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 ...
@Weldertron
Rule #89. I want that Peugeot wagon.
@Weldertron
Suggest instead that as you are human, you should consider a smaller gear. Will you be riding at a velodrome or as a road fixie?
Note that when we warm up at the velodrome, we use a 48×16 and when we race points or scratch, we use 48×14. Motorpace I use 48×13.
Move over, 3T! We have a new set of components to lust after. Itching to get my hands on the Snake bar and test that beautiful new Volta saddle.
@Mark1
Holy crap! Did I read that correctly? How do you manage a set of wheels that friggen heavy?
LOL
Just kidding, they look nice. How do they ride? I never use Tune hubs in my builds, so I am curious.
Oh yeah. We are a Merckx dealer now. I knee and pray towards it 5 times a day.
Kneel***
@Dan_R
Those are, I assume, the Chinese Rims? I spent last night lacing mine, then unlacing them, as I discovered you can’t lace 24h 3x, and then of course they were too long to lace 2x – arse!! Anyone want a bunch of 282mm sapim race spokes!?!?!
@tessar or this
@piwakawaka if you look at those bar ends I think we’ve solved the query of what Marcus smuggled in to his x-ray session…
Yes bikes do have a soul. And mine spoke to me after we finished every minute of daylight today — and it was fast. I think this bike (Sword) prefers to go up on top instead of being stashed inside the van. It sure looks and feels a hell whole lot better.
@piwakawaka I don’t know, the only flat-top bar that really does it for me is the Zipp VukaSprint. As much as I love ENVE and their fab wheels, I’d rather have a Merckx-bend bar with round tubes.
Also, I’d rather keep my bike all-aluminium. I love being able to toss it into a bus and take me hundreds of kilometres from home. Can’t do that with carbon… When I get an all-carbon frame, I’ll match it with all-carbon bars. From Fizik.
@tessar between the ” benvy” I have for those bars, and the POK helmet, I’m gonna need to rob something!
All hail the 3T Rotundo Pro.
@Frank I think I’ve got you to thank for this one. After reading your various reflections here and in The Rules about back pain, positioning etc, I decided to give Rotundo Pro’s a go and fitted a set to N2 last weekend. What a revelation. The variety of positions I can have my hands in and absolute delight of riding on the drops with a proper platform under my palms, rather than hanging half off the end of a compact bar drop is just brilliant. I’m a convert.
@Mike_P
Fizik’s Snake aluminium is, as far as I can see, identical in shape to the Rotundo. The carbon ones are a bit oddly squared, though.
@Deakus
Result! Another reason for buying Campag……the 36 month warranty. Retailer just said, send it back it should have lasted more than 3000kms we will just repair or replace it. So that’s £120 for a new set of shifters saved and now available for spending elsewhere on bike related goodies!
@Deakus
Retailer? Send it back? Sounds suspiciously like an online purchase to me, Deakus.
@Mike_P Indeed….but….in my defence.
I purchased the bike (now my N2 a Ribble Alu Winter Trainer) online before I was enlightened by the Rules and the wisdome from the prophet.
At the time I did not know my LBS which I built up my N1 with subsequently.
Thankfully both matters are now rectified, however I have to go back to the original retailer for warranty matters. Fortunately they are also authorised Campag repairers as well as distributors here in the UK and I was pleasantly surprised at their service which was very good.
The LBS diagnosed the problem for me free of charge so I will be popping a full rack of cakes up to them this afternoon in thanks.
All’s well that ends well…..
@Deakus Well done indeed. And there was me thinking it was just because you live miles from civilsation in that place north of England ;-)
I saw the bike at Bespoke Bristol this year…but Jeez he has a set of Balls Merckx would be proud of!
@Mike_P Nope I live in Hampshire….family is from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland….
@Deakus I loved this when I first saw it. The engineering of the machine and will to push it as hard as possible. But, the thing that made me smile the most was his mate bolting a wooden fairing to his car. Heath Robinson eccentricity in spades.
@tessar
Since Fizik has tied up their operations with Crank Brothers, I’m gonna wait till I get my grubby hands on some before committing to pitching money into it. From the webpics it does look very much like 3T stuff (finish, shape, bolt placement).
PRO vibe bars are currently the greatest bars ever.
@Mike_P
@Deakus
Remember, I have an online store on my shop website too. Although I do not consider myself an online business. And I don’t sell for any online prices! So do I count as the LBS to the V?
