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.
@mouse
Well, I’m sure they were once the correct color, anyway. Next to the blinding white of new White Ladies, I’m not so sure, though.
@mouse
Indeed, all my other socks look like shiet now, too dingy. Need more of these from Sockguy…hint, hint.
@Vin’cenza
I don’t think they do but these are pretty wide already. I have normal to EE wide feet and there is plenty of width. See if you can find a dealer to try them on.
@Marcus
Yes, that’s why I’m keeping my full size frame pump on the bike, it’s my black carbone fiber cane.
@Flying Crowbar
Nah, I was crushing the wee 34 with one hand on the bars and one on the camera. Wait for the Belgian action shots, plenty then.
@Chris
It just means that once there is sealant in the tires you need to keep some air in them, and keep riding them on a regular basis. Which you would anyways, right?
@Gianni
Scuffs and stains on those beauts? Surely you’ll be rocking some Belgian booties?
Gianni – real boss Aristocrats! Enjoy the pave, enjoy it even more with those darn slick shoes.
Simple black & white – does it get any sharper?
@mcsqueak
Getting closer!
@Gianni
Ok question for you, between the bright light coming from the cockpit posted a few weeks back and that pair of golf shoes you’re now rocking, how the fuck are you not blind?
@Nate
Good point but it seems that there’s a fairly high level of air loss with some of the latex tubed tyres. I’m not sure what sort of tubes are in my Paves but they’d lost 2/3rds of their air when I pumped them up last night (four days). If, Merckx forbid, I had to go on a two week holiday without the bike, is there some sort of cycling equivalent to the kennels?
I can picture the look on the lad’s face in the LBS when I drop them off ” You will pump them up every day and rotate them twice a day, wont you? But no riding on them. And you won’t leave them near the clinchers or MTB wheels will you?”
@sthilzy
Strong work, can’t wait to see the finished prototypes!
@Gianni
Nice.
All this white tape and white footwear going on, the mere mortals are going to have a fine windbreak across Northern France and Belgium – assuming that the Keepers are man enough to lead from the front.
@scaler911
I’m glad you posted that, was thinking the same thing.
PS you’re disgusting! Bob Saget rules.
Strong work @sthilzy!
@Ron
The all white is hard to beat…Have a feeling they will be a MF’er to keep this white.
@Chris
Yes latex tubes loose air faster than the run of the mill black inner tubes. There is more space between the molecules or something. I think it was Frank who also pointed out that oxygen escapes faster than nitrogen.
@Flying Crowbar
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and assuming that he was going up a minimum 7% grade at the time.
@Gianni
At the risk of sounding like a coed girl getting ready for spring break, oh my gawd, look at that tan! My northern guns are still as white as your new shoes.
@The Oracle
I thought about that, too. I did notice there is only grass in the photos, so, conceivably, he could be riding above the tree line, which is its own form of Rule V.
@Chris
That’s true. Mine seep air the same way. Maybe you’ll just need to bring the wheels on vacation with you. Or maybe the tire being tubulars you can pump them up to a ridiculously high pressure and hope for the best. Also, have you already added sealant and if so what kind? Caffelatex supposedly is less likely to gum up than Stan’s. Don’t know about the Vittoria product.
@Nate
I have gone down the sealant route yet, I’ve got a pre-glued spare (folded a la @tommy tubulaire’s instructions) strapped under the seat. The big question will not be whether the sealant has stuck the tube together but whether I can get the flat tub of the rim without resorting to violence.
@Chris
Sod, should have been “I haven’t gone…”
@Chris
I have sealant in my front tire. Had in the rear too but fully trashed the rear on some road debris (that would have trashed a clincher too) and haven’t put preemptive sealant in that one. I’m carrying around Vittoria Pit Stop so I can seal on the road, however — I think Tommy rec’d it, as did my LBS, for the typical glass/wire/thorn punctures.
@The Oracle
Yea, you just have to move to a place where you can ride year round without tights, it’s the best! Unfortunately the guns will be mummified in layers of wool and lycra in Belgium so no one will appreciate my tan lines.
@roger
Damn you man. Those are bad ass shoes.
@brett
Hey mate what cleats are you rocking in pic 4? They look like the i-clic shape but don’t have any of the red sections.
@Gianni
Those shoes look sweet! From pictures I had seen before they sort of looked like golf shoes, but seeing the action shots, they look quite nice.
@sthilzy
Looking good!! Can’t wait to see the finished prototypes.
@Mikael Liddy
Speedplay X series, they are the best. Stainless steel, not too expensive, last forever.
@mcsqueak
Yeah, they are just weird enough for me to love them. It will be fun to ride these for a while and see how they break in. But the all white R1, oh momma those are some sexy beasts.
@Gianni
Yeah my question was to @Brett, but thanks anyway! And yest those white R1’s are bitchin
Giro is on the go with Rapha.
