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 ...
@Puffy sorry for the late reply I have been away, over long distances I have found TT position just to uncomfortable to hold for over 100 miles, in order to run afterwards I have to keep flexible and comfortable so this set up gives the best final result for me.
@Triathlete
Seriously then, get a new fitter – preferably one who specializes in triathlon fits. If it’s uncomfortable to hold over 100 miles, you’re either on the wrong saddle, or sitting too far back, or both. Or a million other reasons, but those are the main reasons triathletes fail to “hold aero”.
Years of computer work did my hamstrings a lot of good and I’m blessed with the flexibility of a coke-can, and yet with the right (that is, UCI-illegal) bike fit, I can easily sit long and low on a TT bike with comfort. You don’t have to be a snake to look like a TT pro once you’re free of UCI restrictions – and it’s a hell of a lot faster for the same effort.
Finally!
I paid a visit to my friendly neighbourhood bike store last week and purchased a new set of tires from my #1. And since they’ve made all the difference in the world, I thought I would share.
Old Tires
Continental GP4000s – clinchers – 23mm
Front 100psi/Rear 110psi
New Tires
Veloflex Masters – “Open Tubulars” (clinchers) – 25mm (skin walls)
Front 95psi/Rear 100psi
I’m an 80kg rider and this change in tires and running pressures has made a huge difference to the comfort level of my #1 – night and day! The Veloflex’s are supple and soft and soak up all the little bumps and vibrations that the Conti’s seemed to amplify. The veloflex’s feel much grippier and inspire confidence while looking cool and old school.
All reports say that they won’t last half as long as the GP4000’s, but I really couldn’t care less. The tradeoff is well worth it to me.
@kixsand
great to hear. I’ve had a pair sitting on my shelf for several months waiting for a new wheelset worthy of such shodding.
Latex tubes? Hard to mount?
@xyxax
At present I’m running cheap Butyl tubes but was thinking of picking up some nice latex ones. I’m glad that you’ve reminded me. Perhaps I will pick some up today!
As for mounting…they’re a little trickier simply due to the fact that they lay flat but they actually went on the rim much easier than the GP4000s which I have always found to be a very tight fit.
@DeKerr
*Applause*
Well done, all you need now is a saw.
I warn you, it’s addictive. I am still wanting to go lower but my LBS owner, fellow racer, ex-domestic pro says no, I am low enough and I need to give my diaphragm room to move.
@xyxax
I run latex. They are easily damaged if you pinch them in the rim so you need to take extra care there but no, not any harder to mount. Get some air into them so they hold their shape (ie don’t lay flat) by breathing into the valve. You will find they sit on the rim better like that, and then seat the second bead by starting 180° away from the valve. The valve holds the tube in the rim.
@Puffy I hear ya. The guns have been impacting on the engine room with the drop in altitude but that just forces me to better focus on my magnificent stroke (currently not-so-magnificent and wont to turn into a square-pedaling pistonfest if I’m not paying attention).
Here’s my little CR1 SL
@plynie HOT! dont see many Scott bikes around here.
@plynie Liking the V decals.
@plynie nice red detailing. How long is that stem?
I moved into a new house and the children immediately took over the living room and master bedroom. At least I get the garage, dammit!
Feedback Sports bike rack from REI. Works pretty well once I found the studs. Not deep enough for MTB bars but works for road bikes.
@RedRanger, @Optimiste ,@Rom thanks guys.
@Rom it’s 140mm
@plynie
@G’rilla nice, that 333 Fab is a thing of beauty.
@G’rilla QR on the Cervelo is out of position. But thats a great looking garage.
@Velojello They’re not the lightest wheels about but I’ve done about 5,000 km on them and not had to touch them yet .
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some pics of the ell flex masters 25mm skin walls
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Fuck me.
Veloflex 25mm skin wall Masters
I give up.
