The Seduction of Symbols
There was a time when bicycles were lovingly handmade by artisans who themselves loved the sport more than those for whom they built the machines. Lugs were filed to become Luggs; chain and seat stays were beautifully chromed for durability despite the grams it added to the frame’s final weight; spokes were chosen for their purpose and laced to hubs and rims in a pattern that suited the specific purpose the wheel was intended to serve. Throughout the process – from building the frame to manufacturing of the components – extra care was taken to make every element of the bicycle beautiful; these bicycles, when you are in their presence, radiate La Vie Velominatus.
As was customary at the time, components would be pantographed and frames repainted and rebranded, leaving behind little evidence of their origin. But hidden in the components and frames were symbols that the manufacturers stamped into their wares to preserve their identity; Colnago their Fiore, Cinelli their C, and Campa their Shield. These symbols have come to hold great meaning within the sport and we of a certain ilk scour the photos of our heroes’ bikes for evidence of their existence.
For a variety of reasons including cost, proprietary tube-shapes, and repeatability of production, these practices have largely died away in mainstream bicycle manufacturing; in fact, nearly every element in the art of bicycle building that requires attention and skill is slowing being eliminated from the craft. Ahead-set stems have replaced the need for a carefully adjusted headset and stem, sealed-bearing bottom brackets and hubs have eliminated the subtle touch required to hold a race in place with one hand while tightening the assembly with the other. By and large, the machines and riders are stronger than the terrain they race over, leaving little practical need for the attention to detail and customization that once came as a matter of course.
There is, however, one magical week of racing where the terrain is still stronger than the riders: the cobbled classics of de Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. This is the one week during which the Pros still require highly customized machines and we, as fans, can scour the photos of our heroes’ kit, looking for the symbols tucked away in the components to discern their origins. One such symbol is the brass badge affixed to the valve-hole on Ambrosio rims.
These rims are chosen by the Specialists for their strength on the stones regardless of what wheel sponsorship obligations might exist within the team. Their mystique is further deepened for those of us living in the States because they aren’t available here. It follows, then, that the Golden Ticket, as I call it, is something I’ve coveted for as long as I can remember (which, admittedly, isn’t very long and, upsettingly, keeps getting less long) but have never had a good enough reason to justify procuring from Europe. But Keepers Tour, Cobbled Classics 2012 provided the perfect justification to go about finding a set and I wasted no time in doing so. Upon arrival, the rims spent the better part of two weeks sitting in my living room or next to my bed, patiently waiting for me to pick them up and rub my thumb over the badge, just to reassure myself they were still there.
Not long after the rims arrived, I excitedly loaded a picture of Boonen in the 2010 Ronde and turned the laptop to show my VMH.
Frank: Hey, what do you see.
VMH: Boonen. Goddamn, he’s a stud. Don’t let me too close to him; I can’t be responsible for my actions.
Frank: What about his wheels.
VMH: What?
Frank: Don’t you see? He’s got my rims.
VMH: You can’t possibly know that.
Frank: Openly shows his exasperation by groaning audibly and rolling his eyes. Yes, I do. Check it. You can see the Golden Ticket on his back wheel. Its obvious as shit. What’s wrong with you?
VMH: Sighs, pours another glass of wine. Exits stage left. Hopefully not for good.
*Coincidentally, on the same day that this article was being written, Inrng published a similar (better) article on a related subject of hand-built wheels. Well worth the read: The Dying Art of Wheelbuilding
Nice post Frank… Great lookin’ rims too. “Golden Tickets”…. LOVE it. As you think ahead to building them up into the formidable weapons against the cobbles they will become, you might enjoy this vimeo, which IMHO, is borderline porn: http://www.vimeo.com/32688611
Dare I say it, Nipple Lube @frank!
If I could find a wheel building course near me, it’d be on my Christmas list.
Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice….damn she is nice.
Father Merckx, I confess my lusts and sinfulness in coveting my neighbors…rims.
Forgive me as I atone, and work to secure my own
so, the inevidible question is, are you going to lace these hoops up yourself or beg a journyman master wheelbuilder to bless you with his master craftsmanship. Thousands of questions can be aked, but lets start with the obvious: what hubs, what spokes, & dare I say, SOLDER????
or 3 cross patterns, 2 cross up front. Conception will demand reality here, where will you draw the line and stomp down and affirm the convictions of the faith??
I’m planning on building my first wheel if I can find a rear hub to work with the spare rim that I have. I’m expecting frustration but also a great learning experience.
