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 EffectRule #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 BlackGuest 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 StableDialing in the Stable
    This 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 rugMatching the drapes to the rug
    As 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 HourFestum Prophetae: Waiting for the Hour
    Everyone 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 ...

15,871 Replies to “The Bikes”

  1. @Marcus
    I’m not sure which inserts I’m gonna stick with. I got a shitpot load to choose from. I’m gonna raise the saddle a bit, so I may pull the current spacers out and go with one big spacer that raises the saddle a few more mm’s. It takes me a while to get everything just so. How’s your saddle fit coming?

    I have to laugh. In the box with all the extras, I got packets full of reflectors. I guess, by law, retailers have to at least give the reflectors to the customer. Can you imagine? I thought about installing them and sending Frank a picture. Gawd, that would be a riot. I still might.

  3. @sgt
    Shit. They didn’t send a dork disk. Dammit. Now I’m pissed. I’m gonna write a letter to Look–in French–and demand what’s rightfully mine. And it better say “LOOK” on it.

  4. @Jeff in PetroMetro

    The same cages? Like those are his? Or do you have identical ones?

  5. Jeff in PetroMetro:
    @mightyninja
    Thanks! I really didn’t expect anything like this to come my way. If the weather would cooperate, I could get out and learn so much more about this exquisite beast. But, it’s wet outside and now it’s freezing. As I type, it’s -1C.

    My pleasure.

    You must be itching to get out on the road. Well Sydney over the last week has been anywhere between 24c – 42c (last Saturday) if you can make it down here?! Not sure if you can imagine what it was like riding in that heat? Then again, I would have no idea of just how cold you must be right now or even contemplating a ride. Don’t feel like swapping places either.
    Anyway, again, well done, nice purchase/upgrade & good luck with the tweaks.

  7. @michael
    Nah. The same kind of cages, but not his cages. It was weird. I googled “Look 595 2007,” and clicked “images.” The 2nd picture is the picture I put up over on Frank vs. The Volcano. It looks exactly like my bike except his has a different saddle, he uses Speedplay and I use Look pedals, and I hadn’t put cages on yet. But his kind of cages were on my Cervelo. So I immediately moved them to my new bike. It was like Mr. Google said, “Jeff. When you bought your Tacx cages four years ago, you were destined to own a 595. Let me show you.”

  8. @mightyninja
    This morning in Houston it’s -3c. The high is supposed to be 8c. It stopped raining, and it’s not even windy. So I’m going out for about two hours this afternoon for sure.

    I’d love to come to Sydney. Pero no tengo dinero. It all went into the bike.

  11. @Marko
    Thanks. I really didn’t do anything but decide to “get in the river” and let it take me. Let go, let Merckx. So I did.

  12. Jeff in PetroMetro:
    I guess, by law, retailers have to at least give the reflectors to the customer. Can you imagine? I thought about installing them and sending Frank a picture. Gawd, that would be a riot. I still might.

    Yeah, I heard about that too… seems really weird. The shop I purchased my Felt from certainly didn’t attach any of the “required by law” reflectors, so at least they were considerate in that regard.

  13. Man, that thing looks so cool…look used to use a low bb for stability; my dads is so stable, it’s crazy. I’m curious if they still do that, or if they’ve gone up. All my bikes have more common higher bb.

    Such a great looking bike. I love tht Look is still running lugs, too.

  14. @frank
    Big, Fat, Beastly Lugs.

    Based on my overly-scientific measurement–center of bb spindle to the floor by way of an English-only measuring tape–I’ve got the same measurement for my Look and my Cervelo. So you got me curious. I whipped out the ’84 Mercian. It’s bb is closer to the ground by 2cm.

  15. @mcsqueak
    I think they should attach all the reflectors. If they’re gonna put those fucking lawyer tabs on the front fork drop-outs, why not provide training wheels, reflectors, and Yellow Jackets of Authority? Certainly I can’t get hurt with all that going for me.

  16. @frank
    The Look lugs were one of the big attractors for me – especially the seat tube that also “acts” as a lug to the seatstay and tube.

    On another topic entirely, Marko, how about your question about the Aussies the other week – it has brought on a spate of victories/records. Cam Meyer (still can’t work out a name for him – Oscar? – or maybe the Brothers Muyer if they both ever kick it in the Fleche Wallone?), Bling Matthews, JackyBobby, Sausseler and now even Reckshaw in the action.

    And I believe Cav may be more than two months from peaking – but he was similarly out of form/injured last year wasn’t he?

  18. Nate :
    Let no Texan accuse you of being all hat, no cattle.

    I like that! As someone from the land downunder I’ve never heard that expression before but understand the sentiment. Nice one

  19. Outstanding work. That is a beautiful new steed. Let no Texan accuse you of being all hat, no cattle.

    @Nate
    Nah. I really am all hat and no cattle, at least when it comes to family. My grandfather sold all his cows before he passed away last year. My mom and step-dad sold all but four of their longhorn a couple of years ago. The closest I get to cows these days is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, http://www.hlsr.com. Oh, and my daughter’s quarter horse is a cow pony off a cow/calf operation. I can do my best cow impression around him and his ears come straight forward and he drops down, ready to go. I love when he does that.

