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 ...
@Teocalli
Stop showing that beautiful blue frame colour (and your immaculate weed-free lawn).
@KogaLover
Credit for the lawn goes to Mrs T. The blue is actually not quite Gios true blue. Seriously toying with sending it to Torino to get it redone there as I got a quote and it was surprisingly good value – though they would want it for 50 days plus they can’t export the frame back to me as they now own the name only in Italy so I’d have to go and fetch it afterwards. A long weekend in Turin in Spring would be nice anyway…………
PS I do love Asterix. Another of those things that would probably be banned if published nowadays. Getafix the Druid etc. The original French versions were great with literal translations such as “Oh, Je dis”.
With a young son, not much time to head out on long road rides. Been feeling a bit guilty. Sunday took him on a long run/walk in his bike trailer with the dogs. Hauling that thing is a pretty good workout. Then rode to my mother-in-laws house, which she just bought, met the wife/son there.
Not quite as nice as a few hours in the country, but I still got in a good amount of saddle time, so can’t complain.
@Randy C
I couldn’t ride the Arione either. Or the Antares. Based on Fizik’s spine concept, either saddle should have worked for me. But the Aliante shape works. Actually very similar to my old Selle Italia Flite titanium saddle. I have a “regular” Aliante on my Hollands.
Mrs T seems to have been buying more boxes of Haribou………….
@Teocalli
What a mysterious post…
@RobSandy
Wiggle boxes with packets or Haribo. Can’t possibly be me ordering them……..except they seem to have stopped putting them in today.
@Teocalli
Why is Mrs T ordering things from Wiggle?
I like Haribo.
It’s my birthday at the end of the month and the Mrs has suggested I might get enough birthday money to afford the 2nd hand pair of Mavic Cosmics I’m coveting. I think the fact she hasn’t told me to forget them is a good sign, right?
@RobSandy
‘Happen it was such a bad joke you missed it…….
Castelli is nice gear but their sizing drives me nuts. Just bought knee warmers and leg warmers in the same size. The knee warmers are great but I can’t even get my leg in the leg warmers!
@Teocalli
Yup. We get our club kit from Castelli. I’m size M in the jersey and size XL in the bibs.
@RobSandy
Bought a Perfecto Jersey and Gilet last winter. Had to get a L in the Jersey and XL in the Gilet. Surprised you can get into anything size M from Castelli !
@chuckp
I agree with the ‘straddling a pipe’ analogy for the Arione, I didn’t like it at all. I’ve had good luck with the Antares, though. I’m pretty flexible, so I call bogus on the spine concept. Interesting that you think the Aliante is like your Flite – I’ve had several over the years and like them a lot, but it’s impossible to get them now. I’ll have to check out the Aliante next time.
@MangoDave
I don’t have any of my old Flite saddles, but it would be interesting to put an Aliante and Flite side-by-side to see how they compare. I think why I like the Aliante so much and why I think it compares favorably to the original Flite saddle is the curve/dip. A lot of modern race saddles, e.g., the Arione, are almost board flat. Yes, that allows you to move around easier. But also doesn’t create a more natural place to “sit.” I also think the Aliante is more “rounded” shape side-to-side, which is more like how the Flite was designed.
Saddles and Castelli sizing, the great imponderables, not to mention the Castelli ranges – how many different jackets etc do they do? Every time I click on a “Castelli sale” link I seem to see a product I’ve never previously heard of. In my head, their catalogue is “cluttered”.
I once borrowed a second hand Arione to try and it was very uncomfortable. Months later I bought a new bike with a new Arione fitted, gave it another go and since day one it’s as comfy a saddle as I’ve ever had. I now have two and an Aliante, all perfectly comfortable. Fizik do tweak things though, which means you can never be entirely sure of a like for like replacement when they wear out. Anybody tried the new open versions? I do wonder whether those slots are a solution looking for a problem.
