I posted this picture as a joke in yesterday’s Anatomy of a Photo piece, but I find myself going back to it over and over, captivated by the way the light gleams off the peloton as they race by. Gleaming metal bits – hubs, cranks, spokes, handlebars, stems, frames, toe clips, all reflecting light from a thousand discrete points as the bunch rolls by, is a thing of the past.
Something of the romanticism of our sport has been crushed under the inevitable advancement of technology, as little by little each handmade alloy component on our bicycles has been displaced by a machine-built carbon replacement. It started with the clipless pedal’s succession of the toe clip; robbing us of the shimmering vision of sunlight reflecting off the metal clips from 200 riders’ feet as they approached from the distance. Today, even the metal shifting cables on the modern bike have been replaced in some cases by the rubberized cables of electronic drivetrains.
I look at my cherished R3 and, while I fully embrace the advantages and conveniences provided me by it’s modern technology, there is hardly a silver component in the lot. Even most of the alloy components like the stem and bars have been anodized black. Just the hubs and spokes, and little bits of the front and rear mechs are silver, but even those pieces don’t have the polished luster of the machines I see in the photo here. I wish I knew who took this picture because I’d love to offer him a beer. It’s a work of art: the long shadows, the bikes leaning in unison into the corner, the looks of determination on the riders’ faces, but most of all, the way the light is exploding out of Greg LeMan’s bike.
So, next time you find an old bicycle leaning against a tired wall, it’s aluminium components glistening in the sunlight, take a moment to linger and contemplate the beauty of it’s componentry. You will be standing before a relic of a bygone era when the grace and elegance of our great sport was enhanced by the glistening light radiating from the machines that carried our great heroes.
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As one who can't afford a newer bike with all sorts of matte coloured bits, a shiny, older rig is what I ride at the moment. And let me tell you, she rides flawlessly. Won't stop riding her, even when I do upgrade.
The gleaming stuff is great. I was riding last weekend and the mirror-polished rims and crankset on my old MBK were leaving wonderful infinity symbol reflections on the road as the group hummed along at speed. Honestly, I can't think of anything sexier than a polished warbird.
Those gleaming shiny bits were also a result of Campagnolo's obsessive attention to detail and quality control (well except for the occasional broken crankarm). No one bothers to polish the back of the crank arm anymore.
I hear ya. I've just put a carbon Chorus seatpost in the ol' Bozzie, and I'm struggling to come to terms with it after the (albeit no-name and not very flash) silver alloy one I was using.
I remember watching the Tour back in the 90's, and with a still camera positioned at the outside of a corner the peloton would sweep by and as they did, I distinctly remember the shimmering glow of Campagnolo Bora's (when they were high-polished aluminum). It was almost tron-like, but way more awesome.
Perhaps its just me, but the sheen on all the good ole components is...well...just that. I welcome advances slowly, by admission, but one I welcomed was the first mavic open pro's that were anondized grey, then the ceramic CD and so she went, black spokes, Thomson posts et al, to the point now i have dusted my dura-ace grouppo for sram force/red. The older stuff got a water drip on it and would loose luster, over a summers riding would need buffed like a wild dog just to go back...go back that is to how I originally had her. So, this is maybe a departure, but one I welcome. You guys can have my silver spokes, american classic shister hubs and I will take the chris kings, the mavic CD rims and thomsons any day.
To each his own, I just don't miss that part of our goodies and I have never looked back missing the fluffing and buffing to keep the sheen.
Chapeau!
I love the old shiny bits, and I'm glad my Wilier has shiny aluminum brakes, bar clamp and bright aluminum Salsa skewers that I bought to replace the stupid Mavic skewers that started rattling and disturbing the PoS.
A little OG bling to augment the Carbone...
@sgt
At the risk of inciting a riot of juvenile doubles-entendres, your Wilier sounds a lot like my Wilier.
@Nate
My Wilier is bigger than your Wilier.
That's the old cool pic for sure.
I've been riding long enough to have ridden through the "gleaming bits" era, and into the anodized and carbon age. They both look great for what they represent.
If needed, thanks to plenty of nice steel frames out there - new and used - plus eBay to search for NOS Campy or Shimano gear, you can still ride something that gleams in the sun - and in the eye of riders who still dig that era.