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
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@Dr C
Looking good, sir, looking good!
My nemeses are at the wheel builders being re-laced and will be ready on Thursday. A couple of heady sessions with the glue and it'll be test ride time. Must go and read Tommy Tubolaire's missives on the rituals of stretching and layering.
@Chris
You going Vittoria Pave or Conti tubs?
The green line is strangely soothing as one is on the mash
@Dr C
The Paves. Thy're hanging up in the garage waiting for the wheels. And an Evo CX to go under the seat as a spare.
My Paves are the slightly older 290tpi version with a black centre strip and green on either side. Just to be different.
@Chris
@Tommy's advice is top notch and I believe has been further endorsed by @Oli. Not sure how much gluing you've done but as a relative novice I found it very helpful. At the risk of providing unsolicited advice, three things for what they are worth -- (1) find Tommy's tip about pre-marking the tire while it stretches to help line it up when the glue is on. (2) consider deflating the tires while coats of glue dry. Inflating them causes them to turn inside out which is helpful for gluing. I left mine like this for a few days and worry their shape is slightly changed as a result. (3) If you use the Vittoria glue you can ignore most of the instructions on the package in favor of Tommy's or what you might find in books, but I found the Vittoria instruction of mounting the tires about 3 minutes after application of the final coat to be spot on; elsewhere I read up to 10 minutes by which time the glue was drier than I would have liked.
Then go ride the piss out of them!
@Nate
Model planes and bits of coloured tissue paper, loads. Tyres, none.
But you've got to start somewhere and 180km across northern France seems like as good a place as any.
Whilst I might be out of my depth here, @Tommy's advice comes across as being authentic and any thing with @Oli's seal of approval is good enough for me. Thanks for your advice also.
@Nate
How do you find durability/mileage? I've been looking at the Veloflex Masters but have been slightly put off by an estimate of longevity at 2500km for the rear. How do the Paves compare? Do they count as 'open tubulars'?
@Anjin-san
Big fat Carbone right there! Super nice. My next upgrade!
@gravity bob
Amazingly cool. My second Cycling Sensei, Dan Casebeer at Grand Performance in St. Paul, had one of those in celeste (so not from your limited production, but from the actual product line, if I'm not confused on this) - unfortunately I believe they were prone to cracking as many Bianchi's were in those days, and his cracked. But it lasted him long enough to wait to upgrade to an XLEV2 with the fatter 1 1/8 in steerer. I watched him solo away from the field over and over and over again on that bike, loaded with Zipp 404 tubbies. He made it look so easy, in my first race, I just went to the front like him and pushed on the pedals, expecting the same effect he had, which was that he ended up solo. Unfortunately for me, I just wound up towing the bunch along slightly faster than they were going previously.
I digress, that was one hottttttt bike.
@Nate
Gracias. 24s might be a good compromise, but the idea of riding some fat (comfy) 27s has a certain allure. Decision, decisions.
@Chris
That's the sort of gluing background I have as well. More thin coats better than few thick coats -- like many glues. It's a lot like rubber cement. There are good instructions and info in this link as well.
@James
They fit my definition of "open tubulars," i.e., the Open Pave is basically the same 320 tpi casing in a clincher format instead of a tubular as the Pave tubular. By comparison they are not quite a supple as the Open Corsa/Corsa but are more durable. I've ridden them through 2 California winters (such as they are) and they still have plenty of life left. But I probably haven't put all that many kms on them in any event.