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
@Nate
Just a teaser. When I come out of retirement this week, I’ll come out swingin’ with a tale of how to fuck shit up and still come out on top.
@Gianni, @G’rilla, @Dr C
No, no, no, no, no, no! The only way to ride cobble is to ride $160 silk tubulars. (*SSSSSHHHHHHH*!!! My VMH ordered 4 FMB Paris-Roubaix Pros for me for XMAS!) Its the only way to ride the stones. OBVIOUSLY.
@Gianni – just out of curiosity, I can’t think of who won P-R on Michelin Pro-Race tires? Used to be my go-to tire – its on par with the Conti GP4000 for durability, so I’m impressed.
@paolo
We’ll have so much video that it will be impossible to keep Brett out of the frame. Sorry in advance.
@frank
You going to bring those bad boys down for the PDX Cogal?
@frankI disagree with everyone about everything, ask anyone!
@frank
The Michelin clincher rider who won PR was Frédéric Guesdon of FDJ, although I don’t think they weren’t actually called ProRace back in ’97.
It’s hard to not get cobblebone when looking at some of these photos of the Ronde van Vlaanderen:
The Muur
Flickr: Ronde van Vlaanderen
Guys, don’t get too hung up about what to have, wear, carry – it’s a ride not a 12 year old girls’ birthday party.
FWIW I promise you can all look with horror at my Mavic Open Pro clinchers and I’ll probably stick some 25 or 28mm tyres on.
Not only that I will be on a steel audax bike with a triple and a 12-29 rear, as it’s easier to bring that bike from London than Bike #1 from Abu Dhabi.
And if anyone really wants to ensure they aren’t at the bottom of the style ladder I’ll attach full mudguards on request.
I reckon I’ve got just as much chance of getting through it unscathed and unpunctured as anyone else, Rule #4 notwithstanding.
Yeah, forget wheels & tyres. Surely you should all be concentrating on cultivating some magnificent sideburns for the trip? 3 months is enough time for anyone to grow some awesome chops…
@motor city
Since I have become adherent to #33, I have more of a problem resisting the temptation to shave my head whilst doing my chin – Wiggo doesn’t even wear his anymore
@ChrisO
are you going to be really annoying by laying waste to us all on less expensive equipment? I’m planning on trying to look good, to distract me from an otherwise likely shoddy performance, and endless flats due to be too knackered to hover over my bike over the big stones – it’s only 180K after all (faaack!)
@ChrisO
Oh, that is rich! Dam I just snarfed the espresso…
@G’rilla
I’m looking for new wheels and am pretty committed to the “clinchular” wide rims (and that spoke count). I’m trying to decide between the HED Ardennes, building up some Belgian C-2’s, or going the Velocity A23 route. Can you help a brother with any insight?
@G’rilla
was just flipping thru and noticed this from a couple weeks ago. couple questions-
what kind of disc setup are you using for cross, and if the wheels aren’t a retro fit, is the rim also a braking surface? I’m just going off of what I recall from the mtb years and some of the evolving interest in road disc discussions. Hope I didn’t misunderstand what you meant about rotors.
it would be nice to have a cross bike that dared one to descend through muckier stuff knowing that the brakes would actually work!
@xyxax
I think the factory Ardennes are 24/28 hole. C2 are the same rim as Ardennes and available in a range of holeage.
@xyxax
I’ve built up both the C2s and A23s (32 3x f/r with DT Comps). I like the Hed’s a little better; stiffer (they have a taller profile), built up with less tweaking of the spokes) and I think they look better with the Belgian graphics. Having said that, the A23s are a very nice rim as well. Both built up to even spoke tensions. The Heds feel a hair stiffer on the road — probably the profile.
fyi G’rilla, wider tires still get wider on the 23 mm rims; my Open Paves measure 24 on my Kinlins and almost 26 on the A23s.
@xyxax
I’ve only ridden the A23s on knobby cyclocross tires. I’ll post in a few weeks when I’ve ridden them on my road bike with slicks.
@gaswepass
I’m using BB7 disc brakes on front and back. It’s my first cross bike so I haven’t ever ridden cantilever brakes and can’t really compare them. Disc brakes seem to require a bunch of fine tuning, otherwise they rub when the smallest bit of dirt gets in there. And the tolerances between pad and rotor or so small that the back wheel rubs the brake whenever I stand up to sprint.
They do have a traditional braking surface in addition to the disc rotor on the hub. I’m thinking of trying a disc on the front and canti on the back (to avoid the extra brake rub on the back).
I was able to ride a bunch of downhill sections that other people walked on. And the braking is pretty strong. On dry days I can easily lock up the back wheel if I want to. On rainy/muddy days it’s a little less but I never worry about being able to stop.
@teleguy57
Thanks for the details. The Velocity A23 graphics are almost as bad as Cervelo’s graphic design. If the HEDs are stiffer and look better, it sounds like they would be worth checking out.
