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 ...
this brings up an issue Im having. every time I see these beautiful bikes I have a strange feeling inside. I dont know how much longer I can take it. Its a battle.
@Hapsmo How do you like those Boyd wheels?
@G’rilla
Oh wow, the color coordination kills.
@RedRanger the Boyd’s are nice. Boyd’s customer service is awesome. I want to try the wider version when I get some extra $$. This is my first set off tubular a so hard for me to compare. They are super smooth. I’ve been using them as a primary wheel. Was worried at first about changing one on the road but they ride so nice ima worry about that if/when it happens.
@Hapsmo the price is pretty good and they look to be light as fuck glad to hear they roll well
fyi, there are 2 sets of 2012 58mm boyd tubulars for 760ish left on their website.
Der Kaiser lives! Giant TCR in T-Mobile livery, Campag 10-speed Record, Campag Nucleon wheels, the original Mike Burrows seatpost. Looking for the original stem – the stock 130mm should fit just perfect.
Rode it last weekend for the first time. Turns out everything they said about Campagnolo is true – once you go Campag, you never go back. The DA 7800 on my regular bike seems so… dead.
@tessar That’s some claim…
Get that stem where it should be, eat more than a few pies and you’ll be there. cough cough, erm valve stems, cranks, Rule #26 cough.
@G’rilla
Glorious, but having ridden with you yesterday, I can say the photos don’t do the bike or the tires justice.
Busy on eBay buying bits for my Claud Butler renovation. Decided to put on the Gruppo I dreamed of but could never afford when I was (a lot) younger. First bits arrived this morning.
@tessar
Awesome, but burn those handlebars please. What an ugly bend.
My brother just called to announce that he’s doing l’eroica next year (if he can get an entry).
Anyone know a good source of steel pre 1987 bikes around Basel as I really want him to enter the 205km option because I am a bad man.
On another tack The Great Escape was on the other night. I haven’t watched it for many years and now recall that the bike James Coburn steals is an important plot item – anyone know what sort of bike it was and are bikes recommended as an aid to escape for PoW’s?
The aeroplane option chosen by Games Garner and Donald Pleasance was superficially attractive but didn’t end well whereas the cyclist made it to Spain.
@the Engine
ebay – but don’t buy up any of the bits I’m looking for!
@the Engine The other think I’ve noticed in looking for the Gruppo parts I’m seeking is that there are quite a few traders selling parts on ebay and if you go to “other items” they are also selling some nice vintage bikes and frames too.
@G’rilla
Sweet baby jeebus that is a nice looking bike. I never get tired of you posting pics of it.
@the Engine
Wishing doom upon your brother. Beauty. Make sure he grows an obnoxious ‘stache. Yeah, 205km on a old steel bike will be payback for something.
@the Engine
Pavé Alex does it on his 1910 rig.
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Buying bits for my retro I was tempted by these but bought some others in better condition maybe one of you bought them…….
@Gianni
I’m starting to be jealous as I start my retro refurb must look at whether I could get an entry – that or the Raid Pyrennean for next year…….
@Teocalli Nice! But the Chorus post is too new (C-Record era) and the clamp parts have been replaced. Almost looks like the cradle has a different radius than the post, which could be dangerous.
Have you checked Hilary Stone’s site for parts?
@pistard Thanks will check Hillary Stone. The post I will need to change as it was a good price and I thought it was the correct size but it isn’t! Shouldn’t buy stuff when not at home to check!
@xyxax
Veloflex Masters 25c have been great for me. Running on HED Arenberg rims. Actually have both black & gum but prefer the look of the gum wall. I run them 95 / 98 psi and I’m 165 lbs.
@El Mateo
Thanks for the feedback. I think those tires will be in my christmas stocking. And the wheels I have now, built on HED Belgiums, are my best bike purchase so far.
I’ve been proposed a wheelset built on Pacenti SL rims (Alchemy ELF/ORC-UL hubs). Anyone with any opinions on these rims?
@Teocalli Yeah, I have one of the stubby C Record posts that I bought by mistake. Too short for any of my frames, think they were made for low pro TT and pursuit bikes.
