A ride for the people, the Sean Kelly Cyclosportive
My first bike was a Sears Moonlight Special. It was literally a piece of shit – figuratively. I mean, it would only “literally” be a piece of shit if shit was made of sand-filled steel tubes salvaged from the plumbing of the local sewage facility. Which it might have been, but I simply don’t have the peer-reviewed evidence to back that claim up.
I feel comfortable stating that this bike cost less than $50 USD back in the early 70’s, and it was yellow. It also had a saddle which, upon my personal dissection (Go Science!) was conclusively comprised of a shaped steel plate covered by a thin foam pad and a faux-leather shell. Made in America, fuck yeah. That’s one reason right there that the United States doesn’t have the same over-population problems China does.
After that, I was given my dad’s Raleigh, made of Reynolds 531 tubing which I loved deeply, apart from the exposed brake cables and Weinmann centerpull brakes. I installed some aero brake levers on it and quickly learned the value of owning some proper brake-adjustment tools like the Third Hand. (I’m not sure why a Third Hand is a bicycle-specific innovation; having one more hand feels like a genetically-viable mutation.)
Finally, after a summer of saving up, I bought my own proper racing bicycle, a Cannonwhale SR700 with Shimano 105. In hot pink, for $700. I loved the shit out of that bike, crowning it with every accessory (apart from an EPMS) that one can think of: I couldn’t afford Scott Drop-ins, so I happily accepted my brother’s bar-ends from his Bridgestone as substitutes. I saved up for ages and bought a Selle San Marco Regal and got one step closer to looking like Greg LeMan. Benotto bar tape was a no-brainer at only a few bucks a roll. So Pro, so cheap. And it never wore out and it didn’t matter how bad you were at wapping bars; if you needed four rolls to cover the real-estate (wrapping the brake levers cleanly is the crux), then you were still only out about $10.
It was such a great bike. I rode it in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, not to mention most of the northern United States. I rode with my family, my friends; I rode with my dad the most. In fact, the only time I dumped that beautiful Regal saddle was with him, five minutes into the first ride with that saddle when he decided to change the route and hang a louie when I was overlapping wheels with him. Scraped the leather clean off the right-side of the saddle. No worries, a little super-glue and the saddle lasted me another 10 years.
I lost and found my way back into Cycling two or three times during the lifetime of that $700 bike. If I was the man I am today, I’d have kept it, too. I still have many of the parts, but I dumped the frame because it’s too big for me, and I didn’t realize how much it would mean to me today. We all walk the path of La Vie Velominatus in steps; it is only natural to wander off the path from time to time.
My #1 is worth something like $10k, maybe more, maybe less. Which in any case is a stupid amount of money for a bicycle. My Nine Bike is the hand-me-down, worth a bit less but in practical terms, almost the same. An entry-level bike, like my ‘Wale SR700 would cost a few thousand dollars today, well out of reach of a young Velominatus hoping to get into the sport.
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View Comments
@chuckp
Glad that someone posed the question regarding what the flag on the picture was supposed to portray.
Anyhow, this trail confirmed a couple of things to me:
1. Carbon is overpriced and not durable (not as in 30 years compared to steel)
2. Di2 is not sustainable (may be excellent for the short term but if you charge battery for several years, I am pretty sure you need to add a dynamo to your bike to recharge it and you will then not be able to find a replacement battery)
3. There's a good number of Fellowminati who are not throwing top dollar at their bike but rather chisel the guns, so am glad I didn't either
4. I am lost what carbon rims I should look for (since I weigh 85kgs)
5. Skiing in Switzerland is also very expensive and fewer young people seem to want to do it, not helped by the fact that global warning reduces the amount of snow, or rather the artificial snow gets quicker slushier.
6. One never forgets one's first "real" bike, we're all old sentimental
You can always snap up used bikes at a great price, the problem is most beginners have no clue what they are looking for/at. I got lucky and knew a bit when I picked up my Cannondale R900 in 2002 for $500 USD. 105, Mavic CXP33 wheels, solid overall bike that I grew into a Velominatus aboard. I finally sold it in 2010, for $500. I kept it in great shape and upgraded when it needed new parts. It was too big (didn't know THAT much) and I don't feel badly setting her free. The guy who got it worked at the grocery store and had been riding a Sears mtn. bike. To see him ride a loop on that bike was awesome. I used to see it around town as well. Nice.
Now I've got a few darn good rides bikes and the problem is finding the time to ride them. Only gonna get worse...the VMH is 10 weeks into Velominipper stages. The bike shed has been demoted on the "Once we have the money" list again! Fack. And if I missed too many VSPs this year, only gonna get worse, though thank god! DOB should be in early may, should be through the Classics and have time to let 'em mature and stop the crying and staying up all night before the Giro!
@chuckp
Yeah me too... then I get in here and discover this cache of cool!
@KogaLover
Re: 1. The right carbon will last indefinitely. Unless you lay it down hard in a way that would thrash a steel bike too.
re:3. Damn straight. Guns 1st, gear second.
re: 4. Waste of money unless you're racing and are competitive in Cat 1/2. Don't bother. At your weight, a set of Golden Tickets is the way to go, and they handle better than any deep rim ever will.
@Teocalli
Thanks!
Even if there's no biking involved (which I think she knows me too well to do) it's going to be a great weekend. It may be all about the bike, but I get to spend four days with Mrs. KW and the Velominipper!
@wiscot
It's actually an ISIS bottom bracket!
@brett
Rookies.
http://www.velominati.com/tradition/peer-pressure/
@chuckp
Talk about anarchy. These cunts need to be taken down, son.
@frank
First bike at 10-years old (1970?) was an English three-speed. Great fun until I crashed it into the back of a car, riding downhill, no hands, and showing off for a cute girl! God I wish there was a picture of the bike. I can't remember if it was a Raleigh, or some other brand.
Bent the fork and dad replaced it with a beautiful white Manufrance Hirondelle (about 1971?) with Mafac center pull brakes and a Simplex derailleur. Couldn't have cost $120 in 1971. I rode that thing all over central Missouri, taking off for a 40-mile rides, with no water in the Missouri middle-of-August heat. I didn't know any better!
Moved to Minnesota and rode it all over the northern suburbs of St Paul. I think Frank knows the area. Laps around Lake Johanna and Josephine and around White Bear Lake on weekends. Not fancy or too expensive, but I learned to pull a crank, clean the bearings in the hubs, and change tires and tape on that bike.
Then it was stolen at Univ of Wisconsin. Flash forward 30-years and I see pics of another white Hirondelle in excellent condition on Bikeforum.com. It wasn't even for sale, but I kept offering the guy more and more money and finally paid $850. It might be 30 lbs and the Simplex is a pain, but it's identical to my bike and it's my Baby!
@wiscot
This. That's why road cycling has taken over so easily from all my other hobbies (mountain biking, cricket, rock climbing, being in a band etc). As soon as I step out of the door I'm doing my hobby. Wasted time is nil. A ride can be as long/short easy/hard as you need.