0.02% aero lost, 236% cool gained
Tradition and innovation sit mostly comfortably alongside each other in Cycling. The bicycle itself is inherently a very simple machine, the basic design of which has remained the same for centuries; frame, two wheels, cranks, saddle, handlebars. It’s what has been done to these elements along the way that has shaped what the modern road bike (because mountain bikes are way out there and another realm altogether) now looks like.
To me, they look like crap.
The ‘advancements’ made through the use of carbon fibre have without doubt benefitted those who really need to benefit in incremental steps, and that is Pro riders. These guys and gals are paid to ride a bicycle as fast as they can and to get it across a line hundreds of kilometres away from where they started before hundreds of others, sometimes by the barest of margins. That’s not us. We ride because we love the freedom, the health benefits, all that bullshit that Bicycling magazine will give you 7 tips on how to do it. We don’t need aero-tubed frames and deep dish carbon wheels, but we want them. Sure, all this stuff makes our experience better, and I’m not suggesting we all ride around on K-Mart bikes, even though we’d still probably have some form of fun if we did. Even if you race, even A grade at club level, or have a crack at Nationals, the bike isn’t going to make you win. I’ll repeat; you’re not a Pro.
This whole ‘aero’ frame fad that has taken over the peloton is all well and good when the sport’s top prizes are at stake. When rolling around with your mates and having a coffee before and a beer after is the modus operandi, then why not do it with a modicum of style? Aero bikes are not stylish. Those oversized, flattened, sharp edged carbon members (I refuse to call them tubes) are just downright ugly. The curvy swooping lines and bent-six-ways stays are an abomination. And some of the stems popping up now look like tumours growing from Frankenstein’s neck. I don’t like them, in case you’re not picking up on that.
The more I look at the new crop of ’boutique’ builders working with steel, the more I realise how much of a blight these carbon race frames are. My eyes are attuned to the simplicity of round, straight tubes, with a sensible diameter, and if they’re held together with lugs, well that’s not a bad thing either. But even these simple things of beauty can be sullied by another modern invention, the sloping top tube. A lot of the bikes that appeared in my feeds from the recent NAHMBS featured quite radically sloping tt’s, and whenever a flat tt’ed bike popped up it was even more apparent that flat is where it’s at. And I’m not saying this because I own such a bike; in fact, there was a period after purchasing my Jaegher where I questioned whether I should have had some slope built in. But the more I witness the glut of ugly that is is the Pro peloton, I’m glad I listened to the denizens who lovingly handcrafted my beauty, and kept the tubes like they are meant to be: flat, round and straight.
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@chris
Nice!
The tires on the Supersix are Veloflex Master 25 Clinchers - awesome tires. Really plush ride and yet super grippy in the corners and of course they look tremendously cool.
I just bought the CAAD 10 and couldn't be happier with it...amazing bike...and such a great compliment to the Supersix.
@brett
Thank you kindly. The V runs strongly and deeply with my wife, too, it seems. Sadly too deep for her to tap into right now. I live in hope!
Elegance is cycling. Attitude is trivial. Trivial things must be relinquished for maximum V. That is why we shave our legs. Leg hair is unnecessary, so it is removed. The prime directive is to move elegantly, silently, and with maximum V. A bicycle has two wheels because it is the least number of wheels that improves upon walking. The frame is a triangle because it is the form with the least number of angles. The question of the proper material and shape for the frame presents a conundrum. There is great elegance in round, straight, steel tubing, particularly in its manufacture, durability. But, there is also great elegance in aero carbon fibre tubing, which jettisons both weight and wind resistance. But durability is not trivial, nor is the nagging feeling that carbon fibre is unnecessary for any rider who is not depending on race results for their next meal. The rules oblige us to ride, first, foremost and without excuse, but when there is an opportunity to choose elegance, we must jettison the trivial and embrace the V. Where two divergent paths present different opportunities for elegance, the rules enter superposition where both decisions are both right and wrong, and we have no choice but to debate until the bar runs out of beer.
@ChrisO
Gorgeous bike! I recently picked up a second hand 2010 TCR and haven't looked back, best handling bike I've ever ridden. You'll have to excuse the bar tape and uncut steerer, haven't got round to giving it the chop yet.
@fignons barber
My Sunday riding pal has a steel Zullo in that paint scheme. Bought it from the man himself, at the NAHBS a few years back in Richmond. Got a great deal, as he didn't want to drag them back to Italy.
At first I hated the paint, but it has definitely grown on me.
Fuck. I couldn't take it anymore. I just ordered my Don Walker road bike. FFS.
@frank
Sweet...you're catching up!
@Haldy
You don't screw around with pink and blue color schemes, do you?
@Owen
No sir! Much like @Frank with black/white/Orange as colors for the Velominatus, I have my own team, Single Malt Velo,...and our brand is pink and blue!
While they may not be round as such, you can't argue that the profile view of Cervelo's R series is right up there with @Kixsand's 'dales when it comes to carbon frames with a classic layout. The Redback spent some time connecting with nature on this morning's solo spin while I dealt with a rear flat.