After a 7 year hiatus from owning a road bike I have ventured back to the other side from the MTB. Since I am all about the “budget” and building the bike as light as possible for the least amount of money as directed by the VHM now a days. She wont let me spend crazy amounts of money on bike crap like she use to, so I needed to adapt and overcome.
I know in its current state it is riddled with violations, but it is a work in progress at this point.
My MTB is still considered my #1, I know I have my priorities screwed up.
I bought the bike on craigslist, chi carbon bike with a mix match parts list for $500.
I swapped out the boat anchor crankset with my trusty Ti BB and FSA Carbon crankset and swapped out the crap vuelta wheels, which are heavier than my MTB wheels, with budget friendly Mavic Aksiums.
I am still screwing around with the stem length and stack height at this point but other wise I an pleasantly surprised at how well the bike rides and handles.
I am only all in $600 for the bike etc. and have it down to 17.5 lbs, not bad for a budget bike.
May need a respray in the future.
@Rom
Sweet.
G’rilla – new house, new bike storage. NICE! Getting closer and closer to building a high quality shed where I can store a few of the bikes. Very excited when that day comes.
kixsand and xyxax – I am a big fan of open clincher tires with latex tubes. I’m no expert, and plenty of info. out there, but I’ll share what I know in case it might help you out.
Many advise to let the tires sit a bit, the aging helps increase the puncture resistance. So does use of latex tubes. I try to put mine in a cool, dry place for half a year. I have ridden both Veloflex Masters and Paves and also the Vittoria Open Corsas, paired with Vredestein latex tubes. These are unpigmented. People like Challenge tubes as well, but hard to find. Michelin tubes, as I’ve experienced, are rather oversized.
It is advisable to mount the tires without levers, as this can stretch the bead and lead to blow outs. Bad for you face, bad for your wallet. Takes some skill and practice, but it can be done. On some wheelsets I can get the tubes in just fine, on others I’d had to use a bit of baby powder. Make sure it is just talc, or it will clump if it gets wet due to the other ingredients. Toss talc into a paper bag, toss in tube, shake. Try to keep the powder off the tire bead on the outside, or it might cause the tire to kick out on inflation.
Not supposed to inflate latex tubes outside the tire casing, so put only a bit of air in. Carefully install tube and hopefully by rocking the tire side-to-side and with a bit of air in it you can get it to fully seat inside the tire. You shouldn’t see any tube outside the tire bead when you rock it at a low PSI. Inflate, rock, deflate, reinflate until it is seated.
It takes some skill and patience, but the good news is – every time you install a new tube/tire you get better at it. The ride quality is superb (if you are not opting for tubulars). You can also patch latex tubes with another piece from a spent latex tube.
I think most folks believe butyl tubes with the high-end open clinchers kind of defeats the purpose, but go with what works for you.
I have a set of Ksyrium Super Lights with Veloflex 23s and Vredestein latex tubes (smooth valve, which I love as you need to inflate every ride with latex). Ride quality is nice on my carbon bike. I have some Record hubs, DT Swiss spokes, and Open Pro rims with Vittoria Corsa SC 25s on my steel Casati and that ride quality is insanely nice.
I haven’t found these tires to be any more prone to punctures than tires like GP4000s. I also get plenty of life out of them as well but then again I’m 65kg and have pretty smooth local roads.
Enjoy the new rides and tires! Just take your time installing…most blowouts are due to user installation error and the bang! it makes when a pinched tube explodes will scare that hell out of you/the VMH/the Velodoggie/Velokittie, if you bicycles live inside with ya.
@Ron geez sounds more complicated than tubulars.
@Ron
@kixsand
@Puffy
Ron, thanks for bringing this back up; I totally lost the thread with the replies of @Puffy and @kixsand (cheers guys).
I’ve had visions of sitting in a cloud of talc, cursing the invention of the wheel (and fire; why not, at this point). The Pacenti rims are supposed to be a tight fit anyways, so I’ll clear out a weekend for the first attempt.