  20. 3cross – Nice bike! I normally don’t like the looks of Big Fellow machines, but that is a nice one. Liking the setup.

    Jeff – that’s one sweet Look. Very nice. I like the white with black. Might look even nicer with the all black Tao cages…or some white carbone. Either way, still a might nice steed.

  22. @Ron
    But, but, but Julian Dean used those cages when he was on Credit Agricole. And I already owned them. It was destiny, I tell you.

    Seriously, thanks for the compliment. I just got in from a 3.5 hour ride, and it was simply magnificent. I’ve never felt so comfortable and efficient. When I come home from a ride, I want to turn around and go back out.

  23. @Nate
    Yeah. I got you when I read it. But I’m still all hat and no cattle. The bike is so much more than I am. It’s disheartening when a 12-year-old on a squeaky BMX bike can half wheel ya for an hour then take you in the city limit sign sprint. Little bastard.

  25. @roadslave
    Thanks. I feel like I won the lottery. Between the build quality and the feel, I’ve never ridden a bike that works this well for me. Too bad I suck! But I’ll keep getting stronger. Hopefully I’ll get in a four hour ride tomorrow. That will give me 7.5 hours for the weekend.

  26. Got out on Bike #1 in Sunny Weather with the new stem and raised saddle. The higher saddle was great, stroke felt more Magnificent. The jury is out on the stem until I do a longer ride, but so far so good – didn’t feel too high, might have felt better descending over bumpy roads.

  28. @Steampunk
    Now that Frank’s a climbing specialist, what’s next on the calendar? Ventoux?

    @frank
    As I mentioned in a previous post, your bike is one of my dream bikes. Just not YOUR bike–I can’t reach the pedals.

  29. Ok folks, I need an opinion:

    My current tires are about done. I’ve been running Vittoria Zaffiro 23’s for the last ~3,200 km and I noticed some small gashes today as I performed my pre-ride inspection. I even had to dig out a small piece of glass I must have picked up last weekend. No flats yet, but I see that looming in my future if I don’t get some new rubber soon.

    I’m pretty much set on getting the Conti GP 4000, but I can’t decide to stick with 23’s or move up to a set of 25’s.

    Any thoughts on that move?

  30. @mcsqueak
    Yes, GP 4000. As for size, hmmmm. What bar are you riding now, is it high? Maybe stick with 23’s and lower the pressure if you’re riding high. I know what you mean though, I may bump up to 25’s after next year. I rode through a pair of Rubino pros this year and went back to the contis (23’s) which are brand new. So I won’t be switching for a while hopefully. I do really dig the 28 Gatorskins I stuck on Il Gruppo Progetto and you know what they say, 28 Contis are more like 25’s, so maybe the 25’s would be the ticket. Fuck, I’m rambling. Just got out of the sauna and have had a couple. Cheers.

  31. @mcsqueak
    Why go to 25’s? Are you riding a lot of rough roads? Unless you do a lot of unpaved/pave, I’d stick with 23’s. Just my two cents.

  32. @frank

    Right when I was putting on the riding gear today it started snowing but just barely so I went out anyway. Within about 15 minutes it was really snowing hard but I figured I’d just Rule #9 it. By the end of the 40k all the leading edges on the bike had about a centimeter of ice on them. It was cool when a big slab of ice would slide off like a plane’s wings de-icing. My neoprene booties are old school with the zippers in the front so it wasn’t long before the ice build-up on the front of them started seeping through the zippers and soaked my shoes and socks. Even though I was soaked to the bone I never really got cold. The only thing that was sucky was when the big snow flakes would come over the tops of my shades and hit me in the eyeballs.

    Bike #1 is the only bike I have so as soon as I got home it was straight into the shower with it. Huge amount of road grime from the winter’s sanding of the roads in the bottom of the tub. My wife hates when I do that.

    I’m going to raise and move back my saddle just a tad too Frank. I’m thinking it will help me generate a tad more power.

  33. I’ve ridden Vittoria Zaffiro 25’s and I liked them, especially once I sorted out the psi/bars front and back. Houston roads are, for the most part, horrible. Our soil is gumbo clay. It expands and contracts so much that it breaks roads, house foundations, you name it. The 25’s take all the shit that Houston can dish out.

    Right now, I’m running Hutchison Fusion Comp 23’s. They feel fine, but several online reviews warn about sidwall blowouts around 400-500 kilometers. Sure enough, my back tire sidewall should blow on tomorrow’s ride. Just found a separation. I should rob from Peter and give to Paul–take the 25 Zaffiros off the Cervelo and drop them on the Look just to keep from damaging the rear rim when the tire goes. Or I could run some Hutchinson Quartz 23’s that are doing nothing on my Mercian right now. I dunno. More tomorrow after my ride.

