I find it interesting to observe the chasm between parties engaged in a conversation, particularly in response to questions being asked. I’m thinking, at present, of the question, “How many bikes do you have?” My feelings in response are nothing short of complex and maybe a bit confused; reservation that I feel I should have a more well-rounded stable, love as I picture each machine, longing as I immediately then also imagine riding it, some regret at the realization that I’m not riding it at that moment, and a touch of consternation as to whether I should include in my count the partially-built machines hanging in the basement. Their feeling, in contrast, is composed of one-dimensional and unveiled shock.
Several years ago, the VMH and I got lost while out Mountain biking north of Cle Elum and spent the better part of four hours riding our mountain bikes on gravel roads. It was one of the best days we’ve had on a bike, and as a result I’ve been increasingly obsessed with the notion of hitting the gravel mountain roads in the North Cascades on a bike tuned for gravé. These small roads liter the mountainsides and offer access to parts of the world where a road bike can’t go, but provide a range that would be untenable on fat-tired bikes.
A Graveur differs from a road bike in the sense that it has cantilever brakes and wide tires. It differs from a Cyclocross bike in the sense that the rider’s position is tuned to fast riding over relatively smooth terrain. A friend who I met at the Portland Cogal turned me onto a small Portland frame builder, Veloforma. Apart from building fantastic frames and having a great reputation locally, the owner is similarly obsessed with fast gravel riding as he lives in the boonies beyond the reaches of asphalt. A few chats with him and his infectious passion for his bikes, and I was sold completely. It goes without mention that I couldn’t resist the option to have the frame painted in Velominati colors.
I placed the order for a Veloforma Team CCX in November and immediately set about collecting the bits I would need to build it. A few weeks later, the owner sent me a mockup of the proposed paint scheme. It immediately became my desktop wallpaper and hardly a day has passed since then that I haven’t contemplated at length the various flavors of Awesome that were sure to pass beneath the tires of this machine as we explore the bounties of the Cascades. The VMH obviously also required a Graveur and her will was quickly done.
For those of you wondering how I’m preparing for my Hour Ride this weekend, it includes generous amounts of “natural interval training” on the CCX Graveur in the local park. There is zero flex in the tapered steer tube (my first), and VF’s proprietary BB66 bottom bracket is absurdly stiff; I can’t flex this thing for shit, which means more of my V winds up on the road instead of in the tubes where it does nothing productive. And paired to the Café Roubaix Arenbergs with Dugast 32m file tread tires, I practically need to tie it down to keep it from floating off.
As far as specs go, I’m riding the XL with a 14cm 17 degree stem, which gives me precisely the same position as on my road bikes. The fizik Cyrano Carbon seat pin holds up a custom black and orange Arione CX. I went with a 50T outer ring (it’s only a BIG RING when its over 52T) paired to a 38T inner ring on a 130BCD spider. The 50T will get more use than would a 53T given the increased drag, and the 38T shortens the gear just enough to keep the legs turning over on long gravé climbs. For CX racing, I’ll glue on some nobbies, go to a 10 degree stem to lift the bars up a touch, and drop the outer ring to a 44T or 42T.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Graveur Robber/”/]
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View Comments
@scaler911
Does that thing pull cables while you tighten the bolts? What does it do?
@DerHoggz
Pretty much. It pulls the cable tight, and the small serrated teeth hold the cable just where you want it, hands free, while you tighten the fixing bolt.
@TommyTubolare
Ah, in that case, the mini-v's don't use a stop. I checked with the owner and designer of the frame, and I do have the cables routed correctly. The stop on the seat tube is also angled a bit to the left to receive the cable.
I could, and it shifted just fine; the only thing was that the pulley caused some extra friction and since I had a top pull sitting around anyway, I grabbed it and the shifting is indeed quite a bit lighter.
Other than that, the performance is the same.
The third hand! I love that tool! Somehow, mine has gone missing from my tool box - time to replace it as I'd forgotten how handy they can be! Thanks for the reminder.
@RedRanger
Well done, pedalwan.
@scaler911
That Blue looks awesome. Showing some good post there, too. Nicely done.
As luck would have it, I just found the article in the random posts referred to here that started me on the path of a Graveur.
http://www.velominati.com/mountain-biking/middle-fork-taneum-river/
@TommyTubolare
Here you can see the cable config a bit better.
I was out doing some cross riding last night and got to thinking. I like the firm, sure click-in of my Force stuff, but sending the chain in when out of the saddle is not easy. I have strong hands, but my fingers aren't that long. Maybe this is the reason? And my FD has always been a challenge to get back onto the big ring. I have a 42/38 setup, so not a big jump.
I don't think twice about sending the chain in at the rear on any of my Shimano or Campa equipped bikes when I'm out of the saddle, but I realized I don't even consider this on my SRAM-equipped cx bike because the shift movement is stiff and the push in is long (RD, of course).
Do I need to adjust things or have I uncovered a drawback of SRAM? I love the positive, sure click when upshifting on SRAM, but downshifting has always been a bit finicky for me. Far more half shifts that clatter than I've ever had on Campa or Shimano.
Am I just a shitty shifty shifter, is something in need of some fine-tuning, or is SRAM just a bit less slick in this area? (I can't imagine PROs in the Classics would put up with that, half-shifts on the Koppenburg? And I'm doubting its just that I don't have Red.)
Very, very nice bike, Frank - Hat. Graveur robber, eh? I assume you have baptized this lovely machine 'Lara', then?
Cool bike, like the colours. Weirdly, (as I just read this piece today) this is what BikeSnobNYC has to say today (tues, july 30) of "gravel bikes"....kinda agree with him, I have to say.
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com.au/2013_07_01_archive.html
@patrasananias
There is never any justification for NOT buying another bike. It runs completely counter to Rule #12. Of course you need a gravel bike! That said, he totally has a point as to what constitutes a gravel bike. Any bike with enough clearance for wide tires can work. Bikes like the Salsa Warbird and the like are essentially American-style cyclocross bikes with more BB drop and slightly longer wheelbases for stability (and disc brakes). That doesn't mean you can't ride your Ridley X-Night on gravel though (except that you won't have water bottle mounts). My gravel bike pulls double duty as my cross bike even though it weighs a fucking ton (metric of course) - I just lose the bottle cages and put on some Grifos. Its definitely better on gravel or dirt roads as opposed to a tight cross course though.
Just opened a pack of these beauties. FMB Super Mud.
They even have a date inside: Aout 2012.
So they are about a year old. How long are tubulars supposed to be aged for?