Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoLa Vie Velominatus

Anatomy of a Photo: Bike Love

The look, of love... Photo via Oli's Tumblr

I got new wheels last week and got them mounted with tires by the weekend. Then @Haldy had to help me with a clearance problem on Sunday (27mm FMB Paris-Roubaix’s get to be more like 29mm tires after Francois finishes his lunchtime bottle of wine). When I wasn’t looking, @Haldy put orange cable ends on all the cables. A Velominatus can’t resist doing that sort of thing, you see.

Between the new wheels and orange bits, I feel like I have a new bike. I brought her up into the dining room and have spent yesterday evening and today morning working from the dining room table so I can gaze at her while “thinking”.

I’m tempted to bring her to work today, but I’ve got a few client meetings and I’m afraid my customers might think it a bit strange if I walk into the conference room wheeling my bike. The key thing that separates us from the rest of the world is that we think its normal to stare lovingly at an inanimate object.

We are Cyclists; the rest of the world merely rides a bike. Vive la Vie Velominatus.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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Mikael Liddy says:

Mar 31 2015 at 3:59 pm

@mcgroup53

Cleaned up my spring/fair weather training wheelset last night, replaced the tubes, and installed the wheels on road bike, La Velominatrix, last night. Spent some time checking out how the Easton decals complemented the rest of the paint job on the Giant TCR Advanced 1. Next up I’m replacing the stock bars with nice new Zipp SSC flattops with Zipp CX Service Course tape (black, of course). Freaked out my 9-month-old Golden Retriever puppy, but the bike looks awesome sitting on the Park stand in y kitchen nook. Looking forward to an awesome ride today.

Careful with that Zipp tape, can be a bit of a pain to change out later...

https://instagram.com/p/0zQNPWHecA
Owen says:

Mar 31 2015 at 4:43 pm

Ogling the bike doesn't seem so odd if I'm not the only one doing it. Maybe it's odd to ogle the commuter, but when I sit next to her all day it's hard not to. So sexy with the fenders, flat bars, and 32 tires.
Barracuda says:

Mar 31 2015 at 4:57 pm

@Flatlander

@wiscot

@gilly

What mirror? (Mind you,. that’s a pretty stately hallway you have there!)

That mirror reminded me of these for some reason… blurring the bike/art boundary rather nicely.

More info on the red Colnago wall hanger !?!?!?
frank says:

Mar 31 2015 at 5:10 pm

These little hunies have had my mind spinning all week.
frank says:

Mar 31 2015 at 5:13 pm

@Haldy

@PeakInTwoYears

When @frank gets back from the Keeper’s Tour we will have to wrestle his baby away from him and make that orange housing happen. I am sure it will need another thorough cleaning after crushing some souls across the fields of Flanders and Northern France.

Too much orange? Is that even possible? I'm willing to try; its only cables for fucks sake!
Mikael Liddy says:

Mar 31 2015 at 5:18 pm

Last week's bingle has had me on the commuter much more in the last few days, I forgot how pretty she is...
PeakInTwoYears says:

Mar 31 2015 at 5:21 pm

@frank

@Haldy

@PeakInTwoYears

When @frank gets back from the Keeper’s Tour we will have to wrestle his baby away from him and make that orange housing happen. I am sure it will need another thorough cleaning after crushing some souls across the fields of Flanders and Northern France.

Too much orange? Is that even possible? I’m willing to try; its only cables for fucks sake!

I've been thinking that my orange tape is too much orange and that orange cable housing with proper black tape might be exactly the ticket.
RedRanger says:

Mar 31 2015 at 5:37 pm

@Mikael Liddy

Last week’s bingle has had me on the commuter much more in the last few days, I forgot how pretty she is…

Thats art!

@PeakInTwoYears

@frank

@Haldy

@PeakInTwoYears

When @frank gets back from the Keeper’s Tour we will have to wrestle his baby away from him and make that orange housing happen. I am sure it will need another thorough cleaning after crushing some souls across the fields of Flanders and Northern France.

Too much orange? Is that even possible? I’m willing to try; its only cables for fucks sake!

I’ve been thinking that my orange tape is too much orange and that orange cable housing with proper black tape might be exactly the ticket.

That^
Haldy says:

Mar 31 2015 at 6:37 pm

@frank

@Haldy

@PeakInTwoYears

When @frank gets back from the Keeper’s Tour we will have to wrestle his baby away from him and make that orange housing happen. I am sure it will need another thorough cleaning after crushing some souls across the fields of Flanders and Northern France.

Too much orange? Is that even possible? I’m willing to try; its only cables for fucks sake!

Too much orange..oh no, I don't think so! I think it would look spectacular. I will order the appropriate supplies while you are laying down the V in the Holy Land.
Dave says:

Mar 31 2015 at 7:09 pm

Orange is what pulled the trigger on my current road bike back in 2008. Orange Glow over Sterling Silver rotated into Gunnar's standard price color set for a few months. The perfect orange tint, and with such depth. I have tried to extend the orange theme with tape, jersey, and other bits, but none of them are the right orange.