@tessar the bike says Shimano on it…
@Teocalli
Just be a little careful with Hillary Stone. A friend had a recent debacle with him recently over some c record levers which never turned up basically because he kept forgetting to send them, did not snswer emails and in the end after weeks of grief got a refund…..he just seemed very disorganised…..
@Gianni
I’d forgotten he’ll need a ‘stache – wonder if he’ll be able to grow one.
Mind you 205km on a old steel bike won’t be too different from late 1980’s recreational cycling on an old steel bike.
@Deakus
OK thanks for the heads up. Sent him a couple of queries last night so will see what/when he comes back.
@pistard
Or older frames with a “high triangle” when ridden by people with short legs like me! What diameter is yours in case you want to get rid of it? It’s interesting that they are later as I’m sure I remember a mate having one at school in the early 70’s. Maybe there was a similar interim one. It does fit in with my frame and my height pretty well. My theme is a ’67 bike at upgrade time from as bought stock parts so 70’s is OK on my theme for the upgrade bits.
@DerHoggz
I only had time to adjust the seatpost before heading out for the ride. They’re the original-issue C4 branded bars. I’m no fan of anatomics, but if I had the time to unwrap the bars, things would look a lot more agreeable with the bottom of the bend parallel to the ground and the shifters at a better position. If that doesn’t improve things, I guess I’ll have to burn them and replace with a 3T Ergonova.
@xyxax
Pacenti SLs are fantastic rims, and Alchemy hubs are great as well. Both are also a Fairwheel Bikes favourite, and these guys get to deal with far more exotic stuff than most of us. Go for it.
@tessar
Cheers Tessar, I’m glad to hear it. The builder is Ergott (Erig Gottesman) who had some role in helping Kirk Pacenti (as did Fairwheel) getting them to market. A lot of the reviews have been among members of the choir. They’re not exotic or bling-y by any stretch, but relatively light and strong for us 90kg+ guys.
A question for the esteemed panel. I have the potential to pick up n+1. There is a Trek Domane 6.2 and a Cannondale SuperSix Evo Red that are within the Velominatus Budgetatis limit. Any thoughts between those two? Both steeds better than I am, but I’m working on that.
@xyxax
Ergott knows his stuff. If he recommends that I’d go with it.
@Lukas what are you riding right now?
@Teocalli The short one I have is 27.2, looks the same as yours there. I have a fluted Super Record in 27.2 languishing as well.
@Deakus It’s been some years since I’ve dealt with him, but I’m not surprised…they could use his picture to illustrate the entries for both retro and grouch.
@pistard
Ta – Rats I knew I needed to go out for something today – other than a bike ride. Need to get a set of accurate callipers.
@RedRanger A generic carbon frame with Ultegra all around except for a DuraAce rear derailleur. It is all 5+ year old 6600 generation stuff. I had a set of HED rims laced to some Chris King R45 hubs built up for it. This photo is pre-HED wheels.
@Lukas personally I would go with the evo but thats cause I like a race geo on my bikes
@Nate
Trigger pulled.
@Lukas the ‘dale would be my choice, not a big fan of the Trek geo. Looks like an oversized BMX with the huge slope on the top tube.
@G’rilla
Nice! I have been asked if I will be stocking FMB cross tubulars this season since I have a stock of FMB road tubulars. Bien sur…but of course.
The EVO is the way I was leaning, so thank you for validating what I was feeling during my test rides. Now it is just SRAM red or Ultegra Di2.
Thanks again for the input.
This is equivalent to wearing tattered socks to a business meeting. This CX Service Course tape deteriorated in no time. Bar tape should be right before the start of most any self-respecting group ride
.
@Lukas
Red. As fun as Ui2 is, there’s no real performance benefit on road-bikes (as opposed to time-trial machines). Especially since the newest top-tier groupsets are so wonderful.
Also, an EVO with Red will be ridiculously light. Like, as light as it gets for mass-production bare frame+group combos.
@unversio
And revising Rule #76?
@Teocalli
Controls are considered the contact point not the stem. Controls also serve as a drying rack.
@the Engine
Some beautiful bikes here http://www.steel-vintage.com/ based in Berlin, not a gram of carbon fibre in sight
My bike shop has one of these…BMC Lamborghini. Shockingly beautiful!