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 ...
@Oli
I know, I hate that seat post, too.
@frank
Are you saying that apart from the seatpost you like it???
@RobSandy
Yes! And speaking of the Donald you have to see this and just wonder… how in the world??
>>> Very much rival the Tour de France <<< ?? Classic.
@universo
Can’t wait to see this thing fully built. This looks amazing!
@kixsand
Planning to build up this next Friday — Lincoln’s Birthday. And also formulating an idea to bring this frame back to Toronto to ride with Noah Rosen. We’ll see. Are you near enough to Toronto — or South Carolina to join up??
@universo
Holy fuckballs. That is going to be way hot. I wanted Don Walker to make my l’Heure in predominantly white but he refused.
@kixsand
Is it an effect of the lens, or my imagination, or is there a dash of pink in there? If not, there ought to be because it so works!
Ditto. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
@DavyMuur
You should name this one La Volupté. It looks like… an angel.
@frank
At first we talked super-glass-black. I wanted Velocolour to create what Noah wanted to see. Second talk after some prep work Noah was very firm on staying with original super-glass-black plans. I mentioned touches of pink and “do what you are seeing.” The next thing you know, I realize that I’m not the only one thriving in opposite world.
@DavyMuur
Pink? There’s a spot on the fork crown cutouts too. Hoping that I’ll find some on the bottom bracket. Either way, it is exactly the way it is supposed to be and whatever it wants to be. Waiting to see the total effect when it arrives from Toronto.
@litvi
I think you’re right. La Volupté {need to see the pronunciation — phonetics}
Tempted to think of this one as Zoso after Velocolour’s logo mark became Led Zeppelinized on this frame. White is hard to photograph under hard light.
@universo
@universo
I’m in Toronto proper. Noah’s shop is about a 25 min ride from my house.
@universo
Led Zepplinized… oh yea… The sooner you get this bike built up and w/photos posted here the better all of our new year will be just to see that bike. The Giro Pink touches. Nice. I love black bikes and I can only imagine what this cat painting bikes could do w/super gloss black but dang… that’s a white that is just flat out gorgeous. Cheers
Meanwhile in Scotland
@the Engine
Black is Best! Do I see a 1×11 ?? W/canti’s and mtn bike pedals is a bike made for racing. Very cool.
@wilburrox
She’s in #9 bike mode just now but she also races in CX with DT Swiss/Mavic Open Pro rims.
Ritte bikes Spencer Canon FYI
http://petrolicious.com/this-lotus-esprit-is-a-light-rider-reborn
@Barracuda
cool. Love the way he models his carbon frames in clay.
I trust they are paying royalties………
@Teocalli
I hear there’s a couple of Specialized Lawyers out of work and looking for a new gig. Get them on the case !
A few cool jerseys here….
http://www.magliamo.be/product-category/jerseys/
Thinking on adding a #2 to the stable…
#1 is a Cannondale Supersix Evo hi mod in the blue, white and green team colours of 2013 and I have to say that I quite like it. Ticks all the boxes for me and has been a terrific bike. It’s a 2013 with SRAM red – 10 speed.
So…for a #2 I’ve been kicking round the idea of picking up a deal on a CAAD 10. Specifically a new 2014 Black Inc. also with SRAM Red but 11 speed. It would look like this…
Aluminum frame would make it an excellent bike for all sorts of riding…shit weather, travelling, putting on the trainer etc.
I have a stages power meter on the Supersix that would also easily transfer to this bike. I have an extra set of Cannondale 50/34 spidering chain rings that would take care of the one weakness in this build – the FSA chain rings.
Remove the labels from the Mavic wheels and somehow black out the green decal on the head tube and I think it would be a pretty bike and a brilliant compliment to the Supersix.
Thoughts?
I expect to pay something in the $2500 range for this which seems like a lot of bike for the money.
It would have to play nicely with this fella…
the geometries of the two are very similar btw.
@kixsand
isn’t there a blacked our version of the CAAD 10 already?
@Mikael Liddy
This was it in 2014.
I think it may have been…blacker…in 2013 – no green logos.
The new CAAD 12 has a Black Inc. version that is built up with DA9000 at a higher price point.
@kixsand
1) My earlier model Black Inc CAAD is anodized and the ‘dale label is painted gold. Would be hard to black out. Maybe the same with the green on this one?
2) The FSA rings, 53-39, on mine work wonderfully with the Di2 FD. In fact, were originally mated to the 10 sp and labeled as such but no issues whatsoever on the current 11 sp. Not bad rings at all.