@Steve Trice
it’s amazing how different people’s preferences can be. when i saw “straddling a pipe”, the first thing that came to mind was a Selle Italia Flite. i also really like cutout saddles. i use a Prologo Nago Evo Space. wide, flat, firm, and with a DEEP channel. i estimate it cost me about $1500 over the years to figure out what worked best for me. btw, i also think Fizik’s “spine” bullshit is exactly that.
@Teocalli
My profile pic is in a Castelli M Jersey if you need proof!
@Cary
I have deliberately not got into the maze of trying different saddles. I never have any issues and I’ve always just used whatever came with the bike or whatever I can get 2nd hand.
So I’ve got a Felt stock saddle on my track bike, a Giant stock saddle on my commuter, a Prologo saddle (mate sold me 2nd hand) on my race bike and I’ll go with the stock Felt saddle on my new race bike.
I’m much more fussy about saddle height/setback than what type of saddle, it seems.
But I’ll stay away from any really nice saddles as I can’t afford to start upgrading the saddles on my whole stable!
@RobSandy
My friend has had trouble with the saddle(s) on his new bike over the last few months. Only on Sunday he was waxing lyrical about the Prologo one he’s now using and happy with. It’s not one of the expensive or big name options, but it’s better than them all for his butt.
@Steve Trice
I find it no more or less comfortable than any of my other saddles. Also, for some reason mine says ‘TRI’ on it which I find mildly offensive.
In other news, I properly joined a Shimano chain with the connecting pin rather than a quick link. Felt like a wrenching god until I realised I’d left the chain much too long. Arse.
@RobSandy
That old adage “Measure twice, cut once”……
I have a fi’zi:k in my spares cupboard that didn’t work too well for me. Sella Flite seem to suit me – other than my Brooks couch.
@Teocalli
@RobSandy
Probably pointing out the obvious but if you do align the new with the old, work down the chain aligning link by link. A chain can stretch by a surprising amount and you could find your chain gets longer and longer each time!
@Teocalli
Safe brah. That’s exactly how I does it.
Or did it. From know, I’m going to be measuring the exact length I need to reduce my time messing about with a manky old chain.
On joining chains, do you have one of these precision instruments to hold the chain together while you join it?
@Teocalli
That’s a Campag one, isn’t it?
I had to make my own out of a metal kebab skewer to make sure it was compatible with Group-San.
@RobSandy
Yeah, it’s Gruppo Super Record, lighter than my other SRAM one that I use on the Mountain Bikes……
Man, that’s such a simple idea. All the times I’ve battled with the rear mech whilst trying to connect the chain, and now I feel stupid for never having thought of using a piece of carefully turned metal rod to do the job!
I think I’ve found my “Bucket List” bike…
https://cyclingtips.com/2017/10/bikes-of-the-bunch-darren-baum-orbis/
@Steve Trice
Wire coat hanger is perfect.
@Teocalli
Or kebab skewer if you’re not running a Gruppo…
@sthilzy
That bike isn’t my style at all but I find the article really interesting from the point of view of disc brakes. One of the main concerns about discs that I’ve read from people in the know is that the existing frames weren’t designed to be fitted with them and so the points of loading when braking weren’t right.
Baum seems to have acknowledged this and addressed it.
@RobSandy
My buddy has recently bought a Giant Defy disc and he notices a considerable flex of the forks under braking. Does make you wonder about longevity.
@Teocalli
This is the article I read.
https://magazine.bikesoup.com/disc-brakes-and-the-reasons-why-i-wont-be-using-them
@RobSandy
Interesting.
On spokes, at Ride London someone had a spoke failure on an old Shimano wheel that was 16 spokes (or less – it did not have a lot). Anyway we swapped out his wheel and his was left leaning against the van. About 30 mins or so later BANG another spoke went, and then after another 30 mins or so BANG again and another went. Interesting how marginal the whole setup was and that after one failure it pushed everything else beyond their limits.