Value-hole, Frank? value-hole?
@mcsqueak
Are you joking? Just trying to continue the shit conversation from the previous post? Honestly don’t know what you’re on about.
@mcsqueak
Not you too?
@roadslave
AWESOME! Had to watch that a second time. Can’t wait!
Damn, those look super slick in black!
Now I’m going to be singing “Two Tickets to Paradise,” for the rest of the day, Frank. That’s a bit different than tickets to hell…
I’m looking at a pair of ‘golden tickets’ on my tourer leaning up against the wall of my office as I type this. In a few minutes I shall be mounted and on my way home, sneering at the potholes as I go.
Mind you last weekend one of the brass counter weights worked loose and it was a bit of a fiddle to screw it back in.
@Souleur
Building the wheels myself over the holiday break. The hubs will be hand-made lovies from England…details to follow. Another bit of kit I’ve been after since 1993 when Will Fotheringham mentioned getting a set for Robert Millar at the Tour.
The spokes will be three-cross, front and back. The Nemesis rims are not lightweight shoes, and the wheels are being built to carry my fat ass over the roughest roads on the calendar without breaking. Brass nipples. FMB Paris-Roubaix tubs in 25mm – good enough for Boonen, good enough for moi.
As for soldering – I’d like some advice on that. People say it makes them stronger, but on the other hand, the advice I got from Oli and Doug Steers was to go with butted spokes with the idea that it allows them to flex, and as we all know, flex is a good thing when it comes to strength.
The question is: does soldering them cut down on flex, thereby weakening the wheel, or does the practice remove the chance for a bad kind of flex and make it stronger? Ah, to ponder this – it will take me at least another few weeks to make up my mind.
@frank
Sorry, just being a meanie and pointing out what I thought was a type-o. I certainly make more than my fair share of type-o’s and grammar mistakes so I’m just poking a bit of fun, ol’ chap.
Hahaha! This is a great post. Love your work, Frank.
And I do love having these conversation with my VMH as well. Riding behind my VMH, I mentioned once, “your bike does not maintain the principle of silence…” She responded with “well…fix it, asshole. Otherwise harden the fuck up and ride your bike.”
Swear. To. Merckx.
Frank – nice choice on the Nemesis tubies. Old school purity for sure. Good to hear that you will be building them up yourself and have been and will be putting some thought into it. Dont forget to lube those mental gears with a pint or three. Nothing will feel better than the ride you are planning on the wheelset you built with your own hands. I have a set of Ambrosio Excellight clinchers that I built up here in the States I had some old (and extremely hard to source) Hershey Racing hubs and the rear one cracked on the flange while lacing it up, but the front “naked” hub survived and is doing great. Like the 3 cross and definitely on double butted. Cheers to you!
http://hillsandheadwinds.blogspot.com/2011/12/glovey-mud.html
Aye Frank, I just caught up on a bunch of posts from yesterday that I didn’t get around to reading, so I must profess that I didn’t know it was such an issue. Sorry about that… promise I’ll try and not be a bastard about it and keep things more on topic, starting… NOW!
3x for sure on those badboys. Weight is not their purpose, strength is.
@frank
Don’t solder. Flex goes away, and it’s a super bitch when something breaks. A bit of flex is like a shock absorber, and I’m thinking you’ll need it on the pavè.
Nice work Frank! I’m often consumed by the desire to build another pair of wheels. Maybe a lightweight pair of tubolari…
And a note on the article, I know exactly what you’re talking about. My first ‘real’ race bike was a “Cinelli Equipe Centurion”. Only made in 1985, ….”This rare co-branded model has all Cinelli frame components: Columbus SL tubing; Cinelli chromed sloped crown and head lugs; bottom bracket shell; Campagnolo dropouts.
This bike’s components were all high-end Italian-made, but not all Campagnolo. The bars and stem were Cinelli (flying C logo); derailers and shifters were Campagnolo Nuovo Record; brakeset was Universal (standard on many Cinellis); headset, bottom bracket and crankset were top-of-the-line Ofmega Mistral, beautifully made and finished to compete with Campagnolo. Freewheel was Regina CX-S; chain, Regina; hubs, Miche; rims, Fiamme; pedals, Ofmega Sintesi (composite platforms with clips and straps); seatpost, Gipiemme, and saddle, Cinelli “Volare.”….”-sheldonbrown.com
Much like I’ve hung my head in shame about here before, about having sold off Delta brake sets, Record DT shifters, etc., I sold it to ‘upgrade’. It was a beautiful bike, and I guess hindsight is always 20/20.
