The Bikes
The Bike. It is the central tool in pursuit of our craft. A Velominatus meticulously maintains their bicycles and adorns them with the essential, yet minimal, accoutrement. The Rules specify the principles of good taste in configuration and setup of our machines, but within those principles lies almost infinite room for personal taste.
It seems in some ways like a kind of Stockholm Syndrome, the way we honor our machines. We love them to a point that lies well beyond obsession. Upon these machines upon we endure endless suffering, but also find an unending pleasure. The rhythm, the harmony between rider and machine, the outdoors, the wind in our faces and air in our lungs.
The Bikes is devoted entirely to our machines. Ours, The Keepers, and yours, the Community. It features articles devoted to our bikes, and proves a forum for uploading photos of your own machines for discussion. We will be harsh, but fair; this is a place to enforce and enhance our observation of The Rules.
If you’d like to submit an article about your own beloved bike, please feel free to send it to us and we’ll do our best to work with you to include it.
- Rule #12 and the Cascade Effect
That is a very reasonable opening salvo for the Rule about bike ownership. Three is good and certainly a minimum, and we are talking road bikes here, if there was any doubt. They naturally become ordered: the #1 is ichi-ban, top dog, go-to bike for every and all rides. #2 was the old #1, ... - Guest Article: Black Is Not The New Black@kogalover is singing my song here. Bikes are beautiful. ’nuff said. VLVV, Gianni With all those posts on riding in winter and being visible, either by putting Eyes of Sauron or other car melting devices on one’s steed, or by even considering a YJA instead of donning plain black kit, it was about time to finally get ...
- Dialing in the StableThis was going to be an article about Rule #45. It is amazing how much time is wasted and matches burned when professionals stop for that second bike change to get back on their #1. With all the jigs available to team mechanics it would seem they could set up five bikes exactly the same. And ...
- Matching the drapes to the rugAs a longtime titanium bike owner, I’ve always been jealous of a beautiful painted frame but Ti and carbon frames don’t need paint like a steel frame needs paint. But I want some painted beauty. It’s like buying a white car; I can’t do white, need some color. So between a Ti frame and a ...
- Festum Prophetae: Waiting for the HourEveryone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. – Mike Tyson The one thing everyone should always plan for is that however well-conceived a program might be, things will never go to plan. The high level plan for my Festum Prophetae Hour Ride was as follows: Have a custom Hour Bike built by Don Walker. Because reasons. Reasons like custom ...
@chuckp
I’ll take the Profile Designs one back, no doubt.
I have an identical stem on there right now to your 3T Arx 110mm.
So I might need a 140mm stem from another brand or a 120-130mm 3T stem.
Grr.
When I’ve raced on that bike I’ve found myself sliding forward a lot as soon as I really give it the beans – suggests to me my saddle setback is a smidge too much (10mm, say). I also think my position could be 10mm more stretched out. So 10mm further forwards plus 10mm extra reach should be perfect = 20mm additional stem length.
Back to ebay.
@chuckp
There’s my stem – it doesn’t look outrageously long.
Annoyingly, you’ve got the exact item I’m now shopping for! i.e. a 3T -17deg 120mm stem.
@Teocalli
@chuckp
Oops, after all my ebay shopping I’ve just found somewhere I can buy exactly what I want for £25. I’m an eejit.
This site is just gret. I’ve looked these details a whole lot and I view
it that is good written, fast to understand. I congratulate you for
this research that I am going to tell to the
people friends. I ask you to go to the gpa-calculator.co site where each university student or college student can find results gpa rating.
Thank you!
I have this very day been reunited with my former race bike of back in the day shall we say. It is remarkably complete, actually working still and ready for some TLC.
Let the work begin.
Same bike, back in the day. Mid 80’s.
@Keith
Nice.
12 Speed sir?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/campagnolo-12-speed-record-and-super-record-groups-launch/
@Teocalli
It’s just silly now. 12 speed?
Oh, if any Velominati find themselves in SE Wisconsin this sum,mer, the museum I work at just opened this: http://www.wisconsinart.org/exhibitions/joy-ride-designing-trek.aspx
38 bikes, including Cancellara’s 2016 Strade Bianche winner, Contador’s last Vuelta bike, Contador’s 2007 Champs Elysees bike, Robin Williams’ Y33, Eric Larsen’s polar fat bike, Katie Compton’s 2012 US CX champ bike and did I mention Jensy’s 2014 Hour Record bike?
