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 ...
@Beers
@Beers
Without getting into “lengths” I ride a 56cm, when a bike shop would fit me to a 57-58. That said, a 59 would be too big by far, and not satisfying.
If you found the “super killer” pair of premium denim jeans that retail $275, but you found them for $50 1-2 sizes too big, and had to use a belt to keep ’em up, would you bite? Just because they’re a good deal in the wrong size? Pass. There’s always another that comes along.
On my last tape job I went from Lizard Skin to Fizik Performance Tacky, and I actually prefer the former. I had it on all last summer and it was awesome.
@Beers
They also “fit” differently then. When classic was current a fistful of seatpost showing was the rule of thumb (period Campy posts are really short by today’s standards, and you wouldn’t put anything else on it).
I just finished building a mid-80s Merckx that I thought was a cm too big. Reach is perfect with my usual stem length, standover is the same as my other road bikes.
The frame you are considering may have a lower bottom bracket than you are used to, making the seat tube measurement an unreliable comparison. Stack height will probably be lower than modern frames as well.
Find out what the top tube length is if you can; far more important.
@Ron
if you are having slow upshifts, you have too much tension. do as frank suggests.
limit screws only tell the rear mech how far inboard and outboard it can travel. you can set this without the cable attached.
@scaler911
raw denim? hell yes. i always buy mine about 2 sizes up, depending on the weight and maker. it’s easy to shrink down the waist and let normal wear get it juuuuust right.
I know you’re a pnw’er, but if youre into denim and ever make it to nyc, check out blue in green. loaded to the fucking gills with japanese goodness. wear a light t-shirt though. the changing rooms are tiny and you’ll sweat balls after trying on a few pairs.
@pistard
So the other measurements are center of BB to centre top tube =57cm. Top tube from center seat tube to center head tube is 57.5cm. It is flat, so no hypothetical centers here. I have no idea how people figure that the top tube length is more important, what do I have to measure on myself to see if the top tube is too long?
It has the seat post sticking out a fistful, the knee cap to center of pedal axle is about right with the seat in the center of its rails. The reach is too long, but it has a 130mm stem on it.
Any help appreciated, as even if this one is a no go, I’ll figure out how better to measure myself in.
Thanks Scaler911, I’m inclined to agree, however I feel there won’t be another of these around. I guess I’m emotionally attached to the idea of it, and want to categorically rule out it possibly working out before I give up on it.
@Beers
When you said size was unknown I thought you hadn’t seen it in the flesh and were working from someone else’s dubious measurements. Sounds like it’s definitely too big.
As for ideal top tube length, I’m sure there’s a formula, but it would have to take into account seat and head tube angles. Trial and error works for me.
@unversio
Glad to see it worked! Another good mounting spot now for any future GoPro users.
@roger
I’ll remember that. I do love me some overpriced jeans, much to the dismay of the VMH. The side benefit of all that is “huni, if you want my ass to look great in these, I gotta get out and ride”.
Question for the CX crowd if I may.
When sorting out which size to get do you stick with same size as road bike or do you go a size bigger or smaller?
Reason for asking is that there may be a CX bike available to purchase shortly and was thinking N+1. but I normally ride a 53-54 and I believe this is a 52. Not had the chance to have a ride of it as yet. And lastly, what pedals does one fit to a CX bike – road or mtb?
Thanks
Size down iI think. The longer wheel base and more upright position required means a lot of people can use a smaller CX bike. I’d ride a 54cm cx bike and ride 56 road.
And use mtb pedals so you can use mtb shoes that you can run in.
@Beers
Maybe enter a few digits here Argonaut cycle coaching or here Competitive Cyclist
@Beers @sthilzy Opps dud links try again;
Maybe enter a few digits here Argonaut cycle coaching or here Competitive Cyclist
Hi all
I’ve been following this website for a while now and decided to bite the bullet and sign up. This is my current ride, pretty entry level and not as cool as some of your rides, I know, but it rides pretty smoothly.
@bianchi777
Sweet looking bike, and welcome. You’re going to cop some stick for the photography technique (rule 26), but don’t let it phase you. Good to have you on board.
