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 EffectRule #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 BlackGuest 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 StableDialing in the Stable
    This 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 rugMatching the drapes to the rug
    As 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 HourFestum Prophetae: Waiting for the Hour
    Everyone 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 ...

15,871 Replies to “The Bikes”

  1. @ChrisO Superb. The bike looks fantastic. Will you leave it there the next time Mrs ChrisO visits?

    What sort of bar tape is that? Fizik Ribbed and Nobbly for added pleasure?

  2. @Chris My flatmate had been suggesting exactly that when Mrs ChrisO came to visit at Easter. I suspect she would do hardly more than raise an eyebrow.

    The tape is a personal favourite – Cinelli Bubble Wrap. In the heat here where our gloves are soaked, the tape is saturated and the sweat is dripping off the bar ends it is without doubt the best at keeping some sort of grip.

    I’ve only ever used the black before so it will be interesting to see how the white stands up.

  3. @ChrisO re…………..I suspect she would do hardly more than raise an eyebrow.

    I suspect with most of us I guess it would severely depress the value of S in S-1.

  5. @ChrisO

    @Chris …I suspect she would do hardly more than raise an eyebrow…

    Just so long as she doesn’t catch you gazing lovingly at it when you should be paying her attention.

  10. @ChrisO move it away from the bed, im a very happily married man, but seeing that carbon weave and the black and the bed, well, unnatural thoughts started to happen.

  12. @ChrisO   fucking good work. Aggresive as sin. Great frameset – I’ve loved every second on my advanced SL.

  13. @ChrisO Oh wow. Great photos. Love the white accents. With a matte frame wouldn’t gloss V logos work better?

  14. @ChrisO i wonder how close you and frank come in bike fit…love the entire build, but something looks odd about this angle…i know this is how giant and i think bmc also do their rear triangle, but doesnt seem to be quite right…but what do i know. killer #1 and hope she treats you well next season!!

  16. @ChrisO Hawt bike.  My tastes are running to metal frames these days but that is giving me some Carbone.  I know you will ride the piss out of it.

    Also you are being too modest about the weight:  Tell us where you mounted the lead pellets to bring that thing up to the UCI limit.

  17. Beautiful bike Chris O.  I hope you secure it with an earthquake strap else you could be awoken by a mouthful of bike….ouch!

  18. @ChrisO every time I look at my bike I think the frame is too big, you and @frank are to blame, oh that and the whole pro peloton, seems like the sloping top tube is the new black. I’m guessing you have ridden a more conventional top tube, how does that aspect of bike geometry compare?

    The wheel set rocks, I read a power tap hub, rims, spokes???

  19. Thanks all… and (touch wood) no Rules violation notices so far,  apart from a valve stem not being at 6 o’clock – it’s in a different time zone OK, that;s my UAE wheel and the other one is my London wheel.

    Rode it for the first time this morning and the word that comes to mind is “glides”. It seems to be extremely stiff, without being uncomfortable, which I guess is partly a product of the sloping tube and the carbon fibre. Put together it is just insanely smooth.

    The frame is a Large, which is not the biggest one they do – there’s an XL. I was surprised by that but the geometry works. As long as the essential measurements are the same I am pretty comfortable on any style, whether it is a straight tube on the Master or the curved tube of the Noah. For me that’s saddle to bars and saddle to BB. I may yet make some minor adjustments but so far so good.

    Saddle height – I also look at it and think “Woah” but maybe I’ve also been conditioned by the Frank-n-bikes. I suspect if I lined my bike up next to his it would look like I had a tiny vestigial stump beneath my saddle.

    I can see how people become obsessive weight weenies. It would be tempting to find that 300g and bring it down to UCI limits just for the fun of it.

    The wheelset is ENVE SES 3.4 clinchers with DT Swiss spokes and Powertap G3 hub. Also extremely sweet. They weigh in at around 1600g I think, so if you put some ultra-light tubs on there it would be easily under the limit.

  21. @Deakus

    @ChrisO Is that Lizard Skin DSP tape?

    No it’s Cinelli Bubble Tape. I love it. Great in the super-sweaty conditions out here. I imagine it would work well in the rain too. The raised bumps give good grip even when the tape is soaked.

    Oh and @mcsqueak , yes the Brooks has been overlooked for this. That’s a Selle Italia SLR Flow with alloy rails, not the carbon version.

    Partly that I decided weight-weenieness was worth doing for a saving of about 150g but mainly that I wanted white.

    I started using a black SLR on my Ridley over summer – I was finding the Brooks giving me some heat problems so went for something with a cutout and it seemed to work. The Brooks is now on my Roberts and the Colnago Master, so at least they have found natural homes.

  22. @ChrisO This post has given me pause, both Carbone and the image’s alter like set up! At first I was struck by the similarity to the typical display of Samurai swords in a place of honor in the house. Perhaps you have set a new standard for images of N+1? The only thing better would be to have the swords with the bike, neh?

    And thanks for the heads up on the Cinelli Bubble Tape I have moved to hot and wet and will give it a try.

  23. @ChrisO

    Damn you and your fine bike! And ENVE wheels and Campagnolo 11, you have done well. That is a nice looking steed. Also that is about a good a place to store a bike as I’ve ever seen.

    For what it’s worth. Zinn reporting that Gruppo, Group-san and Bro-set wheels are all compatible in 11 speed. So everybody upgrade to 11 so I can try all your fancy pants wheel sets. NOW!

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/09/bikes-and-tech/drivetrain-compatibility-hidden-in-plain-sight_303199

  25. Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery but I’m not sure sure about this…

    One of my team-mates, having seen my new bike in the workshop, has gone and ordered EXACTLY the same.

