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 ...
@fignons barber
Just WOW!!!
@sthilzy
This is an abomination.
@fignons barber
This is the antithesis of an abomination.
@DVMR
You got that right. Gorgeous! (The bike, not you. Although I’m sure you’re a fine looking fella!)
Great looking bike. But I do feel sadness for the demise of steel forks, on steel frames at least. To me a quality steel frame with an oversized carbon fork is a little like a Colnago Super with Dura Ace Di2 – fine examples of aesthetics and engineering respectively, but not a match for each other. Anyway, back to Holy Week…
@fignons barber
Quote because that’s a great looking bike, is anyone riding those wheels? I really love them, never had the chance to ride them. The carbon fork looks right, it’s not a retro rebuild, it’s the best of now.
@piwakawaka
Who says carbon forks are better than steel? Regardless of the decision which to fit I don’t think you can say one is definitively better than the other.
Not that it worries me in the least, this bike looks perfect as it is.
@Oli
I wouldn’t know which is better, the two are so different, just thought they really suited that build.
@piwakawaka
I agree! Jeez, stop arguing about it will ya?
@piwakawaka
Yes,the fork is a Pegoretti Falz. He designed it to match the modern oversized tubes, with a shape that looks a bit like the old crowned forks. You hit it right, I wanted a modern steel bike that loses nothing to carbon bikes in terms of performance.
@osbk67
Interesting. Where do you draw the line Ti/Carbon, Alu/Carbon?
@wiscot
Flattery will get you nowhere/everywhere.
@Teocalli
Streuth. I’d better be careful what I say here. To each their own, and while a Saronni-red Colnago Super with DA Di2 wouldn’t be my choice, if it brings happiness and gets ridden more often as a result, that’s what really matters I guess.
Having grown up, or maybe just old, with steel bikes I’ll always have a place for at least one in the garage. But the forks of the Merckxs, Concordes, De Rosas, Colnagos and others I remember were always inseparable from the equation. Aluminium Alan and Vitus frames of the time, and later carbon Looks and TVTs as well, also seemed to say that whatever the frame was made from was good enough for the fork too, although admittedly fork steerers were hidden from such examination…
As a result, I’ve tended to hold the view that that if a given material, steel in this case, offers the right blend of rigidity, resilience, responsiveness, ride quality blah blah blah, then those advantages would probably extend to the fork, being part of an integrated system. No doubt an engineer would say that the requirements and function of seat and chain stays are however vastly different from those of fork blades.
What confuses me somewhat, is the idea that if carbon offers the best performance in terms of light weight, rigidity, shock absorption etc. for a racing bicycle fork, then why not take advantage of those same performance characteristics for the frame as well?
Similarly, if the feel of steel is real, and its other advantages of durability, repairability and customisation are sought, then I’d seek them for the fork too.
It’s all a bit intangible, but there we are. Having persevered with a steel frame/carbon fork as my most-used bike for the last year or two, it’ll be the next to go, in favour of a matched steel frame and fork.
Titanium and aluminium? That’s for another day…
@osbk67
ok, so if a steel fork gives you the aesthetic to transport you back to the 90’s and get you off the sofa, that’s awesome. But a bike’s components have different demands and there have been improvements over the last 25 years.
This just in……quill stems suck compared to the threadless system.
@osbk67 makes a very good point – if steel is good enough to be your frame material why isn’t it good enough to be the fork material too? If a carbon fork is an “improvement” then why wouldn’t it be first choice for the frame also?
@Oli
Following that logic, why wouldn’t your tires,or perhaps your saddle, or bars, or stem, or seatpost be steel as well. I trust that a Pegoretti, or Doriano DeRosa (who built Merckx’s San Remo winning bike when he was 15) know what they’re doing.
@fignons barber
Now you’re just being silly, and you’re not following my logic. I’m not in any way opposed to carbon forks, but I was just saying @osbk67 makes a good point, and he does. I’d happily ride a Bixxis with a carbon fork, but I’d also love to ride one with a steel fork and I doubt I’d lose out on handling, even if it’s a few grams heavier.
Also, I know who Doriano DeRosa is FFS, and he definitely didn’t build any Milan-San Remo winning frames for Merckx. The blurb on his own website says he didn’t even start brazing until 1977 and Merckx won his last MSR in ’76. Without doing actual research (yawn) I’d guess that his father Ugo might have built that frame.
Dario Pegoretti builds frames with steel fork options, and will build you a matching steel fork for any model if you want one, I understand, but elects to use the Falz forks (Reynolds in the past) presumably for time/ease of manufacture/cost reasons. Judging by the Luigino he’s not averse to the idea of steel forks.
