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 ...
@Deakus I think the gummies will look sharp on your rig.
@Bespoke
i like this bike.
@Deakus Much as I’d like to shred your ride after your roughshod treatment of my baby, I can’t do it. It’s a beauty and gum walls would look retro on such a current edition. Black is the way to go…unless you want some slightly used blue tyres.
@DocAdrian
Superb! If only you worked for Radeopard, @Gianni could have been saved the effort of writing a whole article criticising their Trek effort.
@The Pressure
Think of it less as “shredding” and more as a nudge away from the darkside and in to the light. Like you say black is the way to go and your ride will look great once you have worn away the azure rubber that is currently on there.
Gummies will be installed shortly on mine and and you will be presented with an opportunity to critique it. I confess it is something of a gamble, but I console myself that they can always be put on my N2 which is blue…
BTW surely gummies would look pretty damn pro on your mochine?
@Deakus
Vittorias – all their Opens are the same, it’s just the colour and the thread that differ – probably get you 95% of the tub feel, for less money… I’ve been running them on my race wheels for a year now, and I still find myself looking at them in terror after I’ve swung my leg on the bike, wondering if I’ve picked up a puncture. They’re so supple that even at 100psi, I’m not sure if I’ve pumped them enough (though I obviously have).
snoov – Glad Michelin latex tubes are working out for you. I pinched one during installation, then punctured one on the maiden voyage. Fack! I’m sticking with Vredesteins. And, I’m getting read to bite the bullet…and cut a Michelin tube to get some patches for two other punctured latex tubes. Gotta do it, can’t find anyone with extra latex patches/tubes. I’ve been mentally preparing myself during hill repeats.
tessar – HA! Glad I’m not the only one doing the trackie peak…Did I puncture? Nah, just smooth as tires!
Here is my input – I have Vittoria Open Corsa CXs on my Record/Open Pro wheels with Vredestein latex tubes. The ride quality is insanely nice. Pure smoothness and joy. I’ve had these tires for a long damn time too. I have a few bikes so it doesn’t get ridden daily, but they definitely last a good while for such a nice tire and also haven’t had any overly bad puncturing. I love them.
Veloflex Masters on Ksyrium SuperLight wheels with Vredestein tubes. Nice ride, but not as nice as the Vittorias. It could be the wheels, of course. Can’t really beat Record hubs and Open Pro rims plus a latex tube. But, I have run Veloflex Paves on these wheels with latex tubes and again, very nice, but not as nice as the Vittorias. I know people feel Veloflex offer the nicest ride, but I’ve found Vittorias are just a bit better.
Now, time to let the Budgetatus swell so I can try out some Vittoria SCs with the gumwall in 25mm. Can’t wait. Always fun to make a slight change like tires and then spend a few days eyeballin’ the hottness of yer bike.
@Ron Just posted her pics!
@Nate
Fuck yeah!
@Ron As I just fitted new tyres to my bike tonight (heading to the Alps tomorrow) I thought I’d let you know what my technique is for fitting them, I reckon this is how most folks do it but here it is. No tyre levers were used. I tried to get myself a set of Vredestein as suggested by @TommyTurbolare latex tubes but they haven’t arrived in time.
Fit the first bead of the tyre, take care to check if there are directional arrows.
Unscrew the valve and blow some air into the tube (with your mouth not with a pump, gently push the stem with your teeth).
Get the tube sitting nicely in the tyre, if there are any kinks it’s stretched at the other side, work it back till it sits properly.
Now get the tube in position with the rim so that the second tyre bead is sitting close to the rim.
Start pushing the tyre over inside the rim, start opposite the valve and stop when it starts to get tight near the valve.
Let all the air out and pinch the tyre together opposite the valve to make it easier to get the last bit in..
Finish pushing the bead into the rim being careful not to catch the tube in between the tyre and the rim.
Inflate a little then check the tyre is evenly seated.
Once it’s seated correctly pump it all the way up.
