Bikes of The Tour 2013
How can we not talk about the Tour? After Sunday’s stage it’s hard not to be a little excited. Until yesterday the most thrilling thing I had seen was Mark Cavendish’s mad man chase back to the peloton after a late-in-the-race crash. He needed to get back quickly as the race was hurtling toward a sprint finish he was supposed to win. Happily there was a TV moto trying to follow him. For much of the chase he was without teammates, picking his way through the following convoy at high speed, jumping curbs, drafting cars very close, zipping around everything with millimeters to spare. He is a sprinter. These scenes are happening during every stage but the TV viewers miss almost all of it.
And now the rant…
Are all carbon monocoque bikes getting uglier as their computer aided design becomes more and more functional? Engineers are designing for a combination of aerodynamics, weight, stiffness but badass looks are not a design parameter. BMC has been crowing about some new software that produces the best design after a zillion Monte Carlo simulations but man, that damn thing is not pretty. All the monocoque frames must be heading toward the same computer derived solution, but not quite yet.
I’m sorry to offend Pinarello owners but the new Dogma is incrementally uglier than all the other preceding ugly Dogmas. It pains me to say this. I am a devout Italophile and longtime admirerer of Pinarello bikes. And I’m the one around here lecturing about form following function, but this bike is wrong. I realize the kinky stays and fork blades are shaped that way for performance, aren’t they? The frame looks like it stayed in the easy-bake oven too long and everything got a bit wobbly before it cooled. The front fork is a horror, the seat stays are bent the wrong direction, the chain stays don’t match.
The all carbon-weave clear coat frames are boring. Pinarello takes a lot of pride in their paint and for that I salute them. Luckily Sky’s and Movistar’s bikes are painted glossy and dark. It’s harder to see just how nasty the front fork is. With all the frame designs stuttering toward the same solution, it’s the paint that sets them apart. Matte black Orbeas and Bianchis look nearly identical until the orange or celeste paint goes on.
Trek has also been into the paint for its frames. Thankfully one doesn’t see a carbon clear-coat Madone. They have a new weight- saving paint this year and for the Tour they unleashed a beautiful mono-pantone “lei ‘o pard blue” (not to be confused with leopard blue) for the Shack rides. Now that is a paint job! The new Madone is ugly. There, I said it, but the damn paint saves its kammtail ass. Its head tube, or what used to be the head tube looks clumsy. At least the Trek bikes have a proper front fork and it’s painted that great color, as is the seat mast. Would I like the Pinarello if it was painted up like this? Yes I’d like it a lot more but I can’t get around the wavy fork. The first time I saw a steel Colnago with straight fork I fell in love. It shouldn’t even work but does. I’d never considered that a front fork could be straight. Straight fork yes, wavy fork no. Is it just me? Obviously it is as every Pinarello has a noodle fork and they are selling nicely. What does Ernesto Colnago say about a Pinarello? Believe me, I wish I knew. The Colnago C-59 is a fantastic looking bike and if that was painted completely “leopard” blue, my head might explode.
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@Gervelo
Happily we strangle most of those ones at birth.
@ChrisO
ha!
in Toronto there is a Cervelo everywhere you turn. Maybe because of the local connection. Probably a more common even specialized or Drek (not a typo – translate it from Yiddish!). Especially amongst the CSS crowd.
@cantona
How popular is Argon 18 over there…another Canadian brand, I love mine but you hardly see them at all in UK (another good reason to ride them)…
@Deakus
i don’t see as many Argon 18’s as Cervelos, but they are definitely increasing in popularity. I just bought my new Wilier at a shooter that sells tons of Argon 18’s and they look beautiful.
@cantona
I got mine from the LBS as an “end of line” they stopped selling them in the end, not because they did not like them but because they said Argon 18 were a nightmare to deal with on distribution. They got their supply chain wrong and over supplied in the UK. When they realised this rather, than allow their LBS distribution network to discount they forced them to sell at full price and then direct flooded the market through online discounters effectively hamstringing their distribution channel and pulling the rug from under them.
In the end my LBS said “fuck it” and stopped selling them. They now stock Trek, Giant, Wilier and Look. My Argon Frame is stunning and rides beautifully, also has their 3D headset which means you can be rule compliant on spacers without adopting an @Frank contortionist position to ride, leaving room for me to work hard at my diaghramatic breathing!
@VeloVita The Vittoria Open Corsa SCs have arrived…piccies to follow later on!
