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 ...
@RedRanger
It was a joke. It’s a euphemism for…I’ll let you figure it out when you get older.
@DerHoggz
Every Cogal needs one of these stocked with liquid refreshment:
http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2013/02/2013-nahbs-moots-trail-clearer/#8
@G’rilla I’m fully grown mate. I catch your drift. I was half drunk last night/this morning.
@G’rilla
@G’rilla
Sorry G’rilla, none of us really think of you that way. A moots (actually the old kona)69er was more what we think of when you and 69 come up. That is unless you’ve been mentioned in the same context as frank. But thats just weird…
Awesome new rig, btw. Can’t wait to hear how it races-purpose built ti prolly the much more ultimate frame vs carbon for cx. Congrats!
Any of you lot have any experience with the fizik seatpins? Time to buy the last few bits for my build.
@Nate
Steampunk is your man. Non-biblically, of course.
@xyxax
So, not like this: Steampunk, Where Art Thou?
Oh, Pippo…
I’m still confused how the entire pack failed to realize they were all racing for 2nd.
@Ron No race radio’s played a part in this one….still a pretty big gaffe though.
@G’rilla
Don’t you think this would be more appropriate?
http://portlandbrewpubs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/20120303-203912.jpg
In particular when one considers the name of the brewpub that had this lovely thing built!
@Nate
Methinks he hath forsaken thou for George Loonie (HAHAHAHA- whew, Canadian-themed humor)
No, seriously, he posted about his new Fizik seat post on here some time back. No long term follow-up report though.
@xyxax
Alas, it seems he is too busy pontificating to the undergraduates, or travelling to a conclave, to bless me with the fruit of his experience.
@Nate & @xyxax
Sorry: caught up in my own self-importance this week (Michael Barry is here next week to do an Oprah-style conversation). I like my carbon Cyrano seatpost fine. And it is aesthetically stunning. Of course, I’m the anti-princess-&-the-pea, insofar as I can’t tell the difference between 80 psi & 120 psi. So: it’s pretty & it keeps the saddle where I want it. I might be a couple of cms taller and the seatpost also reduces my weight by a couple of kgs.
@Steampunk Self importance understood. So will it be a grillin’ or a slow simmer?
Apropos of nothing, Tony Martin just looks fantastic on a TT bike, probably why he is WC.
@Steampunk Grazie, pio.
@motor city
Glad it worked out for ya! Enjoy.
Spring break starts. looking forward to a) proper weather for the next week and b) building her up on my return. tsei deserves more love. have a good week all
@G’rilla pure tits man.
@RedRanger
I second that emotion.
@G’rilla Nice.
I am a few weeks behind you:
@G’rilla nice!
@G’rilla I predict you will have some fun on that rig.
@Steampunk
I also have a Cyrano Carbon seatpost. It replaced an FSA SLK. It works well and looks nice, though I can’t tell much of a difference in the ride. (could be a similiar lack of sensitivity, though I can tell the difference between carbon seatpost and aluminum.) It is not quite as easy to adjust as some review would make it out to be. But overall a nice component upgrade for the number 1.
@G’rilla Sweet ride. Those tires almost look like you’ve got a beach cruiser there! Sure you’re not bringing them to KT2013?
@G’rilla
Niiiice!!
@Skip
Har har har.
Those aren’t glued yet, just inflated to stay on for this weekend’s bike show. Still deciding…
G’rilla – Nice bike! Are you waiting to cut the steerer or do you like to be a bit high on your cross set-up? I have my cx bike set up with some spacers. (Well, and my road bikes, but most are above the stem, I just get nervous about cutting the forks but gotta do it sometime. Three years should be enough to figure out where I want my bars!)
Question for the lot: is it worth it to run nice tires like Veloflex Paves on Ksyrium SL wheels? (carbon bike, I weigh 64kgs). I have plenty of Continental GP4000s to put on those wheels, if the Veloflex tires are being wasted.
I have some Vittoria Open Corsa CXs with latex Michelin tubes on my Record/Open Pros wheels and those feel great on my steel frameset. Just wondering if I should save the Veloflex tires for a wheelset that would appreciate them.
@Ron I think the rubber is the rubber and how well it keeps you stuck to the road is somewhat independent of the wheels. But if anything the Ksyriums have less give in them than the OPs and the benefit of a nicer, more supple tire on a stiffer wheel might be greater than on a 32 spoke 3 cross wheel. So I don’t think you’d be wasting the Veloflexs at all.
