Welcome to Bike Snob NYC, a member of the Way of life Exercise Snob, Inc. household of publications:
You might be positive Cigar Snob is 100% free from tedious biking content material, not like that Cigar Aficionado rag:
I learn that paragraph 5 instances and I nonetheless don’t perceive it. Nonetheless, somebody ought to inform Cigar Aficionado that bike is to biking as vaping is to high quality cigars. See, whether or not it’s bikes or cigars, the bottom line is to calm down and luxuriate in:
After all I do additionally take pleasure in a high quality street 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 making an attempt to calm down 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, mistaken bike:
As I rode, I handed a deer carcass on the aspect of the street, and I happed to note that it was lacking a leg. It then occurred to me that the street 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 may very nicely have belonged to this very deer:
So tickled was I by this little bit of macabre serendipity that I virtually circled to take a photograph of the lifeless deer, however I used to be having fun with the experience an excessive amount of and didn’t need to lose my momentum, which might be a great factor because you’ve already seen extra carrion than you have to on a Monday morning…although with each pictures to review whereas making an attempt to maintain our breakfasts down we may have confirmed whether or not the leg did the truth is belong to the deer, which is the form of satisfying roadkill-related closure you not often 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 totally different street bikes from quite a lot of totally different eras, and a few of them have confounded my expectations. For instance, I didn’t even contemplate the chance I’d truly just like the Vengeance Bike, and it turned out to be certainly one of my favourite street bikes ever:
In the meantime, I simply assumed the Colnago Bititan would really feel very clean as a result of it was titanium, however the truth is it felt fairly stiff:
It could be a stretch to say I didn’t just like the Bititan–I imply I may actually reside fortunately with it–however I by no means fell for it in fairly the identical means 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 virtually 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 sincere 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 type of previous {couples} that appear like they battle on a regular basis however actually love one another.)
Then there are the bikes the place I don’t actually know what to assume 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 recommended a number of folks had been butchered close by. Nonetheless, the bike received me over instantly, and since I appreciated 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.
Thus far 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 obtained a bunch of metal ones, solely certainly one of which has listed shifting and disc brakes:
So once I see a motorbike just like the LeMond I feel it’s gimmicky. I feel it’s making an attempt too laborious, and in flip I feel it makes me appear like I’m making an attempt too laborious. I feel it’s asking for hassle by combining two totally different supplies for seemingly no purpose–and never simply two totally different supplies, however two costly supplies.
However just like the Davidson, as quickly as I obtained on it I spotted it was an exceptionally good street 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 assume 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 hassle I do not know. 5 seconds of Web analysis suggests crabon and titanium don’t fall sufferer to galvanic corrosion or no matter, however I feel that’s particularly “commercially pure” titanium, which titanium bikes are usually not. For no matter it’s value, I didn’t actually discover any stories on the Web about this stuff failing, although I additionally do not 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 mistaken shopping for a body made out of only one materials, particularly if it’s metal, although I’m prepared to present Trek the advantage of the doubt in the case 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 totally different–and really a lot in your favor, even in the case of the exotics. I don’t bear in mind firsthand how a lot the Tete de Course was again in 2003, however in line with this story it was like $5,000, which suggests right this moment it might be like $8,000. However right this moment you possibly can in all probability choose up a Tete de Course in good form and with good elements for lower than what a typical “entry stage” street bike prices. Positive, it’s the bike body equal of a gold diamond-encrusted watch, however apart from that it’s obtained no bizarre proprietary fittings and takes all commonplace elements, 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 at the least endearing quirkiness. I suppose all that’s a roundabout means of claiming it’s a fairly cool bike.
Anyway, after a two straight days on the Tete de Course I obtained again on the Cervino, simply to see how totally different it felt, and you recognize what?
It actually didn’t really feel all that totally different. The Tete de Course is clearly a lot lighter, however you don’t actually discover that till you truly choose it up. And clearly you go about shifting the Cervino so much in a different way, however even the previous freewheel shifts fairly easily now with the 10-speed chain, and until you’re racing you may 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 suppose a pleasant bike is a pleasant bike.
