StanSeven

I don't see any responses from the posters that ask what kind of wax is best for their frame and what lube doesn't build up with daily application

jwible

He'd be a cat II if he cleaned his bike.

It looks in similar condition to a guy here who rides about 500 a week.

ColinL

Based on his Strava mileage posted the other day, I thought the most surprising aspect of the shots was what appeared to be a SRAM red cassette. I've not used one because I keep hearing reports that they don't last many miles. True/false?

Seattle Forrest

Try putting some space between the photos so that one doesn't run right into the next...

FactVord

It looks awesome the way it is though.

idoru2005

What 2-day race would that be? Judging from the gearing, I'm guessing Everest Challenge.

fauxto nick

It's at Everest Challenge, the shifter is broken, tripods are useless, yes he's a 3 and these were snapped in literally 5 minutes at the top of the mountain, they're just snapshots, no need for critique.

Here's a blog with some more images I made there Off The Back.

fauxto nick

I have been considering it, it's been about 3 years since I've really been making images outside of a few gigs I did. I'm just now finding the motivation to pick up the camera again and have grown tired of my dated 2007 workflow for RAW images.

caloso

*** is a very strong rider and he has earned every single one of those scratches and dings. Chapeau.

Oh FFS. You can't type in You Em Dee?

calamarichris

Hahaha.... I saw U^^D on Baldy during the Tour of California. It was cool to see him again, but I was having a hard time looking away from his bike.


Decidedly, clean =/= fast. If my bike looked that ugly, I'd probably ride faster to keep people from seeing it too...

(You know you're a strong rider when your name becomes a forbidden word in slower circles.)

hyhuu

????

tadawdy

I was wondering about that, too.

kimconyc

They last longer.

jdon

Nice blog.

fauxto nick

For anyone that doesn't know about that bike, he's taco'd a Reynolds front carbon tubular and snapped the fork off of that thing. I've also in person witnessed him lay it down at 40 m.p.h. This thread really has nothing to do with him or the technical aspects of the photos I shot though. I'd like to keep this on topic and not let it get locked up because it involves YOU EM DEE or a wang measuring contest involving f/stops and ISO's.

One thing I've noticed on here and in my time spent working in a shop is that people are far too neurotic about their bikes. There is pride of ownership, and then there is a sense of worry about your bike that detracts from getting the most out of it. That's not everyone but I really enjoy looking at bikes like this because it makes me realize it's a tool not a jewel. The day I stopped following all the little rules about setting up my bike was the day I started enjoying riding it far more.

KendallF

I have two or three that look that way. Here's a shot of one of mine today, after the rain stopped. Small town just west of Madrid, Spain. If I shot close-ups you'd see a similar level of grime and dents. Love this bike, ridden it on 3 continents so far (Australia counts as a continent, right?)



Other pics on Flickr

rkelley23

Why can't U M D be typed?

kimconyc

People buy bikes and use them for different reasons.

Also, most people aren't racers. Even if they pay money to enter a race, they aren't racing, they only think they are.

fauxto nick

Elaborate on that, are you saying that unless you're in the top 5 guys in a crit at the business end of the race you aren't racing? I think that's rather silly.

Also you don't have to be a racer, I have a feeling this bike would look exactly the same whether or not the rider raced. When you're riding too much to find the time to scrub down your frame and make it sparkle, well that says something about your dedication and obsession with the sport.

kimconyc

I try not to carry on "race" conversations with "racers" on the road because it often turns into a futile philosophical discussion and I'm just on the road to ride my bike for my own pleasure.

But basically, most (in a race) aren't there to win. In order to win, one must do whatever it takes for that goal.

e.g. Conversation goes something like this:
"racer": hey, nice bike.
me: thanks.
"racer": do you race?
me: no (it should end there, and now, usually does).

fauxto nick

What?

ColinL

I think he might be trying to say that he's a serious rider who has no interest in racing, and that he believes there are people who race but aren't serious riders-- or at the least, not as serious as he is.

WhyFi

Sorry, but you can't say that a grimy, dinged bike says anything about your dedication to the sport (you might just be a slob) any more than have a sparkling bike says anything about your (lack of) dedication to the sport. That your bike is clean or dirty says nothing about the absolute or relative priorities of cleaning and riding the thing.

caloso

When I first started racing and going on the local hammerfests, a buddy of mine who has raced for many years said "Watch out for the guys whose bikes are filthy except for the drivetrain."

That's been good advice.

Juan Foote

It seems to me that a small amount of cleaning would do wonders for the function and ease of service to that cycle. The scratches and all that, I get. Racing, and crashing, are tough on a bike. However, the inability for himself, or assuming he is on a team or professional, that some mechanic or helper would not wipe a rag and some 409 across that thing is pretty rediculous and lazy. How is that chain thick buildup of gunk inbetween cogs helping anything? How about that buildup on the brakes and upper rim surface?
I guess the next guy "lucky" enough to be honored with working on that bike should relish the half hour it's going to take wiping the dirt and gunk out of the way to get to the part in question.