    Not just the same frame but the same colour, same wheels with Powertap even the same fucking bar tape. He’s my size too.

    Is it just me or is that a bit weird, in a velo-stalking kind of way ?

  27. @ChrisO Yeah that is funny.  I have a mate who converted to a certain large American brand a few years ago and swore they were the best thing since sliced bread.  Then I upgraded to a Pina.  You’ve guessed the rest.

  28. @ChrisO: I suspect she would do hardly more than raise an eyebrow.

    Same old, same old then?

    I feel too young to he making that joke, but no one else jumped on it.

  29. @Teocalli

    @ChrisO Yeah that is funny. I have a mate who converted to a certain large American brand a few years ago and swore they were the best thing since sliced bread. Then I upgraded to a Pina. You’ve guessed the rest.

    Yeah that’s just weird.  Next thing you know, these people will all be wanting to wear the same kit, fit the same bar end plugs and adorn their bikes with the same decals. Whatever next.

  31. @roger

    @ChrisO i wonder how close you and frank come in bike fit…love the entire build, but something looks odd about this angle…i know this is how giant and i think bmc also do their rear triangle, but doesnt seem to be quite right…but what do i know. killer #1 and hope she treats you well next season!!

    Shorter stays, stiffer, more responsive rear end right? At least that’s the impression I have always had regarding this design choice in regard to the rear triangle.

  32. @roger, @VeloVita

    Small triangles are stiff triangles. Shorter tubes are stiffer tubes, assuming they are the same diameter.

    Which also means the bigger the frame, the more flex it will have, a central reason I ride the smallest frame possible.

  33. @Mike_P

    @frank What is it that you’re using as frame protectors on your cables?

    Those are Jagwire cable tops – http://jagwire.com/products/v/Tube_Tops

    Light, easy to place, and seem plenty effective.

  36. Folks, I’m thinking of moving from butyl to latex tubes and from Schwalbe to Vittoria tires, but am at a bit of a loss regarding which tire might be the best choice from their range. We are moving in to winter here in the UK, so is this even a good time to try Vittoria? Any thoughts from you would be useful. Thanks.

  37. @Mike_P You might think of Paves, not Corsas, at the top end of the range.  But get local opinion.  Also, tires that will stand up to a UK winter are going to benefit a lot less from latex tubes, then thin, supple summertime tires.

  38. Increasing n+2 tomorrow.  Getting to recover two firsts.  My first Mountain Bike –  a fully rigid steel Hardrock no big deal there but also my first Road Bike for which I also still have the catalogue priced in UK £-s-d.  An original Claude Butler from 19coughcough to renovate.  Not sure what state it will be in -cripes just worked out how old it is!

  39. @Nate

    @Mike_P You might think of Paves, not Corsas, at the top end of the range. But get local opinion. Also, tires that will stand up to a UK winter are going to benefit a lot less from latex tubes, then thin, supple summertime tires.

    Haven’t used the Open Paves but absolutely love the tubular version. Perfect for an English winter. The tubulars are latex I think so that should work but I’ve no idea how much of a difference there would be over butyl.

  41. Hey @nate, @xyverz and you palo alto types- what shop do you guys recommend for renting a rig in palo alto area. logistics changed, gonna have time to ride there this weekend after all.

    thx in advance!

  44. @gaswepass

    @Nate

    @gaswepass I dont live down there but Velomilurker Dave from the Cogal mentioned this place:

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/undiscovered-country-cycling-center-los-altos

    Good luck!

    Thx. Learned 2 things about the area- plan well in advance (couldn’t this time- last minute deal), and that shop is closed on Sundays. I’m having to use the the bike connection on el camino. Wish me luck for realz. And open to ride suggestions.

    Bike Connection is a decent shop. I’ve purchased two from them (one from them, and one from their sister shop, about 100m up El Camino, across Stanford Ave). I can’t complain too much. They seemed to treat me well enough, but it’s been about 8-9 years since I’ve been in there.

  47. Recovered the first proper bike I ever owned.  Pictured as recovered today.  Still had the same tubs on it from years ago and despite the outer being perished they still held 90 psi – daren’t risk putting in more pressure.  Wheels spin fine, steering a bit stiff.  Brakes useless – fortunately I only took it on a very short and slow spin.  1967 Claud Butler to be a restoration project.

  48. @Teocalli

    Recovered the first proper bike I ever owned. Pictured as recovered today. Still had the same tubs on it from years ago and despite the outer being perished they still held 90 psi – daren’t risk putting in more pressure. Wheels spin fine, steering a bit stiff. Brakes useless – fortunately I only took it on a very short and slow spin. 1967 Claud Butler to be a restoration project.

    This is a thing of beauty! I’m looking forward to seeing your post-restoration photos. =)

    I did something similar recently with a 1980 Raleigh Super Course. It came out looking much better than when I got it, but I have to re-do some stuff on it. I’ve ridden it a bit and decided that I *hate* the bar-end shifters that came with it. If I were to make this a #2 bike, I’m going to have to spend some money on new wheels and either get brifters (and a new drivetrain) or turn it into a single-speed commuter.

  49. @Teocalli

    Recovered the first proper bike I ever owned. Pictured as recovered today. Still had the same tubs on it from years ago and despite the outer being perished they still held 90 psi – daren’t risk putting in more pressure. Wheels spin fine, steering a bit stiff. Brakes useless – fortunately I only took it on a very short and slow spin. 1967 Claud Butler to be a restoration project.

     

    Just WOW!  So cool even without your history with it; with the extra special history you have with her, priceless!

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