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 ...
@gaswepass
I agree. My six has developed into a pretty agro bike and it’s pretty comfy.
Thanks guys, I just got back from the bike shop.
I took out the Roubaix first, measured up to my old bikes specs. The first thing I noticed was how upright I was. It was definitely a big change. I liked it at first, as the first thing I did when I left the shop was take a long gradual climb that kicked up at the end. However the decent on the otherside, while not full speed or very long, was a bit uncomfortable to me. I just felt top heavy, even in the drops. Next came the long straight, on the drops, big gear and go, finish with a little sprint to get a feel for the bike there. The whole thing felt leisurely and not in a good way. I could tell it was a nice bike for the money. It was a demo but only taken out a handful of times, all Ultergra 6700, SL3 carbon, vice stuff. Next Bike.
The next bike was a Defy Advanced 3, a left over. It felt more like what I expected and was looking for off the bat. It didn’t feel the same as the Roubaix uphill, I felt more connected to the road and involved in the process. The decent and in general the handling was a million times better. I was comfortable leaning the bike over and when I picked out a line I had no trouble following it with confidence. I also liked how the bike (either of them for that matter) was less twitchy then the Caad. The flats were a world of a difference as well. Getting aero and hammering just seemed natural on the Defy compared to the Roubaix, and the quick sprint just felt better.
For the interest of time, I’ll just say the six felt like the Caad, great in some aspects, but familiarly disappointing in others. It’s twitchy, one thing about the Caad I don’t miss a bit. Getting in the drops felt doesn’t feel natural or comfortable. The short wheel base doesn’t feel sturdy. All in all I’m keeping the Caad, so for if I ever want to take advantage of that geometery, for a crit or road race (my riding buddies are really trying to get me out to one) I can ride the Caad.
The defy with a little bit more angle in the stem to get the bars slightly higher is probably a winner for me. I enjoyed the bike because it felt similar to the Caad in aspects that I liked, like stiffness and the natural agility of the bike, but also had some of the aspect I liked in the Roubaix, like a more planted feel, less twitchiness, and it smoothed out the bumps.
I’m not sure I like the 170 cranks on either. I run 172.5 now and I really noticed the difference.
If I get the Defy the wheels are getting replaced with Ksyium Elites. Any thoughts on what I’ve written. I’ve never done this before and anything you guys have to tell me helps.
@King Clydesdale
Sounds like a good testride experience. I’d expect a shop worth its salt would be willing to swap the 170s for 172.5 of the same crankset and make sure you have the cassette you want at no charge. Wheels are the best upgrade you can make — go for it if it’s in the budget. Note that Ksyriums tend to be very stiff; depending on what you are replacing it may affect the ride.
While we’re in advice mode I had a very frustrating start to the day today.
Swapped in some new brake shoes the other night & while I was there I decided to give the bike a once over with a proper clean, lube etc…went to take off on my morning ride before work this morning & for some reason the fd just wouldn’t change gears. The shifter would click for the change, I could see the cable moving & changing tension but the derailleur arm simply will not move.
Any hints?
@Mikael Liddy
If you were stuck in the big ring it could have been a Sign from Merckx to HTFU..
Was there cable movement all the way through to the fd? The cable might have been dislodged from its line somewhere. Best to trace it all the way.
@Mikael Liddy
For starters, release the cable from the bolt on the derailleur. See if you can move the derailleur with your hand. Make sure the cable moves when you shift the lever (sounds like it does).
Anyway, here’s my problem…
Just bought some wheels on eBay…Ambrosio rims, campagnolo record hubs, zipp skewers, new gatorskins and wheel bags for $314 AUD since you were so keen to know…
Problem is I’m running ultegra and need to get a suitable interface with the campy hub.
The hub is an early model 10 speed record. I don’t have any experience with pulling apart hubs / wheel bearings etc but I’ve done a bit of interweb and LBS fact finding and it doesn’t seem to be rocket surgery…
So has anyone done this? Is it better to keep the campy freehub and use a campy compatible cassette with shimano spacing? Or is there a freehub I can swap in which will fit and accept a shimano cassette?