@Oli
Oli, I was emphasizing my point. Different parts of a bicycle do different things. And of course framebuilders will offer steel forks. But they are more for aesthetics than anything else. They look nice. The purpose of this bike is to get a race-able steel bike. Having broken 2 carbon frames in the past year in minor dust ups (my knee crushed the tt like an eggshell, and another after a sprint when a guy fell into my stays during the slow down after the line), I went with steel. Last year as an experiment, I tried a steel frame/fork combo, which was 6 or so pounds heavier than my carbon set up. I can tell you, when you need those few extra watts at critical times, you are at a serious disadvantage, both physically and mentally. As for who built Merckx’s bike, Ugo or Doriano? I wasn’t there to see who was actually holding the torch, so I’m not going to argue!
I think this is how she will continue to look aesthetically, I am finally happy with my build. I wish I would have taken the damn bottles out for the photo, but there is always next weekend.
Rule #12 strikes again in my household…I present my new Della Santa Corsa Speciale
Well done! @Haldy
If you go pink, own it.
Beautiful! Wicked jealous of your Nemesis rims, btw.
DUDE! PLEASE tell me it’s just the light catching it funny, but you actually have alternating blue and pink nipples.
My Rule #12 tribute. Madden voyage was the Seattle Ronde, Part Deux. Picked her up from Steve Hampsten on Saturday, rode the Emerald City Ride and the Ronde on Sunday. Great way to put on the first 160km. It rides as nice as it looks!
@Kevin Smith
That I do!
@litvi
Alas no..the nips are blue and silver. The wheels I have had built up for a while. Blue has been a common theme in the teams I have been on for the past few years. Having become a benevolent dictator of my own little squad…I added in the pink last year to the team livery.
@Kevin Smith
how good is that rubber?
@piwakawaka
and @piwakawaka realizes he should rephrase in 5… 4… 3… 2…
@litvi
whatever do you mean?
@litvi
How good is that “eraser”? Though I can’t figure what stationary has to do with it.
@Teocalli
oh, I get it now, @Kevin Smith please could you elucidate upon your assessment of the performance characteristics of Vittoria’s new Corsa Speed Graphene+?
@Haldy
FUCK MATE!!! Remind me NOT to visit your stable when I am in Seattle one month from now. Jeeezhus, you have some fuck’in gorgeous bikes!!!
@Kevin Smith
Oh YES!!! Tell me more!!! Which model is this? It is steel, yes? Which Campag Groupo? I just made my down payment on a Ti Gran Paradiso and will meet Steve and be measured, etc when I come out to Seattle next month. Cannot WAIT!!!
@Buck Rogers
I shall make sure to have @frank swing you by the Haldeman Service Course then… ;-)
@Buck Rogers
This is the La Dolce Vita from Hampsten Cycles Gran Paradiso line built on Columbus Life tubing, in Maglia Rosa blue with black and white trim, sporting Campagnolo’s Chorus 11 speed mechanical group powered by a 52/36 mid-compact crank, 11×29 rear cogs plus Record pedals. She rolls on White Industries polished silver hubs, HED Belgium rims, black butted spokes with annoy nipples; 32 by 3x rear, 28 by 2x front, wearing Vittoria Corsa w/ graphene clinchers, 700×25. Rider is supported by Fizik seat, post and stem plus Deda bars. King titanium gages in classic shape. Chris King headset in black secures an Enve 1.0 carbon fork. Frame exquisitely TIG welded and painted by local (Seattle) craftsmen at Rodriguez Cycles. Steve was a pleasure to work with and we both connected on our vision of Modern Classic bike design. You’ll love your Ti ride.
@piwakawaka @litvi
“oh, I get it now, @Kevin Smith please could you elucidate upon your assessment of the performance characteristics of Vittoria’s new Corsa Speed Graphene+?”
Tread is ribbed for her pleasure (and mine). So far so good, no ruptures. Does seem to grip where needed and rolls smooth in other areas. Durability and endurance will be the test. :)
@Kevin Smith
Oh Man! So great all around.
I have some HED Belgium rims that I just LOVE! Mine are mated to CKing Hubs but you cannot go wrong with White Industries! King Ti cages will go on my ride as well. Also loving the frame pump nipple that is there. My first road bike had a top tube frame pump and I just love that detail.
Cannot wait to meet Steve in person and get the build truly going!
Congrats on your bike, she looks lovely!
LOVE both the Della Santa and Hampsten. Great work, chaps.
@Oli
And the Bixxis… man, beautiful machines, great taste guys. Well done.
This just landed in my inbox this morning… as the instigator and vehement proponent of Rule #74, I have to admit that this is something I really think can usurp elements of the rule. It speaks to my retro/café racer moto sensibilities…
The Omata speedo.
@brett
Yes, and the Bixxis for sure – stunning!
@brett
Oh man, I could get behind one of those. I have taken to just shoving my garmin in my back pocket on all rides and checking time and heart rate only but this is really classy.
@Buck Rogers
I think it’s perfectly within Rule #74; it’s small, simple, wireless, clean, and classy! I love it!
@frank
just need to mount it right, since it will be an instant classic
@fignons barber
The Bixxis is certainly a beauty…I have my eyes on getting one soon. Had a great time at NAHBS talking to Doriano, who in all likelyhood built my DeRosa…
@fignons barber
@fignons barber
Righto. After six-plus hours alone on the road on a stunning Autumn day I’m ready to put my feet up and get back into this banter.
