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 ...
@Nate But they match perfectly.
I’d never mix and match.
@Cyclops
@clops.
That is awesome!
I love how you’ve matched the paint to the Ritchey components.
@Dr C One time I was nearly done and noticed that the hub logo was not visible through the valve hole.
Another time I got mostly done without overlapping the spokes properly.
It’s a lot to think about, but then all makes sense at the end and one wonders what was ever confusing about it.
@Cyclops What geometry did you end up with? My custom CX bike is 72/73° with a really short wheelbase and I love the handling. 110mm stem on 55.5 top tube.
@Dr C & G’Rilla, welcome to the mystries of wheel building! Good for you guys giving it a go! I was self taught then dug Into the holy tomes of wheel building and then I did the advance wheel certification at UBI/DT Swiss. Funny, DT Swiss approved, yet I use Sapim nearly exclusively.
It’s an awesome time to be alive!
@mouse
I’m more impressed about how he matched the colour of the guns to the new Witte kitte!
@Dan_R did you get a final answer on how much it would be to ship some of your lovely climbing wheels out here to Aus?
@G’rilla
Damn, I wish I hadn’t asked the question – forgot about the logo view through the valve hole – I’ll have to start all over again
I sat and held the new front wheel for several hours after I had built it, spinning it through my fingers….wierd
Now all I want to do is build a million wheels – I’m sure that will wear off after I do the rear hub
@Dr C
I rebuilt mine 3 times as well; just various little fuck-ups like that. The second set I built, I did in one shot and perfectly true – rode them all winter on my commuter with zero deviation from true either. Very nice.
@frank @Dan_R @G’rilla
I showed the guys at work, some pics of me building the wheel, and the finished product – universal response was “get a life DC”, so I’m clearly on the right track – hate doing things everyone else sees as standard – this, I must say (for what it involves, which is actually not that much, save the 15 hours research I did in advance), has been one of the most satisfying little projects I have done in ages, and I can’t wait to get out on them – they feel sooo stiff and light
Question – how do I tell which is the direction of roll…..?
@Dr C Unless the cross section is a square, the difference in road friction should be infinitesimally close to zero, whichever direction you choose for rolling.
@DocBrian
So it doesn’t matter from a stiffness or spoke function point of view, whether the leading or the trailing spokes are on the outside overlap? I can’t see why it would make a difference, but then that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t!
I presume it is more relavant with the tyres??
Bollocks – ended up with the valve hole not in the parallels, but in triangles – do I re-lace them…..?
@Dr C Re: direction of roll. If I get your drift, I believe you are supposed to be able to read the logo on the hub, rightside up, when on the bike.
@Dr C
Can you post a picture? You can probably fix it by moving one spoke at a time forward or back a hole. Move it the right way, though. It boiled my brain to figure it out and then I moved it the wrong way. Then it looked REALLY fucked.
@Dr C As Frank says, one spoke at a time to fix the gap over the valve hole. And while it is a pro wheel builder standard to be able to read the hub label through the valve hole and read the label as you are on the bike, it is only cosmetic. Pro, but just cosmetic.
Radial front wheels put themselves together.
Um, the free hub needs to be on the right side of the bike. I hope that helps! Hehe
@Mikael Liddy I am working with DHL to get a reasonable shipping price. Right now, they can offer me $389 CDN to Aus and $270 to the UK/EU. Which is a butt load of cash for shipping. Obviously, it has nothing to do with weight, but is based on volume. I am trying leverage these number with a few of the other carriers.
To put it in perspective, within North America I can ship for a flat rate of a hundred bucks.
That said, Frank and I were discussing a V-deal much like the V-Sock deal for Velominatus. once he is done in dreamland, we’ll look at the details, but I want to be able to do something for the V across both puddles.
Royce hubs are meant to be read from nds. Others like king tune dtswiss phil readable standing at rear of bike looking forward.