I think I can do either but is there a “best” way – Velominatus Budgetarius permitting?
@harminator
Expected nothing less than that first piece of advice. In terms of the cable movement, it’s definitely moving down at the fd so hasn’t come apart somewhere, I’ll give @Nate‘s advice a go & see what happens.
@harminator
Isn’t there a kind of adapter that goes over the campag spines and converts to shimano/sram spines? Or does it work the other way round? Or was it a special hub I saw being tested somewhere?
@harminator
You can get a shimano/sram spaced 10 speed cassette that slides onto 9/10 campy freewheel from clemenzo.com (MTKL-C10-S10)
@snoov
Ambrosio do a cassette with Campagnolo spacing to fit Shimano splines but not the other way round by the look of their website. That might be what you were thinking of.
@Chris
So I could run my Campy on a Shimano wheelset with that cassette, or do I have it backwards?
@snoov, @harminator
Some third party rear axles have freehubs you can swap between Campagnolo and Shimano (e.g., Mavic) but if it’s a Record hub I’d be surprised if you can swap the freehub body.
@MJ Moquin
That’s the way I read it. This is the one.
So bit the bullet & took it to the LBS cos the rear wheel needed truing anyways.
Based on the 5 min diagnosis from the wrench it appears that at some point in mucking around with the bike the other night the spring housing snapped & therefore there’s no spring tension to move the derailleur arm. That would explain the little round plastic thing I found lying on the foor yesterday morning.
He’s going to give it a full going over tomorrow morning & let me know but as it stands he reckons it’ll be a case of ordering a new fd & I’m facing a long weekend of 27 degree sunshine with no riding. NOT FUCKING HAPPY and yes I know, this is why Rule #12 exists.
This goes out to any Columbus SLX slaves out there — ah, the frames in our lives.
@MJ Moquin
It can be done both ways but you need to change the spacing on the cassette and you sometimes lose a gear, depends on the configuration.
There’s also a gadget that goes on the cable and changes how much the cable pulls.
It’s semi complicated try searching “change campagnolo to shimano”
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/Shiftmate.asp This guy seems to know a lot about it.
@Chris
Anyone know of a reasonably priced way to run a C11 compatible cassette on a Shimano freehub? I have a very nice set of wheels with Shimano WI hubs, Kinlin 270s, 28 CX radial front, 3x DT comps rear, but I’ve moved to Campy and need to either figure out a decent conversion or sell the wheels.
@snoov
Thanks snoov. Looks the goods. I’d prefer to keep the original freehub and get the modified cassette.
Just checking the options locally before I attempt to negotiate in Italian…
@RedRanger
Nice looking bike & cool front end! The matte finish on the bike/stem look really nice. Nothing like black & white!
Also, I think everyone should calm down about the spacer issue. If you still have some on there all it says to me is either a) this is a new bike and my body and bike are still gettin’ closer in their budding relationship OR b) I’ve been riding so damn much I haven’t had the time to cut the thing yet.
Now, if I see someone with 10 cms of spacers and a rising stem…now that makes me feel a bit differently.
@Vin’cenza
Woah…
That is stunning.
My Casati has Genius tubing & the ride quality is fantastic. Haven’t seen too many bikes with that tubing set, not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I think overall that bike was just crafted by some Italiano who really knew what he was doing. My Tommasini has the wacky MultiShaped tubing. Doesn’t seem to feel quite as good as the Genius tubing, but that could also be related to a modern build on one and older components/wheels on the other. But what do I know, some of you have been riding nice steel bikes for far longer than I have.
@Marko
NICE! That tape is slick. Does he have a road bike as well? If I knew someone on a really tight budget and they want to do all sorts of riding, I think I’d suggest starting with a cross bike and two sets of tires, then two sets of wheels next, then finally two bikes.
I love a bit of color matching from frame to tape/housing/saddle, etc. The green on the bike and tape is really sharp.
