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 ...
@roger
that thing is a beast! I would be scared to ride next to that.
@Tubular Swells
Despite all the carbon on this post, I’d have to see your bike is one of my new favorites. Based on the tubing she looks both fast and comfy.
@roger & @Tubular Swells some beautiful bikes there lads, Cervelo has to be just about rivalling Look as the Velominati bike of choice…
@Tubular Swells
Sweet Ride. I like the “Ode to Gios” paint scheme. Are you going to explain the cross top further, or just let us speculate wildly about it’s “purpose”?
@Tubular Swells
Bel Mezzo, indeed… Wow.
@Vin’cenza
Oh my WORD! What a bitchin’ ride. That is a fucking evil looking bike, all black and a little red. All Campa’d up. Spot on. Makes me want to paint my Ti bike.
@Skip
RVV sportive. If the sun is out, that’s >15k Belges on the hellingen. Don’t want to be in the tops and unable to get to brakes in time to prevent an international incident.
@Tubular Swells
Gorgeous bike. I ride with the 24 Pave’s and feel as if I float over imperfections. Damn 27s must rival a LazyBoy in comfort.
@Gianni
The Sword — a truly Evil bicycle chosen only to do Good work — to race! Thanx Gianni !!
@Vin’cenza
beautiful Merckx machine dude
scratching my head to work out what the bit of furniture is, that it rests against…. some sort of mortitian’s trolley?
As an aside, I see Eddy Merckx was ranked #5 in the World at Pool-Billiards last year – no end to the Cannibals victim sources
@Vin’cenza
I was thinking it was more like Stormbringer – a beautiful instrument of skilled craftsmen. Downside? It causes soul loss of the wielder if the V is neglected.
@Dr C
Cripes Dr.C.
That is just absolute shit. Agreed that there’s a special place in hell for bike theives.
So, what are you going to get to replace it?
@Tubular Swells
Beautiful Bike!
@roger
Even beautifuller bike, if only as smaller frames appeal as a card carrying member of the DLF.
And, I covet your wheels.
@roger
Is it very fast going backwards, aren’t those Paves on backwards?
@itburns
Chapeau, it must take quite some dedication to mix road cycling with enough LSD to make a Moorcock book intelligible.
@Tubular Swells
Stunning. Looking for a steel bike to sit with my No.1 and this is giving me the horn.
@mouse
DLF?
@Chris
D’oh! Lest I am consistent when wrong. The front is an easy fix, but the rear ain’t as simple as flipping
the wheel around. Suppose I will spend the weekend tearing it off and remounting. Hopefully the basetape doesn’t peel along with it.
@roger
Um, Dwarves Liberation Front.
For little people with big guns.
@roger
I’m faced with the same thing, my rear is on the wrong way round and must be sorted before the keepers tour.
@itburns
MX Leader (size 60) at 250 grams less than the Corsa Extra (size 59) — it has only added more V !!
@Dr C
MX Leader leaning against semi-trans glass partition on my work desk. Concrete area is Motorex friendly !!
@Tubular Swells
Like your comment, implying (feeling) that the bike demands that you must become a more impressive rider to balance it all. Would love to take the bikes out with you one day.
@Tubular Swells
Since one never knows (I will ask), are you needing or interested in 36 hole Campagnolo Victory Strada(s) ?? I have 2 front wheels — one silver Chorus hub, and one black Record hub — both on Wheelsmith. And then a pair unbuilt C Victory Strada 36h waiting to find the right 10s rear hub.
God, you guys have great bikes. You wouldn’t even believe the shit-mobile I’m pedaling around. Actually it’s perfectly adequate, but these two-wheeled beauties make me feel like I’m riding something pulled from a trailer park dumpster.
Bless you all and your beautiful steeds.
@Tubular Swells
Interesting solution. I heard those climbs can get clogged with walkers during the sportive. Just thousands of participants, no? I had been thinking about doing RVV this year but one reason I didn’t is that I heard there almost was more walking than riding. I suppose the cross top helps you sort the obstacles. Since you’ve done that ride before is that something you’ve seen others do, or your own idea?
@Skip
I’ve not done the RVV sportive before, I’ve always been put off by the numbers and the prospect of regular dismounts. The idea is to hang around for the pros on Sunday so I’m just going to suck it up. I may even put my Time ATAC mountain bike pedals on and ride my Sidi Dragons – with shoe covers to hide my shame.
