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 ...
Oh, I was under that impression that the term was fitting so long as they were a) aVVesome gals b) encouraged/supported/dealt with our own Following…
Welcome Mrs. Engine !
@Deakus
Thank you.
@Deakus
@VeloVita
As I said, be afraid, be very afraid :)
This is one of the coolest things I ever seen. I wonder if it is a Campag cork screw?
@snoov
Yep, I’ll be the one in the car handing out the coffee and cake.
@Russ M
Thank you
@Deakus
You’ve shamed me into it – despite it being several weeks since taking delivery I have completely failed to upload photos of n+1, so I figured I’d better do something about it. Nice work on yours by the way, looking very tidy. Snap on the car too…
Sorry the pics aren’t very arty, the lighting was either shade at the side of the house or blinding sunlight everywhere else, so exposure was tricky. I think she’s a beauty though. Yes, I’d have liked Campagnolo rather than Ultegra but I’m still amazed to have got my dream bike for a price that was frankly embarrassing. Now all I’ve got to do is put in a winter of max-V training so I can do it justice when the racing starts. Bring it on!
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Fausto/2013.01.16.21.50.34/1/”/]
… I should also add that the saddle angle has been levelled out, the pedals have been replaced by some Keo Carbon Blades, ho-hum Specialized bidon cage will be changed for an Arundel Mandible. And boy is it quick!!
@Fausto
Beautiful – welcome to the world of integrated seat posts
@the Engine
Very nice. I’d recommend some stealthy black Velominati decals on there to finish her off!
@Sauterelle
Thanks
@Mrs Engine
Sometimes when reading the site I thought they already had!!
@the Engine
Thank you. I’m a big fan of the ISP – nothing says “this bike is mine” like sawing it up to make it fit. Well nothing short of a full custom frame anyway.
@wiscot
I like that idea. I was going to go for white, but black is clearly the way forward to keep the stealth look going. Time for an order I think…
@Fausto HOT.FUCKING.DAMN!!!
You’ve kept that hidden for weeks? If that had been added to my stable the second thing I’d do would be post as many pics up here a possible bragging about the awesome new bike I’d scored (1st thing of course would be to go riding).
@G’rilla
Welcome @Mrs Engine. Nice to have you around. The number of girls is growing!
@Mrs Engine
I’m so happy to read this. My turn now to get my VMH involved in Caley Cogal 2 support. A V login is unlikely though, my daily interest in this site and desire to enlighten merely brings about eye rolling and the occasional bout of tutting.
@JohnB
My new Lady friend doesn’t even know how to ride a bike! I have no idea how that even happens. I hope this will be remedied in do time. At least she has the desire to learn, so “we can do it together.”
@RedRanger
I too, am confused about how that happens. The rational side of my brain can. For example; People live/grow up in big cities and don’t get the chance to learn on a quiet street or park. But I still cannot believe that some people do not know how to ride a bike, I have thought that even before I started riding properly. On the same kind of note, I am taking my class of 8-9 year olds on camp this year. One of the activities is bmx riding. Each year teachers come back from camp astounded about the number of girls (it is an all girls school) that can’t ride a bike. As a result at my parent information night I am opening with the advice that if they can’t already ride a bike they have 7 weeks to learn before we go on camp.
@Fausto
shit on a stick that is tits
@Mrs Engine
I recommend reading more than just Frank’s posts.
@Fausto Do we get to see the “V” Kit in action with her! It’s like soft porn until you do. She looks fast just sitting there.
@Fausto just noticed, and never really paid attention until recently, but is the rear laced radial on drive side and 1x nondrive? Or maybe its the angle of it all…i was under the impression if you were to mix it up, radial would be nondrive with the drive side being semi tangential. different methods for carbon perhaps?
@RedRanger
The phrase to end a life of freedom…
@G’rilla
Hey, don’t make me drop you so hard your sweet soul patch falls off.
@ Russ M
Unfortunately the purchase of the bike has warped out the V kit budget, hopefully I can rectify that soon though! Until then team kit should make it look presentable. Proper photos will have to wait until April though – 2 week training camp in the sunshine, plenty of photo opportunities to show off bike, kit and early season tan on the guns.
@ roger
You’re right, it’s radial DS, 1x NDS – that’s just the way Zipp do things and the only way you can lace up their 188 rear hubs. Seems to work though.
