The corollary of Rule #12 is that one focusses the bulk of their energies on upgrading Bike #1 with the result that upgraded gear typically cascades down to Bike #2 and on down through Bike #n. This is The Way of Things; Bike #1 gains the most, but in the end, they all benefit as upgrades trickle through the stable, with the oldest and most worn gear falling from the bottom where they are either discarded or await enough accumulation to justify another build.
There comes a day, however, that we find ourselves needing to inject an upgrade into the hierarchy, an upgrade which disrupts the Natural Order. This was the case when I reluctantly replaced my XL EV2 with my new Soloist frame. My EV2 holds a dear place in my heart. I built her bit by bit, from components scavenged from eBay over the course of an entire winter. She was at my side (under me, actually, if we’re going to pick nit) as I rediscovered La Vie Velominatus. She was built from scratch in homage to one of my all-time favorite cyclists, Pantani, and his elusive 1998 stallion. She was the first bike I owned that fit me the way I wanted. She was the first bike I had with compact geometry, she was the first bike that cleft my heart in two when I crashed during a crit and destroyed the frame. (I quickly replaced hers with another, identical frame, which is the one I have today.)
Suffice it to say, to have her hanging from a nail in my workshop is a dishonor to this beautiful, loyal friend who carried me back to fitness and through some of the greatest ride’s I’ve been on. Never once did she complain that I was too heavy. Never once did she cringe in agony as I pushed harder on the pedals. Never once did she point downhill when the road pointed up. She carried me through the 2003 L’Etape du Tour and up l’Alpe d’Huez on the morning of the stage. She carried me home after bonking in the heat of North Carolina. She guided my rear wheel back to safety as I was slipping to certain death under a passing semi-trailer on a rain-slicked railroad track.
We have been through a lot together; she must be resurrected. But the question is, in what form?
Bikes are meant to be ridden. I have a carbon Bike #1 and a steel Bike #2, both of which are generally ridden in good weather only, although accidents do happen and they do find their way onto wet roads occasionally. I have a sublime Alu Bike #3 which boasts an identical fit to Bike #1 and serves as my rain bike, thereby getting by far the most use. As far as road bikes go; I have the spectrum fairly well covered and I fear that adding another will mean that she lives out her life being overlooked for my daily rides and go largely unridden, a dishonor almost as great as her current state of limbo.
What I don’t have, however, is a commuter bike; a bike to ride to the cafe or farmers market. A bike to hop aboard and pedal to the office. Do I build her into a commuter which gets ridden, if not in the spirit for which she was intended? Or is this a bigger dishonor than not riding her at all? If I do build her into a commuter, do I rider her with drop bars and my old STI shifters, or do I opt for a set of commuter-friendly mustache bars which I’ve fancied ever since I spotted my first Bridgestone X0? Downtube shifters or bar-end shifters? Full funders and wide tires, I think, though how wide is possible on her tight racing geometry?
Or do I build a funeral pire and set her ablaze, allowing her noble soul to return to Merckx on Mount Velomis to be reborn to someone else’s stable?
Fellow Velominati, I submit to your input: how best to honor this noble steed?
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@Oli
Absolutely, and that's what I intend to do. In fact, that's entirely what this article is aimed at helping to elucidate (though it's doing little to help me get there.)
One of the things I enjoy most about such projects is thinking about them and trying to decide what to do with a frame, how to build it, what parts to pick, what color bar tape to chose, what cables to use, even which kind of chain lube would be best for the type of use the bike ends up getting.
This is all part of the fun; I just thought it would be fun to bring the community into the thought process. The Grouppo Progetto series is there partly to share in the fun, but partly to show those who build built bikes from their LBS without much consideration for the wealth of options available when you start with a frame.
@Minion
The possibilities are endless!! Look Ergostem, and I'm off to the races. Or, perhaps a custom-welded fork with low-drop cow-horns? Or, go Superman?
@frank
I wasn't saying for a second not to ask the question, but I'm not really sure how the thread can help you "elucidate" when you disagree with everything that is suggested anyway!?
What are the options?
*Build it up original or close to it.
*Build it up as a commuter.
*Build it up as a permanent stationary trainer bike.
*Build it up as a fixie.
*Build it up as a cyclocross bike.
*Build it up as a BMX.
*Put a motor on it.
*Weld another frame to it and build it as a tandem.
*Give it away.
*Throw it away.
*Burn it.
*Keep it hanging up.
Did I miss anything out?
@frank
I think you should find another frame laying around (I'm sure you have one) and go for something like this. The seat height is already right for you.
@Oli
I understand why you think I'm being disagreeable, but from my point of view, asking questions and probing deeper is how people come to solutions. Similarly, not following someone's advice or recommendation is completely independent of whether it was listened to or taken into consideration.
For instance, the suggestion to make her into a fixie is simply not a practical one in Seattle because I live on top of a ridge in one of the hilliest cities in the country and I would spend my days planning routes where I could get up or down the hills in town. That said, there is a very, very good sentiment behind the suggestion of making it into a practical, easy to maintain bicycle that gets used regularly. So, while there is no way I'm making it into a fixie, the idea behind it is a good one. If I go that route, I may go with a rear derailleur and DT shifters and no front mech and wide tires. That said, I may very well not do that and load it up instead with late Nineties Campa and make a Pantani replica with a right Ergo and left DT shifters that rarely gets used because that's a great idea, too. Every suggestion made here is a great one, and every single one of them requires further questioning and consideration.
Rarely is a suggestion or idea perfect; one has to dig into it and usually take components of an array of ideas to find the best solution. At least, that's the way I work through problems.
@Oli
Oh, yes.
*Build it up as a TT rig (thanks Minion).
*Run it over with a steamroller.
*Tactical nuke it.
*Use it as a boat anchor.
*Saw the rear end off and make a stool out of it.
*Fold, spindle and mutilate it.
@all
At this point the mustache bars are conclusively out. Aside from that, anything is still on the table. This is going to take a good long time to work through.
Also, I have five pages of gear in my watch list on eBay with all manner of old school componentry to get a feel for what the investment might be to do a classic build on her. But, keeping in mind it's a frame Pantani rode in 2001, I'm not convinced any of this stuff will do her more justice than commuting on her.
*sigh*
@Oli
You missed turning it into a homemade truing stand!
D'oh! What was I thinking??
@frank
It's the only way to go brother!