@Deakus
the poor business decisions of small bicycle companies never cease to amaze me
@Deakus
You know how it is…you have been with her a while, she does not bother so much any more and neither do you. You start to look at other women, those beautiful lines, classic touches, why is my lady not like that anymore. Then you discover that little something, the additional touch, so that you can ride her with a smoother stroke, the little dress that makes her look a million dollars. All those other girls in red and black…
Well here she is, the Vittoria Open Corsa SC’s are fitted and despite my initial concerns over colour clashes, the little yellow dress fits her perfectly and I am once again fully in love…no make that lust!
Can’t wait to ride her.
Oh man – this stage has some excitement! GC and Sprint consequences already strong possibilities. Flat Stage & crosswinds are a good combo. Keep in mind that the route today pretty much is in a straight direction from start to finish, so this wind should be constant the whole stage.
Can Kittel get back? Will Belkin, Saxo, and BMC take turns on the front to keep Valverde away?? Will Omega have enough for the end? Good stuff!
@Tartan1749
At last….just need vroomy to have a mechanical now or maybe a fall?!
@Deakus
That is a very nice looking bike – good call on the gumwalls! I’m very tempted to pick up a pair once my G4000S wear out, but the roads around these parts are real shit and I doubt they’d hold up too well. I like to ride while I’m out, not change tubes and the Contis have always treated me well in that regard.
@VeloVita ill report on how they go regarding punctures….I had conti GPS on before but I am looking forwards to the ride quality…
@Deakus
I know I’ll jinx myself by saying this, but so far, I’ve only had two flats in my lifetime. I attribute this to always checking pressures before a ride and making reasonable attempts at avoiding road debris/broken pavement/etc and to not riding the lightest race tires and/or tubes. I’d really love to try some really supple tires, but I’m not a small guy (192cm and around 91kg). If all goes well for you, I may just give them a try.
@Deakus Your lady looks mighty fine in those gumwalls. Very classy!
@VeloVita
Only 2 flats ever – do you ride solid pram wheels?
My own stupid cak handedness has caused more flats!!
Respect – I hope you haven’t tempted fate though…
@Patrick
Believe me, I’m as surprised as anyone. As for wheels, most of my kms have been done on 32 spoke Open Pros with either Conti Ultra, Gatorskin or GP400S tires, all in the 25mm size and at my weight (91kg) I run them at around 95psi in front and 110psi in the rear. My current rims are 32 spoke Hed Belgium C2s and with the wider rim I run a little lower pressure on the tires – still so far so good. And yes, I’m sure my next ride will be nothing but flats.
@Deakus B E A utiful
@Deakus Excellent, can’t wait to hear how it rides with those tyres.
I like Trek, but when you get close to the new Madone team issue you’ll find that the piant job has glitter in it which makes it look like a 70s disco nightmare. It’s much more Dancing Queen than Bianchi.
Imo, the new Scott Addict is the most aesthetically appealing road bike I’ve seen in the entire carbon area. While the Orica team issue looks ok, the black-red one is just sublime. No?
http://www.roadbike.de/news/scott-addict-und-solace-zwei-neue-carbon-rennraeder-fuer-2014.812481.9.htm
@kixsand I too thought it would collect crap, but it stays remarkably clean down there, I just lurve the naked seat stays, no brake look… and best of all, when I squeeze the lever, the bike slows down… :-)
@kixsand I too thought it would collect crap, but it stays remarkably clean down there, I just lurve the naked seat stays, no brake look… and best of all, when I squeeze the lever, the bike slows down… :-)
@VeloVita
How long have you been riding – two weeks???? Sheeet I’m on about my 25th tube this year! You must have some nice clean roads around your parts. I run Maxxis Re-fuse, on Open-pros as it happens. Inflate every morning before a ride, avoid debris where possible, check & clean the tyres for embeded stones/glass etc. etc. The roads around here are just covered in crap. :-(
@Deakus And a head tube so tall only a OAP with welded vertebrae should be allowed to love…
Is there a rule against tall head tubes? There should be one…
@Gildas
If you had taken the time to read the rules you would know that there is one Rule #45
However, Argon 18 is also slightly different in that they have a 3D head tube system which puts spacers below the head set race. Traditionally the reason for minimising spacers above the head set race is to avoid the potential flex that you get from a long rise above the headset, the Argon 18 method in theory reduces this.
Regardless of this, I do maintain the 4cm rule between saddle and headset. I am 6ft 4in tall. My choice was to buy a huge frame or get this one from the LBS, in stock and at a reduction. As it happens I chose correctly, the bike is a dream to ride and as a result of this I ride it more than I would if I were put in some kind of contortionist position. I don’t race (occassional sportive). As it happens I do have 4 dehydrated and 2 herniated discs in my lower back.
I claim no exemption, I simply state that this suits me and I am therefore unrepentant…VLVV.