@Fausto Mmmm nothing like the sound of carbon in the morning…Love my 404’s get ’em over 40kph and they really sing, have to admire Look’s unique approach to design very different from other mainstream manufacturers.
@JohnB Have you looked at the Scottish McCogal 2012 page recently? New cogal in the pipelines from Dundee to Aboyne and back again over Cairn ‘o’ Mount.
Also, it’s my riding buddy who is filming your pedalwans at the velodrome tonight and I’m holding the mic, can’t wait to see the new surface etc.
@Fausto Lovely bike, they just got a few new looks in the LBS, must go up there again and drool for a few hours.
@Mrs Engine
The question now is. Do you get to refer to @the Engine as your VMH?
Damn that deserves a semi colon, close brackets!!
@Fausto
Stunning matt black stealth fighter….I can see the similarities! Congratulations…!
@Mrs Engine
Oh this is going to be good. Question: If Mr Eightzero was a breed of dog, what type of dog would he be and why.
Additional question: Robert Forstermann, hot or not?
@minion
Eightzero, is that an Antipodean dress size?
@Mrs Engine
Forstermann: apart from the fact that he looks like an Azbekistani weight lifter from the ’80s, being as close as I was to him at the Track World Cup in Glasgow last year I could see the man has a lovely face and a beautiful smile and did seem a really nice guy waving to the crowd etc. The thighs are just too scary though. To think that May Day (Grace Jones) could strangle a man with her thighs and they are nowhere near as big as his, I cannot imagine the damage he could do if he wrapped his legs around anyone/thing in jest. But since I haven’t met him and had a conversation with him and being a woman who is not shallow enough just to comment on his looks, hot or not – I couldn’t say. But would I do him or not, probably a no.
@Deakus
Have you seen him?
@Mrs Engine Come on now, he loves bikes and suffering and that is all we have to know round these parts. I may be opening myself up to ridicule but I’d add that he possesses a fine sense of humour and sparkly smiley eyes. Look forward to meeting you all again.
@Mrs Engine “But would I do him or not, probably a no.”
Pure gold, had me in stitches with tea all over the keyboard.
As for calling the present @the Engine my VHM, no, I certainly do not. I have to retain a sense of decorum in our house because of the way the conversions are going between our 14yr (who plays for 3 ladies waterpolo teams) and her father, they are degenerating into complete Velomispeak. They both have Rule #5 wristbands and are alienating themselves from everyone else who does not understand the “finer” points of the Velominati way of life. Even the 8yr quotes Rule #5 (he plays rugby). I may quote Rule #5 to the children, but never in public. But I would wear a Velominati t-shirt when I’m doing the support for the present @the Engine on the London to Edinburgh jolly in May.
This thing gives me full-on Carbone:
http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2013/01/bikes-of-the-bunch-colnago-c35-oro/
@Xyverz
That thing is ridiculous in the best Italian way. Cool to read it actually gets ridden too.
Me too! What a beauty.
@Nate They have a very pretty 1973 Bianchi done up there, too. The only problem with the Bianchi is that the head badge has been replaced with a decal. Other than that, it’s also very, very beautiful.
Just picked up this beauty. Made locally here in Wiinchester MA!
@roger i wonder how well they’ll pack in the jersey?
looken good.
@Deakus
Good choice of pic – its name for Strava purposes is ‘The Stealth Bomber’. Difficult to capture in pics, but it’s satin finish carbon; it looks like something that’s come out of the Lockheed Skunk Works after school club. Having said that, the gold detailing give it a hint of the 1980s JPS-Lotus F1 cars too. It manages to stand out without being garish, and avoids being one of the standard murdered out steath bikes that everyone is riding these days. Still more miles required to do it justice though.
@Xyverz
Even though my #1 is a Colnago, and soon my #2 will be as well, I could never get my head around the c35. It just looks so…awkward. Nonetheless, still an amazing piece of cycling history.
About to go under the flame. Look at the size of those tubes! Paint scheme is being designed by our very own KRX10.
@G’rilla
Sweet. I’ll be there in a couple months. It seems like a long time from now.
@roger
Roger, reference that last quote I sent you, unfortunately there has been a “no cookie, no rim,” tax that I forgot to add….
@G’rilla That baby look nice! Forged from you very own hands?
@Mrs Engine Welcome! My VMH has just finished a weekend wrench course to help out in the new studio. Little does she know about the rookie mechanic rules, like cleaning toilets and buying doughnuts. I just hope she washes her hands after buying the doughnuts…