I’ve ridden the last 160km of RVV “out of season” (twice) – it’s sign posted, so you can make your own way around. I’ve done P-R sportive, that’s out of season as well (and there aren’t all that many idiots prepared to ride 255kms starting in the dark in a carpark of a sports club in a suburb of Compiegne).
The cross top is more for the flats/downhills than the hills. Check out cyclingnews ahead of P-R, there’s usually a range of modifications on display, sometimes including cross tops.
So this will be my twice a day sufferance from now on
RIP CruX, step up the Langster
Just a set of wheels and brakes really, fairly unforgiving – wierdly quiet – I think it’ll be a battle rather than a joy, but I’m strangely looking forward to it….
So, for the first time in many years today, I went on a ride with our towns ‘club’. Good group, but there were a few transgressions. I present you with the longest steerer tube in the history of steerer tubes;
To be fair, the guy was like 203cm+ and probably 110K.
@scaler911
Alright, I’m in Madison and not 203 cm; it’s not me!
@gaswepass
And a mighty fine day you missed. It was like 62-63F (cause I’m too lazy to convert to metric). Felt like it was in the 90’s. And to think I had 2 inches of snow at my place Thursday.
@scaler911
I’m also positive that the front tyre/ stem match on the front is a total accident. I’ve never been party to that many YJA’s in one place before either.
@scaler911
Thats some clandestine photoging right there. I think that dudes headtube is a 57. Same as my seat tube. Notice the seat post reveal though, nary a stub. Frank could consider this for his next frame. Get on it Cyclops.
@scaler911
Rocked it out here in Madison w/ mad city velo in similar but warmer conditions. Fun group, some great rolling terrain out here. Lots a punchy and some longer climbs. Actually did 1000 meters o climbing in bout 90km ride.
@Dr C
Wow, that was quick, Dr!
Is that a belt drive? The chain looks different… I bet you’ll have a lot of fun with a single speed. This summer, I have a choice between petitioning my wife for another bike or a jon boat. If it’s a bike, I wouldn’t mind something just like that.
@Marko
Ya. I tried to do it under the radar (tho I was the only guy there with a ‘race kit’ so….). He caught me shooting the photos and I tried to ‘Be Cool’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv3AY1zTzaE. He wasn’t amused, but I only saw him for the first 5 minutes of the ride.
@scaler911
Gaswepass goes out of town for a weekend, and you wind up on a club ride!
@scaler911
His bidons are so far away…
@scaler911
Looks like a strong argument for an addendum to Rule #44:
Under no circumstances should your head tube exceed the length of a) the exposed length of seat post and/or b) the length of your fork.
Other than that it mus be quite handy having enough space to carry a couple of spare wheels in the front triangle. Is this a prototype of @cyclops’ new PR bike for @frank?
@scaler911
Is that Al?!
query gents…now that the decal set has arrived I need to clear some room at the top of the head tube for the V symbol. Not entirely keen on either the Fondriest symbol or the silly UCI compliance decal, wondering what the best way to go about removing said decals would be?
I can’t tell about the UCI decal (what a cheek!), but the Fondriest logo looks like a permanent part of the paintjob/screenprint to me.
@Mikael Liddy
Hope the UCi decals isn’t clear coated. I use a surgical knife blade and gently work the decal off. Don’t be tempted to use fingers and peel/pull it off, as this would stretch the decal. I then would place the decal elsewhere on the frame, sat on seat tube above BB.
Or… a black sticker over the UCI label (regular shape so it shouldn’t be too hard) and then the V decal on top.
Avoid any possibility of harming paintwork.
@ChrisO
This.
Cheers all, I think ChrisO’s response is going to have to be the option as further inspection has led me to believe it’s clear coated (can feel the rise of the decal but no edge to lift). Can’t believe I’ll have to sully the frame with a sticker.
Other option could be to mount it on the front of the stem, although that won’t give the same kick of looking down & seeing it when one goes in to the red.
@Mikael Liddy
Yeh yeh…
The shoes? How have the shoes been?
@scaler911
Similar to Bill Walton’s bike
@Mikael Liddy
You could use one of these:
(Kidding, just kidding…….)
@Mikael Liddy
a hair dryer maybe? the glue may melt because of the heat…
@Mikael Liddy
Another option would be to use the little cog logo from in front of the Velominati word decal, placing it between the two existing logos. Might get a bit busy there on the top tube, though.
@Blah
It’s like riding in slippers dude, you’ll love them. They felt a little stiff & unforgiving on the shakedown ride, but as since I’ve taken the hairdryer to them & done the thermo-moulding they’ve been nothing but amazing.