  34. @mcsqueak
    I reckon Conti GP 4000s are just about the best all round high end tyres – and they seem to go pretty cheap online these days if your personal philosophies allow u to go this way…

  35. @mcsqueak
    I’m partial to the GP4000s 700×23 myself. And I’d try slightly lower pressure before going to 25’s

    Delenda est Alberto

  36. @all,

    Thanks for the feedback. I’m running about 185 lbs right now, and I run around 115 psi in the rear and around 100 up front.

    My thoughts about going to the slightly wider tires were based in reading I’ve done (including some links that I think were posted in a thread here recently) basically stating that many people will be more comfortable and actually go faster running 25’s as opposed to the 23’s.

    The roads around my house and usual ride routes are pretty good, though during the summer when I stray further out into farm country it’s a lot of chip-seal crap, and that on a an alu/carbon bike can be a little rough after enough miles.

  38. @frank
    Glad you raised the seat and let us know how the stem works out. I was reviewing advice “Michael” gave in “Theory of bike fitting” and thought he had good points on that. The volcano video has some good shots of your profile (first shot of you on the road) so it might be worth comparing the new stem length position from that. My guess is that getting a little more bend in your elbows and over lap in elbows/knees would be ideal…

    Just a little point on the excellent image, there is no mention in Rule #26 (and you have Rule #40 in complete compliance of course) but shouldn’t the computer pick up/valve stem be at 12:00/6:00 o’clock? Just wondering, its all in the details…

  39. This is an excerpt of what I thought applied. The last sentence for me is key because I think that position allows you to go hard for long periods in a very aero position that also gives you a relaxed upper body.

    THEORY OF BIKE FITTING: TALL RIDERS WALK THEIR OWN PATH

    michael / Oct 24 2010

    Within this guideline you have actually a lot of flexibility on position, you can drop the bars way low so your back is parallel to the ground or have both your back/humerus at 45°/45° or 60°/30°. This will simply be dictated by comfort or intent, intent being aerodynamics, comfort often being dictated by your saddle, flexibility, age. Look at Thor’s arms above, 90° to his back/body, the rest of the peleton is much like this. As Americans, we tend to look at these guys and think their position is either very low or stretched and almost always have stems that are too long. Most Europros have a very healthy overlap between elbows and knees when in the drops tucking low.

  40. Cyclops :
    @frank
    Right when I was putting on the riding gear today it started snowing but just barely so I went out anyway. Within about 15 minutes it was really snowing hard but I figured I’d just Rule #9 it. By the end of the 40k all the leading edges on the bike had about a centimeter of ice on them. It was cool when a big slab of ice would slide off like a plane’s wings de-icing. My neoprene booties are old school with the zippers in the front so it wasn’t long before the ice build-up on the front of them started seeping through the zippers and soaked my shoes and socks. Even though I was soaked to the bone I never really got cold. The only thing that was sucky was when the big snow flakes would come over the tops of my shades and hit me in the eyeballs.
    Bike #1 is the only bike I have so as soon as I got home it was straight into the shower with it. Huge amount of road grime from the winter’s sanding of the roads in the bottom of the tub. My wife hates when I do that.
    I’m going to raise and move back my saddle just a tad too Frank. I’m thinking it will help me generate a tad more power.

    Way to fucking lay down The V, man!!! We need pictures!!!

  41. @Jeff in PetroMetro
    Personally I love my Michelin 700×23 Pro3Race Tires for my bike #1. But I have been wondering about Conti GP 4000’s. As I might be riding the P-R Cyclcosportif next April 2012, I was wondering what you all would ride for a clincher tire for that ride? 25’s of course, but not sure which tire? Have been reading about the Vittoria Open Pave EVO CG Clincher Tire. Anyone use them ever?

  42. Buck Rogers :
    @Jeff in PetroMetro I might be riding the P-R Cyclcosportif next April 2012

    Bastard. (Nothing personal.)

    By way of more positive contribution, I used to ride the Conti GP 4000S, but they seemed to puncture a lot so I swapped them for Gatorskins. A bit heavier, perhaps, but I don’t think that is what is stopping me Climb Well for my Weight and the reduced risk of roadside tire changes makes it all worth while.

  44. @Buck Rogers

    I might be riding the P-R Cyclcosportif next April 2012, I was wondering what you all would ride for a clincher tire for that ride?

    Um…tubulars glued to abrossio rims 3-cross laced to a set of silver campy-record hubs. Obviously.

    Seriously, though, I’ve found GP4000’s to be fantastic all-round tires. Just enough tread for Rule #9 compliance, good rubber that doesn’t get gashed too easily, and I’ve only ever had one flat on them, after years and years of urban riding.

    The hair on the back of my neck stands up at the thought of anything bigger than a 23, but that’s just me.

  45. @G’phant
    :) Not set in stone (pave?) yet but I am definintely going to be there to watch it April 2012. If there is a cyclo the day before, I’m doing it. It is a lifetime goal of mine and I will grab that baby if at all possible! I’m open for any Velominati that want to join in??!?!?!?

  48. Oli Brooke-White :
    25s then, no question.

    depending on how often you would be on the poorer quality roads then I would agree with @Oli Brooke White.

    I ride on Conti 23’s and sometimes end up on a similar type of road where the narrower tyre really shows on the uncomfy side.

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