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 ...
Though in my own mind I’m a little more Leonard Smalls.
@Gianni 1!
@Gianni that’s double plus 1!
(don’t know why the plus sign did not print…?)
@ChrisO
Ohhh. Finally. Looking forward to more pictures! Turns out my girlfriend’s stinking rich uncle just bought a chain of Giant shops in the UK, and her dad’s business trip to London ended with a brand-new Anthem 27.5 in his luggage. Might try to push the buttons for a Propel and Envie as a wedding present…
In preparation for a stage-race in January, I discovered my TT setup doesn’t quite work under UCI regulations. You can get an exemption for saddle setback (needed, because, well, that’s how I fit), or an exemption on cockpit length (I need ~90cm between saddle tip and shifter, and allowed only 75cm). Either way, I can’t possibly fit on my bike. Ho hum.
In other news, though – winter season is officially on, the power-meter transfered back to the road bike and the MTB is getting new brakes.
@Gianni
Ha! Well then, you’d better be there in June as you have a date with the northern New England road, Brother!
@ChrissyOne
Yes! Fuck, I am like the Marlboro Man of old (just less ruggedly good looking and less cool), no filter for me here. Hell, this is one of the few places in my life that I can go filterless!
They’ll never catch me around here b/c I’m innocent!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QihI3ORsFn0
Commuting to work this morning, pleasantly happy with my choice in clothing. Stop to take a call from the VMH (safely, on a bike path shoulder), start pedaling again…and my single-speed drivertrain turns…but I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Huh. I inspected everything, couldn’t see a problem.
Seems that in cold weather heavy grease on SS BMX-style cogs can congeal and the pawls won’t engage. Never knew bikes had temp ranges! It was -2* here in NC today when I left, which is cold enough to keep most southerners in doors all day.
I was able to limp into work slowly. It would catch, propel me forward, then happen again intermittently. Should be warmer during the commute home. Didn’t know this about SS thread-on cogs.
Buck – pulled that movie off the shelf years ago on a whim and wow, hit the jackpot. Sadly, what in the fuck has become of Owen Wilson? Funny dude in independent films to Hollywood Hore.
@Ron
You have an inbuilt fix for this. Apply warm water, around body temp is usually adequate……..
Teocalli – thank you for the suggestion! I’ll make sure to do this at a major intersection where the bike path crosses the road. Put on a little show for all the cagers waiting for lights…”Guess what I saw on my drive in this morning, Lyle…”
@kixsand
Nice bike mate, congrats. Seeing this photo and reading what you posted earlier here:
“We did have the move the saddle as far forward on the 25mm setback seat post as it would go – we were still about 5mm further back than ideal but close enough not to have to bother replacing the seat post”,
I would definitely bother or at least try a zero setback seatpost.
First of all that’s fizik saddle with carbon braided rails, ideally it should be clamped in the middle. This will improve your comfort and stability and can save the saddle from the damage eg. broken rail or clamp.
Also 5mm in setback is quite a bit and zero setback seatpost will open possibilties for further adjustments if needed. You hit top of the scale for further adjustment, you are 5mm short so it’s a clear indicator for zero offset seatpost.
ok, which of you fuckers just commissioned this? I hate you already…
@Mikael Liddy
I commissioned it, in my dreams ! Saw that this morning on the gram and was gobsmacked.
Want !
@Barracuda caught up with the mate I bought the R3 from yesterday morning (he’d just finished a recovery ride after Everesting OWH on Saturday) & he was sat next to his Record equipped raw Ti Corretto…nearly had a sex wee.
@Mikael Liddy
16 HOURS ….. My arse hurts just looking at the link.
What better way to ride Old Willunga Hill than on a Baum !
Awesome.
@TommyTubolare
@wiscot
Chance you’ve got a classic Mavic or Campagnolo 27.4 seatpost that can be sold ?? Their designs usually have a good deal of setback.
@unversio
How retro? New or used? Carbon?
@unversio
27.4 ? Am I that old to have one? Shit
Sorry automatically thought of 27.2 but 27.4 is a bit expensive now I think. Thinking of Campagnolo by the way.
@TommyTubolare
90s good-used (or new) Dura Ace, Mavic, ITM, Campa (Record or Chorus) — at least 220 in length. I suspect that MXL tubing on this MX Leader requires 27.4. Have been shimming 27.2 with a custom beer can.
@TommyTubolare No rush, but if one appears out of the mist then let me know if you can part with it.
What about this little beauty. Built by Geoff Scott… lugged! WANT!
Hard to go past a BAUM, but the price certainly helps. This has featured in many a dream;
@TommyTubolare
Well Tommy boy, I definitely appreciate the input and you are most certainly correct, of this I have no doubt.
However, the idea of ditching the colour matched FSA K-Force Carbon seat post that goes so swimmingly with the FSA K-Force Carbon stem and handlebars – all for the sake of 5 mm makes me cavalier on this point. I’m going to give it a go and look fucking fantastic doing it!
@kixsand
This is a Velominatus with their priorities in order…
@Mikael Liddy
They could have centered the bars. Are the bars centered? I don’t think they’re centered…
@Harminator
I just measured with CAD and the bars are 10% longer on the left. Shame.
So I finally got the bike built up on Friday! So here are the first couple of pictures but my phone camera really sucks, so I’m waiting on the good ones that Matthew is going to use on his website, so once I get those I will post them too. Need to take her for a shakedown ride soon, but the weather isn’t great at the moment so I will have to wait!
I’m still waiting for the white saddle to come through, and I will get a different seat clamp too, hopefully a thinner one, either in black or in silver. I originally bought a Hope clamp in silver, but it looked too chunky on the bike. Also need to work out bottle cages, I’m thinking either Arundel Mandibles or Nittos. Other than that, I think I’m pretty much done. Might switch to black bar tape, but I’ll decide on that once I get the new saddle.
