Keepers Tour Update: Contact Point Supplier: fi’zi:k
It’s crazy to me how fast two months from peaking goes by. At Christmas time I remember thinking how distant the Keepers Tour 2012 felt and that I’d have plenty of time to train. Now that time is measured in weeks instead of months and my feelings tend more toward doubt about my form. Cycling in Northeastern Minnesota in January, February, and March entails a mix of trainer time and wondering how well skate skiing will translate to riding a bike fast and far. I hope those frites are fried in clenbuterol.
Of course there are myriad other ways the other Keepers and I have been preparing for the Keepers Tour. Aside from the mundane tasks of making plane reservations and figuring out train schedules from Amsterdam to Lille, there are the fun tasks of acquiring new gear for our #1 Steeds which we’ve chronicled on these pages. We’ve had numerous shouting matches that have ended with at least one of us storming out of the boardroom over t-shirt designs, Gianni’s VMH has been frantically sewing musettes (they live on Maui so how frantic could it be?), Brett has been scouring travelogues of Amsterdam’s red light district in between training and racing with Rigid in the Austral summer, and I shudder every time I think of what Frank’s to-do list is like. I’ve seen it – it’s three pages long. All this, when executed perfectly, is surely going to amount to the most rad week of drunken debauchery Flanders has ever known and that’s really saying something. There’s no way they’ll let us back there which is why we’ve also begun planning the next Keepers Tour in Italy for the Giro.
With these preparations we are excited to announce fi’zi:k as the official contact point supplier of the Keepers Tour. We’ve extolled the quality, style, and passion fizik has for cycling since we started this site. In fact, I’d say most of us in the community ride, at a minimum, their bar tape. As it happens, the good folks at fizik aren’t offended enough by what we do and are followers of the site; a partnership was the next obvious step for two groups of people so unyieldingly devoted to Cycling.
What this partnership represents to us is affirmation of our community from the broader cycling world – a community that has grown with us and continues to contribute to our identity and which challenge us to be better. fizik values what we do and have agreed to support us in doing more of it, in style, with rad gear. This partnership doesn’t mean tiles or ads cluttering up the clean look of the site any more than fizik clutters up the clean lines of their saddles and shoes with unnecessary accouterments. It does mean that you’ll see more Keepers riding with more fizik gear and consequently a few articles related to fizik products, some tweets, friendfacing, and a few embedded links (per usual). Keepers Tour attendees will also find a few fizik goodies tucked inside their Velominati Mussette. And, if you haven’t already noticed, pay attention the next time you type “f-i-z-i-k” into a post, our boy-genius programmer did something nifty there as well. We’ll also emphasize that it is our strict policy that no Reverence article will ever be written by request of a vendor and, while we may elect to continue to Revere the fizik line of products, designation of a product as Reverence-worthy is solely at the discretion of the author.
For our part, we approached fizik because we believe in their products. Reverence for the best gear available is the domain of the Velominatus and we know that while you may disagree with our specific choices, you feel the same way in principle. That’s why you’re here. fizik is one of us; have a look at their site, check out the feedzone newsletter, even subscribe to them on twitface if you’re so inclined. They do a lot of insightful and behind the scenes posting about some of our favorite teams and riders – stuff you won’t get from the usual suspects.
What it boils down to is that fizik is Rule compliant. That’s something we can all get behind.
@Oli
Ha I see what you did there!
Soes anyone know if there is there a way to tighten up the spring inside Ulregra 6600 shifters? Mine (especially the rear) rattles on rough roads. On rougher roads the front does it too but not so much. I’ve changed the spring on the caliper to the stronger setting and the cable bends are as smooth as possible but the added springs just don’t seem to have enough power to pull the cable back thus holding the shifter in the closed position. It’s a little loose and you don’t actually start pulling cable until about 3 or 4 mm of travel.
This was posted by a friend of a friend of a friend on facebook, saw it and had to share. Notes said this was taken on his first ever ride in Flanders yesterday. Just look at those lovely cobbles.
So, who’s the photog for the Keepers Tour? Somebody’s gonna have to stand at the top of the bergs and capture rapturous photos like LA Dave’s above. The kind your grandkids show your grandkids. Merckx, what a journey y’all have planned.
@LA Dave
Is that a nuclear power plant in the distance?
@Oli
Haven’t had that experience… But I probably retape more often than most. I was taught that way by a team mechanic when I was 13, never did it any other way, but always noticed that I was in the minority.
