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 ...
@Spun Up
You might look here, although you would have to pay shipping from Europe.
Here is a list of US frame builders by state for anyone interested:
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=113817
@andrew Yeah they’re Campagnolo (“braze on adapters/down tube sti stops” – or whatever you might want to call ’em).
I’ve got the Shimano equivalent on N2 (another Italian job not finished yet) – I think the Shimano version are slightly better quality, have had a little trouble with campag cable adjustment nut being difficult to adjust/slipping a liitle in use
@Mikael Liddy Cheers! :)
@Garrrrh! Cool, good to know, thanks.
@Dan_R
I’m looking for a new ride now and the Bond is on my shortlist. Any more feedback you can give about it? Have you ridden an RB800 and if so, how does it compare?
Would love to hear more about it — it’s a stunner with very little writing about it on the internets.
@cantona
Cipo is willing to share his secrets with faithful enthusiasts, although the secret to his flowing locks is still shrouded in mystery.
@Tobin
Drugs, lots of drugs.
@DerHoggz
Women must be in there somewhere too…
@Dan_R Thanks for that input regarding the length of my cable from frame to rear brake. You got it absolutely bang on. Working sweet as a nut now my friend, thanks doesn’t quite cover it but it’s all I’ve got – THANKS!
@snoov my pleasure. Good to hear it worked out for you.
@cantona Took the Bond out for the shop ride this morning (but I was properly in a merino wool jersey in honour of The Prophet) and she handled beautifully. The RB1K and RB800 are pure race machines, while the Bond softens up the geometry just a touch. And descents? Seat on fire. The RB1K & 800 sport integrated masts which are super stiff, but can make traveling a bit difficult if the team ain’t carrying it for you. There is a conversion post available though. Our RB1K is an XL, so I can’t stand over the top tube. The Bond is demo ride equipped with Miche Supertype, DA7900, TRP brakes, and a mix of cockpit parts. And yes, the SMP Dynamic test saddle with the thingy hanging down. The RB1K is somewhat similarly kitted out.
Who has the Cipo you are looking at? Just curious.
@cantona
@DerHoggz
you have to earn the STDs yourself.
@Dinan
As a follow up to this, I wanted to report back.
I have been running both the DA QR’s as well as the DT QR’s on my carbon S-Works RBX. Alternating between them on similar rides.
The weight loss is minimal with the DT’s but I do like the ‘ratcheting’ style system that the DT’s work on. I feel like the wheel is truly secure with that system. I also notice (could be my imagination) that there may be a slight bit more road noise with the DT QR’s as opposed to the DA’s? I am not sure if this is purely me or somehow related to the stiffness of the Ti transferring through the bike while I ride.
Both QR’s are very good and I could easily recommend either to any rider. For me, the DT’s are staying on the S-Works and the DA’s are headed to the Crux.
-Dinan
@Dan_R
we have a cipollini store in Toronto now. I believe the web site is B1group
Does your store sell them? Ship them?
So 1984 Pinarello Pista “olympic” Track bike, thinking of n+1, very good condition don’t know much about them, any thoughts would be appreciated. G.
The ‘other’ love of my life………
@piwakawaka if you don’t, I will!
@sanspareil well there’s a way to make an entrance…lovely looking stable.
@Mikael Liddy
Many thanks, my daughter and husband live in Glenalta, she rides Bianchi, he rides BMC, great place to ride. Have seen the TDU a couple of times and hope to be back in 2014.
@piwakawaka
First thought: do it! Beautiful.
Second: needs a proper track stem, but you’ll never find one with the matching panto. (There’s a guy who does milling, drilling and painting though…)
Third: wish it was my size.
@sanspareil
If you are, we’ll likely run another Cogal on the weekend beforehand (or perhaps a week long one to watch the stages).
@pistard
That thing’s beautiful. Do it now if you haven’t already, it looks immaculate. Might want modern pedals and maybe crank if it’s a funky bcd but that thing is grouse.
If you do this to it though, I’ll hunt you down. Crimes against bikes that should be punished with castration by stem collision.
@sanspareil They’re beauts!
I’m intrigued by the Holdsworth – what age is that? Looks like you’ve personalised/upgraded just about everything, I love it.
Also, I’m impressed how you managed to co-ordinate the colour of the building in the background to the colour of the bike!
@sanspareil
That is a beauty! Wow! In classic orange, white and blue too! My first real road bike was a big-ass red Holdsworth. It never, ever looked as good as that!
@sanspareil
Is your eyewear hanging from your neck? i do like the bike and kit.
@minion
You don’t fancy something more contemporary?
Understated,as ever, from Mario… too many drugz
@Cantona B1 Group is the distributor for Canada. I just have the Bond and the RB1K as demo bikes for now. The supply chain (read: delivery) on Cipos can be tardy, but I can sell to anyone I want to. As a newer shop this is partly an experiment too. They ride well and are beautiful.
The B1 concept shop is nice, but I hear they do not hold a lot of stock.
@wiscot
This is my first road bike, I think it says alot. Got into cycling in the 90s, aluminium not steel, started on STI not downtube shifters, thought getting smashed to shit by a bike was the norm. Jan Ullrich was my gateway drug into pro cycling, Lance was the antichrist given how awesome I thought Ulle was. Didn’t know what tubulars were for years.
@minion
You took this picture before you knew any better right?
