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 …
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@PT
I have a vintage ex-pro/national champ frame. No team stickers left, just the rider’s name under the clear coat. It was put there in The Prophet’s workshop, so it’s meant to be there.
@Owen
What? All bikes are for riding! If your frame has some history why not celebrate it? I'd love to ride a frame with some provenance, and I'd display it proudly...
One thing's for sure, if you pull off the decal and regret it it's too damn late.
@Mikael Liddy
Now there's a funny thing. There were two reasons behind my question;
1) I nearly bought Sep Vanmarcke's Cervelo S5 (or was it the S3) from the Slipstream (ie Garmin) site a few years ago. They always had team bikes for sale there and some still had names on them. I wondered if I would take his sticker off or not.
2) The same Felt team edition which is in Jim's article there from a few years ago is sitting in my loungeroom right now. Its not mine and it doesn't have anyone's name on it but it does have a plate outlining its team credentials. Is it authentic or a team issue shop bike? I don't know and my friend who rides it probably doesn't either as he didn't buy it. Long story...however its probably the only bike I can recall which has a full Ultegra group-san except for the shifters which are 105. Now I know that a true race bike would probably use Dura-Ace but seeing those 105 shifters got me thinking that perhaps its training bike with an odds & sods groupset just to get around on.
Nevertheless, I was looking at it when I decided to pose the question. Funny how things work out.
I have a cat named Hobo. No, not a non sequitur, but a check to see if people are reading the article...
I LOVE sending my LBS business, have sent around five people there recently. I'm happy to support them, as they really, really fucking get it. I've never had an LBS that does. They charge me when they should, sometimes don't charge me when they should, and are always willing to do a little tuning/suggestion making for free when they're not busy. I bring them Recovery Drinks often and also leave tips in the jar.
Oh, and I think a sticker is far less of an offense than a podcast on the road...
@Ron
I have a similar relationship with my Saab mechanic. Not quite there with the LBS but not far off. Its a great place to be if you're there - cherish it.
I have never owned a car and I'm too scared to get one, since I just feel like I finally know enough about all the bikes I own. If something goes wrong on a car, I have no idea. My father is a mechanical engineer and has been fixing cars since he was a kid, I've long wanted to take a summer off and just learn how to fix cars, lawnmowers, chainsaws, snowblowers, etc.
Yes, I do indeed appreciate my LBS. I know many folks don't have the benefits of one and I've lived with less stellar ones in the past.
@pt
If you're rolling in a Saab then you need a good mechanic (or at least one that can get you the parts). Would have loved one of these.
I have a 9-3 aero and yep I've had to fix it a few times, but as it is used to ferry my bike around I cant get ride of it.
I don't get people who hang their bike on the outside of there car.
@del
and that would be precisely why my minivan with 140+k miles on it is getting a second transmission right now. And after spending the last week removing wheels and placing bikes in back seat and trunk of my sedan I can't wait to get the van back. It has one purpose, and it is very, very good at that: to haul bikes inside the vehicle.
@DeKerr
I've driven a few Viggen's as well as some other hot Saabs. Fun. Very cheap and practical to own now. Huge bootspace thanks to the hatchback. My current is pretty standard (ok it has a stage one Maptun ECU upgrade...) and does a great job as a workhorse which is very fun to drive. Being a wagon, a bike can easily go inside or on top. As far as parts etc; well its not as economical as Japanese car (or as my RenaultSport Megane was) but its much, much better than some other European cars I've owned. Sadly the company is no more - parts are still available though.