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 the moment what I’m obsessive about is that this bike:
Right this moment was a heat and sunny (albeit fairly windy) day so I lastly loved a trip on the road-ified Faggin that was freed from mechanical issues and snow, though I did want to vary course at one level attributable to flooding:
That’s a freeway underneath 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 the moment 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 100% Italian (other than 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 type of stems. (Although the stem on the Vengeance Bike may have been, which might make sense, since everyone knows Paul is attempting to kill me.) Though it’s not, you’ve obtained to admire the way through which the Italians prize type over perform in terms of the bicycle stem, regardless that it’s one of the vital necessary elements in terms of protecting your face off the highway floor. This strategy continued properly into the threadless period, as you’ll be able to see from the disconcertingly schlong-like “Mutant,” a stem I as soon as truly owned:
[Via here]
This isn’t to say the Mutant is unsafe–I do not know–however it’s to say there’s no purpose for it to seem like a schlong besides somebody clearly wished it to seem like a schlong. And naturally excessive Italianate stem design reached its apotheosis with the Alter stem:
[Via here]
Which you can customise with scantily-clad women:
[Via here]
After all none of this could fly at the moment, even from an Italian firm, so now in the event you insist on having a pornographic cockpit you’ve obtained to go to eBay:
So do they imply after the trip or throughout? As a result of if the latter that positive provides a complete new dimension to driving in a paceline.
[End digression]
And the brake levers:
These have been in fact made by the storied Italian biking element maker Leechi, which is Italian for milk:
I simply assumed these low cost brake levers I dug out of the components bin could be short-term, however because it occurs they really feel nice, and along side these funky-ass Tektros the braking is pretty much as good as any rim brake highway bike I’ve ridden:
There’s additionally loads of clearance for 28s:
I do not know what sort of tubing the Faggin is made out 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 normally takes a 27.2. Nevertheless, I can’t think about this makes any distinction other than weight. There’s additionally numerous chrome element on the bike:
Although it’s in fairly tough form:
Notably the fork, which I ought to most likely attempt to clear up in some unspecified time in the future, however most likely gained’t:
I heard you can rub it down with moist aluminum foil or one thing, although that appears like it might make your hair rise up straight. Rust apart, it’s fairly a chic fork; observe the seamless crown-to-blade factor it’s obtained occurring, which I’m positive there’s a correct frame-building identify for that I can’t consider in the meanwhile.
And whereas it could not have the general cohesion of the Cervino what with its Tremendous Document components the entire similar classic, there’s a little Ultegra theme occurring:
Regardless of its ubiquity I’ve at all times appreciated the look of the 9-speed period Ultegra crank, which appears 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 potential to expertise with out resorting to electronics:
In all, the bike appears fairly tough, but it surely actually doesn’t trip that approach even within the slightest. If I needed to decide two adjectives to explain it I’d decide “elegant” and “refined,” and if I needed to decide three I’d additionally decide “cattywampus,” however solely as a result of it’s a humorous phrase.
It might simply be the final word Dirtbag Highway machine.