@RedRanger
Thinking of building a wheel this winter as well. Trying to figure out just what kind of truing stand I need for this? Can I get away with a lesser one or will going all in make it easier on a first timer?
Outstanding. My set are in queue to be built up tomorrow apparently and I’ve been dreaming about the Golden Ticket at night for a while now. I’ll post pix when I get them; looking forward to getting out on them over rough roads this winter.
@mcsqueak
Not a big deal, actually just confused about what you’re saying – should I call them value holes? And yeah, suppose I’m on the defensive with errors for obvious reasons.
Excuses for no golden ticket in the photo but I believe that since they were actually being used on a section of the Ronde van Vlaanderen in this photo everyone would let it slide.
Schwinn Approved
@Chris
There are great sources that don’t require a class – we should put them in The Works. The one is The Art of Wheelbuilding by Gerd Schraner and the other is Sheldon Brown’s How-to on Wheelbuilding. (Both of these references per Oli.)
@scaler911
Wow, that is just so awesome. That was a fun era, too, before index shifting and then brake/shifting integration started forcing us to stick with one brand (starting with Shimano’s STI shifters – Shimano Total Integration). Before that, we could pick the best freewheel, best shifters, best brakes, best levers, best hubs…all if it was interchangeable.
Getting into Mountainbiking, that was one fo the really cool things about Bridgestone – they hand-picked all the bits for their bikes; it was one of the rare brands you could buy and not change a thing to the bike the day you bought it (other than seat/bar height) – it was already perfectly curated.
Cool times, cool times. And yeah, hindsight is 20/20, but it also helps us look to the future. Plus, if you ever get your hands on another project like that and build up a similar bike, it will have all the more sentimental value.
@razmaspaz
I recommend the Park TS-2. I’ve worked with lesser ones, but they don’t hold the wheel right and you don’t get a reliable true from them. Its expensive, but well worth it.
@j.king
Yes, but I’m disappointed at the tire style and choice! Seriously, though – awesome!! Can’t wait to do it myself…
@frank
I still see Bridgestones around. My roommate in college had a X0(?). It was a great bike.
I think we all get giddy when we see a fancy new plastic bike (Colnago EPQ anyone? http://www.colnago.com/epq/), but I do pine for the days when you bought a frame set and hand picked every little bit of kit, then spent countless hours in the shop assembling it. Facing BB, lacing up a set of Mavics with Wheelsmith DB spokes to C-record hubs, pressing in a Stronglight headset. I think it gives you a touch more connection to the bike than just walking into the LBS, going on some test rides, then strapping the one that fits/ feels/ looks best to your roof rack.
Just making myself sound dated now…………
Huge confession to make: I’d really like to be able to wheelbuild and do more things with my Machine, I am just terrified to go near it with a wrench and a book. For instance, I have a the most inperceptible clicking noise the comes from my drivetrain that probably emanates from my BB. It only manifests itself when climbing seated. It occurs at a specific point in the stroke regardless of gear, and is not related to left or right pedals. Meaning – I need to pull by crank and BB, maybe upgrade the BB while I have it apart, throw in some nipple lube (!) and reassemble.
This scares the shit out of me. Yes, I have some tools. Yes, I have Lennard’s Book. But Merckx help me, if I fuck up my bike doing this, I’ll go jump off the Alpe. And no self-respecting Velominatus will sign up for some dumb-ass CycleU class with chicks in commuter gear learning to change a tube.
Guess I need to HTFU. So I destroy a custom Ti frame. What could that cost?
@scaler911
My first real road bike (i.e., it had downtube shifters), which I bought when I was 12 with money saved from mowing lawns, was a Bridgestone. Loved it.
Oh look what I found…
@Frank-They may be clinchers but they have never failed me yet and they have seen many kilometers of kasseien.
I was sufficiently moved by Frank’s piece to take a photo the moment I got home. Apologies for tyre choice. Those wheels have done Ronde cyclosportive a few times with no issues. And my arse is much fatter than Frank’s.
@j.king
“You gotta purty badge there son”….
While I am fully aware of Ambrosio’s History in that part of the world, what are the views on the Zipp 303s that have tried to break with tradition and modernize and aerodynamicize these Classic races? Cancellara and others have had success on these- although more due to man than the Wheel. I would be scared to take my own 303s to such places- Ambrosios — I would look forward to it.