So if I buy 25mm tires, they’ll go out to 27mm on a wider rim?
@Nate
Yes, you’re absolutely right. I got lost thinking of a build. My DT Swiss R1900s are 20/24 (2X) and I’ve broken 3 spokes and dented the rim on the rear wheel in the recent past (which may be due to rider/tensioning issues as much as a 93 kg guy on a 24-spoke rear wheel). I am still debating on the feasibility of 24/28 of the Ardennes CT but they would be my ideal choice in this type of wheel.
@teleguy57
@G’rilla
Cheers, gents. Awaiting the ride report, the feedback is really helpful. I certainly agree about the look. Can I ask what hubs you used? There’s a wheel-building class in my neighborhood. No time like the present.
Why the sudden obsession over wider tires everywhere? I’m not talking about for cobbles, as that makes sense. Hasn’t 23mm been more or less the standard, and for some reason?
@xyxax
I have stock Velocity hubs. I ordered the wheels custom built through the LBS so I didn’t build them myself. At about the same time I bought some Revolution climbing wheels and they are about to offer a wide rim build, too.
@DerHoggz
Some research suggests that wider tires may have less rolling resistance.
@DerHoggz
And comfort. I went up to 25s this summer and felt like I was rolling on clouds””and this after a summer of tar and chip paving going down all over the place around here.
@G’rilla
@Dr C
G’rilla, Dr C, as a final reference on decent Roubaix clinchers here is a velosnooz bit that likes the Conti 4 season and Michelin Optimum Pro tires. I have been using Michelin for years and I must say they are generally excellent.
@Oli
Thanks for that. FdJ has also used road tubeless on P-R but I could never get any information on how successful they were. Successful enough as I never heard they were all standing by the side of the first cobbled section.
@Gianni
This gets even more confusing for years, for this simple cyclist, there were only clinchers, then there were tubulars and now tubeless! How about some run flats like my mate’s BMW?
@Chris
Well that is another advantage of tubulars – they can run flat in much the same way. IIRC Johan van Summeren did the last few miles of his P-R win with a flat tyre. Pretty impressive when Fabian Cancellara is trying to hunt you down – that’s why they use them.
Having said that, I doubt his rims would have gone back among the spares pool for the next race.
@Gianni
Not sure why he thinks there isn’t a lot of choice in wider tyres. Maybe something about the US, but Chris you will have no trouble getting 25s or 28s in the UK. Nearly all the audax guys use them.
Lots of them swear by Panaracers – I’ve never got on with them myself but if people who’ve done Paris-Brest-Paris tell you they are the cat’s cock then it’s hard to disagree. You really don’t want to be dealing with tyres after 90 hours on a ride.
Good advice about the lower pressure though.
@G’rilla
Agree, the A23 graphics are pretty unispiring. As to tire width change, you have to really try it, each tire has a different construction as will respond differently on a wider rim. I think a rough rule of thumb is 1.5-2 mm increase in tire width, but YMMV. I have a Rubino Pro 28, which measured 26 on a Kinlin, and only measured 27 on the A23…. exactly the same as an older Rubino Pro 25 I have on the front A23!
Absolutely zero reason to worry about riding clinchers or, for that matter, any bike/wheels anyone has on the Cobbles. Based on my assumed speeds we’ll be travelling, I’d say it maters not a yot. 23mm, 25mm, 28mm, ‘Cross, road, Zipp, Spinergy carbon arm remover wheels…any of it will do just fine – no need to worry unless you feel like worrying about such things. You might (marginally) improve your comfort, but I don’t think it matters much…
It does, however, present an excellent opportunity to have built up a dream wheelset, so there you go.
@frank
Out of interest, what are your assumed speeds for the PR leg of the adventure?
I’ve seen it suggested elsewhere that double taped bars are a good plan for the cobbles, is that a good idea or a blatant transgression of Rule #5?
@Chris
It will be hard to call almost anything a Rule V violation when riding the P-R course, in my opinion!
@Buck Rogers
I’m not sure bout that, there may be some dissent amongst the ranks if @fronk were to turn up with his springy mtb stem and seatpost.
As it is I’m rather fond of my Cannondale tape so unless it comes off as part of a Gore cable upgrade, I’ll probably leave it as it is then grit my teeth and try to hold back the tears on the day.
@Chris
Don’t forget though, the pros are riding the equivalent of a sports-suspension motor over those cobbles, and they’re doing it at full speed.
I suspect the double tape is more psychological than anything. Do it if you like of course but I doubt it will be a defining factor.
this may be of interest to some of those hitting the cobbles and considering kit – the sky mechanic going over a PR bike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JCm33WSAs
@Buck Rogers
Alright, I am blaming Pere Fronk for the latest purchase. Picked up some Tubular HED C2 Belgium wheels built up with Chris King R45 hubs and KCNC Ti road skewers off of craigslist up in Austin yesterday. Currently glued with some Challenge Fango cyclocross tubulars.
