Welcome to Bike Snob NYC, a member of the Way of life Exercise Snob, Inc. household of publications:
You might be certain Cigar Snob is 100% free from tedious biking content material, in contrast to that Cigar Aficionado rag:
I learn that paragraph 5 instances and I nonetheless don’t perceive it. However, somebody ought to inform Cigar Aficionado that bike is to biking as vaping is to advantageous cigars. See, whether or not it’s bikes or cigars, the secret is to loosen up and revel in:
After all I do additionally take pleasure in a advantageous street bike, and I’ve been attending to know the LeMond Tete de Course:
On Friday we disturbed what I consider to be a turkey vulture making an attempt to loosen up and revel 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 might very nicely have belonged to this very deer:
So tickled was I by this little bit of macabre serendipity that I virtually rotated to take a photograph of the useless deer, however I used to be having fun with the trip an excessive amount of and didn’t need to lose my momentum, which might be a very good factor because you’ve already seen extra carrion than that you must on a Monday morning…although with each photographs to check whereas making an attempt to maintain our breakfasts down we might have confirmed whether or not the leg did actually belong to the deer, which is the type 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 trip in blissful silence:
Due to Basic Cycle I’ve had the chance to trip quite a lot of completely different street bikes from quite a lot of completely different eras, and a few of them have confounded my expectations. For instance, I didn’t even take into account the likelihood I would really like the Vengeance Bike, and it turned out to be one in every of my favourite street bikes ever:
In the meantime, I simply assumed the Colnago Bititan would really feel very easy as a result of it was titanium, however actually it felt fairly stiff:
It might be a stretch to say I didn’t like the Bititan–I imply I might actually dwell fortunately with it–however I by no means fell for it in fairly the identical manner I’ve felt for among the different bikes Basic Cycle have despatched this fashion over time.
In the meantime, the Teledyne was virtually too easy, and it was so flexy it was borderline unnerving:
I imply it was a complete pleasure to trip, however that fork deflected like a partner in an argument, and like a wedding the place each events can’t be fully 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 combat 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 motorcycle I’d by no means select the end that recommended a number of individuals had been butchered close by. Nonetheless, 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 conserving it, although I’m glad it wound up with a reader.
Up to now the LeMond is a little 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 one in every of which has listed shifting and disc brakes:
So once I see a motorcycle just like the LeMond I feel it’s gimmicky. I feel it’s attempting too exhausting, and in flip I feel it makes me appear like I’m attempting too exhausting. I feel it’s asking for bother by combining two completely different supplies for seemingly no motive–and never simply two completely different supplies, however two costly supplies.
However just like the Davidson, as quickly as I obtained on it I noticed it was an exceptionally good street bike, and after the primary 100 miles there’s been nothing in any respect to undermine that impression. Bikes just like the LeMond are like high-end eating places: once you’re strolling previous them you suppose they’re cheesy and that everybody in them is a douchebag, however once 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 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 should not. For no matter it’s value, I didn’t actually discover any stories on the Web about these items 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 keen to provide Trek the advantage of the doubt in terms 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 latest bikes and “classic” bikes are fully completely different–and really a lot in your favor, even in terms of the exotics. I don’t keep 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 implies at present it will be like $8,000. However at present you would most likely decide up a Tete de Course in good form and with good elements for lower than what a typical “entry degree” street bike prices. Positive, it’s the bike body equal of a gold diamond-encrusted watch, however in addition to that it’s obtained no bizarre proprietary fittings and takes all customary elements, and with the passage of time (and the diminished price ticket to match) all that materials gimmickry begins to really feel a little bit bit extra like classic attraction, or not less than endearing quirkiness. I suppose 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 obtained 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 decide it up. And clearly you go about shifting the Cervino loads in another way, however even the previous freewheel shifts fairly easily now with the 10-speed chain, and except 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, easy and comfy, and other than maybe the absence of a decrease gear one bike doesn’t actually go away you wanting for the opposite.
I suppose a pleasant bike is a pleasant bike.
