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 ...
@RedRanger
Mine doesn’t have anything like that, just a good ol’ ~15mm conical spacer. Looking around the web it should be fine for at least the week before going back to get the longer stem. Right now it is on top of the stem, looks ridiculous.
@Ron
#2, where at is the chain rubbing?
#3, high-limit screw, probably a slight tolerance difference.
Just a follow up on the commencement of CX season here in Melbs.
Awesome weekend of racing on two very different courses. One featured lots of gravel traps, grass and hard surfaces; the other nothing but mother fucking saturated grass/mud. Suffice it to say I had more fun one one over the other.
The first day I was dicing for a placing with a rider who I noticed was sporting a Velominati sticker. Big shout out to Ben. You should join us here sometime. That was a great race, but I’ll get ya next time…
Anyhoo, here’s a pic of the pink princess in action…
@mouse Merckx I love that bike.
@Harminator
Proper Look! You did a wonderful build on her
@RedRanger
do not ride the new saddle with new shorts. I made that mistake with my white on white arione cx carbon and turned her yellow. hope it fits you, it’s a wonderful saddle
@Ron
2) spokes? are you positive this is where the chain is rubbing? doesnt sound quite right to a noob like me..
@mouse
that cx bike is tits
DerHoggz & Roger – thanks!
#2 – You can hear a tink, tink, tink as the wheel rotates. Yes, I do indeed know it is from the chain contacting the spokes. If I shift back to my 2nd largest cog, the noise stops. It brushes it ever so slightly. I’ve been going for the easy solution to date (not riding in my lowest gear ever) but do like things to run properly.
#3 – Hmm, high limit screw, eh. I thought that must be it, but it doesn’t even really “jump” off the 12 but completely phantom shifts as if there is another one out there. But, that does seem like the most obvious solution/problem.
mouse – slick shot! Lookin’ real good. But, that photo also has my stomach feeling queasy for cross season and trying to ride in stuff like you’re in there. Ugh, not easy.
Ha, fighting it out with a Silent Follower? Very funny to be asserting the V against such a lad.
Something sounds like you haven’t put the 1mm spacer onto the freehub before you’ve put the cassette on. That might explain the rubbing AND shooting off the 12. I also thought your chain might be too short if you’ve put a 25 on after a 23, and the derailleur is under too much tension given the chainline?
diagnosis after beer and over the internet may be lacking. But could be worth checking?
@DerHoggz I had a similar conical spacer with a rubber O ring on my cannondale. Aweful monstrosity. Replaced it with one of these.
@Chris
Strange that my Six already had something like that.
@RedRanger Seems that the higher end bikes give you both options but the lowly CAADs don’t. Wasn’t expensive, though, and the stem hides the slightly cheesy Slam that Stem logo.
@Chris
nothing lowly about a bike that survives the Keepers Tour.
@mouse
where did you get the pink Spesh? Did you spray it, or is it a Giro special?
Mine was black and white before it got nicked
@RedRanger compared to the SSs and the Evo Team that I covet so, it’s rather lowly but in terms of its evolution from the standard CAAD 8 105 I brought a year or so ago, it’s a little less lowly than it was.
@Ron
@mouse
Nice ride! Love the pink.
A mouse chasing the cheese!
@mouse – Dude. So. Badass! That pic screams V. =)
@Ron – It sounds like you need a spacer between the hub and cassette. I’d agree with everybody else here.
@Steampunk @G’rilla
Similar experience. Late Saturday I took my Spesh Crux into a new LBS for some rear derailleur work I didn’t think I could do. After I explained the problem(s) I was having, the first thing the mechanic said was, when are you riding again? We can probably have this done my noon tomorrow since we want our lead mechanic to look at this. I told him to take his time since I’ve got three other bikes I can ride.
Cafevelobikes.com great new shop that features BMC, Cervelo and Specialized bikes. Road, TT & mountain.
@Xyverz
if they only ship to germany – let me know and I’ll post them on for you, as I’m somewhere in southern germany for a few more months
you can mail me at dsadler AT wifirst DOT net to sort it out if you want
nice bike :)
@Ron
From your description it looks like it’s the rear derailleur cage that’s touching the spokes and not the chain.Adjust the L screw on your rear derailleur.Shift to the largest sprocket,but be careful,and then turn the L screw clockwise.
@Ron
Is it a Mavic wheel?
I’d second Minion and say that it looks like you forgot shimano silver spacer.If it’s a Mavic wheel you also need Mavic body spacer.To adjust rear derailleur H screw shift to big ring on the front and release the shifting cable from the pinch bolt.While pedalling keep turning the H screw until perfect alignment is achieved.You will hear when it happens.The chain will run smooth without rattling or noise.Only now you can attach the cable and adjust indexing.Good luck.
@DerHoggz
What bike mate? I mean what kind of headset.If it’s 15 mm volcano top cap from FSA you can change it to 8 mm one pictured below.You can get alu one and carbon one.Carbon one comes with FSA orbit carbon headset.
@Dr C
It’s a Stybar special edition “Bunnyhopper”. They came to Australia as a special shipment. Suspect we got them first due to the season offset. Don’t know if they were available in the Northern hemisphere (except for Stybar of course).
@mouse
Relevant:
It appears the frameset is available over here.
Ah…been meaning to get back on here but had a bad internet connection all day. I think you lads are onto it…yes, there is a single thin spacer, likely 1mm that I wasn’t sure where to place. I had it between the 13-t and the 12 but that didn’t really seem necessary. Wanted to check out a Shimano diagram but I think you guys have set me straight. I’ll try to single metal spacer (as opposed to the plastic spacers) between the 3 joined cogs and the hub & see if that works. I’m guessing it should, since it seems like that is the correct installation method. THANKS!