Two things first. That Bixxis is a stunning bike, one I’d like to own and ride my own self. And as much as I prefer steel frames and forks for most of my riding, I’ve capitulated to carbon for what passes for my racing these days.
Six pounds? Maybe that bike had steel tyres and saddle too? Nah, just kidding. But without doing actual research (which I dislike as much as @Oli it seems), I reckon most modern lightweight steel frames give away about two pounds to contemporary consumable carbon race frames. Steel forks maybe another pound. So there may have been more to it than just the frame and fork, perhaps…
It’s great that two-odd pounds is not a serious disadvantage, and gets another steel frame into the peloton somewhere. But this just in… there have also been frame developments in the last 25 years, and in high-level racing steel frames are now almost as rare as quill stems. Steel has long since lost its place in the race space to carbon, and the imminent retirement of Wiggins, Cancellara and Boonen probably sees off the last generation of racers who at least started on steel. The odd steel frame still appearing among race results is really the rare exception that proves the rule.
To my small and addled mind, where steel lives on is not as a genuine contender among race frames, but as a tribute to the steel race bikes of the past, their craftsmanship and their customisation. Not genuine replicas, for that is the domain of friction shifters, toe clips and straps and quill stems, but to pay homage to the bikes campaigned by Merckx, De Vlaeminck, Moser and so on. And to the bikes campaigned by the users themselves in their younger years. Because these bikes get ridden lots, unlike most of the replicas, and among the performance-driven carbon/electronic consumables of today, their users choose a variety of upgrades to stay in touch. Modern mechanical Ergopower and STI groupsets, clipless pedals and threadless steerers. The colour-matched Ahead stem becomes the modern-day pantographed quill stem. In time this category will adopt disc brakes to keep up with, or more importantly slow down with, the race bikes which will eventually adopt them for reasons of performance.
If this is the contemporary home of steel frames, and feel free to disagree, the sad aspect to me is that steel forks have been left behind. The demand which drives the continued development of lightweight, oversized steel tubesets and manufacturing methods, could similarly drive the development of steel forks. Instead, for reasons of economy and cost-effectiveness, off-the-shelf carbon forks have become the default setting.
To this minority of one at least, a steel frame is no longer a valid performance choice. And equipped with a carbon fork it neither pays homage to steel bikes of the past, nor rides much like one. Steel, however, still remains my first choice for forks, for all the same reasons it remains my first choice for frames.
Next time I’ll write a real diatribe.
@frank
I think I’d like the idea of seeing the needle move as you accelerate, could be very motivational.
@Haldy
Awesome. Has it all, and blends modern and classic very well.
@Kevin Smith
Well done. You can tell you really thought about every aspect of this one. Max tubing is a great choice for large frames (60 or 62cm?). Love everything about Hampsten.
@fignons barber
I’ve been talking to them for a couple of months. Re: Power/cadence/heart rate integration (even if just in the background), I emailed them and asked if they had any plans to incorporate those readings in the future.
Quote:
Eli
Good morning. Thank you for your note — we’re very excited too! Glad you’re sharing the energy.
That’s a really good question — and you’re not the first to ask. Just Saturday on the ride we were testing OMATA, came across a group ride and they caught a glimpse so they made us stop and one of the fellas asked the same question. We’ve deliberately engineered in BTLE/ANT+ support — so it’s part of the core product engine. We’re being ruthlessly focussed for the launch to focus on the core four initially. In the future, with firmware updates, we’ll be able to support pairing with sensors like you describe so that that data could be captured and recorded and then available post-ride and taken off the product either over BTLE or simply over the USB-C interface. There could very possibly be a ‘training edition’ in the future, too — where the core four data are (for example) power, cadence, HR and perhaps an interval timer. So, the simple answer to your question is that yes — we have definitely thought about that idea and technically it’s possible. There are a host of consideration beyond the theory of course, but it’s a distinct possibility.
To be clear — we are definitely passionately ruthlessly focussed on getting the launch edition as beautiful, as performant, as robust as possible as a stand-alone component. What allowed us to get to the point we are at now has been holding fast to that focus and not letting features creep in — experience at Nokia and other places has taught us that that introduces delays, complexities, distractions and so forth. The product as a very beautiful, very smart speedometer on its own is remarkable — and terribly fun to ride with.
As for product testers, we have to get product believers first — people who believe that this product should be on handlebars. That’s what the Kickstarter is about. To be honest, we need people like you who believe to help us spread the word. We know there are people who will have this — we just need as many as we can to continue!
Thanks for sending the note. We really appreciate it!
/Quote
I will not be getting one without power/cadence/HR collecting data so that I can review, at the very least, but without that info on the dial…I don’t think I’ll be springing. How can they charge twice a Garmin with half the features? If they only want to sell 200, looks like they’re about there.