Guest Article- When Is a Sticker Not a Sticker?

Be these monks, or Keepers?

We are presently in the calm eye of the Spring Classics typhoon. Last weekend the Ronde blew through leaving more questions than answers and now this Sunday, blowing in the opposite French direction with just as much power, Paris-Roubaix. Between storms let us gather our inner cyclist and meditate upon our ancient scrolls of The Rules. These scrolls were found deep in a pain cave, above the River Merckx, by, wait for it, a shepherd, no, a peripatetic innertube repair person.

@Blacktoolpower asks for enlightenment on a question as old as the bike itself.

FFS, Gianni

Every code, every philosophy, has its wrinkles; little contradictions and ambiguities that need solving, fudging, or avoiding with fancy logical footwork.

When The Keepers sit in their robes in the Velominati Star Chamber (they do that, right?) debating whether a ristretto coffee is allowed under Rule #56 or if listening to The Cycling Podcast with one earphone on a long steady ride round the park really contravenes Rule #62, they’re enacting cycling’s equivalent of the great debate in The Name of the Rose. That was the Dominicans versus the Franciscans on the motion “Did Christ, or did He not, own the clothes that He wore?” (translation: who’s more holy, the fatcats or the hobos? You don’t need a vatican tour to figure out who won). These small questions have far reaching implications.

So, here’s one for the Keepers: does appropriate support for my Local Bike Shop (Rule #58) allow me to contravene its adjacent Rule (#57 – No Stickers)?

The first time I had my beautiful titanium Enigma serviced by the always reliable, always friendly London Cycle Workshop, they put a cheeky green sticker on the down tube, saying “maintained with LCW”. Did I ask them to do it? No. Did the green match anything on my … excuse me titanium coloured bike? No. I took it off.

But when I returned a few weeks afterwards, to get my bike in top condition for the Dragon Ride – a hideously long cyclosportive in Wales – they checked everything, tightened some bearings, tuned the mech, pronounced it perfect … and didn’t charge me a penny.

I didn’t take off the sticker that time. Partly out of gratitude, partly because that “with” in the sticker’s wording (rather than “by”) struck me as appropriately respectful.

A bike shop that checks your machine for free and does other generous things like taking the time to explain the thread-count on Vittoria Open Corsas without ever trying to sell them to you and giving you maintenance tips that will result in less income for them … is a noble and life-affirming institution and worth bending a rule for, no?

I await the verdict …

blackpooltower

Very keen newbie London cyclist. Bit over-obsessed with Richmond Park lap times.

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View Comments

Gianni says:

Apr 11 2015 at 10:56 pm

@osbk67

@Oli

I think an appropriate shop decal is totes fine, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I?

(This is a large size one on my own bike – for clients I apply a more discreetly sized one…)

As the owner of two bikes which have been well fettled by @Oli I am unconcerned by his application of stickers such as these. Although for reasons known only to him only one of the bikes warranted such stickering. Of much greater concern, to me at least, is use of the word, and I can barely bring myself to type it, “totes” in a post. Shocking.

I've never even heard that word, ever. Shocking indeed. Methyl Ethyl Ketone exposure in the shop, that's the best we can hope for. He will come around when the fumes wear off.
markb says:

Apr 11 2015 at 11:28 pm

Rule 65 is your friend. Keep the sticker on until your next clean your bike (which will be after the first ride after the work done by the shop). It is what they want as well, they wouldn't want to be associated with a filthy bike.
Oli says:

Apr 11 2015 at 11:33 pm

@osbk67

@Oli

I think an appropriate shop decal is totes fine, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I?

(This is a large size one on my own bike – for clients I apply a more discreetly sized one…)

As the owner of two bikes which have been well fettled by @Oli I am unconcerned by his application of stickers such as these. Although for reasons known only to him only one of the bikes warranted such stickering. Of much greater concern, to me at least, is use of the word, and I can barely bring myself to type it, “totes” in a post. Shocking.

I'm just down with "the kids", man. I am unsure why I would not have marked your other machine, but I can only assume it was a. an error, or b. that I was temporarily out of stock. I'll hook a brother up, yo.
wilburrox says:

Apr 12 2015 at 3:53 am

LBS shop stickers are on my bikes! And I've placed more than a few of them myself as we finish up a build. Yes, it helps that I happen to like their shop sticker. Actually, some bikes simply look better with stickers on 'em. I have my beater ol' mtn bike loaded with stickers and it looks great. That's not an objective opinion of course. I do not know what the difference is between a sticker and a decal.
Owen says:

Apr 12 2015 at 9:25 am

@PT

@scaler911

I’m also one of those people that if I buy a car- I have the dealer take of the license plate frame with the dealers name on it, or any decals/ stickers they may put on the trunk. If the dealer wants to knock off $$ for me being a rolling billboard, then sure, I’ll leave it.