@Ron
This one (a good one) is out of my life just recently (SOLD) and I found a new frame which I love more. I may never leave steel as it feels too good.
@Ron
That’s my experience too…at least in Colorado. A cross bike with a couple wheel sets…good advice.
I started with a Mountain bike, then a couple road bikes, now ‘Cross is in my sights so I just latched on to one of “them”. I should’ve just started with a ‘Cross bike. I’m lookin’ forward to ‘Cross this fall in Colorado. After the Assault on the Peak.
Check out these integrated brakes. They are bonded into the frame and just flex, no pivots.
I find them neat.
@DerHoggz
Is that their TT rig or “conventional” road bike? Definitely one of the cleanest integrated systems I’ve seen in a while.
@Mikael Liddy
It is their aero road bike (conventional). Really interesting concept.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/gallery/pro-bike-lotto-belisols-ridley-noah-fast-and-helium_208205
@teleguy57
These guys might have something for you although looks like they are out of stock just now. The cassettes aren’t cheap at first blush but the price is in line with list price on 11s Chorus cassettes.
@JC Belgium
@sthilzy
@Marko
@motor city
@anyone interested
The Minor Foam Debate.
I got a response from Mike Moore at Calfree.
Michael Moore calfeesales@gmail.com
21:23 (14 hours ago)
to me
Hi Nick,
Thanks for the note; that is one reason we do not bend to fashion and run mechanical cables through the frame; electronic and hydraulic are a different matter.
Your friend will have no problem with a lightweight expanding foam; don’t get anything to dense/heavy; that would be overkill.
Kindly,
—
facebook; website; images; video
Mike Moore
Sales and Marketing Manager
Calfee Design
783 San Andreas Rd.
La Selva Beach, CA 95076
800.965.2171 (office)
831.728.1859 (intl)
831.334.1569 (cell)
michael.sean.moore (skype)
http://www.calfeedesign.com
Some people in my area is unloading some classic rides. Last week it was a vintage Tommaso, and now this one pops up.
@The Oracle
Darn, I dunno why the link isn’t working. Anyway, the ad says:
here’s the pic:
Alright guys, more questions about the bike purchase.
The bike I was really digging when I went for test rides the other day is a leftover model (I’m surprised they didn’t tell me this I was trying them out, usually they are pretty upfront and easy going at the shop, but I’ve never dealt with this salesman before.
When I go back to buy the bike how much bargaining should I attempt? I asked for a quote with tax to look over, and they have the price listed at exactly what the Giant web site has.
Also instead of asking for a lower price, could I instead ask for something like a better saddle thrown in or a new pair of shoes (this was suggested by one of my local riding friends).
Here’s the exact bike BTW, any recommendations as to weak points on the bike, let me know: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/defy.advanced.3.compact/7316/44045/
@King Clydesdale
Man, do I love spending someone else’s cash!
Saddles and shoes are personal things, so that’s difficult to bargain if you don’t know the exact model. As it was last year’s model, they should knock some dough off of it. I’ve found that pretty much any place on any type of product (not necessarily cycling) can knock 10% the MSRP without blinking. Heck, that more/less covers tax, right? Anyway, paying cash so that the LBS doesn’t pay the ~3% card fee is also a bargaining chip. Offer him $1650 cash and see what they say (from a previous post, you are getting a fit with the purchase). In the end, Giant is a brand that can be found in a lot of bike shops, so they aren’t really an exclusive dealer (yet another bargaining chip).
@The Oracle
When I saw your post of that Merckx for a second I thought I had already uploaded the picture I was going to post… That is a beautiful bike.
I have been was threatening last week to post a photo of my Caloi by Merckx MX Leader. I had to wait until the page turned and my ride wasn’t going to be next to @UNPULL’s black Merckx. Mine is a little more “broken in” shall we say,
Here it is. I bought this bike new in 1998 with one of the first Ultegra 9-speed gruppos on it. I recently stripped it down and rebuilt it with a new Athena 11 gruppo and Ritchey Classic cockpit. As I said, I like the shiny bits for that classic look. It’s now freshly shod with Vittoria Open Pave tires and ready (I hope) for the cobbles of PR.
