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 ...
Sorry for the fury. I hadn’t discussed this move with any real cyclists, just a friend or two who maybe have gone to that shop twice.
As long as I’m in the habit of posting links today, I thought I’d share this beauty. Bike built by Grand Performance in St. Paul, MN. Frank’s old LBS and arguably the best shop in the midwest. This is a beauty if anyone is in the market.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Croll-853-Pro-Team-Road-Campy-Record-10-speed-57cm-/330505572141?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item4cf3aacf2d
@Jarvis and Dexter
The Fat Chance is Retrobike material – as am I. In the mountain bike world, it’s like rolling out the vintage steel Colnago or Merckx for roadies.
I still have a few more bikes to post for comment and ridicule. I thought this post would be full of bike pictures and stories. What’s going on? Don’t tell me the Velominati crowd has nothing to post. Let’s see some bikes. Cool, lame, old or new. If you own it, post it!
I posted on one of my steel Italian bicycles on the first page. A lot of new carbon in here so wasn’t sure if people were interested in older steel. I have a pretty sharp Tommasini. Was thinking about submitting it with a short story, as it was kind of a cool pick-up.
@Ron
Send in a draft, guest articles are welcomed.
I know there is some rule violations, but the bikes changed a bit since. It now has Shimano SPD-SL’s, new bar tape, and the seat angle isn’t up anymore, I didn’t even notice until I took that photo.
@Dan O
Don’t get me wrong, I know all about the Yo! Eddy. Spent years wanting one of them. It’s just that they aren’t particularly suited to this site. That’s all.
Surely that’s still only half the business compared to a regular cycling team …
@Jarvis
While we do tend toward the road bikes here, my feeling is that interesting bikes are interesting bikes and that beats the heck out of cars and other means of transportation and leisure. I miss Rob’s contributions, which I haven’t seen for a few months now, but would love to see his Dahon up here. I thought about posting my Montague. MTB, but an interesting one.
LOL @ Adam
@Steampunk
Ok – here’s one of my more interesting bikes. My cruiser for tooling around the neighbourhood with Mrs Kiwicyclist and the brood:
Its a Malvern Skidstar GT – late 60s/early 70s era – 3 speed T shifter (with optional handlebar shifter included) – now with a brooks saddle. Bought in mostly fully restored condition as pictured.
Its like riding a couch.
And while stumbling back through my files I came across some shots of one of my all time favorite bikes to pass through my hands. My full restoried Pogliaghi early 90s track bike – since on sold. I’m planning on doing a more comprehensive story behind the bike for my own blog but this one was a labour of love – stripped down, professionally repainted, rechromed, parts polished, nos saddle etc etc.
@Oli Brooke-White
You lol, but I’d still drop you on any climb even if I was half asleep.
I should of mentioned that that’s the bike I’m using at this time of year. Obviously, I don’t race on that bike.
@Adam
“should have”, not “should of”
That is all
@Jarvis
Wow.
@Jarvis
I disagree; while we do lean heavily towards the road, I think anything with two wheels, a set of pedals, and beautifully made should be posted.
@Kiwicyclist
That reminds me of the bike I saw on the ’89 Tour with yellow bars/saddle that inspired much of Rule #8. Wow, that is a beauty. What handlebar tape is that?
@Adam
If that’s true, I think we should make a point to keep you off the more modern bikes!
@ Adam. Old one-armed emphysema-ridden grannies in wheelchairs can beat me up a hill, it’s not a Great Feat.
@Adam
I’m not familiar with a lot of what I’m seeing on that bike; can you tell us a bit about it? I am familiar with the Javelins in general, but that is definitely a bike I’ve not seen before. What’s the story?
@Oli Brooke-White
Elderly one-armed emphysema-ridden grannies in wheelchairs tend to climb well for their weight…
Not 300lb ones!
On the contrary: some of them climb very well for their weight.
@frank
It’s just an old 5 speed BSA Javelin. Don’t know much about it myself, information on it is sparse around the internet. Acquired from my Dad. I only use it for winter training.
@frank
Oh and, maybe I was exaggerating slightly, I wouldn’t drop him at this time of year, working on other things rather than bolting up a hill. :)
I’d probably need to be fully awake too.
@Adam
Time to post Bike #1, mate!
@frank
I will do when it’s purchased next year.
Pedantry stabs a stupid joke through the heart.
@Geoffrey Grosenbach
I finally found it. Sorry for the delay.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Definitely a cool look. Last week I picked up an S1 as a winter bike, but still have the black Pave tires on it. I think it works either way.
I got a flat the second time out, which adds up to 3 punctures, one pinch, and a slow leak due to a shoddy patch (by me) in the last two weeks (all but one on old tires). Hopefully I’ve lived out my bad karma by now.
@Geoffrey Grosenbach
@Jeff in PetroMetro
All for the Green Open Pave look in appropriate circumstances. Those things are iconic IMO.
Crappy iphone photo (taken on a slope), dirty handlebar tape and not my usual wheels, but here is my Baum Espresso (mix of Deda 16.5 and Columbus Ultrafoco with a carbon rear end), Chorus, Fulcrum Zeros (usually run Shamal 2-ways).
