La Vie Velominatus: Saleté Sacrée
A Velominatus maintains their machine with meticulous care, doting over it daily. A bicycle is a tool, but it is also a work of art, and serves us loyally in pursuit of our craft. We love them as though they were alive; as we grow together, the cracks and lines formed upon both our skins signifies the journey that has passed beneath our wheels.
A clean bicycle with a boastful luster inspires pride; I find myself constantly fighting the urge to carry mine upstairs to sit by the dinner table each time it has been cleaned, the bar tape freshly wrapped, or any old component swapped for a new one. I’m sure a psychiatrist would have a thing or two to say about it; I know the VMH does.
And yet, there are times when it pains me to clean my machine. After our first day on the Cobbles of Roubaix on Keepers Tour 2012, I left my bike dirty for two days because I couldn’t bring myself to rid her frame of the sacred dust that had accumulated after a day’s hard riding over some of the most hallowed roads in the world. A week later, I suffered the same condition the day after riding the route of De Ronde through hail, rain, and wind which left our machines covered in mud, manure, and Merckx knows what else. I think some part of me hoped the Flemish spirit held within all that grit would somehow be absorbed by my bike, that it would somehow help complete her soul.
But this kind of sacred dirt, the kind we don’t want to wash from our steeds, isn’t found only on the holy roads of Northern Europe. I found myself with the same reluctance to clean my Graveur after riding Heck of the North this year; a race held outside a small Northern Minnesota town nearly half a world from Flanders. I also serendipitously found photos Pavé William took of his Rosin after riding the Strade Bianche, documenting the covering of white dust upon its tubes. This condition afflicts us all, it would seem.
Any dirt becomes holy when we’ve suffered through it, when it took something from us in order to find its way onto our bikes and clothing. Sacred Dirt it is created spontaneously after prolonged exposure to The V.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
@frank
How much of a hassle are they when dealing with flats? Do they make good tubulars with flat protection? I ask due to the fact that here we deal with some of the nastiest thorns I have seen. Most desert plants like to stab you.
@DCR
Here in Utah, we have the nasty and ubiquitous goat head thorns. When I put on a new tubular, I remove the valve core and add 1oz of Stan’s tire sealant. With that, and a quality tire, I’ve had no problems. I currently run Vittoria Pave’ EVO-CGs (290tpi w/ Kevlar).
@Optimiste
Ah the goat head…. they are quite prolific here. This is my main concern. Thanks for the input. I luckily have a couple of wheels that can serve as commuter sets so tubulars may be in my future.
@DCR
Excellent. By the way, my EVOs have held up well amid the recent proliferation of chipseal here. Your mileage may vary.
Speaking of sacred dirt, live from Belgium cyclocross streaming here NOW.
@DCR
Once you learn what you’re doing (I’ve changed about a dozen or so tubs now) you can pull a tub and slap a spare on in less time than it takes to change a clincher.
I know several people who ride with goop in their tires, which I imagine is about as effective as with clinchers.
That said, if flats are a daily or weekly issue, I’d probably stay away from tubs just for the sheer cost of tire replacement. (My only bike with clinchers now is my rain bike.)
@VbyV
Sounds like a great day out!
@Optimiste
Well, there you have it. Case closed.
@Optimiste those are cute. we have cactus down here, which I fell into one today. Merckx I love riding.
@RedRanger
Yeow!
@Optimiste yup. had to walk my mtb back to my truck and pull thorns out with pliers
Pictures?
@RedRanger
Sooo, what your saying is you should have been on a road bike. On the road. Right?
@Weldertron sorry that wasnt on the top of my list of things to do lol.
@Optimiste I ride road also. Just like both
@RedRanger Undoubtedly. I’ve been saved from needing skin grafts numerous times on the road because of bike handling skills I developed on singletrack. Good on ‘ya.
@frank
I may have to take the blame for that one !
Having said that, no longer running hybrid set-up, 25’s alround and no more splinters @Mikael Liddy
@Mikael Liddy
Got some big tweezers and prized those splinters out ! Gone from 23/25 to 25/25 and can confirm that it rocks !! Much surere handling – as suggested on the front – without any noticeable speed or rolling dramas.
@Barracuda good to hear!
Filthy things rim brakes… Riding in the wet is filthy but fun.
A clean bike is a happy bike .