The guy is a bike mechanic and built the wheels in Oct of this year and used them for the cyclocross season and now needs some money so was selling them. I checked them out and they looked great and had no obvious deformities or blemishes.
Now I have to figure out how to get the glued, intact tubular off the rims and decide which tire to glue on. Planning on using these wheels for my P-R ride in June. They seem like really solid wheels and should serve me well, esp for $500 bucks.
Will be looking for some deal on tubulars in the coming months. Not sure about going with the Vittoria Pave or something else. Also trying to figure out which cassette cog sizing I should runoff P-R. Probably an 11-23, eh?
@Buck Rogers
Nicely done but worthless without pics. I’ll add those rims to the potentials list on the new build as well. Fucker, I’m jealous. And why wait till June for P-R, just join us on the Keepers’ Tour.
Any one have any idea how the ultrega cs 6700 cassette works with the dura ace 7900 RD? I could easily save over one hundred bucks getting the ultrega cassette. Or would you all advise against doing that and only go with the DA cassette? Thanks!
@Marko
Btw, congrats on your AWESOME Italian steel! I think an older Colnago is in my future somewhere!
@Buck Rogers
Sounds like a serious wheelset. The Ultegra should function the same, its just heavier and more durable, which is a propos any ways.
@ Buck Rogers
You will be perfectly fine with Ultegra 6700 cassette.DA cassette has some titanium sprockets so will save you some weight however will wear much faster.No point in my opinion.
@Buck Rogers
@TommyTubolare
I’m in 100% agreement with Tommy – unless you want to spend the extra for faster wear, I’d go Ultegra every time.
@ Buck Rogers
In terms of tires I’d go with Vittoria Paves in 24mm or 27mm.If you got the bucks go for FMB PR however personally I think since it’s probably your first tubular wheelset Paves would serve you very well.FMB are pricey though(around 160.00 $).Paves you can get for 63.00$ per piece at Ribble for example.If you look around maybe cheaper.For extra money you save you can get a spare one.If you roll over a glass you know the story,no tire is save.
@Oli
All: Thanks!!! You guys are awesome! I will go with ultrega.
@TommyTubolare
Yes, I will probably go with the 27’s as I bought them with the pave as their main purpose. I ran sewups for around six years back in the late 80’s and early 90’s but I have not run them since ’93. I always went with vittoria’s back then but it has been quite a while!
@TommyTubolare
Wow, thanks for the Ribble heads-up. I had been looking for a deal on those tires. I ordered two 24’s and two 27’s. Figure I will need spares anyways and might just as well get it all over with at once. Now as long as the VMH doesn’t kill me, I am set. Should be able to run the wheels in a few weeks and see how they do!
@ Buck Rogers
Fantastic then.Yeah you get more value when you order at once.Shipping charges spread nicely over all items.I tend to look for deals on tubes all the time as I don’t use clinchers.It’s good to buy them and age them for later.Glad you caught a nice deal as Paves are often out of stock there.
That aside since you owed some tubs in the past you should be fine with taking the cross tires off?
Work a small section opposite to valve with your thumbs bit by bit until you brake it loose.Small plastic tire lever might help as when you pull the tire the glue will stretch and you can use the tire lever to cut across small glue sections.Once you can grab the tire fully with your hand just pull it off to the side and down but take it easy not to rip the base tape.You never know what the previous owner used and the bond might be strong.Later inspect the rims for old black pieces of glue.These should be removed as they can contaminate the new glue coat you will do.To clean the rims use either acetone or thinner.I’d recommend Vittoria Mastik or Continental Cement for gluing as they are both easy to work with and create a strong clean bond.
@TommyTubolare
Thanks again! I am just a bit trepidacious as it has been so many years. I greatly appreciate all of your advice and will follow it all to a T!
Thanks again! Cannot wait to be riding sew ups again. There is just something so right about rolling on tubulars.
@Buck Rogers
If you’ve done sew ups before you can do them again. If you need any inspiration I am jumping into the sew up world as a newb.
@Oli
Why bother asking they’d only be wrong!
@Buck Rogers
Re your skewers — I have a steel set; as you have at least one older steed you should know the mfgr does not recommend these for old skool horizontal dropouts — they have a pretty light touch.
@minion
No they wouldn’t!
@Oli
Goes to show what you know, which is NOTHING! (Insert Colonel Schultz image from Hogan’s Heroes here)
@Minion Sergeant Shultz… Colonel Klink (played by Otto von Klemperer, and I didn’t need to Google that).
Sheesh…
OK, so I should have googled it… Werner Klemperer.
Son of Otto.
I did that on air once… wrote on the autocue that Eamonn Holmes had won the London Marathon, when it was Eamonn Andrews I think.
Anyone who has seen Eamonn Holmes will know how unlikely that is.