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 EffectRule #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 BlackGuest 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 StableDialing in the Stable
    This 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 rugMatching the drapes to the rug
    As 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 HourFestum Prophetae: Waiting for the Hour
    Everyone 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 ...

15,871 Replies to “The Bikes”

  1. Is Gilbert back on an older Flite saddle, like Engine’s on his Giordana? Kind of looks like it. He’d been on the newer Flite Pro for awhile, then maybe a Prologo last year.

    I like that bike, not the gruppo though. The Dura Ace stuff just isn’t that slick looking to me. Matte black bikes have been boring to me for awhile. I kind of like shiny black but the sudden trend in all matte black. Eh. (Though that LOOK up above is really sharp!) Two guys I sometimes ride with, who I have always figured might be dating on the side, showed up within a few weeks on all matte black bikes. Jeez.

  2. Giordana ridden during morning skive from work – stunningly good. Flite saddle came with the bike – at least as good as my Arione.

  3. @Ron

    I posted a comment on the Keepers Facebook page under the recent Cogal annoucement that any Velominati heading to Louisville should get together for at least a beer and some frites.  If you’re on Facebook, send me a message so we can meet up.

  4. Sweet! Did my best to navigate that place. I am on there, but don’t use it much & am sorely confused by the workings. Hope to meet up with ya!

  5. I’m not the sort of person that says things like ‘Yeah baby’, but if I was i’d be doing it today.

    Custom stem cap – £15. Just need to trim that steerer now…

  6. @Barracuda

    @Dr C

    Think I am coming round to the BMC’s slightly whacky frame (no offence intended @Marko)

    Bit less red, bit more white and black….. but then it is Fast Phil’s, so I guess none of us will be riding that livery

    More importantly, how the hell is that thing standing up ?? Unless im going completely blind thats a good photoshop.

    You mean the ending of this video was Photoshopped???

  7. @motor city Very nice!  My #1 still has the stem cap from the bike that brought me back into cycling all those years ago.  It’s a bit ironic that a nice Colnago wears a GT stem cap from an entry level mountain bike, but if it wasn’t for that old mountain bike, I wouldn’t be a cyclist.

    I’m kind of a sucker for stem caps, might have to check out that site.

  8. @Ron

    Is Gilbert back on an older Flite saddle, like Engine’s on his Giordana? Kind of looks like it. He’d been on the newer Flite Pro for awhile, then maybe a Prologo last year.

    I like that bike, not the Gruppo though. The Dura Ace stuff just isn’t that slick looking to me. Matte black bikes have been boring to me for awhile. I kind of like shiny black but the sudden trend in all matte black. Eh. (Though that LOOK up above is really sharp!) Two guys I sometimes ride with, who I have always figured might be dating on the side, showed up within a few weeks on all matte black bikes. Jeez.

    Yep, all people on matte black bikes are gay.

  9. @mouse

    @Ron

    Is Gilbert back on an older Flite saddle, like Engine’s on his Giordana? Kind of looks like it. He’d been on the newer Flite Pro for awhile, then maybe a Prologo last year.

    I like that bike, not the Gruppo though. The Dura Ace stuff just isn’t that slick looking to me. Matte black bikes have been boring to me for awhile. I kind of like shiny black but the sudden trend in all matte black. Eh. (Though that LOOK up above is really sharp!) Two guys I sometimes ride with, who I have always figured might be dating on the side, showed up within a few weeks on all matte black bikes. Jeez.

    Yep, all people on matte black bikes are gay.

    Big call from the guy rocking a hot pink bike…

  10. @Ron I just sent my custom CX bike out for painting. It will be gold and black with a matte finish.

    For cyclocross, any paint finish will be worn down by sand and mud to a dull sheen anyway, so I figure I should just start there!

  11. @Mikael Liddy

    @mouse

    @Ron

    Is Gilbert back on an older Flite saddle, like Engine’s on his Giordana? Kind of looks like it. He’d been on the newer Flite Pro for awhile, then maybe a Prologo last year.

    I like that bike, not the Gruppo though. The Dura Ace stuff just isn’t that slick looking to me. Matte black bikes have been boring to me for awhile. I kind of like shiny black but the sudden trend in all matte black. Eh. (Though that LOOK up above is really sharp!) Two guys I sometimes ride with, who I have always figured might be dating on the side, showed up within a few weeks on all matte black bikes. Jeez.

    Yep, all people on matte black bikes are gay.

    Big call from the guy rocking a hot pink bike…

    Yeah, I know;  and a matte black one.

    @G’rilla

    @Ron I just sent my custom CX bike out for painting. It will be gold and black with a matte finish.

    For cyclocross, any paint finish will be worn down by sand and mud to a dull sheen anyway, so I figure I should just start there!

    Hey, do you want to like, you know, go out for coffee sometime?