When you say outside overlap, are you talking about the flange? From what ive read, starting trailing spoke head in or head out has to do with dropped chains and where you want damage to be least destructable, ie would theoretically be wiser to shear a leading spoke vs trailing or vica versa. Im actually talking out my ass here. Dont repeat it in open conversation with someone that knows shit from snickers bar.
per sheldon:
@frank
Great fucker uppers think alike – I did just as you suggest – front and rear both needed shift – now looking much better – I am afraid by patience wouldn’t stretch to getting the hub logo lined up with the valve hole – that’s for the next time
It’s funny how as you tighten the spokes the wheel gets lighter ?!?!?!?!? Love it
@roger
I think, after much drinking of beer that it doesn’t matter a wank which way round they are…..will find out when I give it a lash on a gnarly descent no doubt, as my ass goes through my face when it all turns to spaghetti
Drinking beer whilst lacing wheels is clearly critical, as the problems seem to disappear the more pissed one gets, even without making any changes or decisions
@Cyclops Odd place to put your V-meter! How do you check it during the ride?
@G’rilla
My V-Meter is always pegged so I don’t really nead to check it much.
@Cyclops booyah!
@roger. & DrC & G’Rilla
one thing that bites balls is when someone builds a set of wheels using different brands of hubs and then does nothing to make them look alike or if they should be paired. Its one thing to finish a ride (race) with unmatched wheels – that happens, but at least make ’em look close
Just spent 2 hrs. cleaning my steed, lubing chain, pedals, hubs.
Now it’s raining…
Urgh, this feels like reading homework at school.
So there, this is my current bike. It’s the first road bike I ever bought and the first bike I’ve ever been riding hard. As you can see, it’s a Spartacus 4.3, not many modifications except for the 70 cm stem (a result of a bike fit I had done after I bought the bike, newbie error) and the saddle. The latter is an SQlab, not sure if the brand is known outside Germany. They actually measure your arse and then sell it to you in the correct size for your buttocks. I can highly recommend it, except for the awkwardness of the measuring. Hope the pics show, this is the first time I’m doing this.
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This happens and your race is pretty much done for the day. (my team mates BMC from Saturday racing):
He snapped his saddle stem in anger when he found out his wheels were missing?
@itburns
Funnily enough this happened to me the other day. Approaching the top of a climb and suddenly thought “my seat has worked loose”…got off the bike and the seatpost came away in my hand!
Worked out that a few days earlier I had tightened it (N2 rain bike with alu frame) and forgotten the seat tube was carbon, reminder to self to loose some upper body strength in my quest to climb well for my weight a little better!
Luckily I had greased it, so was with bit of work was able to get the post out of the seat tube, reinsert the sheared off piece and get home with my knees pumping up around my ears BMX styley.
Replaced it with an old alu post and have noticed absolutely no difference in comfort since then…..jeez why do I always fall for the carbon marketing bullshit!
@itburns
Ha. No, he and a couple other team mates (and various others) went down hard in wet/ windy/ slick conditions at high speed in a Pro/I/II race. 75+ starters, <25 finishers. Broken bikes and road rash all around.
@scaler911
Broken bikes is better than broken bones. Hope everyone is back to riding soon.
@biggles
Biggles, for a big lad, your stem looks awfully short. Have you tried anything longer or does everything feel A-ok?
Right gents – opinions / advice please. I have a 3-day race coming up on some roads which are, in places, less than stellar, which is a polite way of saying shite. I expect the weather to be awful. I will be rolling my 32h nemesis’s as race wheels #1, the carbon clinchers will be going in the support wagon – they’re shod in conti gp4000’s, 25 wide and them I’m not worried about – prefer not to have to use them, but if I do then I do. (I find there’s no comparison with the tubs cornering, braking, general peace of mind in shit wather and shit roads, etc.) I’m currently rolling Vittoria paves, plenty of wear left in them at the moment but I’m quite happy to pull them off and put them in the spares pile if anyone’s got a recommendation for a 25mm tubular that’s going to be as good in the wet, not cut as easily, as puncture resistant, etc – in other words, is there anything the same but lots better than what I’m already rolling? As an addendum – the silly wide FMB tubs and the like – the 28’s and upwards – what’s the skinny with mounting them on a normal tubular rim – any difference?