I’m also OK with a sticker that is both ascetically pleasing, and represents a shop that I like. But that’s just me…..

As long as we’re talking about a minimalist decal then I’m with you. Not that my bikes have any.

For the Fundamentalists here, what if you bought an ex-pro frame and it still has the riders name or other team stickers on it? Should they be removed as part of its de-commissioning and integration into civilian life? Or are they part of the machine at that point? Guidance is clearly required.

Take them off, I say. That shit is earned. Same with the fools rolling around in full pro kit. They didn't earn a spot on that team.
Mikael Liddy says:

Apr 12 2015 at 5:27 pm

@Owen

@PT

@scaler911

I’m also one of those people that if I buy a car- I have the dealer take of the license plate frame with the dealers name on it, or any decals/ stickers they may put on the trunk. If the dealer wants to knock off $$ for me being a rolling billboard, then sure, I’ll leave it.

I’m also OK with a sticker that is both ascetically pleasing, and represents a shop that I like. But that’s just me…..

As long as we’re talking about a minimalist decal then I’m with you. Not that my bikes have any.

For the Fundamentalists here, what if you bought an ex-pro frame and it still has the riders name or other team stickers on it? Should they be removed as part of its de-commissioning and integration into civilian life? Or are they part of the machine at that point? Guidance is clearly required.

Take them off, I say. That shit is earned. Same with the fools rolling around in full pro kit. They didn’t earn a spot on that team.

Luckily (for him), Keeper @Jim has been through this very scenario...

http://www.velominati.com/the-bikes/a-new-decade/
Oli says:

Apr 12 2015 at 6:08 pm

Keep them!
scaler911 says:

Apr 12 2015 at 6:28 pm

@Mikael Liddy

@Owen

@PT

@scaler911

I’m also one of those people that if I buy a car- I have the dealer take of the license plate frame with the dealers name on it, or any decals/ stickers they may put on the trunk. If the dealer wants to knock off $$ for me being a rolling billboard, then sure, I’ll leave it.

I’m also OK with a sticker that is both ascetically pleasing, and represents a shop that I like. But that’s just me…..

As long as we’re talking about a minimalist decal then I’m with you. Not that my bikes have any.

For the Fundamentalists here, what if you bought an ex-pro frame and it still has the riders name or other team stickers on it? Should they be removed as part of its de-commissioning and integration into civilian life? Or are they part of the machine at that point? Guidance is clearly required.

Take them off, I say. That shit is earned. Same with the fools rolling around in full pro kit. They didn’t earn a spot on that team.

Luckily (for him), Keeper @Jim has been through this very scenario…

http://www.velominati.com/the-bikes/a-new-decade/

I suppose that's a "depends" scenario: if you're going to ruin paint removing it, then no- but honestly, if I ended up with say, LeMan's Worlds frame- ya, I'd be keeping that shit.
Owen says:

Apr 12 2015 at 6:50 pm

@scaler911

@Mikael Liddy

@Owen

@PT

@scaler911

I’m also one of those people that if I buy a car- I have the dealer take of the license plate frame with the dealers name on it, or any decals/ stickers they may put on the trunk. If the dealer wants to knock off $$ for me being a rolling billboard, then sure, I’ll leave it.

I’m also OK with a sticker that is both ascetically pleasing, and represents a shop that I like. But that’s just me…..

As long as we’re talking about a minimalist decal then I’m with you. Not that my bikes have any.

For the Fundamentalists here, what if you bought an ex-pro frame and it still has the riders name or other team stickers on it? Should they be removed as part of its de-commissioning and integration into civilian life? Or are they part of the machine at that point? Guidance is clearly required.

Take them off, I say. That shit is earned. Same with the fools rolling around in full pro kit. They didn’t earn a spot on that team.

Luckily (for him), Keeper @Jim has been through this very scenario…

http://www.velominati.com/the-bikes/a-new-decade/

I suppose that’s a “depends” scenario: if you’re going to ruin paint removing it, then no- but honestly, if I ended up with say, LeMan’s Worlds frame- ya, I’d be keeping that shit.

Ok, fine. But that's a display piece, not for riding.
girl says:

Apr 12 2015 at 7:10 pm

@scaler911

I’m also one of those people that if I buy a car- I have the dealer take of the license plate frame with the dealers name on it, or any decals/ stickers they may put on the trunk. If the dealer wants to knock off $$ for me being a rolling billboard, then sure, I’ll leave it.

I’m also OK with a sticker that is both ascetically pleasing, and represents a shop that I like. But that’s just me…..

Exactly.

Thanks, you saved me from having to type my own comment.