Categories: Il ProgettoNostalgia

Il Gruppo Progetto: Resurrection of a Pirate

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?

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.

Next On Rule #9: Love the Work »

Previous « La Vie Velominatus: Life Gets in the Way

View Comments

scaler911 says:

Oct 28 2011 at 6:12 pm

@frank

@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*

Shiny, simple Campa bits. Pantani would be proud. NO SHIMANO!!
frank says:

Oct 28 2011 at 6:53 pm

Here's the video of Pantani at what I believe was his best day on a bike ever. The way Virenque bridges up and then cracks is just amazing. And il Pirata looks so amazing, and his bike is perfect, and - be still my beating heart - it's raining.

I don't know if there has been a better day of racing in my lifetime.
Jeff in PetroMetro says:

Oct 28 2011 at 6:57 pm

@frank
Rouleur, Edition 25, page 71--"Resurrection".

In order for Sr. Gios to resurrect RDV's P-R winning Gios torino, the bike frame and shiny bits were first broken down and stored. For decades. Why not do the same? Come back to her later and restore her to stunning glory when you're older and you've got the time and discretionary income to do so. No rush. No need to do something right now.
Otoman says:

Oct 28 2011 at 7:06 pm

Ah, Frank - I'm going through the exact same decision with my 2006 Bianchi 928 lugged frame. Perhaps you could make your Bianchi a travel bike with compact gearing for those long days in Il Dolomiti or Schweizer Alpen? Face it, you wouldn't care as much if some luggage gorilla in the aeropuerto turned it into modern art as you would if #1 became expensive toothpicks. Treat it as you would any respected elder: give it a retirement gig of world travel with much rest between trips. This way, the Bianchi still earns its rightful place in the stable, even a cherished place that #2 or #3 would do well to achieve. The compact gearing wouldn't be for your legs, mind you. You would offer that to your aging pirate to ease the burden on its osteopenic and arthritic bottom bracket. Perhaps one trip, you could gently lay it down amongst the alpenglow at the top of St. Gotthard Pass and mark its grave with a Jolly Roger. Viva La Bianchi!
frank says:

Oct 28 2011 at 7:32 pm

@MJMoquin

You could always pass it along to another member of the order. ;-)

@Steampunk

You know, the more I think about this: While I'm a modest 179cm, my son is threatening to be ungodly tall...

@Kyle

Rebuilding this bike sounds like the father-son project. Have you an heir?

@bob ubble

As for what to do with the bike, it is a difficult choice. But if a bike doesn't fit you any more then it's time to say thanks for the good times and pass it on to a loving new owner. I had to do this with an Italian made Lemond GAN team frame and fork that was just a few mm to low at the front to get the best out of. Broke my heart and I still feel bad but I know I would never have ridden it properly.

Also over on Twitface, this suggestion is gaining momentum. Difficult choice. I would necessarily need to be convinced that the new owner is worthy. Applications being accepted now.
frank says:

Oct 28 2011 at 7:37 pm

@Bob Ubble

Another FNG her.
@cyclops and @frank Just to add fuel to the fire, technically it is a track fork end, not a dropout.

Fucking beautiful. Never heard that before. Track fork end. That's my new insult. Used in a sentence, "You're acting like a track fork end, you fuck waffle."
frank says:

Oct 28 2011 at 7:38 pm

@FNG
There are several of you on this thread and I wanted to say to each of you: welcome. We're all fuckwits, but welcome.
frank says:

Oct 28 2011 at 7:45 pm

@Otoman

Ah, Frank - I'm going through the exact same decision with my 2006 Bianchi 928 lugged frame. Perhaps you could make your Bianchi a travel bike with compact gearing for those long days in Il Dolomiti or Schweizer Alpen? Face it, you wouldn't care as much if some luggage gorilla in the aeropuerto turned it into modern art as you would if #1 became expensive toothpicks. Treat it as you would any respected elder: give it a retirement gig of world travel with much rest between trips. This way, the Bianchi still earns its rightful place in the stable, even a cherished place that #2 or #3 would do well to achieve. The compact gearing wouldn't be for your legs, mind you. You would offer that to your aging pirate to ease the burden on its osteopenic and arthritic bottom bracket. Perhaps one trip, you could gently lay it down amongst the alpenglow at the top of St. Gotthard Pass and mark its grave with a Jolly Roger. Viva La Bianchi!

This is a tantalizingly beautiful thought. Even if this never comes to fruition, this is clearly the most fitting plan I've seen thus far. Build her up in a way befitting her grace, and take her along on the business trips. The fact is, I travel a lot for work at the moment, and my status with the airline means I should have no trouble packing a bike. This could solve what I call my Logarithmic Fatness Quotient Condition I suffer during the weeks away.
Blah says:

Oct 28 2011 at 8:01 pm

@Otoman

Ah, Frank - I'm going through the exact same decision with my 2006 Bianchi 928 lugged frame. Perhaps you could make your Bianchi a travel bike with compact gearing for those long days in Il Dolomiti or Schweizer Alpen? Face it, you wouldn't care as much if some luggage gorilla in the aeropuerto turned it into modern art as you would if #1 became expensive toothpicks. Treat it as you would any respected elder: give it a retirement gig of world travel with much rest between trips. This way, the Bianchi still earns its rightful place in the stable, even a cherished place that #2 or #3 would do well to achieve. The compact gearing wouldn't be for your legs, mind you. You would offer that to your aging pirate to ease the burden on its osteopenic and arthritic bottom bracket. Perhaps one trip, you could gently lay it down amongst the alpenglow at the top of St. Gotthard Pass and mark its grave with a Jolly Roger. Viva La Bianchi!

Wow. This is a great idea. Apart from burying it. That would be silly.
@frank: You must do this. Apart from being a honorable way to, well, honour a retired friend, it will provide a constant impetus to travel. Put a compact chainset on it and it would provide a constant impetus to travel to mountainous regions. As the groupset would be campa, it would a provide a constant impetus to travel to mountainous regions of Italy.
frank says:

Oct 28 2011 at 8:06 pm

@Blah

Put a compact chainset on it and it would provide a constant impetus to travel to mountainous regions. As the groupset would be campa, it would a provide a constant impetus to travel to mountainous regions of Italy.

A+1