I think we’re rules compliant (mostly). Let me know what you think.
BTW, This got me thinking of two suggestions: 1) It would be cool to have someplace on the site that put together photos of all the bikes people are planning on riding at the Keeper’s tour and 2) I’d love to see an article by someone who knows what they’re doing on how to photograph your bike. It’s obvious that most of you are better at that than I am.
@Nate
Thanks, Nate! Now I have to think about the cost of a new wheelset w/Campy and the Campy cassette vs the Wheels Mfg option….
Skip, some very helpful tips on photographing your bike(s) here.
@Skip
@King Clydesdale
I agree with @Tartan1749, offer to pay in cash and see what that does. Instant cash in the pocket is gold to any small business owner (assuming that this is a small shop, not a chain).
I offered to pay in cash and was given a 15% discount. I didn’t push it any further, as I thought that was more than fair of them and I didn’t want them to think I was cheap. They may also offer discounts off of all accessories you buy at the same time, which is what the shop also did for me.
@King Clydesdale
Every shop I’ve ever frequented would give 10% off last years model and 15-20% for anything that was 2 years old.
@Skip
Sweet ride. Chapeau going all in on the shiny bits.
@Calmante et al
Road race discs are coming…
@Bianchi Denti
So the UCI is going to examine the Colnago C59… I can’t see them saying no on this one. Has anyone heard whether the C59 has standard 130mm spacing in back?
@Skip
Skip – nice bike! That looks like the new Ritchey Classic stem. What bars? I also love those bottle cages. Modern, yet classy. I have them in black on my LOOK.
Ha, waiting for the page to turn. I got unlucky & posted one of my bikes…then got smashed out of the discussion by that awesome steed from Unpull. Oh well. I like the bike. Never seems to get much love, maybe I’m just a crappy photographer. Or, the photos I post aren’t so strong. Either way, nothing like the sorrows of having your nice ride get upstaged by an even nicer one. Oh well, it’s tough to beat a black Merckx!
Oh, and on the topic of doing your own work – I ripped my RD off my ’round town bike when running the VeloDoggie the other week. I successfully installed & adjusted my new 105 10-speed RD. Pretty funny instructions from Shimano. Line up pulleys & small/big cog. Then put in second cog, turn barrel adjuster, then listen for sound. I was following along thinking, “This can’t possibly be the right method.” Well, things run smoothly & the shifting is great.
Another hurdle cleared! I’ve always been scared of derailleurs but it wasn’t too tough.
TGIF everyone. Been on the road for two days, can’t wait to get in three straight days of riding when I return home later today. Amazing how quickly one can feel like a sloth when used to daily riding.
@King Clydesdale
Any update on the new #1? How did the dealings go? Sunday looks to be ideal for a first ride in State College. It will be here in Pittsburgh.
I will be getting the new bike a week from tomorrow, so unfortunately no riding until then. Will update everyone at that time, you can count on it.
@Ron
That’s a Ritchey Classic bar, too. Only available in an anatomic bend, but it’s pretty nice.
Congrats on clearing the derailleur hurdle. That was a big one for me, too. Bottom brackets should be next on your list. The reality is that with the new outboard bottom brackets, it’s much easier than the old days of spindles and loose bearings. So go ahead, take the whole thing apart and put it back together again. You’ll feel quite accomplished when you do. (Assuming it works…)
@King Clydesdale
Why no riding? You don’t still have the Cannondale you were talking about? Did you trade it in?
Anyway, congrats on your first new bike!
Hilarious, but strong language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hgCqz3l33kU
@DerHoggz
Love the elevator scene. “Sorry love, no more room . . .”
Very cool, @Ron! Look make great bikes, I love the white Flite, and you’ve got the whole thing looking very ‘pro’.