the turbo then the surgeon will let me outside riding and I can put on my equally new American Classic 420s and get some real air in my lungs….it is driving me nuts!
The good thing is I have lost 5kgs since Oct last year although I still climb well for my weight and make full use of diaphramatic breathing I am feeling fitter and a little lighter than I have for many years…..this could be the summer to ride!
@DerHoggz I just bought some Giro 100 proof gloves and I love them. They come with a light-weight pair of gloves, which I’ve already used a couple of times by themselves in mid-40 degree weather, and you can obviously also just wear the lobster outer. Even in mid-30 degree temps my hands stayed warm (almost too much so), although I’ve yet to test on any longer than a one hour ride. They also seem pretty water resistant, although same applies re time.
@sthilzy
@frank
+1 to Frank’s suggestion of Dumonde Tech provided you intend on cleaning your drivetrain regularly (as you should). It works best on a brand new chain as you have. To apply it properly you’ll need to thoroughly clean your new chain of all the industrial grade lubricant comes on it (this is good stuff, but the Dumonde Tech needs a bare chain to properly adhere to). I give mine a soak in mineral spirits and then clean it with a toothbrush and let dry. One drop of Dumonde Tech on each roller is all you need. Let it dry and wipe the excess from the side plates and you’ve got a nicely lubed chain that is practically silent. You’ll only need to add more lube (in the same fashion) when you start to hear the chain.
@motor city
Beautiful looking bike. I went to the Rose website but couldn’t find any info on what size headset it uses. If you really want a shorter bearing cover, I think you’re going to have to swap out the headset. Its clearly an internal headset, but you’ll need to find out what size it is from the manufacturer. You can then ask your LBS to give you options for a replacement headset in that size with a lower stack height.
@Piwakawaka
Sage advice. Do not lube a brand new chain. The shimano factor lube is better than anything we drip on.
I prefer TriFlow for touch-ups, but to each his own.
@VeloVita
Mmm just had a look in to this and Dumonde Tech does not seem to be avail in the UK. Historically I have used Dry Line, dry teflon lube but I am thinking of moving to a wet lube…
I was intending to stick with Dry Line but for no other reason than I already use their stuff…any reason why I should go for something different?
I might be breaking an unspoken Rule here but…I use homebrew chain lube on all of my bikes, from the commuter to my road bikes to my cross bike. Not a ton of rain here, I cleaned my chain every few rides, and the lube has worked well for me for a few years now. Motor oil & mineral spirits, mix up a big ol’ batch, then put it into empty contact solution bottles. The tip works quite well for individual roller application.
Now that I’ve said that, I might as well share that I also make my own homebrew gel. Brown rice syrup, agave nectar, a dash of sea salt. Less money, less waste, no sticky wrappers in my pocket. Just use a little plastic bottle that I can refill and that fits nicely in a jersey pocket.
Oh, and I actually like AG2R’s kit. There ya go.
@Ron
I did the homebrew gel for a while – similar recipe to yours with the addition of a little vanilla or almond extract. Now I just make my own hombrew calorie bottles with bulk maltrodextrin purchased from a grain distributor and forego the gels all together.
Curious to see how Fizik’s foray into stems, bars, and pillars goes. Hmm, what’s wrong with doing just saddles & tape and doing it really, really darn well?
Oooh, gosh! One step ahead of me VeloVita. Sounds cool. Hey, you still planning on being in Louisville in a few weeks? I think I’m going, have been flippy floppy for too long, think I should just buy the tickets and make a road trip out of it. Still working on convincing the VMH that it’ll be warm enough to camp…
@Ron Yeah, I’ll be there. My brother-in-law and I are going to drive down early Sat. morning and will be staying at the Galt House Sat. and Sun. night. He’s in sales and has a customer down there that’s a cyclist and has offered to show us the area so we may even bring the bikes and try to get in a ride provided the weather isn’t Gavian
Hit submit by accident
Just buy the tickets already. Sure they may have fewer tickets sold than they’d like and it may not have all the atmosphere that a World Champs on the continent might have, but if that’s the case, you may never get the opportunity to see a World Champs in this country again. All the more reason to make the trip!
@VeloVita
That’s the worst thing you can do to a brand new chain.The factory lube is the best lube your chain will ever see,no matter how good dumonde tech is.Once removed it can’t be replaced.This has been covered in details here many times.
@sthilzy
You want to keep the factory lube for as long as you can and the chain will serve you well for many km’s.If the chain is very sticky on the outside plates just take a soft cloth and spray some morgan blue chain oil on it (or similar chain oil or lubricant but thin not thick) and wipe the side plates off.It will simply dissolve the sticky staff that is on the side plates in the same way that degreaser would do ,however it will leave the anti-corrosion treatment on the chain in tact.Degreaser cuts right through it and you will notice how quickly dry your chain becomes.With the time the factory lubricant will wear out and simply use oil lubricant of your choice to clean and lube the chain.You don’t have to use degreaser to clean the chain at all, just good oil and proper technique of cleaning will do.
What climate you live and ride in and are you by the coast?
@TommyTubolare
Not denying that its good which is why I said this. Regardless, if you are going to use Dumonde and you want it to work properly, you should remove it. I’ve used Dumonde for years now and its cleaner, quieter and lasts longer than anything else I’ve used and I haven’t noticed a significant reduction in chain life by using it. I mean hey, there is even a Reverence article to it so its gotta be pretty good, right? Perhaps there should be one for the industrial grade lube that comes on a chain as well, but I won’t be the person to write it.
@VeloVita
OK this puts me in mind of a previous reverence article (completely unrelated) about some kind of magic shaving butter that makes the sun shine when you shave your guns…..again only available stateside.