    (PS. I’m not gay.  Not that there’s anything wrong with etc, etc)

  13. I confess that I’ve never been properly and definitively instructed on wrapping bar tape correctly. Any comments on the two methods shown below?

    Numero uno

    versus

    Number two

    Sincere thanks in advance.

  14. Funnily enough I re-did my bar tape a couple of days ago:

    1.  Both examples are pretty much the same and neither is incorrect.  Number 2 is more instructional i.e. he talks you through some of the pitfalls.

    2.  Some people do the figure of 8 around the break levers (example 1) and some don’t (example 2).  I tend to have no set way, sometimes I do the figure of 8, sometimes not, depending on the length of tape.

    3.  The tape is key…some of the less robust tapes are fiddly because they are not strong enough for you to pull tight to avoid the wrinkles.  Fizik tape is a great tape.  I find Deda tape to weak.

    4.  Take note of his comments about electrical tape, don’t stretch it to snap, cut it.  Electrical tape will always want to return to its prestretched position and so can recede over time if pulled too tight.

    5.  I do use the Fizik finishing tape at the end over the electrical tape…it is purely there for show.  It is not strong enough to hold the end on its own.

    6.  Make sure you leave a good bit of tape overlapping the edge of the bars at the beginning (all the way round) maybe 5mm or so.  The more you have the tighter and more secure your  bar ends will be, however too much and you will need a hydraulic jack hammer to actually get them in!

    7.  Don’t overlap the electrical tape on to the bar, it is not necessary and it will leave you with too much width if you want to use the brand finishing tape to hide it at the end.

    Another good site for this sort of stuff is park tools

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/handlebar-tape-installation-drop-bar

  15. @Deakus

    All that is mostly consistent with what I’ve been doing; however, the direction of the wrap is different in the two vids. In the first, il meccanico wraps the drops outside to inside but then, after the figure-8, the tops are also outside to inside (or front to back).  In the second, the drops are wrapped inside to outside, but then, without the figure-8, the tops are wrapped back to front.

    I’m flying the OCD flag high, here, perhaps. But this is the kind of thing that I want to have a sound theory of.

  16. @PeakInTwoYears

    @Deakus

    All that is mostly consistent with what I’ve been doing; however, the direction of the wrap is different in the two vids. In the first, il meccanico wraps the drops outside to inside but then, after the figure-8, the tops are also outside to inside (or front to back). In the second, the drops are wrapped inside to outside, but then, without the figure-8, the tops are wrapped back to front.

    I’m flying the OCD flag high, here, perhaps. But this is the kind of thing that I want to have a sound theory of.

    I would have thought it simply does not matter as long at the wrap goes over the previous rotation each time when starting from the bottom….this just means it does not ruck up when ridden….you now have me wandering my blase attitude deserves flogging or if your OCD needs some sort of other outlet!

  19. I use the Park Tool method where the orientation reverses at the levers, I did figure eights this time, but I prefer no little piece on the backs and just going around the inside.

  21. @Mrs Engine

    @wiscot

    @eenies

    @the Engine

    Post visit to LBS and as yet unridden. Couldn’t gussie her up due to VMH induced shortage of space in the Man Cave and being in a hurry and it pouring with rain outside…

    Nice work LBS.

    If #1 is Charlene (or Sharleen) how about Spiteri for #2? … “I don’t want a lover, I just need a friend”

    Nice Texas reference there big man! Saw them at the Pavilion in Glasgow in the mid 80s. For some reason the crowd wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as Ms Spiteri wanted and she asked “Yeez ur awfy quiet the night. Whit’s wrang wi youz?” Needless to say this mild chastisement didn’t go down too well with the punters. Still a good gig though.

    Surely if you are calling the other one Charlene this one should be called Scott!

    Obviously gone right over the heads of non telly watching kids of the 1980’s

  23. @PeakInTwoYears

    Video 1 although you start the tape at the end of the bars, like that if you lose the bar plug the tape will stay firm and look good.

    Video 2 has so many mistakes that I don’t know where to begin.

  28. @Mrs Engine A fun trick would be to do that with all of The Engine’s bikes while he’s out sometime.

    It may require installing more bathrooms in the house (5? 6?).

  29. Hi All,

    While I’m not rich, fat or a dentist here is my new Serotta. It’s a nice number one bike upgrade from my much loved Salsa, which has been relegated back to being a utility vehicle.

    It’s a joy to ride.

    Rachel

  32. @G’rilla Thanks, it might be custom for someone, but I got it secondhand. Yeh, it’s titanium. I was actually thinking of scraping off the paint job to give it stealth ghetto styling, but got talked out of it.

  33. @rachel

    Nicely set up.  Flipped and slammed.

    Looks like the  Salsa may have just smoked a fat spliff.  Retirement has its benefits.

  34. My first wheelbuild. Chris King classic cross hubs, HED Belgium tubular rims, DT Swiss aerolite spokes. 32 hole, 3 cross. Thanks to Frank for the help!

