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 ...
@Ron I’m lucky enough to live in Hervey Bay in sub-tropical Australia. The photos with the Coral Sea in the background are taken from our pool/terrace area at the front of our house. Motivation is rarely a problem riding the 25km loop along the Esplanade (the ocean front road we live on) as the views are beautiful – it’s very popular with cyclists, joggers and walkers and forms the ride leg in all of the local tri club events.
@Analog any chance we’ll see that lovely thing migrate south in January?
@Mikael Liddy I’d love to participate in the Adelaide Cogal if that’s what you mean Mike, but unfortunately I have a family wedding that clashes. Do you hold a Cog each year or will there be one later in 2015?
@il muro di manayunk figured that! And there is now an older 10 speed centaur gruppo on the Wilier. The Trek was a bike of opportunity – hence the lack of preparation and budget for the full build. Gradually I hope to upgrade – gruppo hopefully to Record etc….
@Analog generally do one a year, although @Barracuda has made mention of running another one on SA’s south coast around classics time next year as well so keep the eyes peeled.
The painter is done, so here are a few more photos including the fork, stem and seatpost. Just waiting on the Campagnolo importer to get my Gruppo and wheels together then it will be time to get her built!
My opinion may be somewhat biased, but I think it has turned out very nicely!
@campbellrae1
That seat post and stem are brilliantly done. More bike porn please.
@campbellrae1 You are definitely not baised!
@campbellrae1 What a gorgeous bike. Or at least the foundation for the bike. I have to respect the commitment of $$ and the planning/thinking/creativity necessary to have a bike like this created. Someday… Major props due ya, Cheers
I’ve not been around these parts for a while hope evreyone is keeping well…
I thought I’d drop by and share some pictures of my new CX bike:
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc – Steel Ritchey Logic Frame with full Carbon forks
Ultegra CX70 chainset (36/46) and CX front mech.
10 speed 105 shifters and rear mech
TRP HY/RD Hydraulic disc brakes
Ritchey WCS wet black stem, bars and seatpost
Kinesis crosslight V3 wheelset
Clement PDX crusade tyres with Challenge latex CX tubes
Jagwire cables
Fizik tape and saddle
Crank Brothers Candy 3 pedals
A few bits of fiddling still to do and the saddle is pissed in this photo but I’m really happy with the way its come together.
Quick question – If I wanted to alter my compact chainset could it be as straightforwards as buying a bigger outer chainring and fitting it?
I’m currently running a Shimano 105 50/39, and I know you can buy 105 cranksets as 52/39.
Looking at calcs regarding gear ratio it just seems I’d lose a bit of overlap between the big and small chainrings, while keeping the lower gears for climbing.
@RobSandy
The 10-speed 105 cranks use standard 110BCD mounting. That means any chainrings meant for compacts will fit (with the exception of Campag’s own, and SRAM’s newest Yaw rings). If you want a 52 outer, buy one and fit it – that’s it (plus adjusting the FD if necessary).
However, modern chainrings have lots of complex patterns designed to lift and pick up the chain when shifting. Therefore, it’s best to buy matching pairs of inner and outer rings. I’ve got Praxis Works sets (amazing!) and SRAM rings (the Red Black ones are good, the Apex/Rival ones suck) on my Shimano drivetrains. I love the 52/36 combo – almost the same top-end as a double, almost the same low-end as a compact. Ideal for my mix of flatland and high mountains.
@tessar
Cool, thanks for the advice. I’ll look into it. I just feel I’m spinning out my top gear (50×11) rather quickly on even a moderate downhill. Lots of short, sharp climbs around here (South Wales) so don’t want to get a bigger inner ring, really.
But I think 39×25 is fine for most climbs I’m likely to do, so din’t think I need to go smaller, either.
I’ve only had the bike a week and I already want to customise it…
@norm
Gorgeous! Seems a shame to get it dirty, but I guess that’s what it’s for!
I don’t know if it’s just the time of year or what, but every fall cross bikes just seems to be a tad sexier than road bikes. Maybe I’m just cold and need something to love. Nice bike, Norm!