Seeing as I’ve offered my opinion on other’s bikes I thought it only fair to prove I can take criticism as well as dish it out.
I’ve just finished the update to my 25 year old steel beast and it feels like a new bike, which is no surprise given all the new bits.
I’m aware of the Rule #34 violation, but as a Velominatus Budgetatus I must be pragmatic. MTB shoes work fine on the road, the converse is not true for me. As for Rule #45, I unashamedly reserve the right to choose fit over fashion.
The V meter on the top tube is a travesty I know, but as I use this bike on the trainer and the wireless range isn’t adequate to read from the speed sensor on the rear wheel if I mount the meter on the stem I have to live with it for now.
Fire away!
@Deakus
So, you got it off with your hand?
@wiscot Well the frame is 58 and the stem is 9cm as it is now… it’s not exactly absurdly short. It’s still aesthetically pleasing.
When I purchased it it came with a 12cm stem and it was uncomfortably long for me. Took me to some strange places with my seat placement and my handlebar holds. I think It’s ok as it is, vis-a-vi to my position on the bike.
After two and a half years of injury, prevaricating, small children, prevaricating, small children, prevaricating some more and a serious illness I have finally finished my best bike:
And after three weeks of dry weather, the day I finally feel well enough to ride a bike and it rains…
There are two things I’m not happy with: I either need to trade down and get one of the 3T ARX pro stems rather than the red “team” version, or else find a lot of spare cash under the sofa and get the “Pro” version. And I’m not letting a shop near the gear cables next time because with that much overlap they clearly have no idea how to finish a bike. But Goodridge cables dob’t come cheap and the front mech routing through the frame is a bitch so it can wait.
There is a third issue I have belated noticed, but I’ll see if anyone can spot that.
@Jarvis Quick releases pointing in the wrong direction? (Frank pulled me up on that one before the Roubaix ride) Poor positioning of the rear tyre in relation to the valve?
Nice bike though.
@Jarvis
I like it, but is it normal that the cables come out of the hoods? That looks kinda retro, but in a bad way.
@Chris
Frank is talking bollocks about QR levers. Yes, the rear tyre could be slightly better positioned, think the shop must have shuffled it slightly when they were fettling the bike…
@Mirko
what Shimano shifters don’t have the cables coming from the hoods?
@Jarvis Valve stems not a 6-o’clock. And yes, fix your skewers. Hard to spot saddle level and saddle to bar drop given the angle. I agree, the 3T white would look better, but your call. The white housings and tape finishes it nicely. Ride, damn it!
@Mirko I think that is just an older group-san
@Jarvis Obviously been put together by a fuckwit and the seat mast cap thingy is back to front.
To be fair there are plenty of pictures on the net of it with the pinch bolt at the front but it does look more right at the rear.
@Tartan1749
If the valves were a 6 o’clock that would mean the tyre logo would be as well and that is just wrong. Tyre logo has to be at 12 o’clock.
@Mirko
Like I said, it has taken two and half years to finish hence a generation behind on Ultegra shifters. Apologies for having kids and only a certain amount of disposable income that means I’m not able to replace unused and perfectly good shifters with the latest version. #fuckwit
@Jarvis
Mine for example, see above (simple and modest 105 Group-san)
@Chris
new model has a different seatclamp design to mine. But photographer was poor as crank is not in line with seatpost…
@Jarvis
Hahaha, you’re welcome. I didn’t mean to pull your leg though, I was just ignorant about this matter. Oh yes, and I bet I have more children than you, without more income.
@Jarvis I had thought that you were talking about a build issue which was I hadn’t pointed that out.
Get the ltd stem, they are a bit expensive but they’re very nice and the bike would look so much more sorted.
@Chris
see comment to Mirko about spare cash ;-)
@Jarvis Hard to tell, but are you missing bar end plugs or are they black?
@Jarvis Have you included what you could get for your Team version stem? It should be a minimal investment
@Jarvis It may be in direct contradiction of Rule #58 but somewhere on ebay, the price is always right. Might not be your length though.