In my quest to penetrate the mysteries of The Bicycle, one thing I understand quite clearly is that I still don't know much about bikes, and won't any time soon. I am not trying to be humble or self-deprecating: I mean it, and I don't think it's a bad thing. I have been fortunate enough to speak with quite a few framebuilders over the past two years, and they all have something different to say about frame design and construction. Some have very concrete theories about which geometry, tubing, etc. work best, and can explain why in great detail. Other builders just shrug and say, "I have no idea why the bikes I make ride well. All that trail and angles stuff is nonsense and there is more than one way to skin a cat." The builders with the best reputations and most coveted bicycles fall into both categories, and if saying "I don't know" is good enough for some of my favourite builders, then surely there is no shame in it.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Two Years Older, Not Much Wiser!
Though I missed it last year, this time around I remembered: April 4th, 2009 was the date of the first Lovely Bicycle post. Since then I've acquired a few bikes, learned a great deal in the process, and improved my cycling skills by about a thousandfold. I have also aged two years and learned to levitate. Honestly, levitation is not that difficult compared to learning to ride a roadbike.
In my quest to penetrate the mysteries of The Bicycle, one thing I understand quite clearly is that I still don't know much about bikes, and won't any time soon. I am not trying to be humble or self-deprecating: I mean it, and I don't think it's a bad thing. I have been fortunate enough to speak with quite a few framebuilders over the past two years, and they all have something different to say about frame design and construction. Some have very concrete theories about which geometry, tubing, etc. work best, and can explain why in great detail. Other builders just shrug and say, "I have no idea why the bikes I make ride well. All that trail and angles stuff is nonsense and there is more than one way to skin a cat." The builders with the best reputations and most coveted bicycles fall into both categories, and if saying "I don't know" is good enough for some of my favourite builders, then surely there is no shame in it.
I am not suggesting that the making of bicycles is some mystical thing that we mere mortals can never hope to grasp. But the more I learn, the more I realise that there are just so many contributing factors to how any given bicycle handles, that it is exceptionally difficult to generalise. In fact, the safest and most reliable way to make a great bike I've heard framebuilders describe, is copying the geometry of their favourite vintage bike, then experimenting with minor modifications. After all, frame geometry is "open source" and anybody who knows how to take measurements correctly can use it: Why not make what you already know works? If contemporary manufacturers wanted to, they could all be producing vintage Raleigh Sports replicas in Taiwanese factories, which would ride much nicer than most modern commuter bicycles sold in bikeshops today. Why don't they then?.. That's something I haven't yet figured out either.
So there we have it: I don't know much, but that does not stop my continued interest in bicycles and cycling. One of the things I try to do on this blog, is to maintain a space where those who are new to bicycles can learn interesting things without feeling intimidated by industry jargon or by those who appear to be more knowledgable: Curiosity and openness are enough to enjoy cycling. Thank you for all the support I receive from you in its many forms: engaging discussions in the comments and over email, useful advice, shared information, trades for spare bicycle parts, donations for give-aways, and sponsorship. Thank you for reading, as I continue to share my mystified observations in year three of Lovely Bicycle!
In my quest to penetrate the mysteries of The Bicycle, one thing I understand quite clearly is that I still don't know much about bikes, and won't any time soon. I am not trying to be humble or self-deprecating: I mean it, and I don't think it's a bad thing. I have been fortunate enough to speak with quite a few framebuilders over the past two years, and they all have something different to say about frame design and construction. Some have very concrete theories about which geometry, tubing, etc. work best, and can explain why in great detail. Other builders just shrug and say, "I have no idea why the bikes I make ride well. All that trail and angles stuff is nonsense and there is more than one way to skin a cat." The builders with the best reputations and most coveted bicycles fall into both categories, and if saying "I don't know" is good enough for some of my favourite builders, then surely there is no shame in it.
Labels:
blog development,
frame building,
mixte,
Royal H. Mixte
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2011
(631)
-
▼
April
(69)
- Surly Progress and a Couple of Glitches
- Working on Mistress, My Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic
- 1929 Model Big Four Norton - SOLD
- Weekly Twitter Redux
- PCG Digital Marketing Announces First Ever Passion...
- 1928 Model 24 - For sale
- On Weddings and Bicycles
- Tameron Hyundai Announces Hyundai Taps Power Of Gr...
- Europe doubles the share of renewable energy in a ...
- Long Island Custom Motorcycle paint, custom automo...
- Market Report, "Romania Autos Report Q2 2011", pub...
- Domestic Bike Share
- Norton at the 1914 Isle of Man TT
- When Cyclists Complain About Cyclists
- Find Your Favorite NC Kia Dealer on Facebook
- Roadie Lads and Lasses: Suggestions for Sunglasses?
- Car Recalls for Nissan and Toyota Continue: Steeri...
- 1923 Model 18 cylinder head - For sale
- On Living Locally and Seeking Continuity
- 1928 Model 18 Norton
- Soma's Fab in 650B! A Test Ride of the Buena Vista...
- Selling your Car SwapRide announces partnership wi...
- Popular Demand: Weekly Twitter Redux
- Action Toyota: New Prius Is Coming Soon
- Every Month Is 'Bike Month'
- Don Marshall Auto Announces Return of Minivan Sale
- Peltier Chevrolet Has Over 300 Used Cars for Longv...
- Loaded
- Threadless Stems: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- c1924 Model 18 Norton
- Sprint’s New Mobility Solution for a Better Planet...
- The Surly Cross Check: a Worthy Host for 700C Fat ...
- Intrigued by the Pedersen
- Tony's 1930 Model CS1 Norton
- Fast Cages / NASCAR
- Stainless Steel Rainbow Bike
- LED task light enhances visual performance and red...
- UK carbon floor price could weaken British competi...
- That Fateful Click
- Stanley on the 1926 senior TT winning Norton
- Tentec Launches New Bolt Tensioning Tools for Larg...
- Staining Your Grips to Match Your Saddle
- Tameron Hyundai announces Hyundai to Introduce New...
- An important letter from Mrs Woods to Stanley Woods
- Bike Fit: A Case of Evolving Preferences?
- Across America On The Power Of One Lightbulb
- The Unicrown Fork
- Ford’s 3 Latest Industry-Exclusive Technologies ta...
- Orlando FL Dodge shoppers flood Central Florida Ch...
- Model 16H Norton
- Philosophy Panniers: Two Versatile Classics
- New Market Research Report: Australia Autos Report...
- Doubling Down?
- “Civil Warriors” Documentary Will Air on National ...
- Reusable Grocery Bags: Their Contents and Discontents
- Aspect Enterprise Solutions Is Positioned In Gartn...
- Wimmer and KeyMotorsports Ready For O’Reilly Auto ...
- Joe Craig tells of incident between the big races...
- Bicycle Blogs and Social Media
- 1937 Model 40 Manx - For sale
- The Young International Releases New EP
- High-Vis Rainbike, Anyone?
- How Saudi Downstream 2011 Exceeded Expectations!
- Female Anatomy and Saddle Discomfort
- Two Years Older, Not Much Wiser!
- 1937 Model ES2 Norton - For sale
- When Simplicity Trumps Comfort
- Uphill Momentum?
- Satisfied Customers Write Positive Bill Pierre Che...
-
▼
April
(69)
0 comments:
Post a Comment