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 ...
@frank
stop. You’re like a class A pusher. its a infinite and exponentially expanding money vortex of carbon and silk and spandex and baby kangaroo leather………
Newest addition to the stable LeMAN Poprad. Drivetrain is an old 9spd Campy Veloce/Chorus mix I had laying around. 42/39 on the front and 11-28 on the back. For now, she’s built for fireroad, gravel racing and all-weather commuting so 37mm Continental Contact II Extra Light tires were a good choice. In the winter, she’ll wear Ksyrium SL’s with tubeless CX tires for ‘cross. I know the tape and saddle don’t match, but I thought Red White and Blue seems appropriate for this frame.
Took her out for the first taste of dirt tonight and she just ate it up. While the handling is definitely slower than the Colnago on pavement, the stability and float at 30kph over dirt and gravel is sublime.
@Nate Maybe it’s time to throw some fatties on that Kirk and scout out a route for an SF Fireroad/Dirt/Trail Cogal Extravaganza?
@EricW I like it, but black bar tape would be better in my opinion. Oh, and get it cleaned, loose the bidon, extra cage and light before you take the next photo mk!
Big Ring anyone?
http://vimeo.com/70921986
@TommyTubolare
Ok, I’m feeling frisky, gonna take the bait. Why do you suggest not using latex w/ gp4000?
It’s funny- I still have misgivings about why latex tubes function so much better, but I now have 1000s of km on ’em (on and off road) and there’s no going back to butyl (until my personal economy collapses that is). I think they are awesome for commuting. I forgot to swap out the gp4000 I had on my commuter wheel (for some temporary purpose) for the usual gatorskin. I noted one day that the wheel sounded like someone had put sand in the hub, thought I had destroyed yet another set of bearings. Brought it by the mechanic, turns out hub was pristine, but there was glass, steel wire bits, and gravel in there, and the tube was intact. I find the puncture resistance and the ability to “ride out” a flat of latex tubes much better. Have even re-inflated one going flat to limp home the last 3-4 miles before.
You won’t be able to feel the quality through the casing of the GP4000s. Kind of like “double baggin'” it. They’re too heavy and thick to feel the suppleness through.
You need a nicer quality open clincher like a Veloflex or a Vittoria Open Corsa to really feel the advantages of latex tubes.
@EricW are those the ‘science to winning’ bidons? that colnago of yours is hard to forget, especially with that wheelset
i must have gone through this parking lot at least a dozen times, and this morning is the first time i noticed the etching in stone…no idea what its purpose..
@gaswepass
You can use them if you like but they are much more expensive.I didn’t mean any puncture resistance or durability comparison but simply rolling resistance and riding qualities. Conti uses hard rubber and even in their tubulars they use butyl inner tubes cause you wouldn’t even feel the difference so it keeps the cost down. Conti Pro Teams tubulars have softer rubber and use latex inner tubes.They do not sell them to public but they appear occasionally on ebay.
For clinchers I’d only use them with worthy tires to gain in riding qualities.Continentals are great and durable tires.They offer much better puncture protection than Vittorias or other tires I mentioned however I’d rather deal with a few more punctures per year than riding on a ‘less exciting’ tire.People worry so much about the flats that they can’t even enjoy riding anymore.
@roger
Fucking awesome photo!
i love the juxtaposition of the camo Colnago with the rusticated wall. Looks a bit ‘Berlin 1944’. The graffiti brings it back to present day.
Poetry!
-chain in the big ring would have been mo better tho-
@DerHoggz
Fantastic video. Highly recommended…
@mouse
Agreed. Very charming. I have seen the bike before but frankly, thought it was a joke or a fantasy. Really nice to see it in action and the passion behind it.
@Bespoke
Pretty f’n cool.
@snoov I was gonna clean it, but I thought the dirty cx bike next to the pristine road bike was an interesting picture. I hear you on the other suggestions, but I had just gotten home from hitting singletrack and didn’t feel like cleaning (or removing cages). And the bidons themselves…
@roger…are indeed the science to winning ones. I stuck them on, with the LeMAN one on the appropriate bike. Seemed fitting. Also, what a gorgeous ‘Nago and picture. Are those Golden Tickets?
@EricW is that a colnago cx bike?
@RedRanger
No, the Colnago is a late 70’s Super. The CX bike in the foreground is a LeMan Poprad.