That’s a lot of bike for $2500 yes indeed. Not sure you’d get a whole bunch of different vibe from the Evo. Same geometry and SRAM Red. Sure, alloy vs C, but not much else.
Cheers
I ride and race the heck out of mine. Love it.
@kixsand
I’d do it, but put the 11 speed minus the chainrings from the CAAD on the Supersix run the CAAD on the ten speed it is #2 after all.
@piwakawaka
yup, what he said. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad word said about the CAADs.
@piwakawaka
What about wheels? Not sure that the Mavic wheels on the Supersix can do 11 speed?
If they can, this is a brilliant idea!
Google tells me that Mavic wheels have been 11 speed compatible since 1998 – how the heck were they so far ahead of the curve?
I had already convinced myself that the wheels should move over to the CAAD with the drive train so that I could invest in something truly sweet for the Supersix. Oh well, money saved.
@wilburrox
I was worried that might be the case. I guess it isn’t the end of the world.
Good to hear about the FSA chain rings. I just love the look of the spider ring and happen to have one lying about, so might as well put it to work.
@kixsand
I’m starting to have trouble breathing.
This week is MXL week.
Man that’s gorgeous. Looking at that head tube this must be a fairly large frame too…might just fit me.
@kixsand
59 center-to-center, 57 top tube
@kixsand
While patiently waiting on #1 to return, I’ve started formulating plans to build #2 all-road bicicletta. Moreso #9 with a Merckx Alu Sprint (from Australia) frame // fork that found me.
foto_ Merckx Alu Sprint in general
@universo
Were bikes just taller back in the day? My 58 Supersix is 57.5 horizontal top tube and 56 c-c.
@kixsand
Presuming that frame head tube and seat tube angles are maintained and wheelbase, then tope tube lengths usually stay in a close range. I will remeasure when I can, but have always kept that rounded seat tube number in my head. My previous Pinarello Montella had a 57 top tube center-t-center. Eventually I’ll build a 57 to see where that takes me.
Montello
@kixsand
Also keep your eye out for the 2015 CAAD 10. The CAAD 10 3 (Ultegra 6800 build- my current #1) is anodized and is entirely black. You mention SRAM preferably, I’m not sure if you can find a frameset at any local cannondale dealers. I know I’ve seen them on ebay as well.
@PantaniForever
I have seen some frames on eBay for $750. I have a buddy that owns a bike shop that reps Cannondale so I will get him to make some calls to see if they have anything left. I wasn’t that keen on disc brakes and I think the 15’s are built for discs. They do look nice though. Maybe I should do the math and figure out what it would cost to build up a ’15.
A bit like Spinaci bars?
Spinning knife blades fail to slice up the peloton
See how 2016 the season goes with discs.
Got something Red for Valentine’s Day.
15 minutes to install. Bar tape took a bit longer.
@Sparty
Plug an Play ! I’d guess just might be the easiest group ever to install? Nice. Cheers
@Sparty
I simultaneously love and hate you.
@wilburrox
After I charged the batteries, the install went quickly. My Red 22 was finicky due to cable stretch. After I tested the eTap at the UCI Worlds, I knew I wanted it. Set it and forget it. Crisp shifts now and quieter. I am fighting a chest cold, but should be riding it come the end of the week. I also built up another (n+6) new bike this weekend. Need to snap some pictures of it tomorrow.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the new tech out there. 11-s, discs, and e-gruppos. I think I’m going to head out for a very long ride, come back in a few years when things have settled a bit, and dive back in. Until then, I’ll be on 10-s with calipers and cables. (not knocking those eager to try out new stuff…I just almost don’t know where to begin, which is the old man in mean speaking)
@Sparty
Fuck yes!, see, I don’t get Di2 or the other one, but this, this I like, hmmmm wireless braking works on the car…imagine no cables, at all.
@kixsand
The 2015 Black edition was disc- but the 2015 “3” Ultegra build is rim brake specific. It is VERY similar aesthetically to the 2013-2014 black editions but perhaps even “more black.” I love my black 2015 but was recently lusting over the new red Ultegra CAAD 12 down at my LBS. That being said I’m likely to invest in some handbuilt wheels for my 10 and stick with it.
Built this over the weekend while recovering from a chest cold. Should fit the purpose of randonneuring, mixed roads, and training.
@Sparty
That’s a great way to treat a cold!