See photo — shoes !!
@Vin’cenza
I don’t like the over-abundance of all those pin holes.
@mcsqueak
These “holes” will take in dirt/grit and allow more stretching than is preferred ?? I thought they were golf shoes at first.
I hope you guys are going to invite this guy along for some of the riding…a slight Merckx fan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNULGZViKcA
@Mikael Liddy
Yep, they are iClic 2s. I broke my left hand iClic pedal, and thanks to Mark and Paul at DeGrandi, they sent new pedals and cleats. They are beefed up cleats, and the pedals are too, with alloy plates on the contact areas on the platform.
Maybe a stop on an Italian Keepers Tour…
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-inducted-into-giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame
Yesterday was the first ride outdoors with the R1 – Black Knights – and also my first ride of the season over 100k. After 173k and just over 6hrs in the saddle my feet were happy as could be. No hotspots, soreness, cramps, nothin. If I had pics I’d post but they were covered up all day with Belgian booties as the ride started cold and I didn’t want to soil them in dirty/dusty/salty spring conditions.
@Marko
I love my R1’s too (Dark Knights), woe them all winter under some Gore Thermo covers. All day comfy.
Gonna grab a pair of the White Ladies but them Rapha ones do seem sweet too in a nice understated way. Got the black GT gloves and after about 20 hours of riding they fit like a … um … er … they fit like a glove.
The Aristocrats got well and truly broken in on yesterday’s Welli Strada Bianche. A crash (not even on the gravé) gave them a scuff up on the outer and buckle. My whole Keepers Tour flashed before my eyes as I headed to the tarmac, but only a bruised knee to show for it. I’m sure the Arenberg won’t be so kind.
@brett
Glad you’re ok.
@brett
We now expect a finish with a knee picture worthy of the Lion. No pressure. Please skip this look though:
This post reminded me that my road-bike needs a proper road-bike saddle, and what saddle other than the fizik Arione?
So I got a loaner from the local Cervelo dealer – they have plenty of take-offs – and a five-minute session on the trainer confirmed that this is, indeed, the perfect saddle for my skinny arse. It has a very peculiar feel, as if floating in the air without a saddle at all.
So, this morning I went back there, and after failing to score the used take-off, I instead got a very good price on this very white specimen:
Installing it, with the Y-Wrench between my teeth as the tape-measure made sure the position was as my fitter prescribed, felt like an almost sacred process.
Also, when the bike gets the new gruppo, the white shoes and saddle will probably require matching white bartape. Microtex has been ordered!
For some reason, the uploader failed to work:
I just got one of these. It’s not exactly a contact point (unless something has gone horribly wrong””like I forgot to mount my Aliante saddle), but it just looked too damn sexy to pass up…
@Steampunk
Your the devil mate! It’s still a toss up between that and a 3T post. I would live to see one of these in person. @Calmante
@brett
Tough luck on the R1’s. Now you can at least ride them into the ground with no predispositions.
@Vin’cenza
I’d rather buy two pair of R3’s for the price of the Rapha shoes. Those are hideous.
@Steampunk
I love my fizik seatpost on #2. I prefer it to the 3T on the #1, as it’s much less fumbling about tightening bolts and making smaller adjustments. Would put it on the #1, but the OCD in me wants the post, stem, and bars to match.
@tessar
If you’ve new shorts, make sure to wash them prior to wearing on the white saddle. I just turned my Carbon Cx braided yellow due to this oversight.
@brett
And it was going so well before then…
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Richard/2012.03.19.05.29.38/”/]
@roger
Thanx Roger. Straight hideous design works — fussy ostentatious works not. I need shoes with candor. And in Black.
That Peugot looks awesome. Lovely day for graveling. But what day isn’t? Yesterday my Pedalwan and I were out riding on the edge of the wilderness area outside town and discovered a lovely little 1.5k 6% gravel climb which for around here is saying something.
Adding 10mm to overall seat post height would convince me to move the shoe cleats forward 5mm — based on the previous CLEAT discussion. Also switching out a 110mm to 130mm 3T ARX at 17 degrees down. Planning to test an adjusted position within a training crit this Tuesday.
@sgt
Ha, that’s what you get for riding with a Velominatus! Actually, I already know that before I attend a Cogal I’ll probably be up all night making sure I’m in Rule compliance.
Pre-Cogal Velominatus Rule Compliance Anxiety.
That Peugeot looks nice! And another Witte/Black kit combo photo? With Sgt. & Nate and that one…seems as if it is going to be really uncool to post any V-ride photos unless you have the yin-yang jersey harmony going on.
@Marko
Wow, you hadn’t gone over 100k and then you put in 173? Nice work!!
Those Rapha shoes would go very, very nicely with the perforated Flite saddle I have on my Casati.
But, I’m not sold on Rapha. They seem like the Gap of the cycling word or something. A bit too slick for their own good