@snoov
It’s not the springs, it’s the cables. Either they are gunged up and need lubing or even replacing, or they aren’t quite seated in the lever properly. If you’re confident the housings are clean then I would unwrap the bar tape and any tape securing the cable housing, then squeeze the brake lever as hard as I could while resecuring the housing and retaping the bars – this ensures the housing is fully seated.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Great idea JIPM there are going to be some epic photo opportunities, but want to clarify that I can’t take any kind of credit for this photo. Just was randomly linked to it on FB.
@Calmante
A quick google search shows that there are 2 reactors in the Flanders region. One of which is located in the Leige area, but can’t tell by the photos if this is it. Again, merely sharing what I thought was a great photo to whet the appetite of those heading to the keepers tour.
Fantastic photo.
The power station is at Ruien. It is coal-fired. The hill is Paterberg.
@Calmante
While it’s personal preference, on the one occasion that I wrapped top down, the first thing I noticed was that my hands roll up the edges of the tape (when I slide my hands from the tops to the hoods). Then it curled from that motion.
One ting I used to do, that would drive most VM nuts, especially Frank, is wrap the left bar white, and the right bar black. My sensei would freak out so bad that his barely understandable Dutch accent would become totally incoherent.
@Oli
What @Oli said.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
This guy…
@brett
As long as you guys don’t get any of these guys, you should be fine:
If anyone does want to try it, despite it not being popular, this is what mine looks like:
@Oli
@scaler911
Thanks for the input. I was really careful to make sure the cables were housed properly when I fitted them only about 500km ago. I’ve shortened the outer cable from the frame to the brake and used the adjuster to put the pads closer to the rim and it seems to be nice and tight now. If I have any more problems I’ll undo the tape.
@snoov
Your brakes should be able to run loose without issue, as if you had a broken spoke or such. If you have to run the brakes close to the rim to get it to work something isn’t right, not to mention that modern brakes operate with the best modulation when the pads hit the rim when lever is about half-way between fully open and contacting the handlebar…
@Calmante
How fresh is your tape job? Days, weeks, months?
As Oli mentioned the tape is likely to unravel. From past experience, the tape flares out ans gets ‘mingy’ on the edges.
Can you please post up pics in a couple of months of your top-down tape for interest.
@sthilzy
Been doin’ it for well over twenty years with no rolled edges. It might have to do with how I ride/grip the bars, but haven’t had that problem. Like I said before, I tape my bars more often than most, ’cause I like the look and feel of fresh tape, so I might not ever get to that point, either. Also, I get bored.
@Calmante
Looks pretty good to me. no bulky excess under the hoods either. Perhaps Calmante isn’t getting any rolling because he is applying a fair amount of tension to the tape? I don’t know, I just taped my first set over the weekend and will not be posting pictures anytime soon ; )
@Anjin-san
Thanks. If you’re looking for a decent tape to practice with, BBB Cork Tape is one of my favorites because there is only adhesive at the ends, so you can wrap and rewrap until you are satisfied. It also is quite forgiving when being stretched. $8 bucks a roll, too! It’s not as durable and pretty as fizik, of course…
@Calmante
Thanks- I went with some inexpensive Bontrager tape for my first go… rather not throw away the good stuff! I’ll try the BBB for the next attempt.
@Anjin-san
Or maybe @Calmante never rides it. :D
@scaler911
…yeah, and also there’s that.
fi’zi:k bar tape is outstanding; but sticky tape for ends is bloody awful – sort it out
What what? New Arione CX couresey of the great folks at Fizik. They even sent me one with some white detail that makes my bike look even more intimidating than before. Brett, this just sealed the deal: your black bars will be where they belong: riding behind my white bars (and saddle stripe).
@frank
Super nice! Are those the Golden Tickets on there?
@frank
Superbad — stripe. Good to see another 32 hole wheel set. You might even consider the 2012 Mavic Open Pro Black vision — Record Black hubs and Black Wheelsmith w/ Red nipples.
@sthilzy
Never mind the taping, these bars are not Rule #33 compliant.
What tubes are clincher-equipped Keepers’ tour riders using? I’m about to stock up. I got Gianni’s recommended 25mm Continental 4 Season tires for my 23mm wide rims.
I’ve had good success with generic Q-Tubes on smooth roads for the last two years. I’m considering Continental Race or Tour tubes for the cobbles.
@scaler911, @Vin’cenza
Yup – those are the abrossios – tubbies. Haven’t had a chance to glue on the Paris-Roubaixs yet…dyin’ to.