If you want to see any specific details let me know, but there should be loads of good photos once I get the email from Matthew.
Stunning. Nearly cured the stinking cold I have at the moment. Feeling grotty as not been out for a week.
@campbellrae1 Personally I’d go with the Nittos.
@Ron
Ron, where you at in NC? I’m in Durham (we should ride?)
My solution to yr commuter is fixed-gear ;)
@campbellrae1
Holy Toledo that’s a stunner! Nice job.
Have you considered King Cages? I’m going with them on the Jaegher build, titanium, light, strong, sexy…
Lovely blue color you went with there. Great looking bike.
Heading home yesterday from visiting the Olds for the holiday and passed through the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA. I was sadly in a car but was thrilled to see a nice group of local college cyclists out. I wished I could have been riding instead of caged up. I gave them plenty of room and waited for a safe chance to pass. It never came, which I was fine with. Got to watch ’em ride for a bit.
Felt GREAT to give the dudes some breathing room, as I know I’ve been slogging up a long slow hill and the last thing you need is a stream of dangerous drivers passing you. I’m sure the line of drivers behind me weren’t so thrilled, but it was a double yellow and far too curvy to pass. Interesting to be on the other side, since I’m usually the cyclist. And crazy to think drivers pass me in similar situations – curvy, double yellow, blind curves, no shoulders…and eight people out having an awesome time. Oh, let me aggressively pass them! That’ll make their day that much better.
@Ron my favorite pastime off of the bike here in Belgium. Nothing beats the glance over the shoulder ranging from shock to welcome relief to see a car driver showing a little respect. Drivers here really aren’t that bad but still it’s nice to set an example and help someone else enjoy their ride when you can’t be riding with them.
Right on, Rob! That’s a great pastime. Yeah, when they sat up as they crested the hill and were looking to turn left they collectively did a double-take. They couldn’t believe someone wasn’t flying by on the inside.
The recent acquisition (ie a month or so ago), my first Real Road Bike after a lifetime of off-roading.
I’m not apologizing for the EPMS, my favorite ride is a solid 60km away from the nearest civilization. I will accept mockery because it’s a bianchi with a group-san but it’s what I could afford and it’s still sexier than a Giant.
@campbellrae1
Damn, that’s one sexy bike. Totally working it in the top picture!
@SamFromTex
Welcome to the fold. No need to apologize. Bike looks great but ditch the GT so you can get the bike where it belongs – IN the car, not dangling off the back. If I transported my bike like that, I’d be shit scared anytime anyone drove up behind me! Other than the EPMS, the stem and spacers will get you grief around here . . .
@wiscot
Cheers, glad to be here. Been sneaking around reading for a while after I decided to join my bretheren of pavement. The stem spacers have been shifting up above the stem where they belong one by one – I am not a flexible man so I move one after successfully completing a ride of more than two hours without my back screaming at me. There’s only one left and once it goes I’ll start experimenting with flipping the stem over.
@wiscot
And I don’t worry about anybody coming up behind me in that car – it’s got a Roush Stage 2 under the hood. I will not be caught if I don’t wish to be. For foul weather transport I have other options but I love the GT.
I think you forgot to add “IMHO”.
I think you’ll find that for all the retro-chic and Rules around here we tend to be polite about bikes.
Personally I think what you can do on it is more important – there are no fast chariots, only fast horses.
Although I feel bound to point out your Bianchi is made in Taiwan, probably by Giant, and if not them by Merida. Enjoy.
@ChrisO
I stand corrected. The bike I cross-shopped this one with was a Giant that rode great but was just… bland looking.
So many of y’all around here have these incredible dream bikes that I feel like mine is a bit Playskool Boy’s First Road Bike, but I do dearly love it. It’s the only new bike I’ve ever bought (and it sat in the back of the shop for two years, so I got a pretty good deal) but it felt Right as soon as I got on it in a way that I have rarely felt. I’ve ridden off-road for probably a decade, but always on used bikes that were usually somewhat disposable. This one just sort of spoke to me one day when I had stopped in to check on some brakes that I had ordered through the shop.
I moved from Australia to Belgrade 4 months ago. Great riding here, but its getting cold now in a way that Adelaide does not. Anyway, I found a funky little shop that is dedicated to retro steel frames. Just so happens he had a 1985 De Rosa in my size. Oh well … n + 1 … He also has a mid 80s gruppo, so build is underway.
@geoffrey
Now those.. those are some luggs.
@ChrisO
Are you using your #1 as a headboard to your bed?
Brilliant.
@geoffrey
Thats a nice frame you got yourself there. I’m passing through Belgrade occasionally on my business trips so it would be nice if you could give me some details about the shop. Thinking n+1 all-the-time. We might even settle up a ride if the weather permits it…
@SamFromTex
At first I thought you’d had a nasty accident and had smashed side-ways into the back of the car, but then I realised you had attached the car to your bike for some reason – doesn’t that make the handling a bit lop-sided?
@markb
Perhaps, but all I noticed is that I seemed to be able to really lay down some RPMs in high gear. The pro peloton doubtless felt a quiver of instinctive fear at how fast I can spin, seemingly regardless of terrain. Get me some good drugs and I’ll really show ’em.
Doubtless my Secret Training Progam of being a large american football player (which is to say, fat) who used to only like going uphill on singletrack and dirt and gravel for years and years is actually what it takes to succeed. I eagerly await my contract in the mail.
@cognition
This is clearly the headboard of a man without a VMH or even a modicum of common sense It’s not secured in any way, given vigorous motion of the bed and the bike would fall, and on the DRIVE SIDE! Turn it around so it falls safely.
@geoffrey
FUCK
YES!