Oh, and while I am at it, I am thinking of a “scratch and dent sale” exclusive to the V. Nothing in stone yet, just floating the idea.
@Dan_R
Loved watching you set your business up here and on FB and trust me on this – I will buy something from you – the scratch and dent sale sounds just like my sort of thing.
@unversio
Your bike has a soul, yes, and that’s a gorgeous photo after what sounds like a great ride, but it also has the bidon still in the cage – Rule #26 general practice.
Maybe there should be a rule about never stuffing the N1 in the trunk. That would really mess with those of us who have to deal with underground parking.
@Dan_R
I would order everything from you except it would bring new mean to the work LOCAL bike shop and I have a feeling that the shipping costs might make my eyes water. Nevertheless, I do hanker after a set of cafe roubaix wheels and one day you may just get an order from far far away!
@Deakus
Pure balls. I love it!
@the Engine We’ll see what we can put together for a sale!
@Deakus Shipping! you are telling me….
Thanks guys. I do appreciate the support!
FUJI gone all Velominati on me.
http://australia.fujibikes.com/bike/details/sst-13
@Barracuda sure you don’t ‘need’ a new one to suit your current neck issues?
@Barracuda
Really? Looks a stunner! V inspired colour scheme…
@Deakus
@Mike_P
For a side by side
@Deakus One of each please!
@Mike_P
Mike I know of an LBS in Surrey that has the Fondriest in stock. Not sure what size but was looking at it the other day.
@Teocalli Guessing that may have been Pure Motion Cycles in West Byfleet? They are my LBS and a great bunch. Superb service and a ride out from the shop every Sunday morning.
@Mike_P
Beyond Mountain Bikes in Smithbrook Kilns near Cranleigh. Rides from the Show Saturday morning road from the shop and off road Thursday evening (various locations around Surrey Hills) – lights needed now!
@Teocalli
As much as the Fuji looks stunning, I notice the Fondriest comes Campag equipped and the black wheels clinch it for me!
Here’s a few pics of my newest toy. The pictures really don’t do it justice. Glorious Steel at its finest.
I hope you like them!
A Closer shot of the quite awesome(IMHO at least) paint job
And lastly the custom made Headbadge!!
@936adl
Oooohhhh sweet! Lovely, lovely bike. Had a Rourke once – metallic green TT frame. Tight ass clearances and, of course, that fast-back wrap-over seat lug.
Looks like a bike built for end-of-season hill climbs to me. Yes? No? Did those too back in the day even though I climbed like a brick. You have to love an aspect of the sport that entails such effort in such a short time that within minutes you are on the verge of puking and need to be caught after crossing the line or you’ll fall over. (At least that was how it was back in the days of toe clips and straps. You were too fucked to even bend down and release your feet.) Good times!
@Mike_P @Teocalli @Deakus while it’s not Campa shod, you’ll hear no bad words from me about the TF3. Absolute dream of a bike to ride.
@Mikael Liddy
Great View! I’m guessing it’s a steep ramp to it looking at the gear you’re pushing.
@wiscot
Thank for your kind words.
I love the Bikes section, nice bikes always!
Got home after the LBS ride this morning to find I must have had a puncture at some point. Running Tubeless, a little squirt of latex on the seat tube but it had obviously made up and I’d only lost about 5psi from the tyre. Seems to have worked well and saved a bit of hassle out on the road. Result seemingly.
@Deakus
I’ll just add this, as it’s Saturday night here in UK, so NSFW, greatest piece of Italian porn since la Cicciolina
@936adl the last ramp is steepish, but if memory serves this was more a case of me popping the clutch in & finishing a 12k climb very gently on my first ride in about 2-3 months.
Bad news from the LBS yesterday. The unidentified creak thats been getting progressively worse for the last 6 weeks turns up to be a crack in the frame down near the BB.
The bike is a Rose CRS 5000 thats only covered 2500 KM since last November . Hopefully the warranty replacement will be straightforward but its a massive pain nause.
Fingers crossed I can get it sorted out in time for the London Cogal.
@motor city
Rats. That’s not good at all. Hope they can sort you by the Laandun Cogal.
@Teocalli Yeah I hope so too. I do have a humble N2 but thats currently geared up for CX. I’ll have to ride it if I have no other choice.
I’ve checked and Rose do have a replacement frame in the right size / colour. I was concerned that they’d sold out for this season or changed the spec.