Thats not my bike but it’s identical to the one I had – but yeah I probably committed a lot of the same sins. Deep, heavy al rims with a superstiff al frame make for a great ride when you don’t know any better. The best thing was the paint job that went from dark green to greeny purple as you moved past it.
@minion
Aren’t these the bikes that Mavic have on the roof of the neutral service car? They use toe straps as well…
@minion Chromalusion purpleen, yum, I still ride my Dale MTB in that colour when I have to entertain the kids on some singletrack
@minion
Those rigs were like riding a tuning fork or a chunk of railroad track. Climbed like a raped ape tho, soooo stiff at the time. The shop where I cut my teeth as a wrench sold those and Bianchi. And a short stint with Softride.
@scaler911 Yep, that sounds familiar – mine was also too big, with too long cranks. I swung a leg over a CAAD10 recently though, and the difference is pretty impressive, I struggled to believe it was an Al frame.
@ped Nice! I’d never have remembered that since I never knew that was its name in the first place! There was a Porsche 911 around Wellington at the time with the same paint job.
@sthilzy
Did I hear someone say Tommasini? Ahem, I think I know someone who owns one of those…
Mine has the crazy Columbus Multi-Shaped tubeset. It’s bonkers, round, oval, hexagonal. Really nuts, a cool bike to own and a real joy to ride. It’s my special day/perfect weather bike. The T’s are really nice too. Mine has some on the rear brake bridge, the fork, the DT lug behind the headtube and a bunch of other places as well. The detail is amazing.
Oh, since I’m on the subject — anyone want to trade a Cinelli XA stem in 110mm for a 90mm Cinelli XA? That’s what I have on there and I’ve realized I want some more reach.
I also have a Casati with Columbus Genius “differential shape butted” tubing. It might be an even nicer ride than the MS tubing. It is fillet brazed and lugless, with the only visible lug being the BB.
And then I have a De Bernardi with Columbus Thron tubing. Lugged and double butted. Since it’s clearly the lowest tubeset of the three, it is my winter/rain bike. Take that, Thron! Still a nice ride.
I enjoy riding steel bikes and all of them feel a bit different under me, but they also have different wheelsets and set-ups, so that plays a factor. One thing I love about steel – it never, ever creaks. My carbon and Al bikes violate the Silence Principle somedays, those bastards.
This might sound stupid but here goes…
I’ve always tried to get my cycling shoes very, very snug. Perfect size, a bit thicker sock because I have very narrow feet, and I snug them down pretty tight. Then I got to thinking that maybe one reason I sometimes have sore or numb feet is because my feet can’t move at all. Four hours in a foot binding session, no shite your feet go numb.
I’m thinking the key is to have them snug but you also want them to move around a bit. I guess I’ve been taking the soccer cleat approach to cycling shoes. And when racing, yeah, you want your shoes snug, but I guess on training rides it’s good to have a bit of wiggle room, huh?
@Ron
Yeah, mate – dead on. Most shoes are built like tubes, and really the only way to get your feet stable is to lock them down. Bont is the only shoe I know of that designs their shoe to hold your foot really firmly without needing to snug it down. Its strange at first, but after you get used to it (it took me about two weeks) you realize how well it works. My feet are never numb, and the shoes hold my feet perfectly.
@Scaler and @G’rilla couldn’t believe I wore my Bonts all the way home from the Hour – in the grocery store and everything. I had forgotten my sandals and just wore them around and didn’t care because they’re so fuckin’ comfy.
http://www.velominati.com/technology/bont-vaypor-and-vaypor-xc/
@Dinan Great feedback, thanks Dinan!
Shopping in your Bonts. “It’s not like I just crushed it for an hour or anything…Yeah, that’s right, I wear my cycling shoes shopping. Gotta problem with that?” Nice. I’ll make grocery stops often at the end of rides, always get funny looks from the tapping shoes, as folks think I’m wearing high heels. Or it could be the Lycra.
Frank, you’re not helping out. I’d LOVE to try Bonts and I’ve been putting up with Sidi Ergo2s hurting my feet for something like two years now. I can’t decide if I should shell out for insoles or pick up some Bonts. Insoles = $50, some Bonts on the ‘bay for around $100. My silver Ergo 2s look great but they have been a major pain in my arse, er feet.
I have the “anatomic” style soccer cleats and after some getting used to I really like them.
This device attaches to things you think you might lose and need to find again, such as keys, wallets, bikes.
Bikes?
How do you just lose an entire bike around the house? If that’s your problem, maybe you should attach one to your spouse, children, or pet, too. Or your beer.
http://www.thetileapp.com/
@Ron I’ve taken to riding with my shoes pretty loose but still get numb toes, after thinking the same way as you. I’m gonna try a new set of footbeds as the ones that came with the shoes have a bit that feels like there’s a lump under my foot kind of beside the ball. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Unrelated, I’m watching Kiera Knightley kiss some guy on the sidewalk in front of my window.
Literally. It’s 1am and they’re filming a movie on my street.
@snoov
That sounds like the specialized metatarsal button. Meant to enhance comfort but it does feel odd at first.
@G’rilla
Hang the Keepers Tour flag in the back ground!!!
@G’rilla
Yeah, that happens to me all the time.
wait, you’re asleep, right?
@G’rilla
Co-starring G’rilla as Peeping Tom…
@G’rilla
No! Kids are very easily lost!
Any obvious violations here?