It wasn’t so long ago that the majority of bicycles were made by hand, from raw materials, in places that aren’t China or Taiwan. While some of these artisans are still around, their wares are increasingly harder to come by, and to procure an example of their work means an outlay of time and money which is more than most are willing to commit. This is a problem with not just bikes; mass consumption is big business, not only in everyday necessities but for ‘luxury’ items as well. A bicycle can be considered a luxury item for some, so to bring them to the masses, they must be produced in ways that lower the cost of materials and labour to a point where the average consumer can feel like they are getting a quality product at a reasonable price. And they usually are.
They just aren’t getting anything unique.
Now that three of the four bikes in my possession are made by hand, I have made a commitment to only own machines produced not by robots, not from composites and not from ‘factory farming’ methods. While there are many excellent bicycles produced en masse, the little bit of personality that is instilled in each of my rides sets them apart and I know I’ll see not many, if any, similar steeds on my roads or trails. How many dudes you know roll like this?
Riding the cobbles of KT12 on my Merckx Team SC and KT13 on the Pavé steel Cyfacs re-opened my eyes to the subtleties of a well-made frame and the characteristics which can be incorporated into the bike by the maker; each one can be tweaked to offer a ride quality specific to each frame, each rider, even the environment in which they are created and which they are intended to be ridden. The Merckx was fairly hard to come by, and I stumbled upon it by chance rather than through any concerted effort to find it. I sometimes think it found me. It’s a bike I love to ride, but also to just appreciate its lines, its pedigree, its Made In Belgium heritage, no doubt welded by a grizzled Flandrian who cut his teeth in the very factory he still works at 40 years later. I’d like to think so, and there’s some small likelihood of it, at least. Maybe I will return it to Belgium once more, in Spring, from where its journey started and where it made its mark in history more than a decade ago.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/merckx sc/”/]
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@DerHoggz
That's a good question with no good answer. I can't see the point of a left handed drill at all. But this, from Wiki.
Left-hand bits are almost always twist bits and are predominantly used in the repetition engineering industry on screw machines or drilling heads. Left-handed drill bits allow a machining operation to continue where either the spindle cannot be reversed or the design of the machine makes it more efficient to run left-handed. With the increased use of the more versatile CNC machines, their use is less common than when specialized machines were required for machining tasks.
@Optimiste
That's a good guess but those extractors don't care. Any hole is a good hole...insert joke here.
I have a Ridley and a Kona, which probably fall into the category of "mass produced" CX bikes. H'ever, my heart sings when I ride my Naked Loonie SS MTB and my Naked Team X CX bike. Just something about custom and steel which makes my ride just a bit better and the post ride smile just a bit brighter...
@DerHoggz
Didn't know wound up made a fork for 24 inch wheels. Proof's right there I suppose.
@biggles I have had to extract multiple bolts like this before. Take your time and dont rush it. When using the extractor bit make sure to keep it centered. If you feel like you are over your head just take it to a local car mechanic. Extracting bolts is a regular part of their job.
After looking through this thread I am convinced I need to win the lottery. My N+1 just turned into N+30.
@Gianni Roland was inspired by the slotted chainstays of the Masi's from the 1970s. He said in a vacuum the stays (which are sleeved, filted, and then filed down) are stiffer than non-Ossobucco stays. But, in his words, "Once you weld them into a triangle, and clamp in wheel in there, you won't notice a difference. They just look friggin cool."
It's that last bit that sold me. And he was 100% right.
@biggles I don't see any pictures, just a big white box.
@Cyclops
They show for me - browser problem your end?
@biggles
Oh, OK, I'm looking at it in IE now and can see the images.
OK, the top image shows the problem in that the screw hole does not go all the way through clevis. Now I see why there is the need to get to it from the inside. We're still back to if you can't get anyone to fix it for you the frame is worthless boat so see what you think of this. After exhausting all the aforementioned advice/attempts of trying "easy-outs" to get the screw out this is what I would do in precise steps.
1. Take a center punch and punch the outside of the clevis where the yellow "X" is (the center of the broken screw on the other side)...
2. Drill at the center punched divot with a 1/16" bit (2mm? over yonder) until you hit the screw - since the Columbus Airplane tubing is aluminum you should be able to tell when the bit hits the hardened screw. This will give you a nice guide hole.
3. With a larger bit (the diameter of the screw not counting the threads) drill from the outside again and drill out the screw (or try easy-outs again using the appropriately sized bit).
4. Re-tap the hole.
5. Install a new screw that just slightly protrudes past the face of the clevis (btw, for the sake of clarity what I am calling the clevis is the little nipple shaped piece welded on to the end of the chain stay that has the threads in it) using Loc-Tite (I don't know what you Brits use but over here the purple Loc-Tite gives the best hold) to give the screw some permanence.
6. Carefully file/sand the part of the screw that protrudes through the clevis until it matches the contours of the clevis.
7. A little shot of black spray paint and you'd be hard-pressed to ever be able to see the fix unless you were really looking for it.
Did I overreact?
A couple of weeks ago I flew with my bike out to Vegas and did some riding while I was there for a conference. On the way back TSA opened my case, this always happens. A couple of days later when I went to put my bike together I found that the rear deraileur hanger was bent. I took it to a shop that I have trusted in the past and had a new one put on. While I was picking the bike up one of the sales dudes noticed that my stem was lose. When he tightened it the bolt snapped. I waited while he removed the broken bolt and replaced it. When he handed me the bike there were scratches on the stem, minor but it is a fairly new stem. When I pointed it out he made excuses about having to drill out the bolt, etc. I was pissed and shaking my head when the mechanic that I deal with came out and looked at it. Said he would check for a new stem and call me, which he did
I took it back today and the mechanic is out. Dude who fucked it up came over with a new stem and makes the comment that he could touch up the scratches and it would be cheaper than a new stem. I was shocked that he was going to charge me, that was never mentioned. He started to argue and I told him that I wasn't going to argue, that they had lost a customer and to fuck off.