Call me and I’ll give you a tour!
@Teocalli
Is this related to the multiple friendship requests that I keep getting from the user called ’12’.
Just me, or has everyone been getting them? I assume it’s spam of some sort.
@ChrisO
Yeah everyone is getting them. It seems to be a spoof/hack/bug of @Greyling‘s account.
@ChrisO
Though the Gruppo 12 Speed is for real and I doubt that Campag has hacked the site for publicity!
@RobSandy
Is it normal to have a huge supply of stems in different lengths? I’ve been happy-clicking and I’ve now built up quite a collection!
Managed to get hold of a 3T stem in 130mm and 17degrees. So I’ve fitted that and shifted my saddle forwards about 10mm. So I should also be 10mm more stretched out. I’m racing Friday so we’ll see how it goes.
I’ve also got a non-3T 120mm in case that position is a bit extreme. I guess further forward is going to be better for the flat but not so good on hills. But I’m not going to be racing up hills on that bike and if I am I’m likely to be out of the saddle.
@RobSandy
Dear VMH – I’ve got all these spare stems so it makes sense to get another bike to fit them to……….
@Teocalli
@TeocalliDear VMH – I’ve got all these spare stems so it makes sense to get another bike to fit them to……….
@sthilzy
I’m currently at peak bike.
I would like a TT bike though…
@RobSandy
Isn’t that an Oxymoron?
@Teocalli
Yes. And yes.
@RobSandy
No, no and hell no. A TT bike is a thing of sublime beauty. It’s a specific tool for a specific job. It is not a triathlon bike. I rode hundreds of TTs. I wore a proper skinsuit and had one bottle. None of this skimpy triathlon sleeveless gear, 5 waterbottles dangling off your ass, and tri bars to help you reach 20 kmh.
That being said, unless you do TTs, you do not need a TT bike. And if you’re doing triathlons, you shouldn’t be here.
@wiscot
The Oxymoron bit was specifically…….
I’m currently at peak bike.
I would like a ….. bike though…
….not a specific ref to TT bikes.
Back away from the swim goggles, @wiscot. No one was talking about triathlons here, so have a Maltini and try not to paint images like that in our minds.
How about this for respect…….
http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/4583/watch-the-man-who-finished-paris-roubaix-last-an-hour-after-winner-peter-sagan
@wiscot
Come on man, I think I’ve been posting here long enough for you to know I ride plenty of TT`s and there’s no fucking way I’d do a triathlon.
@wiscot
I’d disagree that a TT bike is a thing of sublime beauty. In my view they used to be but these days they’ve lost the unique nature that many had and have just become tools where function trumps form. Where form loses to function probably depends on your age.
@wiscot Whilst this isn’t strictly an old school TT bike it cold be described as a work of art.
My VMW just bought me one of these lights for a nice clean cockpit integrated with my Garmin.
@Teocalli
Nice! Doesn’t ChuckP use something similar?
Very clean shiny bike.
Rode the AR1 with the 130mm stem last night and the saddle forward by 10mm, and immediately wondered how I’d coped with the setup being different.
@Teocalli
That’s pretty neat. Does it throw out a decent amount of light?
@RobSandy
Gentlemen. Good morning. My apologies. I never meant to suggest anyone was a triathlete. This is what happens when I’m really, really busy at work and not in my office. Then I come to my computer to check e-mails, jump on a thread and post without due care and attention.
In my defense, from now through the summer, Jens Voight’s Hour bike, Cancellara’s 2016 Strade Biache bike, Contador’s 2007 Champs Elysees bike and his 2017 Vuelta bike are basically outside my office door. Plus a whole bunch of other awesome bikes. I’m distracted.
@chris
Ok, take the second bike. Make it hot pink, made by Cougar in Liverpool in 1988, and put on a bunch of cool Mavic stuff including early aero bars and you have my TT bike from back in the day.
