There she goes, my beautiful world
Europe is full of history, ancient buildings filled with original masterpieces of art that you can spend days discovering. Looking at these artworks lasts but a moment, the only way to retain their majesty by memory or memory card. Other works of art take different forms, and some of these can be taken with you. For a price.
No amount of dollar value can be put on the experience of meeting the master who created your own piece of art. You can buy a Matisse print, but you’ll never get to have him paint your portrait or invite you in for lunch. I feel privileged to have had the chance to commission a work, see its progress, and finally take delivery of it from the very artisan who created it. From the moment I met Diel and Steven at Ateliers Jaegher in Ruiselede a lifetime bond was forged. These guys live La Vie Velominatus, and enhance LvV of many others who are lucky enough to have a bicycle crafted by them.
It felt almost like stealing a baby from its parent when I wheeled my machine out the door. I could sense that Diel is like the surrogate who offers his services happily, but feels a tinge of regret when he finally has to let go. And as the benefactor, one has an unspoken pact to take extra good care and report back on the progress of the relationship at frequent intervals. As we prepared to tackle Roubaix together, Diel cast a long look over my bike, no doubt making sure the wet baptism that it received on its initial rides around Kemmel and crashing on the slippery Roubaix pavé hadn’t scarred it in any way. I was relieved when he finally smiled and wheeled his own grey beast away towards the milling riders.
The difference between a bicycle and a painting or sculpture is that the bicycle isn’t just great to look at. You wouldn’t pour the dinner wine from the Portland Vase, or use the corner of Les Poissons Rouges to write your shopping list on, but you can ride the bike. You can cover it in mud until it’s unrecognisable, but appreciate the visual beauty still. You can drop it on the ground and it won’t disintegrate, you can change the way it looks, and be in love all over again. You can’t repaint a van Gogh every couple of years, but you can a Jaegher.
*Many thanks to everyone who helped make this dream come true for me: Steven at Jaegher for all his patient answering of my questions and helping decide on colours etc, and the precision build; Diel at Jaegher for crafting my masterpiece which I am so happy with; Nicolo at fizik for his continued support of Velominati and supplying the beautiful cockpit components; Joshua at Campagnolo for his support and recommendation/supply of the Shamal wheels; Kyle at Chris King for the outstanding headset; Dave and Alex at Worralls NZ for the help with the Super Record gruppo; Graeme at CycleSport NZ for the outstanding Vittoria Pavé CG tyres; Jonny at Bikes International NZ for the Time Xpresso pedals. All your contributions are much appreciated and your products essential to completing this amazing and satisfying project. Chapeau.
Also thanks to the supporters of Keepers Tour 2015: Brett at Handlebar Mustache for the BTFU musettes; Martin at Isadore Apparel for the styling caps; Nicolo at fizik for the rolls of bar tape; and of course our ever-awesome partners William and Alex at Pavé Cycling Classics for being the best guides around and great lifelong friends. Our fantastic guests, a pleasure to ride with you all and call you friends. You all made this the best KT yet.
Full Spec:
Frame: Jaegher Interceptor, 57cm, Columbus Spirit tubing, Gritty Grey/Jaegher Orange. Columbus carbon fork, carbon steerer.
Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record 11, 175mm cranks 53/39, 11-27 cassette.
Wheels: Campagnolo Shamal Mille clinchers.
Tyres: Vittoria Pavé CG 27mm.
Bars/stem: fizik Cyrano R1 carbon 44mm c-c, Cyrano R1 120mm (custom painted), fizik 3mm Soft Touch tape.
Headset: Chris King NoThreadset, external 1 1/8″.
Saddle/post: fizik Aliante R3 carbon braided, Cyrano R1 carbon 27.2.
Pedals: Time Xpresso 4.
Cages: King Cage titanium.
Extras: V-Cufflinks (bar plugs).
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View Comments
Isn't that amazing. Truly old school approach to building these beautiful bikes. Forged from fire if you will!
I've just placed an order for a custom frame from the good folks at Marinoni out in Quebec. Mine is to be a cross bike from their Fango line and constructed with the more modern tube dimensions of Columbus HSS Spirit tubing. After reading this terrific account, I can't help but feel that I have erred by not visiting the factory and meeting the people that will create my bike.
I will post some pics of the frame when it arrives and hopefully document the subsequent build. I suspect that it will be 4 or 5 weeks before I get the frame.
Enjoy it man.... ride it a lot ... and give us a damn bike review ... :)
What an exhibition it would be if all the bikes that have graced these pages could be gathered in one place.
@kixsand
Marinoni make some damn fine bikes... you should get yourself to the factory for sure, it certainly adds some indescribable element to the process when you meet, eat and ride with the guy who's making your bike.
@Kupepe
Enjoying the shit out of it so far! We're close to racking up the first 1000km together, should crack that tomorrow with a pre-Amstel ride on some cobbles with William.
A 'review' will be coming, but for now all I can say is the bike is simply amazing. It's far outstripped my expectations with the way it performs in all situations... there really isn't anything that compares to the ride of steel, and this is next level metallurgy for sure.
@brett
I,m with ya ,steel is mighty fine. Just picked up a lugged 40th Anniversary Marinoni , Could not possibly be happier . Steel fork and all .
@brett
Modern steel making is certainly beyond next level in that it's well known and controlled thanks to technology and process control capabilities available today. Many moons ago some serious metallurgy was involved in making blades of antiquity - damascus swords and such - in part thru the local ores and a little serendipity so to speak. The Columbus ferrous tubing is produced from flat rolled steel and is considered an HSLA steel - high strength low alloy - and specific to this product is Niobium alloyed. The raw steel is melted at approx 1600 C prior to the alloy add'ns and chem is controlled to parts per million prior to casting in to slabs. Yea, there's a little bit of thermodynamics going on as it's made in batches of 100+ tonnes molten steel in a ladle. The steel is hot rolled, cold rolled and annealed and temper passed prior to production in to straight seam welded tubes at which point is it is drawn and redrawn repeatedly to result in a remarkably consistent product. There are temp's in the process at which point the Nb precipitates out of sol'n and pins the grain boundaries hence the refined microstructure and high strength of the steel. The experts at Jaegher know what they're getting when they work with this stuff. The metallurgy you refer to is really the beauty in the design, craftsmanship and expertise using this specific steel. Some serious metallurgy also looks to be in involved in their stainless bikes in which the tubes are formed from billet steel. But again, this steel is worked and reworked such that the consistency is a given and not much unlike the ferrous steel tubes.
The earth is made of iron and the world is made of steel. I have a special passion for the material and when I get my custom steel frame bike I'll be inspired by yours and the work of the team at Jaegher. These cats are making beautiful bikes. Cheers
NSFW
@brett
Tell me about steel ... carbon is in the stable and I always ride a Colnago Super with modern Campy 10s and 3T thingies. It is so sweet I am planning to make a Record 11s with Shamal Mille and 3T components modern steel.
Cant decide if it will be Jaegher, Baum Ristretto, Rourke or Donhou ... hmm sweet dilemmas
@Kupepe
You own a Colnago, I don't need to tell you about steel!
All the bikes you listed are top notch, you won't be disappointed with any of those. I've always lusted after a Baum, beautifully made but they are trés expensive. I can definitely vouch for the Jaegher of course, it's by far the best riding bike I've owned and there's just something cool about being Made in Belgium.