They are a variation of the nemesis. H+son tb14. ano finish. Double eyelet, box section in 32h. I built them with record hubs/race spokes. Not a light setup no matter how you try to swing it but are a solid ride. Bombed into what could be best described as middle earth the other day and still nice and true.
@roger those are killer looking hoops indeed.I havnt heard a single bad thing about H+son at all.
Ergosum drops just appear puny at this angle. Rotundo (or Tornova) fever has been hitting for awhile. Shallow drops were nice a year and a half ago, but now “we” shall go deeper. We being myself and a beloved bike counterpart — The Sword.
@EricW Let’s do it!
@EricW
I’m of the opinion that the bar tape matching goes out the window when you’re talking about a cross bike. Obviously, there are limits to how disparate the color schemes should be, though. I like the red tape – are their any red details in the stem/seatpost/frame?
@Pedale.Forchetta
Each time you post photos I am captivated. I know from shooting a bit myself it’s not about the gear (and this is no way a parahrase of a title of a book that I hope no one spent money on!) but I am very interested in more detail on how you made this particular photo and what camera/s you carry while riding.
And the bike/kit/etc, well, again well done!
Nice photo, rob! Ha, Three weeks in a row some Christian-folk have knocked on my door and tried to convert me. I was polite the the first and second time, then told them I’ve left the flock (raised in the confines), don’t want to go back. The nice old lady can’t seem to figure this out.
Pedale’s photo is great! I want to know where I can get my own Super Natural bars! Never seen those from Deda.
Regarding that photo and cabling – I have some Deda Newtons with a front channel. I’ve routed the brake cables at the front. I can route the shifter cables at the front or the back. Is there a Rule-of-thumb for this or is it purely what you personally like?
Both at front keeps them all snug and nice, but does create a bit more cable-frenzy. Shifters at back creates the ridge line under the tape at the rear. I have one of each routing style on Deda bars on other bikes, just curious.
@Ron
Personal preference, I found routing along the back to be annoying when on the tops.
First post. Mr. Fignon is referenced quite frequently here, thought you might appresciate. This is my Fignon tribute frame, a Cyfac Proxidium built and signed by Francis Quillon, who made all of Fignon’s framesets. I modeled it after the 1989 “Raleigh” bike (built by Quillon) and put the “le professeur” and french tricolore on the other side of the top tube.
@EricW
I love that you have around $10,000 in bikes and have resorted to plastic furniture. Strong work.
@fignons barber
I miss the days when bikes were repainted like his Raleigh! What an awesome nod to such a legend! That is a real beauty – is it metal or carbon? Can’t tell from the paintwork…
@Ron
Running cables in the front usually create sharper bend so more friction.
I’d recommend you run the cables round the back, but to make it really special once you reach the curve on the side of the handlebars run the cable underneath the handlebars next to the brake cable(in front of it if you are looking from the back of the bike).You will get 2 cables running neat next to each other and exiting nicely out once you wrap the bartape.
@frank
I extend Rule #11 to all aspects of my life.*
*However, if the VMH asks, we pretend to half that number.
@fignons barber That thing is freaking gorgeous! What are your ideas for the build?
Greetings! I’m a Velominati newbie, named Scooby, and thought I’d intro myself so as not to be a stranger for long. I’ve been a lifelong cyclist, graduating from the childhood Stingrays and Huffys to my first roadie made by the same company as my radio; Panasonic. Solid steel and a fine ride. But I couldn’t take it with me overseas when deployed in the Air Force so I left it at my folks house. They promptly sold it along with my canoe and Ford Mustang. I then bought a mountain bike in South Korea and took to their hills and vales. Lovely cultural clashings ensued as I frequently barreled into the middle of Buddhist temple compounds (they were secluded and well hidden). Buddhists are nice tho and always gave me water and a firm pat on the back as they pointed me to the exit. Other bikes followed, Cannondales, Bridgestones, GTs and a Specialized Secteur Elite (my current steed). I learned of The Rules a few months ago and have studied them religiously. I don’t have them all memorized yet except for Rule #5, which has helped me complete several centuries and is my constant companion on tough rides. I just registered with the site (didn’t know you could do that before) and am hoping to grow in discipleship. For now I say “Hello” and bid you adieu.
