Nature doesn’t want a lot assist with colour this time of 12 months:
Nonetheless, yesterday I figured I’d as effectively throw a bit purple into the combo:
This bike started life as my Midlife Disaster Fixie Mark II in the summertime of 2021:
Then my son grew into it so I set it up for him to journey at Kissena, and he acquired plenty of good use out of it within the phenomenal Star Observe program. Nonetheless, he’s not doing Star Observe this semester, and even when he was the season’s nearly over anyway, and so I figured it was about time I acquired reacquainted with it:
That henge-like configuration is in fact the Grand Central Stones, positioned there within the 12 months Nineteen Aught 5 as a part of an epic Constructing Materials Shootout:
In spite of everything that work, as I perceive it they in the end went with the most cost effective possibility, and 118 years later it certain appears as if, functionally talking, the variations between the assorted supplies in the end quantities to fuck-all. On this sense, the stones would seem like a becoming analogy for all of the several types of metal bicycle body tubing, which individuals additionally fuss over, however which is of questionable import–offered in fact it’s of sufficiently good high quality, and the individual or folks constructing the body put it collectively correctly.
So how a lot distinction is there between all of the completely different metal body tubes, anyway? I as soon as knew somebody who defined to me at size how he might completely discern the variations between body tubes, and that Italian tubing felt completely different from Japanese tubing, and so forth and so forth, and clearly this individual was utterly stuffed with shit. In the meantime, blind exams reveal that actually completely different tubes don’t really feel the way in which they’re “supposed” to:
And when riders attempt to guess what sort of tubing a motorbike is comprised of it looks like they usuall guess flawed:
So what accounts for the way in which a motorbike feels? Right here’s a video from Ultraromance the place he makes an attempt to elucidate:
Now, I didn’t watch the video during–no offense meant to Ultraromance, I used to be simply busy so I sort of skipped round, and I wished to make that disclaimer. I typically regard Ultraromance as somebody who is aware of what he’s speaking about, and from what I did see every little thing he says right here makes plenty of sense. Bar flex, saddle flex, seatpost size, tires, geometry…all of these things is what informs the way in which a motorbike feels. Vertical compliance from body materials, he explains, is a “delusion,” as a result of a body is a triangle and a triangle can’t flex in that approach:
[He meant “No such thing…,” not “So such thing…,” I guess the misspellings are just part of his jean-shortsy vibe.]
I’m inclined to agree with this for essentially the most half, and I’ve at all times felt this manner myself–the concept of ascribing journey high quality to border materials when there are such a lot of different issues in your bike that visibly flex is borderline absurd. For that matter, merely altering lever form or bar peak or attain will be sufficient to rework the way in which a motorbike feels–I just lately modified the saddle angle on the Cervino by a pair levels and the bike went from feeling good to feeling phenomenal.
On the similar time, I’ve skilled sure phenomena with sure bicycles that I’ve had a troublesome time explaining every other approach:
[Well, maybe it was the frame material.]
For instance, I’ve used varied tires on my Litespeed, from mild, supple racing tires to comparatively heavy, puncture-resistant urban-ish tires, and whereas the variations between them could be very noticeable, there at all times appears to be an underlying smoothness that’s distinctive to the bike regardless of the way it’s shod. May it’s one thing else, just like the saddle, or the bars, or the fork, or just the match? Certain. May it’s years of listening to how titanium has some form of magical journey property? In fact–although if something I’m such a contrarian that consensus normally compels me to reject it. Once more, I’m completely prepared to imagine the actual fact it’s comprised of titanium is incidental to how clean it feels, however I can also’t utterly rule it out.
The Soma is one other case, and a extra compelling one since there’s no purpose this bike ought to really feel good–and but even in its earliest incarnation it additionally felt very clean and cozy in that approach good metal bikes are “supposed” to really feel:
That is true regardless of the quick wheelbase, monitor bike geometry, and sizeable bar drop, all of which ought to conspire to make the bike uncomfortable, particularly on tough pavement. Is it simply the quill stem (possibly a bit extra flexy than threadless) and/or the truth that there’s a good quantity of seatpost exhibiting? Possibly. However I had certainly one of these years in the past and even after I was younger and silly I discovered it very uncomfortable:
I don’t miss the way in which it rode within the least, but when I’d identified they have been going to develop into a cult merchandise I might have waited to promote it. Certainly, I used to be barely even conscious monitor bikes have been changing into a factor after I listed it on Craigslist all these years in the past, although after I acquired like one million emails nearly instantly I started to get an concept. Additionally, the one who got here and purchased it had by no means ridden a fixed-gear earlier than–or clipless pedals (it was sporting these on the time):
[Pic from here.]
I bear in mind questioning if he would have the ability to make it residence. Possibly he by no means did.
Anyway, all of that is to say I can’t assist questioning if the bike feels good due to the tubing. I’m completely prepared to imagine that’s not the rationale, and in reality I’d fairly imagine it, because it makes extra sense. That cheap-ass State I’ve had arrange one million alternative ways and that my older son nonetheless rides to high school additionally feels fairly good, and that’s comprised of excessive tensile metal, upon which most bike dorks wouldn’t be caught lifeless:
[It does not look like this anymore, it’s completely beaten to hell. But it’s still going strong!]
The purpose is that I used to completely dismiss the significance of body materials, however after using tons and plenty of bikes now I’m not so certain. Then once more, possibly using tons and plenty of bikes has simply made me love bikes extra, and if I have been to journey that scranus-pummeling GTB at present I’d get all nostalgic and rhapsodize about its incredible journey high quality.
Body supplies apart, I do use a brake when using a monitor bike on the highway, as a result of I’m and can at all times be a “woosie:”
You’ll notice there’s an excellent quantity of clearance for a monitor bike with short-reach brakes, and that the peak of the fork crown places the pads on the finish of their adjustment vary. The rear stays are additionally supposed to offer extra clearance, most likely to facilitate (God assist us) tracklocross or regardless of the hell fixie individuals are doing now:
To be trustworthy although I feel the S-bend chainstays are largely for appears, as a result of whereas the crimping does enhance tire clearance, the bowed part on the rear largely simply provides your heels one thing to hit:
Not that it’s a drawback–I’m a heels-in toes-out individual so my heels graze the stays sometimes on just about any bike–but it surely appears to me such as you’d have the ability to accomplish the identical factor with out them protruding a lot. Then once more I don’t construct frames to I could also be utterly flawed on that.
Oh, and people are the footwear Vittoria despatched me approach again in 2009 after they have been making an attempt to money in on the fixie craze:
Again then they have been simply retro, however now they’re sufficiently old to be classic retro.
Earlier than gravel took over folks used to go on and on about how fixed-gear bicycles have been a “zen” factor. I dunno about that, however they do have a approach of constructing your traditional journey really feel completely different, and of constructing flat routes appear a bit extra fascinating:
Have to be a zen factor.