I used to struggle to get the last bit of tyre over because I didn’t let the air out or pinch the tyre opposite the valve. I think it was @Gianni who taught me this but tonight was the first time I’d tried it, worked a charm, and not obvious so I’m passing it on.
Oops it’s @TommyTubolare
@Nate
Oh my…
@Deakus
Gumwalls or black would look great if you remove all the decals from your rims… it will transform it.
@Nate the campagnolo record is probably a better aesthetic choice for your frame. nemesis and veloflex sew-ups, that must be a treat!
are you planning on keeping the fizik seatpost or switching to 3t down the road? i think a nice polished seatpost and stem combo would be outrageously sexy.
she is a stunner though. aint no denying that. that rear triangle moves me.
@DerHoggz That thought has crossed my mind.
@brett There’s a bit of your Bozzie Progetto in her — for instance, not holding back on the paint. As well as component choices.
@roger I can understand the value proposition for getting Chorus but this was a dream bike so it got Record with 2 exceptions. Can you spot them? Either way, it works great. The frame is so frikkin good at soaking up and sticking to the road, the Nemesis wheel set seems like it might be overkill. Something lighter might be in order. In any event the Veloflexs are awesome. Sticking with the fizik seat pin. It is functionally superior to the 3T, possibly lighter, and made of un-creaky metal. Finally, yes, she has a top arse. Its top-ness defies my limited photographic abilities.
front mech and cassette? i had fizik post on my wilier, and after putzing about with others, i can say it was the easiest to adjust saddle position on. why do other manufacturers make it so damn complicated? do like the way your mind works, now onto new wheels. anything particular in mind or hoping to win a set from the vsp?
@roger ding ding ding! Right you are.
For wheels, might keep an eye out for some light, low profile Mavic tubulars with the Exalith treatment and otherwise be an end-of-season opportunist.
rear hub on MTB always seems to have to much play. I tighten her up and after a couple of ride she is back to being loose. normal for a MTB?
@Nate tits
@Nate
All it needs is black spacers on top of the steerer and it’s perfect.
@RedRanger
Not normal.
@brett
What a great suggestion…I had thought that although the gumwalls look awesome the clean lines are being disrupted by a kind of redwhiteblack camouflage, the kind of shit they put on “as yet unreleased” models of cars when testing them on public roads.
Question is how? These are not stickers, in fact they feel almost as if they are painted on…..how do you remove decals….and does anyone know if American classic aero 420s are actually decalled? Is this a ball ache of a job?
@brett
what could the issue be?
@Deakus
The 420s are alloy, right? I’ve removed the screenprinted logos from American Classic hubs using gel paint stripper. Dabbed it on, waited a few minutes for it to bubble up, wiped it off. Garish logos gone, black anodized finish totally unaffected.
@pistard Great thanks I’ll give it a go..
Who knows something about pedal thread inserts on Carbone cranks?
Was cleaning/relubeing the pedals on the cross machine. Turns out there is a TON of goddamn play in the pedals. But not the pedals. Seems like the Al (?) inserts on the Cannondale Si carbon cranks are really fucking loose.
I think FSA makes these for Cannondale? They are a few years old. Got them 2nd hand. Is there a fix? What are the chances they warranty them? Not only old, but bought from a guy I sometimes ride with. He’s been completely useless in the past when the right Force shifter broke right after I bought it from him, though he’s an industry insider fucker and gets everything free/steep discount. Kind of pitiful I have to ask ya’ll when I ride with this guy because I know he’s a lazy selfish fuck and won’t help out in any way at all.
I’m going to call FSA today and try to see what can be done, thought I’d ask though. They’re around 3 years old, seems like they would be built to last longer. Ah, the joys of pricey carbon parts when a full metal crank would have done just fine. Buggah.
Nate – no garage door? C’mon now.
Great bike, enjoy that nice steed!
New stem has arrived and been installed so thought I’d throw a couple of before & after pics up as well as comparison between the two. No wonder my shoulders & neck have been a little stiff!
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Mikael/2013.07.15.13.27.25/1/”/]
@brett That will get trimmed.
