Wiggle Room – Bike Snob NYC

Welcome to Bike Snob NYC, a member of the Way of life Exercise Snob, Inc. household of publications:

You will be certain Cigar Snob is 100% free from tedious biking content material, in contrast to that Cigar Aficionado rag:

I learn that paragraph 5 occasions and I nonetheless don’t perceive it. However, somebody ought to inform Cigar Aficionado that bike is to biking as vaping is to wonderful cigars. See, whether or not it’s bikes or cigars, the hot button is to chill out and luxuriate in:

In fact I do additionally take pleasure in a wonderful highway bike, and I’ve been attending to know the LeMond Tete de Course:

On Friday we disturbed what I imagine to be a turkey vulture trying to chill out and luxuriate in a meal:

Mmm, scrumptious!

I additionally found that the 28mm rear tire of the Tete de Course was gently rubbing the chainstays on climbs:

So I modified each tires for a pair of 25s earlier than heading out once more on Saturday:

Oh, sorry, incorrect bike:

As I rode, I handed a deer carcass on the facet of the highway, and I happed to note that it was lacking a leg. It then occurred to me that the highway I used to be using runs parallel to the one I had been using the day earlier than, and that I used to be fairly near the place I’d seen that vulture, which means that the leg might very effectively have belonged to this very deer:

So tickled was I by this little bit of macabre serendipity that I nearly rotated to take a photograph of the useless deer, however I used to be having fun with the experience an excessive amount of and didn’t wish to lose my momentum, which might be an excellent factor because you’ve already seen extra carrion than you might want to on a Monday morning…although with each images to check whereas trying to maintain our breakfasts down we might have confirmed whether or not the leg did in truth belong to the deer, which is the type of satisfying roadkill-related closure you hardly ever get to expertise.

As for the bike, clearance was significantly better:

And the tire swap netted me the additional few millimeters I wanted to experience in blissful silence:

Due to Traditional Cycle I’ve had the chance to experience quite a lot of completely different highway bikes from quite a lot of completely different eras, and a few of them have confounded my expectations. For instance, I didn’t even contemplate the chance I’d really just like the Vengeance Bike, and it turned out to be considered one of my favourite highway bikes ever:

In the meantime, I simply assumed the Colnago Bititan would really feel very clean as a result of it was titanium, however in truth it felt fairly stiff:

It will be a stretch to say I didn’t just like the Bititan–I imply I might definitely dwell fortunately with it–however I by no means fell for it in fairly the identical manner I’ve felt for a number of the different bikes Traditional Cycle have despatched this manner through the years.

In the meantime, the Teledyne was nearly too clean, and it was so flexy it was borderline unnerving:

I imply it was a complete pleasure to experience, however that fork deflected like a partner in an argument, and like a wedding the place each events can’t be utterly trustworthy with one another I feared for the bike’s long-term prospects. (Then once more it’s survived for nearly 50 years so perhaps it’s like a kind of previous {couples} that appear like they struggle on a regular basis however actually love one another.)

Then there are the bikes the place I don’t actually know what to suppose beforehand as a result of I’m too distracted by the aesthetics. For instance, earlier than the Davidson confirmed up all I actually observed was the insane splatter paint:

If I had been ordering a motorbike I’d by no means select the end that advised a number of individuals had been butchered close by. Nevertheless, the bike received me over instantly, and since I preferred using it a lot I additionally grew to love the wild look. The truth is I got here near retaining it, although I’m glad it wound up with a reader.

Up to now the LeMond is a bit bit just like the Davidson, besides it was the supplies and never the end that I couldn’t get previous at first:

I like easy bikes, which is why after years of using I’ve bought a bunch of metal ones, solely considered one of which has listed shifting and disc brakes:

So after I see a motorbike just like the LeMond I believe it’s gimmicky. I believe it’s attempting too arduous, and in flip I believe it makes me appear to be I’m attempting too arduous. I believe it’s asking for bother by combining two completely different supplies for seemingly no purpose–and never simply two completely different supplies, however two costly supplies.

However just like the Davidson, as quickly as I bought on it I noticed it was an exceptionally good highway bike, and after the primary 100 miles there’s been nothing in any way to undermine that impression. Bikes just like the LeMond are like high-end eating places: if you’re strolling previous them you suppose they’re cheesy and that everybody in them is a douchebag, however if you’re in a single your self and also you’ve had a drink or two you’re like, “Okay, that is fairly good”.

As for whether or not gluing crabon and titanium collectively is asking for bother I don’t know. 5 seconds of Web analysis suggests crabon and titanium don’t fall sufferer to galvanic corrosion or no matter, however I believe that’s particularly “commercially pure” titanium, which titanium bikes should not. For no matter it’s value, I didn’t actually discover any studies on the Web about this stuff failing, although I additionally don’t know what number of of them Trek bought within the first place. I did discover this on the Ti Cycles web site a few Tete de Course that wanted a brand new downtube, although they didn’t say how or why it broke within the first place:

Clearly you completely can’t go incorrect shopping for a body made out of only one materials, particularly if it’s metal, although I’m keen to provide Trek the advantage of the doubt on the subject of gluing stuff collectively as a result of they’ve been doing it for a very long time:

Then there’s the truth that the economics of recent bikes and “classic” bikes are utterly completely different–and really a lot in your favor, even on the subject of the exotics. I don’t keep in mind firsthand how a lot the Tete de Course was again in 2003, however in keeping with this story it was like $5,000, which implies in the present day it will be like $8,000. However in the present day you may in all probability choose up a Tete de Course in good form and with good components for lower than what a typical “entry stage” highway bike prices. Positive, it’s the bike body equal of a gold diamond-encrusted watch, however apart from that it’s bought no bizarre proprietary fittings and takes all customary components, and with the passage of time (and the diminished price ticket to match) all that materials gimmickry begins to really feel a bit bit extra like classic allure, or no less than endearing quirkiness. I assume all that’s a roundabout manner of claiming it’s a fairly cool bike.

Anyway, after a two straight days on the Tete de Course I bought again on the Cervino, simply to see how completely different it felt, and you understand what?

It actually didn’t really feel all that completely different. The Tete de Course is clearly a lot lighter, however you don’t actually discover that till you really choose it up. And clearly you go about shifting the Cervino quite a bit otherwise, however even the previous freewheel shifts fairly easily now with the 10-speed chain, and except you’re racing you’ll be able to simply settle in and benefit from the variations between the 2 drivetrains as a result of there’s nothing on the road. In any other case they each really feel quick, clean and cozy, and aside from maybe the absence of a decrease gear one bike doesn’t actually depart you wanting for the opposite.

I assume a pleasant bike is a pleasant bike.