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 ...
Looks great, scaler! Nice bike.
Thanks, Weldertron. A riding pal actually passed on some ESs in excellent shape, and with the awesome anniversary wheelbags, for a very nice price. The only problem – they’re in such great shape I now don’t want to bash them around on cross courses.
@ChrisO
The Garmin 200 has GPS, it does not have ANT+ connectivity for HRM , power meters, or speed/cadence sensors.
The Garmin 500 does have connectivity for these, and is a small unit, almost the same size as your standard cat-eye.
@seemunkee
I’ve got a Garmin 500 that works well. It’s small, easily moved between multiple bikes, and recharges with a USB. The price has come down since the introduction of the 800 series.
In a regrettable Rule #58 violation, I purchased mine from a Tiawanese seller on eBay. Could not upgrade the operating system in North America. Fortunate to get a warranty replacement. Lesson learned. Subsequent purchases have been at my LBS.
And now for something completely different. Something to do with your old cycling shoes.
@Gianni
Because sharks have too easy a time deciphering between humans and seals.
I was looking at the brakes on that guys website, then came across that. I’ll keep looking.
My old Colnago Ct 1. I keep it because I think there should be a rule that every cyclist should own a bike built by one of the Italian masters. While heavier and not as stiff as today’s carbon rockets, the titanium CT1 is comfy and rides straight as an arrow at speed. During its day as my one and only race bike, this baby has seen many many miles of rain and snow. When you look at the frame it looks virtually brand new. A real tribute to the longevity of Ti and the colnago paint.
Question for ya: Is there a functional difference between SRAM Force and Red RDs?
I unfortunately ripped my Force RD off my CX bike yesterday, stick jammed and despite pulling me feet off the pedals as fast as I could, RD was blown up. Looks like my RD hanger took all drivetrain anger and the frame is okay. Could have been worse.
I ask because I recently warrantied some Force shifters and I was upgraded to Red. I’ve noticed a big functional difference, at least in my opinion, from Force to Red shifters – smoother, more sure shifting. If there is a similar difference with the RDs, might go for a Red. Then again, CX bikes get beat up, so not sure if it is worth it. Looks like I can pick up a Force RD new for about what I can pick up a lightly used Red RD.
*This is all pre-2013 10-speed stuff. I talked to tech support and they said Apex, Rival, Force, Red, Red Black would all work with a pre-2013 Red shifter.
Thanks!
Just been experimenting with that “magic string” that supposedly seals the bigger holes in tubeless tyres that the latex does not seal. Looks like a good idea but……..
At road tyre pressures the string gradually (well actually, quite quickly!) gets pushed back out of the hole until it blows out after just a few minutes. Useless.
Given that I was watching it’s performance quite closely I was glad I was not actually standing in line with the resultant latex geyser.
@Ron
It all works together. You can even use the mountain stuff with road shifters on SRAM.
(Before i am heckled, the X9 ratchet type derailleur is AMAZING to use with a single front cyclocross set-up.)
@Teocalli
Magic strings works well for MTB tires (wow, 2 MTB references in a row.)
For road tubeless, you can use car tire vulcanization patches cut down to size. 1 car size patch can normally fix about 6 bike punctures.
@Weldertron Ta. The advantage of the string, had it been able to cope with the pressure, was that it would have been very quick for a roadside repair which would not be the case with the vulcanisation patches as the tyre would need to be cleaned of latex. However, I will give that a go out of interest.
Personally, I just carry a tube in my jersey as I would for a standard clincher, and toss it in if I get a major flat.
@Weldertron Yes that’s what I do too but thought I’d try the string as I have one that did not seal with the latex so running it with a tube at the moment.
@Ron
Since you already upgraded to Red zero loss shifters , for a road bike I’d get Red rear derailleur. However for a CX I’d recommend you Force rear derailleur.
@Ron
The difference you feel between Force and Red comes from the Red shifters and not rear derailleurs. Red shifters have zero loss front and rear.
Just curious, but why not just go Apex if you want to stay in the road category? When it comes to SRAM, everything in the Apex/Rival/Force line-up is identical other than materials used. A 60$ Apex derailleur and a 150$ force derailleur shift exactly the same, it’s just a matter of grams.
The X9 can be used on double fronts, and the beauty is the ratchet system eliminates chain slap, which can knock a chain off after a rough re-mount, or a particularly bouncy section.
@Weldertron
Why would you post bullshit like that?
Without going into all little details I can tell you that Apex RD is nowhere near Force RD.
Can you get into the details? Every mechanic I’ve ever spoken with has said the 3 bottom lines of SRAM are nothing but material changes. Other than you can get APEX with a mid length cage if need be.
@TommyTubolare
…yes, and not forgetting the FDs: Yaw technology on Force 22.
I’m talking 10 speed. The 22 stuff is a different game.
@Weldertron
Mate because different materials are used to produce all these derailleurs they all perform different. Derailleur with body made out of aluminum will shift different to one with body made out of steel. You should remember Force FD from few year back which were rebadged as Red.
As far as rear derailleurs go the pulleys, barrel adjuster spring, inner links, inner and outer cage and shape itself were upgraded and better in Force comparing to Apex.