8 years old and still going strong.
oh yes, and major crank-angle for photo violation
Here one photo of me on the way to Passo Gardena on the Dolomites, with my old friend Pegoretti Marcelo :)
My new rain bike. Mostly a stock 2010 Cervélo S1 but with a standard crank, Fizik Pave saddle, and Vittoria Open Pave tire on the back. Mudguarded.
[album: http://filemanager.dutchmonkey.com/photoalbums.php?currdir=velominati.com/content/Reader Galleries/1791292388889/|width=595|height=512]
Pedale – No bottle cages on your Pegoretti, or is that enormous sprinter’s thigh covering up one on the ST?
And that is a nice, simple paint job you have chosen for your friend; the splatter paint jobs on most Pegorettis just don’t do it for me.
Plus, nice job on the white shoes! The only way to go, in my opinion.
@Ron
You are right, usually no bottle cages on my bikes, They appears only in races/rides longer than 200Km. I carry a small bottle in the middle pocket of my jerseys ;)
@Pedale.Forchetta, @Ron
It must be nice being able to assimilate the water in the atmosphere like that and use it for inner strength. I’ve been working on that for ages, but can’t get it to work.
@Geoffrey Grosenbach
Nice rain bike, dude! You snap that up at Speey Reedy?
@frank
You know, sometimes you find some weirdness in your common behaviour :)
@Geoffrey Grosenbach
I like the all black–saddle, tires, bar tape. And I love the mud on the frame. Rule #9.
@Geoffrey Grosenbach
Schwanky rain bike. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but it does seem weird seeing mud guards on a Cervelo. Even if it is an S1.
@frank
Yes, Speedy Reedy set me up proper. It’s great to have such a quality shop right down the hill.
@Marko
Mudguards are a necessary evil for me, and I agree that they look ugly. I find the idea of riding an indoor trainer to be pure torture, and I’d rather put Rule #5 into my legs than up my backside. These blades can be put on or off in five minutes, so I can easily slap them on if there’s standing water outside. One can sure rack up a lot of mud in 70k right after it has rained.
@Jarvis and Frank
Yes, I thought an old mountain bike may ruffle the feathers of a few, hence my “monkey wrench in the Velominati gearbox” comment when posting the ol’ Fat Chance.
I agree with Frank – any bike that means something to someone is worth posting. Besides the fact, old Fat Chance bikes, especially the Yo Eddy, are icons of old school mounting biking. And I’m not just saying that ’cause I own one. It’s a fact.
Man does not live on road alone. And if he does, he’s missing out on some good clean fun. You gotta mountain bike, maybe a little ‘cross, to be the all around cyclist – no?
I have a few other bikes to ruffle some roadie feathers, will post soon. Heh, heh. It’s all for fun man. We’re all cycling brothers, dude. And I honestly mean that.
@Dan O
In my best John Sterwart falsetto: *NAILED IT*
Fixed your post.
@Marcus
Nice Baum. You are a brave man to ride that fugly SMP saddle. But I love the white hoods. I am *this* close go that way myself. You should consider the microtex tape from fizik; it will stay way more clean.
@frank
Thanks Frank – my only reservation with Hudz hoods is that they don’t sit as tight on the bars/brakes as Campy hoods.
Selle SMP saddles are cool – they help performance both on & OFF the bike. Once you try one u will never use a “conventional” saddle again.
Geoff – A Merckx to that! I do not like how mudguards look, but I’d rather ride outdoors than indoors and a cold, wet, soggy chamois just isn’t that much fun. Put The V into the legs – exactly.
I have Hudz on my Casati, which is posted. I’ll second that they don’t fit as tightly as the original Campagnolo hoods. They look nice, but they do move around a bit. Something to consider, but not a deal breaker. It seems that even in the department of mundane, overlooked hoods, Campagnolo has it down and does it right.
Hmm, SMP’s are performance enhancers, eh? That is something to consider as I age…
@ Marcus – have you considered raining your levers on the bars? I can’t help but thinking you’d be more comfortable and be able to access the shifters and brakes better from on the hoods.
@Oli Brooke-White
Thanks for the suggestion Oli. Will give it a try. Am currently in a state of flux with my entire position after recently getting a bike fit. And am now fiddling with everything – this has been described by some as the yips…
Although I like to think the position of my levers bears more than a passing resemblance to those of Mr Grewal’s in that 1984 Olympics photo!
Some of my mountain bikes over the years…
04 Epic. My first dually, it changed my life.
Then I went a little longer travel; 07 Stumpy. Another life-changer. 120mm travel felt like a whole new world.
08. My least favourite of my Stumpys, but a great bike nonetheless.
2010 Stumpy, just sold. It upped the ante with 140mm travel.
My latest ride, GT Sensor 29r. I tested this for SPOKE magazine, and have been riding it for 4 months. Changed my life again. Keeping my new XTR 2×10 warm until my Tomac Diplomat frame arrives next year.
My singlespeed. KHS Team frame (here re-badged as an IF after a respray.) This frame was my main mtb for a couple of years (with gears) before I got the Epic. A great riding True Temper OX3 frame. Still doing duty in Aussie under Johnny Klink as we speak.