@EricW
It’s aluminium. They use a special process to file the welds that takes 3 hours per frame. I started out just wanting a smash-and-bang rig for training and got a bit carried away. Here is a quickie photo from my phone (android nexus camera is terrible). Record groupo (SR crankset), Ritchey 260 stem/Curve bar/Fizik Antares/Look Keo Blades. The wheels are Pacenti SL23/White Ind T11 hubs/Sapim cxrays/Vittoria open evo SC tires. And, yes, I have a couple coca-cola bottles!. Total weight is 16lbs,7 oz. I have about 3000k on it, nice stiff no nonsense ride.
@Scooby
Thats how you do it.
Welcome!
I’d suggest that I’ve an idea whose parents are going to be put in a nursing home prematurely…
@fignons barber
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Just put some white bar tape on there and it’ll be perfect.
@robditch
Hard to tell what ind of bike Jesus has there. Cinelli? As one might expect, I can’t see any rule violations on the bike. His clothing however, seems a tad inappropriate for riding . . .
@wiscot
+1
Crisp and clean and white please.
@fignons barber Very nicely executed! Chapeau to you!
@wiscot Suggestion for the tape? (And hoods?)
Ridley bike sizing? Anyone got any tips? I’m 178cm and 87cm inseam, which puts me on medium in their sizing chart. Just go with that?
Sadly the Bianchi project from a while ago was too big, now I got the inside line on a Ridley, along with finance committee approval…
@sthilzy
White tape and hoods would be ideal. If you have a pro mechanic with lots of red, white and blue benotto tape, I’d go the whole hog and copy Le Professeur. However, Fignon was champion of France in 1984 so he had the right to that tape job. Rule #16 applies here I think.
@frank
Word to your mother!
@fignons barber Sweet ride.
@robditch
As the sole Cinelli dealer in my major metropolitan area. Stupendous!
@fignons barber
Chapeau! I’m quite Cyfac curious so it’s nice to see some bikes from that shop. That really is an outstanding bike. Velominati tried to work out a relationship with Cyfac but I think we just confounded them. We can do that.
Yes, welcome to the ‘hood. If in doubt, tell some one to feck off. We like to curse each other out and laugh about it.
@wiscot
Rule #26. No bidons, cranks off line, not ‘ sur la plaque’.
Its a Cinelli Saetta, with Chorus 11 throughout.
I don’t think Jesus owns the bike; Mary is simply offering up the machine to aid his journey. The problem, of course, being the enormous crucifix of death. Allegedly.
multiple caption options!
@wiscot
That was also his Bastille Day tape-job, not everyday if I recall.
@TommyTubolare
Thank you very much, Tommy. This is great advice!
I have an either/or question and I’m after some advice. Best option for CX gearing:
46/39 on a standard crankset OR 46/36 on compact?
I was using 42/38 x 11/26 until my standard crank arms bit the dust. I can either go for Force traditional or compact. Compact might allow more ring options (but how often do you swap those?) but I have compact cranks on one road bike (50/34) and my legs have never liked it, the 34 just feels weird. I use my cross bike for occasional racing, but mostly for riding gravel, fire, and woods routes when the roads are busy or it’s cold/wet. Would rather not be swapping cassettes for a 1 hour leg-stretcher ride, so looking for the most versatile route. I have plenty of cassettes, 25, 26, 28 tooth options.
@DerHoggz
I just noticed: I think the pic of Fignon is the day he and Charly Mottet attacked the bunch and took advantage of a screaming tailwind. Really put the shitters up the whole field. Charly was, of course, wearing a cap and his fantastic red and white Rivats. (Just visible to the left)
@Ron
I run a 46/38 Rival on a standard. The advice i was given was the hills in cross races will never need a 34. Anything steep will probably be a run up, and anything that’s not steep enough the justify a dismount will be short enough to use your current momentum. It also depends on how strong of a rider you are, and where you like to be. The small ring will be pretty helpful in peanut butter mud races as you’ll be riding slower than you would on hardpack. But will you be constantly topping out your 34/11? Any reason you don’t want to just buy new crank arms?
@robditch
Looks like He’s giving a quiet “Bel mezzo,” which might answer the question “WWJR.”
@kixsand
+ red electrician’s tape to finish it and match the Antares.
im 3 months from finishing school! already thinking about new bikes and upgrades for when i get a job in aviation. pretty stoked!