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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@brett
Burn it??
a la pantani of course
What about this bike doesn't fit? Why can't it be made to fit?
@frank
I heard a new one last night. Me and my training partner were out for an easy spin and were talking about how we got into racing and he was describing his first race as a 250lb. out of shape noob on a course with a lot of climbing. He was off the back and finished 30 minutes behind the leaders but vowed he would not give up. He said on the last climb that he "was 'paper boying' all over the road". I thought that painted a nice mental image.
@frank
Think I said what I meant, meant what I said. No fixed gear (you fucking kidding me, it doesn't even have the right drops for that). It's an Italian bike, it needs Campa. DT shifters on the left Ergo on the right. DO IT!!!. I'd consider buying the frame set, but I'm only 5'10". It'd look pretty silly with the seat slammed down to the top tube.
@gaswepass
Say's the guy with a small bike shop in his basement.........
Oh FFS I just realized what it'd be perfect for. You're American, you all have to have flags flying out the front of your house, while a four fingered cross eyed child wails on the Banjo from your porch. Bang it on the front yard and hoist the flag on the seatpost every morning.
God I feel short. Even without wheels on that frame's probably taller than me.
@Minion
Fixed your post.
@frank
Well I guess now would be a good time to make an introduction.
Hello Velominati,
My name is Shane and I like to ride my bike. It all started a little more than two years ago when I was in a particularly bad mood. I just needed to get out of the house and do something so I decided to get on a cheap Target full-suspension mountain bike I had at the time. That day I rode 6 miles and enjoyed it so much that I went out again a few days later. I rode that bike up until about the spring of this year when I was given a somewhat better department store mountain bike. I would ride 8 or 12 miles a day (this was of course before I realized how stupid that system of measurement was) while occasionally going on longer rides of about 20 miles. These rides were all on roads, and I eventually came around to the realization that I would be much better suited to have a road bike. At the time I was considering a hybrid or something with some flat bars. However, I was on a budget and was (luckily as it would turn out) not able to find anything of that description. I ended up finding a 1981 Fuji Gran Tourer on Craigslist for $85, and picked it up the same day. That was about halfway through this past summer.
At this time I still considered myself a recreational cyclist, although I did try to push myself. When one of the pedal's bearings failed, I took it as I sign that I should upgrade to clipless pedals. This next part is tough to admit, but I feel full disclosure is needed. I bought a set of Crank Bros. Candy pedals and the cheapest pair of shoes I could find around the area. Since I still thought of myself as not a roadie I mistakenly believed that the mountain shoes would be better since I they would be more walkable. (How foolish of me to think of walking when I could be on my bike.) I also added some modern brake levers for some sleek aero routing, as well as bar-end shifters to get rid of the oh so inelegant stem shifters.
This brings us to The great month of July and the 2011 Tour de France. Through a cycling thread at a bassist's forum I ended up watching stages of the race on days I was not working. I was amazed by these hardmen and their ability to just go without stopping. I wanted that. As I watched these giants of the road ride day after day I could only imagine how it must feel to willingly punish oneself and force your legs around once, twice, and thrice more without fail. What did these skinny guys on bikes have that allowed them to accomplish such feats? I would hit the road in search of what it was that enabled them to have such grace after so many long and hard hours in the saddle. This is when I decided that I would become a roadie.
Thus I rode looking for their secret, but never quite finding what it was I was missing. I was riding up to 30 km at this time, but I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere. I started my freshman year of college studying physics and engineering, and continued riding whenever there was free time. I enjoyed my rides, but I did not have the most important ideal yet. Then one glorious day I hit the Stumbleupon button and landed on The Rules. I was immediately convicted. I used mountain pedals and shoes on my beautiful machine. I had a pump strapped to the top tube. My stem was not slammed, and the bars were about level to my saddle. My helmet had a visor. My valve stems were still wore their covers. I wore athletic shorts and a cotton t-shirt. I had unknowingly abided by some rules and had positioned my saddle all the way back, and remove the kickstand and mirror that were originally on the bike, but I was still responsible for many major violations. I quickly remedied these problems and restored the clean lines of the bike. (The pedals are still the same, as is the clothing, but that is because of a lack of funds.) Rule V however required intense meditation and I slowly began to realize its inherent truth.
Just. Keep. Going. Even if your body says no, you tell it yes.
On Tuesday I rode 80 km, but haven't been able to get out because of the weather and lack of warm gear. I am still working on getting up to snuff by beating the crap out of myself. A bad day on the bike is still a much better day than not being on the bike. My bike has 27" wheels which are slowly going out of true and sport huge old 32mm tires. Despite it not being the best, I still love it and religiously clean it. The other day I was replacing the chain and decided that I should clean the chainrings and cassette thoroughly since I had them exposed. An hour later the bike was disassembled on my dorm room floor with a newly greased freewheel, new brake and gear cables ready, and the 30 year old mechanicals gleaming. Then I rode it.
I plan to race next summer and have been following the Training Bible as I work up to real cycling. I am aware of the pain and suffering that I need to put in to reach this goal, and plan on riding through the winter. I am getting a job at the LBS come spring and will be commuting by bike. Currently I am a sub for my school's cafeteria. I am paying my way through school and as such I don't have a lot of spare money for cycling. I love my bike her lugs are beautiful, her fading and cracked lettering a testament to her long life, but she is not a racer. I would definitely like something a bit more modern and light for when I race, and I think your Bianchi would be great. I'm about 6'2" and I would certainly appreciate her and take good care of her.
A repentant Rule-breaker.
Shane
@DerHoggz
I forgot to include that I will most likely be in charge of the road side of a cycling club that will be getting started at my school within the year. I definitely do not want to break Rules 2 or 3 and be responsible for leading others astray.