  35. @G’rilla dont tease! Show the rest. Black spokes doesnt look bad with polished hubs.  And to sweeten the whole experience you get to glue it up.  Memorable weekend ya got yourself!

  36. @rachel

    Hi All,

    While I’m not rich, fat or a dentist here is my new Serotta. It’s a nice number one bike upgrade from my much loved Salsa, which has been relegated back to being a utility vehicle.

    It’s a joy to ride.

    Rachel

    Are those Fulcrum Racing 3s? Did you set them up tubeless?

  37. @mouse

    @Ron

    Is Gilbert back on an older Flite saddle, like Engine’s on his Giordana? Kind of looks like it. He’d been on the newer Flite Pro for awhile, then maybe a Prologo last year.

    I like that bike, not the Gruppo though. The Dura Ace stuff just isn’t that slick looking to me. Matte black bikes have been boring to me for awhile. I kind of like shiny black but the sudden trend in all matte black. Eh. (Though that LOOK up above is really sharp!) Two guys I sometimes ride with, who I have always figured might be dating on the side, showed up within a few weeks on all matte black bikes. Jeez.

    Yep, all people on matte black bikes are gay.

    Your hypothesis is wrong. In at least one case anyway.

    @ Ron

    Thank you.

    @ G’rilla

    A sound choice! I’m sure you’ll go faster for it.

  39. That’s the best auction ever, love the blokes attitude and enthusiasm!

  40. @Rob

    I’m tempted to put a bid on, maybe try to blow away the competition with a £4.17 bid or there abouts – I fear he wouldn’t be able to find it though, if I won the auction

  41. Okay, so I put a few bids on, but no luck. Clearly some big hitter is locked in, maybe a Russian Oligarch, so I’m bailing out at £2.40 – clearly out of my depth

  42. @rachel

    Nice score rachel. I did the same thing, a sweet serotta score on ebay. It’s the perfect bike for cheap! And we don’t have to be dentists, fat or rich, just savy enough to find the right size serotta on ebay.

  43. @eightzero

    Yeh, they’re the 3’s. Do you know if all Fulcrum 3’s can run them? I’ve already seen the light on my mtb, it might make it onto the roadie.

    @Gianni

    True.

  44. @Dr C

    Okay, so I put a few bids on, but no luck. Clearly some big hitter is locked in, maybe a Russian Oligarch, so I’m bailing out at £2.40 – clearly out of my depth

    Next time snipe in at the end, else you are just bidding the item up.

  45. @rachel

    @eightzero

    Yeh, they’re the 3″²s. Do you know if all Fulcrum 3″²s can run them? I’ve already seen the light on my mtb, it might make it onto the roadie.

    @Gianni

    True.

    No, I think they are either 2-way specific or not. All the Fulcrum 3s look like tubeless because they don’t have spoke holes in the rim but if they don’t have the specific channel for the carbon tire bead they won’t lock in properly.

  48. @DerHoggz

    Well, I guess pro wrenches can’t be trusted to properly tighten a QR?

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/02/news/uci-begins-enforcement-of-fork-lawyer-tab-rule-in-qatar_274065

    I feel like thi makes wheel swaps a bit trickier, and possibly more dangerous in the long run. How soon before someone doesn’t spin it enough in the heat of a wheel change and a wheel comes off anyways?

    No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…no,no, fucking no, no, no, no, no.

    @itburns

    @All

    http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/tape-o-philia/

    No actual description of how to wrap the bars in that whole article and comments? Although, I think I can tell from the photo of Frank, the wrap looks to be done as per number one…

    @PeakInTwoYears

    I confess that I’ve never been properly and definitively instructed on wrapping bar tape correctly. Any comments on the two methods shown below?

    Numero uno

    versus

    Number two

    Sincere thanks in advance.

    One is the correct method. In that way,the tape is held in place by the pressure of your hands regardless of where they are on the bars. Although the original article talks smack about Italian bar tape (and from a Dutchie at that), Frank’s photo is bang on.  Figure 8s are the way pro mechanics do it PERIOD Although  I do not get too upset with people that wrap it number two way, as that is the predominate way it seems. As long as you start outside-in and it is neat and tidy.

  49. @G’rilla

    @Ron I just sent my custom CX bike out for painting. It will be gold and black with a matte finish.

    For cyclocross, any paint finish will be worn down by sand and mud to a dull sheen anyway, so I figure I should just start there!

    Sweet. Looking forward to the update!

    C’est moi…

  50. While I know a diagnosis via the interwebs is somewhat tricky, the bike has developed an extremely annoying creak recently that appears to be coming from the saddle & then being magnified by the carbon seat post.

    When I’m seated & pedalling hard it seems to creak/click on each downstroke & also when I go from standing to seated. Shall try to tighten all screws/bolts involved with the saddle & post junction but just throwing it out there in case the collective intellect might suggest anything else…

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