@jaja
What’s wrong w 4 season conti’s?(pardon my ignorance on this one)
@mblume
Right up there with taking the Kaapelmuur out of de Ronde.
@gaswepass
I don’t think it’s anything wrong with the tires themselves, but rather shame that some fancy tubs aren’t on there instead of standard clinchers.
@eightzero
I was speaking to G’rilla about that very thing last time he was down here in PDX. Seattle and Portland both have shops where you can pay a professional wrench a pretty reasonable rate to sit there and walk you through repairs and teach you how to do them yourself.
I think that’s a pretty neat idea, because you can pay specifically to learn how to service your BB (for example), while skipping all the basic stuff you already know (swapping tires, adjusting brake calipers, etc.). If you lack access to a cycling sensei with a shop/tools it would be a good investment, I think.
@gaswepass
It was in reference to Frank’s comment on j.kings tyre choice in the photo of the Ambrosio rims on the cobbles of Flanders. I agree with you – Continental are a sound choice either for Flanders or English country lanes in winter, which increasingly resemble those old photos of post WW1 races where the tarmac has been bombed to smithereens.
@frank
I figured that would be the answer. I don’t mind paying for the right tool for the job, IF it is the right tool for the job. Been watching ebay for one, they hold their value so well that I doubt it will be an issue if I decide wheel building is drudgery.
@frank
Thanks for the links (thanks to @oli as well). Is The Bicycle Wheel also worth getting hold of?
If it all goes horribly wrong, I’m assuming you can pull it all apart and start again?
I’ve seen pictures of the Pros riding carbon rims on the cobbles, is that not recommended for us mere mortals? I’ve been hankering after a pair of these Koolstof 38CXs – laced in a two cross front rather than radially for cyclo cross and more robust road applications.
@Nate
Ah missed this, earlier. Whilst it may not be in keeping with the tradition, how would carbon wheels hold up?
@eightzero
If only you knew someone who loved working on bikes and would be willing to show you how to do it in exchange for a few beers to be enjoyed during the exercise…Its all very easy stuff and you won’t break anything, but it is deceptively difficult and its really great to have a Sensei helping out.
@jaja
Mate – I was just teasing, of course. Those Contis are GREAT tires, and those All-Weathers almost made their way onto Bike #3 when tires had to be replaced last weekend.
I was only teasing because of course they should be tubbies and you should be riding a nice natural-colored side-wall.
@scaler911
“Now squeal like an over-tightened hub”.
@Chris
It sure is, although I have a dim memory of there being some conflicting information between the three – suffice it to say, there are varying methods of lacing and building a wheel but you won’t go wrong carefully following any of these methods. Lennard Zinn has a useful chapter on it in his “Art of Road Bike Maintenance” too.
@Chris
I’m merely being opinionated. I have no idea how they hold up, but I’ll note that Van Summeren won Roubaix on carbon wheels this year.
@Oli
Cheers Oli. Decisions, decisions.
@frank
Ah…was I that obvious? eMail to follow when I get back in town next week. I promise to be a good PadoVVan….
@Chris
I downloaded a pdf of the Bicycle Wheel from somewhere and just started reading it. I can send it to you or give you the link if I can figure out where I got it from.
(Note to self: Buy Jobst a beer in lieu of royalties the next time we get together).
@mblume
From a purist’s standpoint, I’m right there with @Nate‘s assessment, though if I was a Pro planning on going solo 20km from the line, I’d certainly take the 303’s.
They’ve severely redesigned the 303’s and Mavic their Cosmics to be able to endure the stones; in fact, previous efforts ended in disaster, with a pair of 303’s failing under big Maggie’s massive weight, a CSC rider (name escapes me) crashing on the last sector on his way to a sure second-place, and I blame Hincapie’s carbon wheels on snapping his steerer.
Obviously, I’m in favor of the Amrosios.
@mcsqueak
+1
@Bianchi Denti
This. Gold.
WOAH – that photo of Boonen is awesome! He just looks great riding a bike. Kit is perfect, fits just right, looks awesome, Guns are impressive…super cool. Crazy to me that he rides the cobbles without any gloves.
Hey, since we are discussing tiny things, I’ve had this question for awhile and gotten different answers from different folks – do you lads set your saddle height the same on all of your bikes? What if you use different saddles? Do you measure to the rail or put something flat on top of it – center BB to rail could still result in a different extension with different saddles.
And what about if you have different length cranks? I have 170s on one bike, 172.5 on most. Some have told me they use the same rail-to-BB distance, but this seems odd to me to not take into account the crank length discrepancy.