Categories: CyclotourismDefining MomentsLa Vie VelominatusNostalgiaThe Rules

On Rule #12: The Luxury of Passion

No Graveur needed here.

Rule #12 is a luxury of passion; the #1 for good weather and epic rides or races, the Nine Bike for bad weather, the Graveur (which is neither a cross bike nor a road bike), a ‘Cross bike, a mountain bike, a townie, a track bike, a time trial bike. Add in steel, carbon, titanium – a bike for each material and a material for each bike. The only logical conclusion is that we all need – need – a bare minimum of somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 bikes. Columbo couldn’t poke a hole in that case.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for just riding your bike wherever you happen to point it, in whatever weather you happen to be riding in, on whatever kind of road you happen to have at your disposal.

We should collect as many bikes as we can love, but we should also remember that bikes were meant to be ridden, not pampered. Vive la Vie Velominatus.

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.

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View Comments

wiscot says:

Jan 30 2015 at 2:38 pm

I think they were replaceable. I never had a pair, but knew guys who did. I think they rinsed it out until it got too groaty them used the glasses without it. When you're a pro, I'm sure Oakley gave you a bag full of replacements.

It's hard to tell from images, but I think when Hampsten wore his on the infamous Gavia state in 88, he didn't have the sweat band thing on. In fact, from a bit of research, I think AH eschewed the sweat bar as from memory, it tended to push the glasses off the face.
frank says:

Jan 30 2015 at 2:38 pm

@the Engine

I'm not known as a bike pamperer

I've seen you pedal a bike, more akin to torture than pampering for sure.
Oli says:

Jan 30 2015 at 4:18 pm

@wilburrox

@Oli

What is the story with these bikes named Benson? Someone had posted a snapshot of their orange Benson on the bike thread the other day. I've not heard of Benson and a google search across the inter webs doesn't give me any clue. Dang, red is a great color for a bike. If I didn't like black so much I'd have a garage full of red bikes. Black with a little red? maybe perfect. Cheers

There aren't many Bensons about, I'm part of a lucky select few. They are built by the wonderful guru David Benson here in New Zealand. DB has a full time job (working for the local Campagnolo importer) so the frame building is very much a part-time labour of love thing for friends, although he's been building on and off since the early 90s.

I was lucky enough to get one thanks to a syndicate of dear, dear friends who got together and commissioned (and paid!) David to build it for me - it's truly custom in that DB has actually known me for years, he knows my riding preferences and he knows I'm an, er, "powerfully built" gent, so the geometry and tubing choices are super specific (Columbus Pego-Ritchie, for those interested).

It's designed to take 28mm tyres, although I've run 33mm ones no problem. Even though my life seems to be conspiring to keep me away from them, it's designed for gravel road riding and day touring, which I've been into for as long as I've owned bicycles.
zeitzmar says:

Jan 30 2015 at 5:37 pm

Right now I'm at three.

Back to front:

1988 Miyata 512 (steel commuter/nine bike)

1990 Miyata 721a (#1)

2008 Bianchi Pista (track bike for velodrome training/racing)
pistard says:

Jan 30 2015 at 7:32 pm

@Ron

Would like a new wheelset for my Casati but I'm having trouble setting on rims. Right now it has mismatched Open Pros, one black, one white, with black Record hubs (not my doing, was purchased used). I'd like to use the hubs and go with low profile alloy rims, but not easy to find 32h rims. I'd love to go with the white/silver DT 465s, but they were only made in 28s. It's a silver frameset with white and silver parts, so I'd like to stay away from black rims.

There are a few options for low profile silver rims in 32H. People seem to like the H Plus Son TB14; looks nice but a little portly. Pacenti PL23 are a bit lighter and tubeless compatible. Very square profile. Velo Orange have a few, mostly touring weight, but their PBP is respectably light, high polish with stainless eyelets. Kinlin make a couple which are lighter and cheaper but a bit higher profile. NOS and/or tubular mean even more possibilities.
piwakawaka says:

Jan 30 2015 at 7:41 pm

I have only one roadie, I enjoy 250km a week with her, I have a 26" hard tail that gets about 4 rides a year, I want a fatbike, I'm sorry.
pistard says:

Jan 30 2015 at 10:04 pm

I hesitate to enumerate in public, so let's just say I'm halfway to Frank's logical minimum. It helps to keep several in progress or pieces. "Another bike? No just some spare parts.")

The reaction from non-cyclists is predictable, but many ostensible fellow travellers don't even get it: "Why do you need eight track bikes? They're all the same." (One exemplar from every decade I've been alive, plus a couple extras.) "Why's that one got rainbows on it?" Sigh.

They all get ridden, and hard; some more than others, some only on sunny days. They all get some pampering, but not the Pampers® @the Engine needs.
markb says:

Jan 31 2015 at 12:07 am

With the cost of building land in London around £4000 per sq metre, I have to factor that into any bike purchase. Hence, n=3 for me, or 5 as a household, anymore would require a move. I'm just going to have to kill my fellow occupants to make the space. Blood maybe thicker than water, but it looks like bikes beat blood.
markb says:

Jan 31 2015 at 12:12 am

@pistard

: "Why do you need eight track bikes? They're all the same."

Simple response:

"When you start wearing the same clothes every day, I'll listen, otherwise fuck off".

(Add 'Mum', 'love', 'officer', 'sir' as appropriate)
The Grande Fondue says:

Jan 31 2015 at 2:50 am

@Ron

Was the foam at the top of LeMan's Oakley's replaceable? Removable and washable? Seems like it would get pretty malodorous rather quickly with brow sweat and road muck.

I guess the trick was to motor along fast enough that all scents were heaved up the riders sucking your wheel.

Speaking of needing cleaning

LeMan indeed.