The new Apex is upgraded no doubt but so is Rival and Force so there is always a performance gap.
If materials used don’t make any difference to you or mechanics you talked to ask them if there is any difference between carbon an alu frames.
I completely understand the difference that materials can make, part of my job is metallurgy.
Things with long levers such as cranks I understand, but the difference in a rear derailleur is almost minuscule at best. Functionally, they are identical was more of my point. Also, as I stated, i’m referring to the 10 speed generation. The newer force is 22 and obviously is no longer functionally the same as an apex derailleur.
Using the term “exactly” may have been overzealous, but I’m fairly certain in a blind test it would be EXTREMELY difficult to tell the difference between the 3. All of my bikes have SRAM on them, and have never noticed the difference in the shifting, especially with the very little force that needs to be applied to a rear derailleur for it to move.
I will agree that the Red/Force front was different, but the Apex, Rival and Force all have aluminum bodies with steel cages. Once again, only red was different.
If you don’t believe me as to how many parts are shared for the 3 lines, just look at the spare parts catalog on the SRAM website. Pages 8, 11 and14.
:karbone
Thanks for the replies on the shifters.
One more small question – these were sent to me via warranty and I’m not positive what year they are. It looks like the 2012 and forward shifters have a pre-installed ferrule for the shifter cable/housing.
I don’t see a pre-installed ferrule, I installed the housing with a ferrule and it looks to seat just fine. Are the 2012 Red shifters the ones with the textured hoods? My hoods are smooth and the housing with a ferrule looks to seat snugly. I’m thinking the ones I have are pre-2012 and thus I need to install a ferrule on the shift and brake cable housing where they slot into the shifter body.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you google 2012 and 2011 SRAM red shifters, you can see the difference.
@Rom
I’m not familiar with that frame, but if you look on the downtube there should be two screw holes. There are purpose made bidon cages that will install right there on a TT bike.
@Weldertron
Now why would I do that when I can ask a simple question here and start a big battle?
I think I have it sorted – the newest Red have the big font and it’s angled. The oldest have a small font that is straight. The older, pre-2012 have the big font, but straight.
Now I can wrap me bars again (and wait for an RD to arrive). Thanks!
@DerHoggz
Correct, but I didn’t want to install a fat standard bidon there, and the reviews of aero ones were either that they performed poorly, leaked etc, and/or were expensive.
@scaler911 Beauty, that Cross Concept.
For @roger. Here are a couple of the Zanks. Mine with the red Look pedals, and a couple of my teammates’. The big one is “Soul Crusher”, ridden by a big Aussie.
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Optimiste/2014.01.06.22.55.41/6//”/]
Not sure if this is going to work as the format looks as though it may be wrong to paste in here but hopefully this will work……..changing a tube without any hands.
@teocalli I think your earlier post broke the Bikes section. The comments lock up and won’t appear every time I try to view them. @Frank might not be happy.
@Chris, @Teocalli
I deleted the crap you pasted in there, posts are loading again.
@frank Thanks, I only really wanted to watch the video of @Gianni dressing up as a mermaid and getting eaten by a shark. Very disapointing, it seemed to be about people riding mopeds slower up hills than I can ride my bike.
Sorry about that folks!
@ped
It’s almost not terrible. But the longer you look the more you realize it’s a terrible combination…
@DCR
It is indeed. The front half is great and then loses the plot halfway through.
Off topic I know, but had to share. The first one is V related…
http://usvsth3m.com/post/72562538363/these-cringe-making-headline-typos-utterly-change-the
@fignons barber
how this was allowed to pass with no comment I’ll never know, Bel Mezzo!
@Optimiste steel is real. and, it is a damn good time off the asphalt. great looking mo’sheens, on open pros no less. for less than perfect road riding, I swear by those tires
@piwakawaka buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@piwakawaka
I have something to drop off at your house.
I need your address, work schedule, and any security codes to your house in case you are not home.
@Weldertron
Dont bother @Weldertron . Ive got it covered re the delivery, I live closer !
Ill need the above info though also.
Do you own a dog, just asking, cause I love dogs, and how big is it, just in case, no reason really !
@Barracuda first ride today, 60km shifts like it should, and more importantly no brake rub which I used to get with the Zipp hub, boom!
Big Big Doggie.
@piwakawaka
Nice, Nice , Nice, pity about the dog.
Ive got DA C24’s and they rub all the time!
@Barracuda
Hmmm, no trouble with those for me, you must be putting out a truckload more awesome, really rate them as a light climbing wheel, brake rub must be the cruelest noise known to man
@Chris
Sorry, that was a disappointing silly video. Seeing Sidi shoes attached to a prosthetic dolphin tail was more than I could resist. But I am spending 0.25 carbone wheel units on an Aussie made electronic shark repeller to keep the pesky tiger sharks away from my guns. Those bastards (aussie boffins) better not burn me on this. To get bitten and having wasted 0.25 carbon wheel units would be bad.
@Gianni Ignore the Aussie trash, you’ll only find that it’s a re-badged made in China mossie repellant. Just avoid wearing a black wetsuit and go for a tight sequinned wrap.
If that works, cool; if not, you’ll be in with a shout for a Darwin award with the chap from @minions post in Dirty Innovations.