@Ron Yes but it was in dappled sun at the time, so I opted for the shady wall.
@Mikael Liddy maybe this was mentioned, that frame may be too big for you?
Spoke with FSA, they told me to call Cannondale. The tech dude said they can’t repair them though, that they’d need to be replaced. I’m not expecting to get far being the second owner. Fack. It blows when your chainrings outlast your cranks.
@RedRanger mmm, it’s something that’s been through the head a few times since getting this fit done, but a new purchase is definitely out of the question so I’ll see how we go with this adjustment as well as treating a few of the flexibility issues I’m having.
I still have a sneaking suspicion that this might be something of an over correction based on the limitations of my physical condition at the moment, can only try it out & see.
So, a customer comes in with his new Felt F1with Di2 – nice set-up, purchased at an other shop, but it is creaking. Damn PF30. What makes it worse? The DA crankset is installed in Taiwan and the cups keep popping out. Ouch. Some much for a $13,000 bike, eh?
Dan and CR to the rescue. Folks, Rotor makes a PF/BB30 bottom 24mm spindle BB that screws into itself. 40Nm of secure BB love for your Group-san. The more I bring in Rotor stuff, the less I can keep in stock. And that ain’t even the rings or cranksets.
Not a sales pitch, but more of a recommendation for those that have a BB30 or PF30 frame and want to run group-san.
Sneak peek from the maiden voyage.
@Dan_R
I have a BB30 in my Veloforma Strada iR; right now I’ve got the Campa adapter in there and it looks/works well, but as soon as I’ve got some cash for it, I’d love to get the Rotor. I like how flexible that crankset seems to be, and its the only thing I can think of to put on a Campa-equiped bike to go straight BB30.
Plus, I broke my crank on the rain bike in my black ice crash last winter (just discovered that) so I’ll need to replace the crank on that bike; with the Rotor, I can trickle down a fresh crank to the rain bike.
Check out fair wheel bikes site Frank. They have some uber light cranks they stock
@frank http://fairwheelbikes.com/cranksets-road-cranksets-c-87_9.html?zenid=75cf49ceab0ba7ec3ec80617fbad118a
I’ve heard good things about Parlee’s adaptors; meanwhile I am glad my stable is spec’d entirely to threaded BBs.
@frank The Cannondale SI SL cranks will do the Campa BB30 thing and have the advantage of the interchangeable spider so you can wimp out and fit some compact rings when the Keeper Tour goes to the mountains.
@frank That looks stunning but surely you should have been in full v-kit for the maiden voyage. V-socks included.
@Chris
You shouldn’t take stupid pills on an empty stomach. A Cannondale product on a Veloforma with Campa? After a strong showing on the spider, you’ve completely backtracked. Go check your shit, dude.
@frank Love the orange on the inside of the fork blades
@frank Ha, I’m only surprised that you didn’t give me shit for suggesting that you ride a compact.
The Cannondale crank is great but I’ll grant you that it doesn’t quite have the same eye-talian je ne sais quoi.
@Chris I didn’t get that far into your post before blacking out from rage.
@frank
I believe the phrase is “chiggity-check yoself before you wreck yo self”, but I could be mistaken.
Also: “compact chainrings is bad for yo health”.
@frank I never had you down for blood pressure issues. The next few days could be a bit dicey as the Dutch IT Support Team’s GC contenders get shoved out of the way by bunch of Spanish and Columbian Climbers.
I can’t promise that I won’t put Cannondale cranks on the VSP Veloforma though.
@frank
That’d go nice with a Richey seatpost and stem. And one of these:
@frank
I have been using Rotor 3D Plus on my S3 and it’s the best crank I’ve had so far.I use NoQ 53/39 aero chainrings.Installed it using Rotor BSA 30 bottom bracket cups because axle on the 3D Plus is 30 mm.Highly recommended set up although you would need different BB cups.
What does that mean? Flexibility of use I hope cause the crank is plenty stiff especially with aero rings.