@frank
Got it. Will see what I can do. Thanks, as well as mouse and Roger. Maybe I’ll just have to take a cruise on it today though and see what the guys at the shop think. I bet the mechanic will have it fixed in oh, 45 seconds.
They are older shifters & they are second hand so I’m hoping the springs aren’t worn out, though I kind of fear they are with how it’s shifting. Cables are a year old but I have a few road bikes so not a years worth of KMs. (this is the bike with the internal routing that had a stuck cable housing in the TT that was a royal pain to get out).
Thanks for the advice!
@bianchi777
Very, very nice!
Thanks! I’d been after a Pinarello ever since I got into cycling seriously at 14. 12 years later I finally found myself in a position to get one. It’s pretty much stock except for Michelin tyres and tubes, fizik tape and the Arione saddle.
@minion
the huge puffed up tires make maneuvering at speed and not squishing bits more than usual a challenge, hence the downsizing. what doesn’t change in fitting setup is the seat to pedal distance (unless you know how to shrink your femur) and the reach, although its a little different. a proper fitting for any racing rig is a good ideer.
Cheers @sthilzy!
@bianchi777 very nice, but whats up with the saddle?
@anotherdownunder
My 2c.
Get a bike as close as possible to the geometry of your road bike if you think you have the fit dialled.
FWIW, My CX bike has 5mm less length in the top tube and I use the same length stem for both road and CX. The only other difference is that I run about 5-10mm less saddle to bar drop on the CX bike, though my flexibility is pretty good.
@unversio
Superb. It is a brand which still retains such mystery for me – you can ‘get’ Trek, Giant, even Colnago, etc., but Cinelli just has a bizarre aspirational mystique about it…
@bianchi777
Nice bike! The awesome thing about mostly stock steeds is that they’re really easy to change/modify/upgrade. I’m not saying you should or need to, but a new seat pillar here, a wheelset change down the line, etc. will be easy to pull off and change the ride quality (and look) of your bike. That’s always fun. And with a simple paint scheme you have a good basis for making things flash or just subdued.
I’d been after a LOOK for a long time too, fun to cash in on that delayed satisfaction.
HOLY FESTUM PROPHETAE!
Colnago Eddy Merckx 52cms
Eddy Merckx Molteni very early Colnago limited edition number 14 fully restored 1972 model . Full Campagnolo groupo with Cinnelli bars and saddle .
This classic Italian steel frame racing cycle is as good as they get with the infamous Eddy Merckx and the Molteni racing team combined with the master frame builder himself Colnago to produce these replica cycles to the ones used by Eddy .
A very fitting collectors piece to be used on only very special occasions .
CRANK – campagnolo super-record 170mm
FRONT DERAILLEUR – Campagnolo super-record
REAR DERAILLEUR – campagnolo nuova record
GEAR LEVERS – Campagnolo
CASSETTE – 7×2 14 gears
BRAKES – campagnolo super-record
BRAKE LEVER – campagnolo record
HEADSET – campagnolo s- record
HANDLEBAR STEM – 3ttt
HANDLEBAR -cinelli
SEAT POST – campagnolo record
SADDLE cinelli
HUBS – campagnolo super record
WHEELS – fiamme
PEDALS – campagnolo super record
DROPOUTS – campagnolo brev
FRAME – columbus steel
FRAME MEASUREMENTS
seat tube 52cms
top tube 53cms
standover 77cms
year 1972
@Beers
the reason TT is more important is that you can use a longer post, but will have a lower limit on length and drop. Measure the distance from your nose of the saddle to the center of your bars on your favorite bike and then work out if that is doable on the new bike with a stem longer than 100 or 110 mm. Also measure the center of the front axle to the center of the bars for a guess at your drop. Both these measurements will be influenced by bb height and seat tube angle, but it will get you to within spitting distance of your optimal fit transfer from #1 to the new bike.
these are rudimentary measures that might have you too far forward. Base your work off a fit you know works on an existing machine.
Goof luck!!!
So I finally introduced my girlfriend of some time, a former college runner, to road cycling. Two hours in the mountains had whet her appetite. With her petite frame, it won’t be long until she out-climbs me.
