Pre-Rules
[rule number=12/]
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, it sits on the bench, always ready. By the time you get to bike #3, there is a good chance old #3 doesn’t get ridden too often, except commuting, but is that any reason not to keep #3 updated, upgraded and ready for action…just in case?
My #3 is my thirty year old steel bike. It was my #1 for many great years and great kilometers. It stayed behind on the mainland, stabled in an unheated space at my parents, waiting for me to visit them and her. And you better have a bike when visiting your parents. Sometimes the #3 has to do this kind of work. But now the Bella is back with the rest of the crew and needs to be reborn hard.
I already upgraded the steel bike whenever I could. It would not be acceptable to show up for the strade bianche granfondo on this machine despite its age. The carbone ergo levers and the 8 speed Jan Ullrich vento wheels would most likely be met with moustache twisting disapproval. I don’t want a classic steel bike with six speeds and downtube shifters, FFS. I want mine with lots of modern gears, fast wheels, better handlebars and a nice new paint job.
Besides Rule #12’s unwritten clause stating your partner needs to be on a slightly more awesome bike than your own, the upgrade-downward cascade effect cannot be left unmentioned. Upgrading your or your partner’s #1 bike’s components can mean a shower of quality components now cascade down the line. When I upgrade my wife’s Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed to Record 11, one, she will be a full gruppo above me, flying overhead in the clouds. That frees up the slightly beaten up Chorus 11 gruppo for my slightly beaten up #3. My wife is happy, I am happy, bikes are happy, the equation balances out.
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@Buck Rogers
Wow, cannot wait to see that in Belgium!
@Buck Rogers
That sounds like one sexy machine.
Nice call on the nemeses. Out of interest, how come you went with Big Al to build your wheels? Was he recommended to you? I've got a nice set of record hubs I'd like to rebuild with nemesis... someday.
n3 is still located somewhere on the inter webs or dusty in the back of a shop.
n1 - Carbone Argon 18
n2 - Ribble All winter trainer/rain bike
n3 - in my prayers to santa or pleadings to the prophet one day will be met. She will be steel, downtube shifters and MUST have chromed chain stays and Gruppo.
Now all I need to do is try and stop lusting after a new Tanglewood acoustic dreadnought in Mahogany and put my pennies in the V piggy bank!
@DVMR
Great question! When I found out I was moving to Europe last winter/spring I started to search for the best custom wheelbuilders in all of Europe so I would not have to worry so much about shipping, etc.
I searched and searched the internet, read reviews and sent off a few emails/facebook messages to shops but the problem with Big Al, even though his name popped up everywhere on my searches, was that he did not have email or facebook. I said, "WTF? Screw this guy." And then I kept reading and finally said, "fuck it, I'll give his shop a ring and see if I can get a message through to him" and when I rang, Big Al himself picked up and we proceeded to have the fucking funniest most brilliant conversation I'd had in ages. Laughing my ass off and talking about all things cycling and not cycling.
After thirty minutes or so of chatting (of which I could only understand about 40-50% with his accent) he goes, "Okay, yeah. I'll build you some wheels" which made me realize that I think that he was interviewing me more than I was him about the build!
The guy is Legend and I "cannae wait" to make my trip over to Scotland to pick up my wheelset.
Oh yeah, I was also speaking to him last week and I asked about the money and how I could at least wire him 50%, etc and he goes something along the line, "Oh, donna worry bout that. I'll build 'em up and we can work it out when you git 'ere". We're talking about a over $1,000 dollar wheelset. Just crazy.
Cannot get over how much it was pre-ordained that he was going to build my wheelset for this ultimate bike of mine.
@MangoDave
You had me at "Peggorati custom"!!!
@Carel
NICE Merckx! I LOVE my Merckx. Mine might become my #2 but, like a good polygamist, she'll always be my true co-#1.
@Buck Rogers
None too shabby an answer, either! sounds like a character alright, and I love his old school shop/mentality/organizational skills.
If you're up in that direction and have time, I would highly recommend seeing as much of Scotland as you can. particularly the highlands and islands.
@Buck Rogers
I spent an afternoon at Wheelcraft a couple of years ago. A friend and I were staying in Glasgow for the weekend so rode out to visit Big Al, as my mate had paid a visit the year before and declared it his new favourite bike spot. As we were up from London, Al declared he'd been to London once when he was about fourteen and saw no reason to return. The guy is gold and watching him work is mesmerising.
BTW, I've signed up for the 230km RVV Cyclo so hope to see your new build in the flesh.
Man, I'm feeling inadequate now, with just 3 bikes. Strangely enough my original (recent) number 1 (Pinarello Angliru) became my number 3 as soon as the new number 1 arrived (Pinarello FP7), mainly because the number 2 (Pinarello Sestriere) is lighter and more comfortable (steel over aluminum). However, I still wrestle with the irony that the aluminium Angliru stays home except in the worst of weather, whilst the steel Sestriere becomes winter no. 1 and summer wet weather bike.
Gonna have to give a shout out to the Community regarding my stable. I have a pretty nice set of bikes and don't foresee any new additions in the near future, as I'm all set. AND, time to ride, not bikes to ride is the issue these days with a new child in the house.
Since I've been 'round here a few years, I played my cards right. Did all of my $$$ stable additions when I a) wasn't married b) wasn't with a child. Putting together a modest commuter is far less cause for a serious lecture from the better half than "Honey, I think I'm going to order a custom built road bike and go for a top tier gruppo. And carbon wheels." From hearing the tales of others, I knew it was best to do all major bikes purchases BEFORE major life changes.