@xyxax mount them on a more compliant rim first, they will stretch out a bit which may help matters.
@Nate
Hey!! I have my reasons for sticking with my non-tubular lifestyle. (but yes, it is kinda complicated, though the more times you’ve done it, the easier it gets. And, since I have four road bikes, once I get new tires and tubes installed, I might not have to swap them out for well over a year, since the riding is spread across the stable).
And anyway, what would I do with my spare time if it wasn’t making sure everything in my BikeWorld was squared away?
@xyxax
Ha, feel free to ask away with more questions. It isn’t that bad if you go about it calmly and with a good pre-tutorial. This is not something I do with Recovery Ales on hand, definitely not the first few times.
Nate is a Tubular Sensei. You need an Open Clincher Sensei.
@Ron you are too kind; I cannot accept being called a Tubular Sensei until I have actually personally trained another Follower in the Vapoury Arts of Tubular Fitting. Until then I am at best an internet tubular Harpie.
@Ron
I run the same system and I have to agree with Nate, you’re making it sound pretty complicated ! It’s really no different to clinchers and tubes.
Slight terminology quibble too. They are Open Tubulars not Open Clinchers e.g. from the Vittoria site describing the Open Corsa SC: “Clincher version of our new-for-2011 top pro tubular, hand-made “open tubular” construction.
It does give a great ride. I just put my Vittorias back on the bike after taking them off over summer (non-racing season) and on the first ride yesterday I had to keep looking down to see if I had a puncture, it felt so soft and smooth even at 125 psi.
I use the Vittoria latex tubes too, mainly because they are the easiest to get, although I’ve just picked up a Vredestein so will see if that compares.
Puncture wise they are also better than butyl. The latex has a lot more give in it and will absorb sharp stuff much more before a hole is created.
@Nate I have a couple of wheels not earning their keep. This’ll learn ’em. Were that all internet Harpies were so restrained.
@Ron Much obliged and needed. One could fill a small auditorium with my componetry sensei needs. Lunch will be provided.
ChrisO – Thank you for the terminology correction! Got it, thanks. Ha. I thought I was the only one doing the “trackie peek” at my rear wheel for half of the first few rides on new, nice tires with latex tubes. Same experience, “Wait, do I have a slow leak?” They’re just so smooth.
Since I’m sharing…I’m been trying to find a suitable rear light to put on my helmet for low-light rides. When I’m solo, I’m not shy of being bright. I went the simple route and using a Velcro strap I had mounted a Planet Bike SuperFlash on the back of my helmet. Bright, light, and I was able to find a spot to mount it very securely. I already own a few of these lights and while they do require 2 AAA batteries, I find them to be great on battery life. I just use rechargeable anyway.
I feel like having two lights, one on the bike, one on my helmet will help make me quite visible to drivers, especially as I get caught out more and more at dusk.
@ChrisO
I found the ride quality of the Vittoria Open Corsa SC’s with latex tubes to be sublime in the 23mm width on my HED 23mm rims. That said, the longevity of the tires in my area made riding them less than practical. One 80km ride in bad weather on less than pristine roads left me with a large cut across the entire tread, not to mention multiple other cuts of smaller size. I made it through the ride without flatting, but the rear tire was toast. I went back to GP4000S’s (in a 25mm size) and butyl tubes, and will reserve the latex (Bontrager branded tubes I think) for pairing with my Challenge CX tires this fall for racing.
Velo – I’m lucky to have pretty nice roads to ride on and more and more are getting repaved all the time. I’ve heard one section on a country loop I ride, but avoid that stretch, has just been repaved and a nice shoulder added. Sweet. I could see not wanting nice, slightly softer tires on bad northern roads, especially during/after winter. Not much snow down here.
With a spirit of experimentation, testing the drivetrain while testing myself has been working good. This all caught my attention recently and needed to credit the good bike.