That would be a bit nasty if you were still doing 30 mph and set off chain reaction like that……
A bike that is 100% gonna be used on paved roads? No need for disc brakes and the dude’s point about having a collection of wheels… I’m with him on that. And the weight and aesthetics for sure favor rim brakes. Plus, over the years the set up and standards will be changing as the braking systems are refined. In other words, they’ll only be getting better. So, wait and see. Okay, if gonna be bombing down miles and miles of mtn descents, especially in the rain, and on carbon wheels, I could understand. But if I were buying my first road bike today, I’d save a few bucks and some weight and simply get the good ol’ good ol’.
Now, I’ve also also bombed down enough rough, rocky washed out dirt and gravel roads on both my rim braked road bikes and disc equipped CX bikes to know I much, much prefer the discs in this instance. And if that was what the bike would be used for on more than the occasional adventure then why wait? Hanging on to the bars while trying to modulate the rim brakes on a rough descent is not fun vs one fingering the hydro discs. The disc brakes are simply better and safer.
I also do believe that my current alloy CX frame set is not 100% engineered to well manage the disc brake forces as the vibration and noise is something I’m always contending with to varying degrees despite trying different rotors and metallic vs resin pads.
Does anyone have advice on transporting a bike across the Pond? Preliminary searches on transport from New York to France are in the $300-$700 range and take three to five days. I will likely be traveling to Provence next spring to ascend that area’s Giant. I would like to do so on my own steed. I have not flown with a bike in several years and airline rules have changed.
I would appreciate any and all advice.
Thanks.
@Rick
Can you not take it with you as sports equipment? Get a decent bike box and sports baggage charges should be way less than that.
@Rick
For instance
https://www.skyscanner.net/news/airline-bike-fees-cost-bringing-your-bike-onboard
@Teocalli
I have a PikaPak but have not traveled with my bike for years. I am unsure of the costs and fees associated with airlines and oversized luggage. Last time I traveled with my steed it showed up two days late. Thanks for the link.
@Rick
Rent. If you crash on a descent, then all you have to worry about is you.
@fignons barber
Thanks for the input. I have thought about this option but I plan on riding every day. This would make the cost of renting higher than transporting my own bike. Plus there is something special about riding my own bike.
@Rick
One advantage of travelling with your bike as registered luggage is that if it does not show up with you at your arrival point the airline is supposed to ship your luggage to your destination. Only time that happened to me with some skis they were with me the following morning at the hotel. I’ve travelled inside Europe with a bike as luggage in a bike box with no issues and that was including a flight with quite a few people going to the same event so more bikes on the flight than they might normally expect.
@Rick
Make sure you don’t fly Easyjet though.
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/easyjet-destroyed-my-bike-aqua-blue-rider-tweets-picture-of-team-bike-snapped-in-half-330837
@RobSandy
Noted, thanks for the very valuable input.
@RobSandy
Not sure I’d trust my bike in a soft bag. I did use EasyJet going to Siena for Strada Bianchi and they were fine.
Incidentally if anyone is thinking of going to Strada Bianchi then best book hotels soon. Siena seems ti be filling up already and we couldn’t get in at the hotel we used last year.
@RobSandy
I’ve been using stiff solid core copper wire. Even though the color balance is a little off in the photo, this one is clearly for SRAM Red drivetrains, but I’ve been guilty of using it on my Gruppo.
@Rick
I have a Pika also, it works quite well. Unfortunately, it can get expensive, the airlines seem to take advantage if it’s a bicycle. Oversized luggage is often much cheaper. Most other sporting equipment (golf clubs, skis, massage tables) have no extra costs, even if they are bigger and heavier. I have no experience shipping across the pond, though.
@Teocalli
I had the same misgivings about a soft bag. Marty Jemison told me that his former pro team shipped their bikes all over Europe in PikaPaks and only encountered one small mishap. A derailleur that should have been removed during packing was bent during transit. With enough extra padding, I think the PP is fine.