@RobSandy @Chris
It’s a be seen rather than a see-by light if you see what I mean. On fixed it has 3 modes – the brightest gives an hour and is pretty bright and the lowest gives 7 hrs. On flashing it gives 7 hrs and seems to flash in the brightest mode – that looks pretty bright in the house. All according to the blurb. They are pretty new and only recently came on sale (as I understand it). They had presale models on some bikes at Rouleur before Christmas which is where I first saw it.
@wiscot
That second bike is a cumbent?
(Reversed recumbent and the 2 “re”s cancel eachother out)
@wiscot – ever come across one of these? I know the guy trying to find out more details so if you happen to know anything to add that would be fab ………https://www.facebook.com/ian.dacosta.94/posts/10155666056242607
@Teocalli
Sorry, I know nothing except that is a thing of beauty. I’m not even sure what my Cougar TT was made of. Reynolds I suspect. My seattube was straight, not curved. My TT wheels had Royce hubs.
@wiscot
No probs.
I think my saddle is broken on my F75. It is making creaking noises and looks like shit (with a certain amount of corrosion staining).
How do you choose a saddle? Can you get too cheap?
I have a very unfussy behind, I’ve never had a road saddle I’ve found uncomfortable.
@RobSandy
Re the last – lucky you. I’ve been through loads.
I may have a Fizik going spare/cheap if my buddy does not want it. I’ll chase and see whether he has tried it. It have minimal miles on it as I found the Sella Italia I already had suited me better.
@RobSandy
My buddy does not want it so it’s potentially available cheap. Can’t remember which model it is but I think it’s a Antares. Not sure when I can get it back off him though at the moment.
@Teocalli
That might well be fancier than I need but I appreciate the thought
@Teocalli
I’ve ordered a cheapie of tinterwebs.
Of course, when I fit it is when I discover it wasn’t the saddle making the noise.
Any views on the class about creaking headsets?
I took mine all apart, put it back together again and the creaking stopped…then started again.
@RobSandy
Have you got the tension OK on the headset. If you hold the front brake on and rock back/fore on the handlebars is there any play in the headset? Is it a sealed bearing or an open one?
@Teocalli
I’ve had the headset work loose before, getting play in the headset. I don’t think that’s the case this time. But maybe it’s only just loose. I’ll fiddle with it later.
@RobSandy
Remove the front wheel. Clean the fork tips where they contact the quick release. Clean the QR as well as the hub axle wear it clamps the QR. 90% of mystery creaking comes from this.
@fignons barber
Did all that and took apart the headset and reassembled. Seems to have stopped.
Will fit my new saddle over the weekend and hopefully my bike will return to silence.
Also went to true a wheel on my ‘hack’ commuter and noticed I’d snapped a spoke without realising it.
Why do I snap so many spokes?
@RobSandy
You may be over-tensioning your spokes?
@Teocalli
I probably do – but only when one has come catastrophically untensioned in the first place.
I have ridden a lot with a pannier on one side – I thought that might not help so I’ve stopped and gone back to a rucksack for commuting.
@RobSandy
Truing a wheel is a balance of releasing tension on one side as well as applying tension to the other. Don’t just apply tension on the side you want to “pull”.
Hey all! Really stoked about now being an Irwin Cycling Ambassador and riding their AON TLR 38 carbon clinchers. More about Irwin here https://irwincycling.com And a review of the wheels I’m riding by my fellow PEZ contributor Charles Manantan here https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/irwin-wheels-carbon-38-review-big-league-tech-little-league-price/#.WtqBvi_MzdQ Irwin is not new to the carbon wheel game. They’ve been making wheels for other brands for a number of years. But now they’re selling their own designed and manufactured wheels. Definitely worth taking a look at if you’re in the market for carbon hoops.
@RobSandy – If you’re breaking spokes, maybe you need to lose weight??? :-)
@chuckp
Thanks I need constant reminding that I’m a fat twat. I got reminded about that every lap of my road race today when I went quickly to the back of the bunch each time we tackled the climb on the circuit.
On the plus side, I got back in the mix and used my fat sprinters power to get somewhere near the top 10.
Also, I think I love my bike.
Stopped to ponder, “Where’s @frank ?” BTW, am loving my Irwin AON TLR 38 carbon wheels!
@chuckp
Looking good. Cultivating tiered tan lines?