One of many worst issues about this weblog for you, the reader, is that I, the blogger, go on for days on finish about no matter it’s I occur to be obsessive about in the meanwhile–and at present what I’m obsessive about is that this bike:
At present was a heat and sunny (albeit fairly windy) day so I lastly loved a journey on the road-ified Faggin that was freed from mechanical issues and snow, though I did want to alter course at one level because of flooding:
That’s a freeway below all that water.
As I rode, I contemplated the similarities and variations between it and the Cervino, which is the opposite traditional lugged Italian bicycle at present in my possession:
Whereas the Cervino hides its true nature coyly between its legs:
The Faggin is loud and proud, and from headtube to dropout there’s scarcely a tube on the body that doesn’t bear its identify:
The Cervino can be a hundred percent Italian (aside from the Nishiki decals) whereas the one Italian components on the Faggin are the saddle:
The stem:
[Start Digression]
Sure, I do know that sure Modolo stems have been recalled. No, this isn’t a kind of stems. (Although the stem on the Vengeance Bike may have been, which might make sense, since everyone knows Paul is making an attempt to kill me.) Regardless that it’s not, you’ve bought to admire the way through which the Italians prize type over operate with regards to the bicycle stem, despite the fact that it’s one of the crucial essential parts with regards to maintaining your face off the street floor. This strategy continued nicely into the threadless period, as you’ll be able to see from the disconcertingly schlong-like “Mutant,” a stem I as soon as really owned:
[Via here]
This isn’t to say the Mutant is unsafe–I do not know–however it’s to say there’s no motive for it to appear like a schlong besides somebody clearly needed it to appear like a schlong. And naturally excessive Italianate stem design reached its apotheosis with the Alter stem:
[Via here]
Which you would customise with scantily-clad girls:
[Via here]
After all none of this may fly at the moment, even from an Italian firm, so now in the event you insist on having a pornographic cockpit you’ve bought to go to eBay:
So do they imply after the journey or throughout? As a result of if the latter that certain provides an entire new dimension to driving in a paceline.
[End digression]
And the brake levers:
These have been in fact made by the storied Italian biking part maker Leechi, which is Italian for milk:
I simply assumed these low cost brake levers I dug out of the components bin can be short-term, however because it occurs they really feel nice, and at the side of these funky-ass Tektros the braking is pretty much as good as any rim brake street bike I’ve ridden:
There’s additionally loads of clearance for 28s:
I do not know what sort of tubing the Faggin is constituted of, as there was no decal even earlier than I utilized my very own:
I’m assuming it’s Columbus. I’m additionally assuming it’s not fancy Columbus as a result of the bike takes a 26.8 seatpost, and as I perceive it the fancier stuff often takes a 27.2. Nonetheless, I can’t think about this makes any distinction aside from weight. There’s additionally numerous chrome element on the bike:
Although it’s in fairly tough form:
Notably the fork, which I ought to in all probability attempt to clear up in some unspecified time in the future, however in all probability gained’t:
I heard you would rub it down with moist aluminum foil or one thing, although that appears like it might make your hair arise straight. Rust apart, it’s fairly a sublime fork; observe the seamless crown-to-blade factor it’s bought taking place, which I’m certain there’s a correct frame-building identify for that I can’t consider in the meanwhile.
And whereas it might not have the general cohesion of the Cervino what with its Tremendous Document components all the identical classic, there’s a little Ultegra theme happening:
Regardless of its ubiquity I’ve all the time preferred the look of the 9-speed period Ultegra crank, which seems to be type of puffy, prefer it’s having an allergic response to one thing:
I purchased this crank years in the past for subsequent to nothing because it’s a 165mm with 53/42 rings, which is a configuration solely a whole freak would need, although within the years that adopted I ultimately found crank size actually doesn’t matter all that a lot, who knew? Clearly I’ve come a good distance from the Fred who used to bolt a 130mm schlong to his bike.
For the second I’m utilizing toe clips and straps:
They’re the pedals from the Univega I owned for about 48 hours:
And naturally I’m utilizing them with the Jobst Brandt bowling footwear:
The wheels are on their second freehub and the edges are rising disconcertingly concave:
And the shifters are Rivendell Silver, which along with a Hyperglide cassette yield the smoothest shifting it’s doable to expertise with out resorting to electronics:
In all, the bike seems to be fairly tough, but it surely definitely doesn’t journey that method even within the slightest. If I needed to choose two adjectives to explain it I’d choose “elegant” and “refined,” and if I needed to choose three I’d additionally choose “cattywampus,” however solely as a result of it’s a humorous phrase.
It might simply be the last word Dirtbag Highway machine.