@tessar
Is that road sign misspelled – I thought it was Mateh Yehuda? Or am I just lost?
@bianchi777
Nice! And here’s a genuine question (for anyone:) How the the name of this bike manufacturer pronounced? Is it pin-a-REL-oh? Or is it pin-a-REE-oh?
@the Engine Road signs are inconsistent, at best. Matte, Mateh – whatever the clerk in the office decided, I guess. Misspelling all over the country.
@eightzero Like the lady says http://www.forvo.com/word/pinarello/
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this popped up on the local cl. late 80s/early 90s bottecchia. columbus sl tubing. some internal cabling. cinelli stem/bars. supposedly full campagnolo group. low miles, not that it matters.
do any of you have more info on this company/model? from what the googles told me, columbus sl is decent to average tubing, but most definitely not tsx quality. also, known for the ’89 tdf, but supposedly Leman rode a rebadged Ciocc?
long story short, i dig the colour scheme. that tells you alot, since i also love the merckx tutti frutti and cant ever find that in my size. is this bottecchia a dime a dozen, or a decent build all said and done?
@roger
@roger That is hawt. Can’t believe you didn’t mention the Turbo. For the right price, get it.
@eightzero
I believe it’s “Peen-a-rello”. Prego.
@pistard
SL was top of the line Columbus tubing in the mid 80’s. SLX came out maybe 87-88. From recollection SL was slightly lighter than SLX as it was merely butted. SLX had a bit more material in the form of spiral ribs in the first 10 or so cms of the tube that made it much stiffer.
that Bottechia looks pretty sweet.
@tessar
I always appreciated the signs being in three languages though – Israel is very good at telling you where you are and where you’re going in my experience. In Ireland the road signs are non-existent or useless. Just saying.
Ok I know this could be taken as a seriously noob thing to ask but flame suit is on and I’d like to get some V – guidance.
What gearing do most people run on Belgian Classic style riding, specifically the 2nd half of Liege Bastogne Liege?
I had my first taste of true climbing today on the Philippe Gilbert Classic (138 km course with 2100m of climbing with classics like La Redoute http://sport.be.msn.com/laphilippegilbert/2013/fr/parcours/120.html). I normally count myself as mechanically adept but never noticed I’m running a 53/39 and 12/25 cassette. Its my first proper race bike and could have sworn I asked for a compact but never looked til today as I got massacred on the climbs. A lot of people were running triples, but even people with a double front were spinning at 70-80 rpm while I was doing a demoralizing 40 rpm. It was tolerable on the long climbs with grades not exceeding 12-14%, but the ones with max grads of over 18 just demolished my legs at that slow turnover. I’m certainly not the strongest guy out there and the low cadence didn’t allow for any of the souplesse I normally demonstrate on smaller less severe climbs.
Yes I fully realize that ‘insert Belgian professional here’ can spin up massively steep hills in the 53/25 let alone the 39/25 but just how weak sauce am I? I have a trip to do the Stelvio coming up in June so wondering if a 12/27-28 on the rear will be sufficient or if I should just contemplate the V and ride for the next 6 weeks in the Big Ring and Rule #5 it until the 39 feels like a compact 30? Velominati deliver my penance!
@frank
Thanks Frank! Didn’t think to do that, seeing as the current is comfy for centuries, makes perfect sense to know what that is exactly, then replicate…
@Rob
I have nowhere the experience of some here, the biggest hills around here are 500m at 11%, most rides have hills at least 300m at 8% max. I take a scientific view of cycling, and that comes to gearing as well. If you want a fast time, and easier gearing will help achieve that by climbing faster, then easier gearing is what you should use. If, however, your goal in cycling is to be the man and muscle yourself over the climbs in as high a gear as possible, even if it is slower, stay with what you have. Finding which is faster will take some experimentation however, as of course there is a small sweet spot of efficiency.
The money says 80-100rpm is the most efficient, so in my mind, for your personall wattage, you should run gearing that has you at 80rpm or above on the toughest climb you will ride that day, and allows you to pedal until terminal velocity on the downs.
Keep in mind, you should still turn yourself inside out no matter you have easy or hard gearing.