Is the possibility of an exchange program here somewhere…like…i’ll order you groovy engraved Rule #5 stem cap and post it to you (talking about the general you rather than specifically @velovita) and as a reciprocal arrangement you send over some wunderlube or gun butter or whatever.
There is obviously some groovy stuff only avail in Merica and vice versa with UK/Europe……..?
@VeloVita
Don’t have time to argue however ‘the good stuff’ as you call it becomes ‘the good stuff no more’ once removed.Do as you wish.I don’t know why you have to remove the factory lube to use dumonde tech,but if you do then I’d ditch the fucking dumonde and use other lube.Does it actually say on the bottle to remove factory lube to use it?Makes no sense at all.
@TommyTubolare
Don’t have time to argue = wtf is more important than arguing…especially here where it is so fantastic…cept we can get away with calling it debate here….surely (trying desperately not to take sides) it was inferred that all references to Dumonde (and I have to say I am now thinking this shit is so magical I should spread it all over the VMH and lick it off) were “post” the OEM stuff having worn off i.e. ergo the chain is “clean”…
Am I missing something here?
@Deakus
If by this you mean Baxter Aftershave you can get it in Europe and UK.
http://www.toast.co.uk/product/mens+grooming/6YAB8/BAXTER+OF+CALIFORNIA+AFTERSHAVE+BALM.htm
http://buy.cosmeticsnow.co.uk/iteminfo/baxter-of-california-after-shave-balm-120ml
Does it cost that much in the US…..or do you just need a gnats nadgers worth on the guns to deliver the desired effect?
@Deakus
Yes you do.Just cause something comes out of USA it doesn’t automatically means that is good or the best.You can get dumonde on ebay and they will ship to Europe but if you have to remove factory lube to use it than I’d advise you to use different lube, that’s all.Feel free to use it all over your VMH however in this case removing whatever’s necessary is recommended.
@Deakus
@Deakus
Don’t know mate,sorry.I don’t use it.It’s probably cheaper in US though but you have to pay the shipping.
@TommyTubolare
Amen. The no.1 chainset gets Motorex injected (sprayed on) after most rides to clean off any residue and to get saturated and ready for the next day of riding. And as you have reminded us all before, no need to ever break the chain for cleaning.
Sprayed — and wiped. Motorex!
Being involved in the offshore oil industry, I tend to use this stuff, ‘cos it’s what they use offshore nudge nudge wink wink….
@Deakus
@TommyTubolare
Agree – arguing is the life’s blood of this community! If you don’t have time for it, make time!
Re: Dumonde Tech – its a kind of liquid polymer that bonds to the bare metal of the chain and forms a thin, invisible plastic coating, which is why all lube needs to be removed from the chain, otherwise it can’t bond. The coating doesn’t wash off and doesn’t pick up grease or dirt in the same way wet or wax lubes do. I’ve tried it on a previously ridden chain stripped down of all oils as best I could and it still works, but not nearly as cleanly. Its much easier to use a new chain, yes stripped of its factory lube (gasp!). I’ve been using the same tiny $10 bottle on 5 different bikes (including my CX bike) and in 3 years I have yet to finish the bottle – that’s how long it lasts. My chains are silent, last as long as they did using other types of lube which required much more frequent lubing and are always clean (only requiring a light wipedown with a rag after each ride). Surely to each his own, but this is one cycling product I swear by.
I agree with @TommyTubolare though, that the factory lube is great stuff and if I wasn’t sold on Dumonde, I wouldn’t ever remove it. However, if you are going to use Dumonde, you should use the product properly and remove all lube/grease/grit/dirt/oil down to the bare metal. If you don’t, then don’t expect it to work properly.
@VeloVita
So….in essence, although we have agreed there is no need to break a chain to clean, it is probably not a bad idea if:
a. Your chain has a master/quick link, this is obviously not the same as pushing out pins in a normal chain and carries no risk.
b. Soak it in petrol (this will strip fucking everything off it) then put Dumonde Tech on it….
It sounds like the preference is to leave the factory stuff on for a while still it starts to wear off and the chain starts to get noise then do the above…
Brilliant….now Im off to surf and find some of this magic sex lube!!!
@Deakus
I probably wouldn’t use Dumonde for sex – it has quite a strong odor that may not be to your partner’s liking .
@VeloVita
It’s ok because I would have soaked her in petrol to make sure she was completely clean…the strong odour of petrochemicals is bound to make the whole thing a memorable experience, and I love the fact that I will not have to clean her again for some time…or….relube!
@Deakus
That would negate the possibility of the post-coitus cigarette then?
@wiscot
Good point! Might have to get an industrial extractor fan in the bedroom..
@wiscot
Depends on the HRM reading anyway…
@Deakus
Not to mention the rubber sheets. Quite the boudoir you’ll have there. Some people will pay good money for that kind of “experience.” (insert wink emoticon here)
@VeloVita
Not the coffee-scented stuff!
http://teamjva.com/portfolio/detail/cafe-dumonde-tech/
@wiscot
Another instance in which the factory-supplied lube is superior.
@DerHoggz Nope, they rode Kuota KOMs in 2012
@motor city
Rose have sorted this out for me and are getting me a new FSA top assembly part. Easily done with no hassle.
Cheers for all those who helped out with this.
@Nate If yours come lubed prior to use you might want to ask some questions.
@DerHoggz
Wow, really? I don’t mind the smell of the original stuff but I can see someone like Rapha jumping on the scented chain lube bandwagon. It will be like purfume for your bike…Epic by Rapha
Has this picture of Tom Boonen’s saddle been posted?
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cnt/DMF20130109_075
@VeloVita
The same group has his Rapha parody:
http://internationale.teamjva.com/
@DerHoggz
That’s fucking brilliant!