Also: I still haven’t gotten around to cutting the steerer on my Pegoretti, if it makes you feel any better. Settled on my position months ago.
@G’rilla
That looks great! FWIW I like the gum (or whatever) sidewall tires.
It looks like they are all at it now…after the Aston Martin bike last year BMC are now teaming up with Lambo for a 25,000 euro Impec
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/bmc-launches-50th-anniversary-lamborghini-edition-race-bike
@Dan_R
@Frank this is me testing my avatar and status?
@Deakus
I think BMC had a Ferrari Impec as well, or else a red Lambo one.
I need more reach on my bike, frame is 389mm reach with a 120mm stem and 80mm bar reach. I dont’t think just going out to a 130mm stem will be enough, I am almost thinking a new frame is necessary. Any good framesets to be had for <$500? Ideal would be ~56cm ST and TT, 73.5 seat angle. Just trawl eBay and CL perhaps?
@DerHoggz what size frame do you have now? how tall are you? what frame do you have now?
@Nate
Thanks, Nate! This seems to be like pretty solid reasoning. I have plenty of nice tires in stock & suppose I should ride them & stop hoarding them.
@RedRanger
I have a 56cm Focus Variado, but it has a short TT. I am 6’1″. Based on various fit calculators I thought the shorter TT would be ok, but I am feeling cramped up on it, the shop I got i from sucked as far as fitting IMO. You have a CAAD10 right? That geo looks good to me, I would just have to find it used since they don’t sell framesets as far as I can tell. Spec has the top Allez frame available, which looks pretty good as well.
@DerHoggz I am 6’1 and a half and have 2 57 cm TTs on 73 degree seattubes, one with 120 and one with 130 stem. A custom on the way that’s 57.5 on a more laid back 72.5 degree tube, also designed for a 130 stem. I’m told I am of pretty average reach overall. You might want to try a 130 stem before investing in a new bike, however.
@Nate
I could probably go with a longer TT, just finding a frame with a low enough stack would be the problem. I really don’t think 130 would be enough, but I might give it a shot. .
@DerHoggz wow, Im 5′ 10″ and ride a 56 SuperSix. Seems like you would need a 58. so have a picture of how the bike is set up? Im also confused on what you mean by stack. I would get help from a Pro fitter before spending on a frame, thats just me.
@DerHoggz what is the angle on your stem?
Stack meaning the height of the top of the HT above the BB, reach being the x axis. Stem is -6, had it slammed for the first few months I had it, but with the winter put the cap back because I was worried about stuff getting in the exposed bearing.
I would go into a shop and try a couple of stems out. maybe a -17 120 or 130 version would do the trick. Its seems a bit reactionary to just go buy a new frame without trying all your options. Keep in mind that with a -6 stem, the longer you go the higher the bar will end up. if your head tube is a 73 angle, then a -17 will actually keep the bars level but distance will change with stem size.
@RedRanger
Yeah, I will go try out some stems. Probably is reactionary to just go “new frame”. Drop is fine though, But when I am really tucked in the drops I feel cramped front to back, maybe some different bars would even help.
@DerHoggz
Whoa – I’m 5’11”, wear 34/35 sleeves in dress shirts and have a 57cm TT with a 130mm stem. Competitive Cyclist Fit calc had me at a 57 TT, but a shorter stem. With the shorter stem, I felt cramped. your reach and trunk length would dictate your TT and stem, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t fit very well on a 56. It looks as if you may be able to slide your saddle back a bit, too, in order to gain a bit of reach.
There may be some decent bike fitting shops here in Pittsburgh, but I plan on using UPMC’s service within the next year as a coworker went and had good results.
Also, Google Headset bearing cover and find one that comes with a lower stack. I was lucky in that my SuperSix came with a giant volcano looking one and under it was a short 5mm one.
http://metallicpoutine.com/shop/headset-bearing-cover-caad10/
what brand is your headset?
@Tartan1749
The CC fit has me on 56/120. Saddle has moved back 10mm in the past month, not sure that I want more as I have shorter femurs. That UPMC fit looks good, I haven’t been to a shop that I felt comfortable paying for a fit from.
@RedRanger
I’ve meant to do that, but it is one of those things I just haven’t gotten around to for no real reason.