BIG respect to all of those fitting in ride time consistently. After a few years of grad school, I’m back to a 9-5. Damn, I forgot how much of a day, and a week, is chewed up by working every darn day. It was easy with school to fit in rides. Now…not easy at all to find time to ride during the week. Oh well, can’t be too down about it, as I do get to commute by bike every day, so I’m still riding daily. Just hard to fit in longer rides. And they get harder when the form goes!
@norm Welcome back – I was thinking only the other day that you had not bee around for a while.
@tessar
I love the 52/36 combo – almost the same top-end as a double, almost the same low-end as a compact. Ideal for my mix of flatland and high mountains.
I was mistake about my current chainring sizes – it’s 50/34. So 52/36 would be the obvious upgrade.
If I did that, my lowest climbing gear would be equivalent to my current 2nd lowest. So if I can manage never to use my lowest gear I’ll know I can manage the bigger gears.
@RobSandy
I run 11-23 and 50/36. Gets me where I need to go. I’m too old to do the 12 straight through (7 speed) and 52/42 anymore.
@RobSandy never use your lowest gear.
@RobSandy
Yep. 52/36 in the front and an 11-28 in the back should keep you riding up just about every (paved) grade, and not limit you going down the other way. TBH, if you spin out regularly on a 50-11 you might wants to a) work on your cadence, b) work on your Terminal Velocity tuck, or c) get in touch with a ProTour team, they might have place for a stagiare ;)
From my steel is real Reynolds 653 custom Hollands to my carbon fiber Felt FC that I just finished building and took out for its maiden voyage. Shimano Ultegra 6800 (50-36 with 11-28). Shimano RS81 C35 wheels (aluminum braking surface with carbon fairing) shod with Michelin Pro4 Endurance 700×25 tires. 3T cockpit: -17 degree ARX Pro stem (alloy), Ergonova Pro handlebar (alloy), Dorico Team seatpost (carbon fiber). Fi’zi:k Kurve Bull saddle. Speedplay X2 pedals. Elite Custom Race cages. Lizard Skins DSP dual color handlebar tape. Soleus GPS barfly.
Fun Fact about Felts…. that “double Fs that look like a set of wings” have a little bit at the bottom that they always pick out in a contrasting color (red on my low end Z85) …. that says “V”. This is usually right near the stem on the TT.
I noticed this hanging my head on a climb. it worked!
Well this was a nice picture-message to get from the shop.
Will stop by this afternoon to make adjustments and take it home. Further pics to follow.
@ChrisO TT bikes just look screaming fast. There was a GCN video back during the Vuelta with the GCN cat riding with Chris Froome on a rest day. Froome was riding his TT bike. Said he liked to do 1 or 2 rides per week on the TT bike when training, generally on recovery rides, in effort to be comfortable on the bike. I could imagine I’d want to spend more than a little time on one before flying thru the streets on a team TT event. Those have to be intense affairs of bike handling at redline on a bike not exactly built for priority of handling just designed to fly. I’ve never been on a TT bike. Enjoy the new ride. Cheers.
The young lady getting sideways on her original Green Machine (these things are a blast):
And her upcoming Green Machine… we’ve got most components on hand at the LBS and are thinking now about remainder of little details for a race machine under the tree at Christmas time. She’s moving up from a 24″ to a 650b on her mtn bike this winter after having made the move on her road bike this fall. So much fun.
OK, ready for the ridicule. Here’s my main bike, just fitted out with winter tyres (note correct spelling, septics). I think I just about scrape past Rule #8, fail #30 cos I know where it’ll be at 06:00 in the dark, wet and cold, and fail #34 because they are best for commuting. It also fails #48 as the saddle slopes forwards 7 degrees because the scary German lady who wins Iron-man contests (yes, I mean iron-man) told me that’s what I need when she did a bike fit & managed to get both of my feet next to my ears when she assessed my flexibility & left me a quivering wreck.