Minor mishap last night…60kmh in to a pot hole on a bend made one hell on a swinging descent. I am stunned by the strength of the American Classic 420’s I had the momentary “Of fuck this will be serious” moment when it happened but the wheel held with just a spoke and a buckle. However I need to assess whether this is repairable because the rim has popped out a bit. Can anyone give me a quick and dirty view on it, it will go to the LBS because of the replacement spoke needed, I cannot see any cracks but have little experience on road wheels when bent… Any help/advice would be much appreciated.
I must go and scrub my shorts out now!
@Deakus
I always use a simple formula when making these decisions: health insurance deductible plus copay divided by cost of replacement times pain and suffering (or death). Always comes out in favor of replacing the damaged component. You’re too valuable. Replace it properly.
@fignons barber
Spoke to the LBS….technically it is Fucked! The bend means the alu rim will have been compromised and even if they ordered a new rim they would not rebuild on old spokes (which alone are £60) interim solution is to put a spare pair of Campag Khamsins on my N1 but that is a bit like dressing Elizabeth Taylor (in her heyday) in army combats because “it will do”. Eyeing up a 2nd hand pair of 420s (they have been bombproof) and started saving for a pair of Zipp 101’s I think…
Just because I spent all day Monday detailing and I haven’t got tired of looking at this photo yet, here’s a updated shot of Shadowfax.
Recent updates include those brand new red Michelin Pro4’s. Quite a change coming from the Gatorskins that I’d been on all summer. I also cleaned up the cockpit and fixed my riding position. Went back to the 100mm stem with negative rise, and moved the saddle forward a bit as well. Feels really good so far, especially on steep climbs.
@Ron
Hey guys,
I ended up picking up some Vittoria latex tubes. Installation was a breeze although I did have a bit of concern that there were going to be issues around the valve as the tube is thicker and reinforced there and it didn’t seem to want to allow the tire to seat properly. With some gentle coaxing it all came together just fine though.
I’ve now done a few hundred km on them without a single issue. They do lose more air between rides but not so much as to make it a concern. The DA C24’s are a good match for the Veloflex skin walls – I’ve had quite a few admiring looks and interested inquiries on group rides. The like my tires too! Ha ha ha ha …I kill me!
@ChrissyOne
I made some tweaks myself, including going back to white bar tape (black was too middle-of-the-pack for my ego), a 14cm stem and slid the saddle forward 4mm to match the BB setback on the R3 which felt slightly more powerful.
Can’t stop looking at her either.
@kixsand
The latex tubes will definitely lose pressure but not enough to affect your pressure during a ride, so nothing to worry about – although for Roubaix the Pros do add a little extra at the start to account for the loss between the start and the finale to make sure they don’t get so low as to risk a puncture.
You notice any improvement in the ride quality?
@frank
Very nice. After the Three Points in Space post, I rechecked all my bikes using my 4′ aluminum level jig-thing and backing the bikes up so the back wheel touched a wall. Despite the fact that I thought they were all as close as possible measurement-wise, (using #1) as my base, I found that all needed a tweak. I can feel the positive differences even though the adjustments were minimal.
That picture is certainly a real tease for those of us who have no chance in the VSP standings!
@Deakus
Yeah, I looked at that and said the same as LBS. Aluminum doesn’t like to be bent and rebent. That rim is doomed.
Think zipp 303s instead. I finally bought some Bontrager Aeoleus 5.0 tubs on ebay, slightly used. I can’t tell which is more awesome, the lightness or the aero-ness. It might be the latter, that’s why I mention the 303’s.
@ChrissyOne
Your bike is killin’ it. Nice. I have done that red with the Michelin pros too. I’m a Michelin Pro fan and as a moto girl you will appreciate their grip in the corners, even the wet ones.
@frank thank Merckx on the white tape!
@frank
Huge difference going from the Conti GP 4000 23’s to the Veloflex Master 25’s. Like buying a new bike to be honest…that dramatic. The difference of butyl tubes to latex was subtle enough that I can’t tell the difference.