Tommy – not a Mavic wheel, just a lowly old Alex one for my lock-up bike. And yeah, that sounds correct as well regarding the RD cage. I’ll look more closely and try your fix tomorrow during the Queen Stage.
Marko – thanks! I’ll check that out too. Don’t think the spacer was stuck, just misplaced. Userfuckingerror. I love going into a job thinking, “This will be simple!” Only to always learn something new.
Thanks, gents! Appreciate all the feedback.
minion – I don’t think that Steinlager impeded your assessment at all, pal! I think you’ve got me sorted, will try tomorrow. I figured I had that spacer in the wrong spot. So much for guess and see…
Hmm, I’ll also look at the chain but had left it on the link-long side. Think I should be okay from the 23 to the 25, but will check.
Okay, now back to analyzing swaps & picks!
That Stybar photo is always rad!!
My bike
Massive stack of spacers and the conical one. Yes, it says CARTRIDGE BEARING INSIDE.
It actually says CARTRIDGE BEARING SYSTEM, seems very low-rent. I swear the bar tape was clean when I left for the ride.
@DerHoggz yup, it looks very similar to the marshmallowy stuff that was on my Fondriest when I took delivery. When it went back to the lbs for the first of its post purchase tune ups that was the first thing I got them to change. Aside from that & the odd cap to the spacer stack you’ve got a loverly looking bicycle there. Loving the matching blue accents on the rims, saddle & frame.
One more try, CARTRIDGE SYSTEM INSIDE.
@Ron
I DON”T DRINK FUCKING STEINLAGER! NO – ONE in New Zealand drinks it, it’s piss weasel water, how dare you sir, people have died for less, et cetera.
Interestingly my home town/region would frequently record the highest consumption of Steinlager for the country. 30,000 coasties drank more of it that Auckland, (Pop 1 million) Wellington (350,000) or Christchurch (400,000). Strikes me as an urban legend but it may be true.
@DerHoggz
Very nice – love the color scheme on the Fulcrums. Think you might benefit from taking a spirit level to your saddle.
@minion yeah mate, you dont drink Steinlager anymore. You now knock back VBs and Crownies (on special occasions) with your public servant mates in Canberra.
@minion
You may not drink it but Gianni probably does. Nobody drinks more Steinlager than Hawaiians (at least those on Kauai). That and the Amsterdam equivalent to Fosters…..Heineken. I don’t get it myself but whatevahz.
No matter what you say about beer, but the coffee in this country is fucking awful. I have no idea how you can so consistently, and so dreadfully, be wide of an easy to hit mark.
As your post proves Miss Marple, beer’s for losers. Discuss.
Should have had @Marcus in my post, shouldn’t I? Pakrat’s post changes the context somewhat.
@minion Pro tip Don’t drink International Roast.
@minion Try http://decafsucks.com/ (by a friend in Australia).
They’ll even ship good beans to you monthly.
Fat version of someone who looks like me racing on the Sunday cross race in Melbs where Mouse was present. My doppelganger was smiling at this point looking for the beer handup but inside I was crying tears of pain.
Link here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=458386834185811&set=a.458386750852486.108044.137682269589604&type=3&l=30ee7bd253&theater#!/photo.php?fbid=458386887519139&set=a.458386750852486.108044.137682269589604&type=3&l=30ee7bd253&permPage=1
@minion
You are in Canberra Minion. It is not reflective of the rest of the country.
@Kiwicyclist White bar tape on a Cross Bike, that is so fucking pro. Good work.
@Kiwicyclist
I knew we should never have let you have a TORO skinsuit made up. The black and white image shows how shitty the Champ-Sys material and coloring is. Or maybe its not fair to criticise material which is stretched well beyond is designed tolerance levels. And what’s with the watch and the Garmin on a cyclocross course??
@minion
I don’t know how you live in that country.
@Marcus
Well, it is holding the mirror…
@ Daccordi Rider – thanks – personally the carbon tubs are more pro – completely wasted on me of course but as Marcus knows I’m more of a style over substance type anyway.
@Marcus – fair call – one to was to tell the time and one was to check my heartrate – like I really needed to know how fucking close I was to having my heart EXPLODE OUT MY CHEST like the Aliens movie.
@DerHoggz
2 things: Fizik bar tape and saddle angle. other than that, Bad Ass. oh and make sure your good slammed before you cut the tube.
PS enjoy the fuck out of hit, Im sure you worked your ass off for it. I know I did.
@Marcus funny you mention the colour issues with the Champ Sys material, bunch of mates have had a kit made up & the black sections are nearly see through on even the skinniest, peaking right now sized guys. Not sure what level of kit they stumped up for but it’d be a little frustrating having your design let down by poor materials.
@Kiwicyclist you may have been in the hurt locker but your doppelgänger has Casually Deliberate style in spades. Agree with Marcus though, wtf on the Garmin + Polar watch?
@pakrat
What is it with certain Keepers and shit antipodean beer?
@Mikael Liddy we have bought all levels of champ Sys gear. And I reckon they are crap – ESP the Knicks of varied cost levels. The good quality winter gear is ok but the rest is shoddy. Avoid
@kiwicyclist you know both of those devices can do both of those functions? Do you wear two watches? One for the date and one for the time?
@Marcus
Yeah assumed as much, any experience with the Babici gear? I know their retail range is pretty expensive (think Rapha & then some) but they also do custom orders.
Ah Frank say it isn’t so!