I am by no mena a Wiggo fanboy, but I recall seeing his bike modded with a custom rear derailleur so that he could carry a larger cassette on Di2. So don’t let trying to be like a pro be a reason to give yourself haemerroids, because even the pros do it!
Don’t be inclined to think you can’t get stronger if you have easier gearing either. With training, you will be able to handle more and more gear in the same sections. My training bike had very easy gearing, and when riding it in a 160km event, the easy gear helped me drop my group of similar ability on the steep climbs, only to be caught later by thier use of drafting. But when we got to a more gentle climb near the end, I was pushing more gear than them because I was stronger than them because of my training. Sur La Plaque, and held them off for the last 10k of rolling. The Rides has my post to prove it.
JMHO.
Oh, and if your riding buddies give you shit if you happen to decide to go for easier gearing than them, because they think you are less of a man, just drop them with your efficient choice of gearing… On a ride, it is all about the legs.
@mouse
Yep, SL is a little lighter than SLX. SLX was introduced a bit earlier, 84 or 85. The rifling in the bottom end of the seat and downtube (and chainstays) makes the bottom bracket area stiffer, and there’s suggestion it was also to beef up the downtube for braze-on derailleur tabs, which were replacing clamp-on around that time. 30 years later and Di2 is snapping the glued and riveted tabs off of carbon frames…
@Rob had a similar quandry last year after the replacement for a written off bike came with a standard crankset instead of the compact that was on the damaged one. A couple of months of grinding away had me at the point of considering a new cassette to give me more than the 25 on the back, quick change back to the original crankset & I’ve been as happy as Larry ever since.
@Rob Hi Rob, I was lucky enough to ride the Stelvio in 2011. I’m a reasonable climber, my hire bike had a compact with a 27 on it and I was pretty happy to engage the 27 on a few bits of the climb but you could probably get away with a 25. It is such an awesome climb the last thing you would want is to be grinding away instead of enjoying the ride.
@Daccordi Rider
I would think these really long climbs are more an endurance exercise for us mere mortals, having gears available that you can stay ” on top of ” at a higher cadence must be a better option than trying to power climb for 24k!
Thanks guys for the replies, seems most of you run a compact. Not sure a 27/28 on the rear will make enough difference so looks like I will have to learn how to swap out the front rings in the next month.
Just as a clarification here is the profiles involved:
La redoute which killed me on the steepest sections
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?qryMountainID=395
The 2nd or 3rd climb which I averaged quite well at 18-19kmh, Côte de Forêt
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?qryMountainID=319
The 2nd one is much more similar to the Stelvio (just tack on another 20km!). Maybe it wouldn’t be an issue since it doesn’t get above 12% til the very end, but its also for the experience of the climb and it would be pretty demoralizing to just grind away for 25km. Think I’ll go for the compact.
@Rob I may be wrong, but standard crank to compact crank mostly have different mounting bolt measurements (called BCD I think?), so make sure you check that the new ones will bolt up the same. Your current crank or rings may have it stamped/written somewhere. Otherwise I think it’s a whole new crank. Luckily by shopping around, sometimes complete cranks are cheaper than 2 chainrings, dunno why… Good luck!
@Rob I am currently running a standard crank – 53/39, and prefer to run 23-11 on the back. This suits me if doing a lot of riding on the flats.
However, on my “winter” wheels I have fitted a 28-11, and I also use these if doing rides whicjh involve a fair bit of climbing. I am running an Ultegra Group-san, and the wheels interchange easily, although you do need to adjust the B-tension screw on the rear derailleur to get enough clearance on the big 28. I generally like to restrict myself to the second cog on the back – a 24 I think. This gives me the reserve of knowing the 28 is there if I need it.
I find I get the full range of gears enabling me to crank it out on a 53-11 if needed, without having sacrifice top-end speed by reverting to a compact. I suppose there a tables out there on gear inches, but the above setup suits me.
This set-up is pretty much at the limit of short cage derailleurs, but no problem as yet.
@Beers
Sorry, but unless you bought your bike very recently, you’ll have to change the whole crank. The smaller rings have differently bolting holes.
@DocBrian
Recently Shimano, and I think Campy, have standardized bolt placement so that you only need to change rings, not entire crank.