Rule #60 was written by people who never ride in shit weather and should therefore be ignored. Rule #74 is clearly aimed at people who still use horses to work the farm and believe mircowave ovens are the work of the Devil (hint, one of these don’t exist). It’;s a steel (i.e. real) frame from Condor in London, handmade wheels with a life-time guarantee from the LBS. The rest is pretty standard kit, along with the compulsory Brooks B17 saddle which of course every proper cyclist has, having had it handed down through the family from when it was first purchased in 1898.
@markb only one thing worse than a triathlete, thats a scary German Ironman, surely you realised as she pushed your ankles past your ears she wasn’t trying to fit you to a bike!!
@Ron
Uh, I get up twice a week at V:0V in the morning and ride a bunch ride then ride through to work for 9am. 75k, plus return trip is near to 100 for the day, so it can be done. With kids, it drives me a bit insane with the reduced sleep, but is brought back to the sane barrier for the rejuvenation of having a ride. All you dicks without kids have no excuses, ha!
The bike room cometh.
@ChrissyOne What bike is that? Old steel Pinarello??? Cannot tell in photo but looks gorgeous!
@Buck Rogers
It’s a brand new steel Catena. If you scroll up in here there are more pics of it. Love this bike.
@ChrissyOne Oh Sweet BABY Jesus that fucker is gorgeous! What’s the groupo???
Just a few Tektro things. There’s not much to the group!
@ChrissyOne
Cool pic of a pretty bike in a fantastic room!
@PeakInTwoYears
This
@markb Well they say attack is the best form of defence (also note correct spelling, septics) but I’m not sure it applies to self.
Anyway I’m with you on most of the arguments – the washer nut I agree can help keep water and gunk out of the rim, less so the valve cap.
Rule #48 is the one I can’t countenance, whatever Frau Bismarck says. Are you planning on riding 180km on that bike in between a swim and a run? No you are not, so why do you want your bike set up to do it?
That aside, nice bike, almost too good for commuting – hope you have secure storage at the other end. And congrats for braving Condor.
@ChrissyOne Such a great room. Total commitment to the V. I predict frank will be in a tizzy when he see’s the results.
@ChrisO
When I’m in a position to get beyond n=2, (the other is a track bike)I will be able to have a dedicated bike for 180Km rides and another for comuting and then will be able to comply with #48 on at least one bike. However, if you live somewhere that involves at least 50km of riding to and thro an urban environment before you hit the open road, there is still a lot to be said for mtb pedals.
I only bought the frame from Condor, LBS did the rest.
@ChrissyOne Where’s the Dwarf??? I take it that’s you on our right in the picture?
http://cdn.seriable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tp-red-room.jpg
@Buck Rogers DAMNIT!!! Why can I not upload photos anymore on this site??? Probably Frahnk came to his senses and blocked me from doing so!
@Buck Rogers
Buck, @ChrissyOne, because this is a “family” site posted an image during full sunlight… if you had any kind of a filter you’d have kept quiet about what the “room” is used for at night!
@markb I thought Rule #48 was saddles, but anyway that was what I meant.
On the pedals I agree entirely. Until very recently I had SPDs on my London/Audax bike.
Makes a lot of sense on a commuter – you never know when you’ll need a firm footing to throw a punch at a taxi driver.
@sinikl
This …
@Buck Rogers
My question is, where did you access that picture? I was under the impression that the annual Keepers’ meeting was off-limits to recoding devices of any kind.
Four Keepers = four bodies in the picture. Which one is which Keeper?
@wiscot
Fucked if I know but I am betting that Gianni is the closest to the Dwarf!
@Rob
I checked. Couldn’t find a filter. This explains a few things.
@ChrissyOne no, no, it’s @Buck who has no filter. Sorry I have no edjumacation and I think my puncktuation led you to think I meant you?
Your all sunshine and light. Remember I have spent the longest day with @Buck so I knows of his dark side…( yes, I know that makes little sense but after 340 km too you’d know what I mean and rumor has it you can too as he’s frickin doing it again next June!)
@Buck Rogers
GIANNI IS THE DWARF!
@Rob
Yeah, on a good day, that’s about right.