I have some silver record hubs laced to silver open-pros. I’ll be cutting them loose in favor of some MP4’s that I’ve got laying around now that I’m hooked on tubbies.
@G’rilla
I would get a few different ones – but consider some vittoria latex tubes as well. Latex should be less likely to snakebite and will be more comfortable on the cobbles than butyl.
@frank
I enjoyed riding the GP4 set today (across Lake Murray Dam) at 155psi — recovery was never so smooth !! But wait until you see and feel some pre-reverence for the Mavic Open Pro Black vision.
@G’rilla
@frank
Hadn’t really thought about it, but now I’s gots a hankerin for some latex…
@frank
Sweet. Nothin like a big dumb Dutchman to keep me out of the wind. Cheers.
Got the fizik love too over the weekend, an Aliante for my stiff old back and some slippers for my bunnioned old feet. These particular contact points are a lot happier now.
I’d had an Aliante on an old TCR and loved it, but never really got on with the Arione. First ride on it (100k) was like I’d never stopped using it. The shape sits you in rather than on (but I find tilting the nose down a poofteenth from level makes it even better).
Then the shoes. Worry about getting the right size overshadowed the buzz of a new pair of kicks… for about a minute. They fit perfectly, the first shoe I’ve had where I didn’t have to go up a size and leave heaps of toe room to get the proper fit across. Not that I’ve got wide feet. But how sweet do they look? I don’t know if they made me ride better, but they feel and look the business even if you’re not.
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@brett
Sunglasses on! They’re bright. Will you be wearing spats with them?
@frank
Looking good, is that a favourite wall for photo ops?
What are you doing in terms of punctures, carrying a spare tubular wrapped round your shoulders, a can of sealant in a jersey pocket or have you popper some pre-emptive sealant into your tubs already?
I’ve gone for the spare tub strapped under the seat but realised that (unless you ride head down ‘rse up with 12 inches of saddle to bar drop) it doesn’t leave much room for lights on the seat post.
@brett
Man, those shoes are frickin’ gorgeous. I’ve found my saddle soul-mate with the Specialized Romin, but those shoes, man those shoes…
@xyxax
Rule #33 is about shaving the guns…
@Calmante
Haha! He’s joking about the yellow hairs coming off your bars in that picture!
D’oh!
@brett
I went through a pile of latex tubes last summer trying them out – the unmined and unstructured data seems to indicate that lots of latex tubes are too thin and will cut at the valve stem – the Vittorias seems to be just a bit thicker and don’t have this problem. Still, my solution to this was recommended by a friend and is to just take a short strip of electrical tape and tape it over the valve hole before inserting the tube’s stem through it; it softens the edge of your rim just enough. It also keeps the stem from rattling.
@Chris
Indeed – it is now. This time of year its gloriously mossy. I have a philosophy about always photographing my bike against the ugliest bit of background I can find so it doesn’t distract.
(Actually, i just stopped to water a few bushes there twice now and happened to take pics afterward.)
I’ve been riding with a can of sealant. Don’t call me an expert, though, and take my advice. Seems TommyTubs was suggesting this technique gets you home 9 times out of 10, so that’s what I’m going with for now. Only time will tell.
@frank
I might give the sealant a go but was put off by reading somewhere that once the sealant is in it’s not a good idea to let them go flat otherwise the sealant will stick the tubes together?
I too am feeling the Fizik love. A pair of R3s arrived here yesterday and I had to take ’em out for a spin today. After hours of torment about sizing, these feel pretty great and so damn good looking. Marko has declared this model “Aristocrats”
They shall be defiled on the stones of Belgium, where they will earn their scuff and stains.
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@Gianni
Yeah, those shoes are gorgeous.
Also, gratuitous calf-shot, anyone?
@Gianni
The Aristocrats huh? I’ll get banned for posting this fer sure. (rated R+ NSFW!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS1T4qYtOj0
@Gianni
Those are sexy BTW.
@Gianni
Note correct sock length and colour.
@scaler911
Yeah, I haven’t looked at your youtube clip but I did see the movie, as I’m sure Marko did too. Funny funny stuff.
@Calmante
Oh hell yes!
@Gianni
And after a hard day’s riding you can put on your top hat and take Ginger Rogers out dancing
@Gianni
O, to sense thou new R3 love — nothing compares. Does it come in a wide ??
@Gianni
Not that it amounts to a hill of beans but that is what gave me respect for Bob Saget. I’ll never forget it.
@mouse
Also note someone isn’t sur la plaque in that gratuitous calf shot.