One For The Neurotic Riders
11-02-11, 12:40 PM
#52
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I shouldn't have even posted that these photos were taken in a race, because essentially that has nothing to do with it. This bike doesn't look like this from racing, it looks like this from riding.
11-02-11, 12:45 PM
#53
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I tend to agree with the OP. Keep the drivetrain and brakes clean, make sure the cables are in good shape, nothing else much matters. There are a lot of people who seem more interested in posing than riding.
11-02-11, 12:46 PM
#54
LBKA (formerly punkncat)
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I could agree with that, except that the drivetrain and brakes weren't clean. Heck, you couldn't change a tire on that bike without spending time getting rid of whatever creature it was unlucky enough to be splattered around the tire bead.
11-02-11, 12:51 PM
#55
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That tire looks really questionable.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
11-02-11, 12:52 PM
#56
Lost
the macro shots Nick took make the bike look pretty bad, but really - it's certainly not that bad at all. my bike looks like this routinely after a dry, dusty long ride. if you ride a lot, the bike just get's dirty. there's nothing wrong with this bike that a good wipedown wont cure. i dont see a big deal here at all.
the saddle, on the other hand, that just needs to be replaced, unless Steve is on his last dime, there's no reason not to pop for a new saddle every 25,000 miles or so.
the saddle, on the other hand, that just needs to be replaced, unless Steve is on his last dime, there's no reason not to pop for a new saddle every 25,000 miles or so.
11-02-11, 12:52 PM
#57
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Bike gets ridden, bike gets dirty, bike keeps working. It's all good.
Reminds me of how my race bike used to look.
Reminds me of how my race bike used to look.
11-02-11, 12:53 PM
#58
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Dirty bikes are terrible. They get you dirty, your house, car, etc.... It really isn't that hard to take a microfiber towel and wipe the thing down for 5 minutes.
11-02-11, 12:56 PM
#59
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I like that statement above about keeping the drivetrain serviced and nothing else. Although I may not fit the "watch out for that guy" portion of that quote, it lines up with my level of upkeep and service nicely. My bike my be dirty, but it's drivetrain is well kept, clean, lubricated, shifting perfect and nothing is making any sounds that it's not supposed to. I spend too much time on the road, and am too exhausted when I get home to spend another 30 minutes each time giving my bike a bath. But under that grime, you'll find anti-seized threads, lubricated contact points, and overall a well cared for machine.
-Jeremy
11-02-11, 12:57 PM
#60
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Definitely words to live by. Something's wrong with my bike as it's filthy everywhere.
11-02-11, 12:57 PM
#61
Descends like a rock
the macro shots Nick took make the bike look pretty bad, but really - it's certainly not that bad at all. my bike looks like this routinely after a dry, dusty long ride. if you ride a lot, the bike just get's dirty. there's nothing wrong with this bike that a good wipedown wont cure. i dont see a big deal here at all.
11-02-11, 12:59 PM
#62
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I like the part when he said everyone who cleans their bike once in a while is neurotic and a poser... 
Did we just witness the birth of BF's slobocracy...?
Did we just witness the birth of BF's slobocracy...?
11-02-11, 01:02 PM
#63
Throw the stick!!!!
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.
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.
In the original post you will see that these shots were taken after two days of racing. I would guess that the drivetrain, wheels, and brakes were much cleaner before the race.
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11-02-11, 01:32 PM
#66
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So, when is someone going to make a, "Post your grimy, well used bike" thread?
11-02-11, 01:39 PM
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This is cracking me up (what can I say, I'm in a hotel room in Madrid and the weather's crappy, I'm bored).
The owner says: "It was a brand new chain and cassette before the race, but the race is about 12 hours long and the Quarq's "Saturn" ring catches a lot of extra buildup. Also new brake pads and although I love those zero gravity brakes, they are a ***** to clean all those cnc'd holes and crevices."
The owner says: "It was a brand new chain and cassette before the race, but the race is about 12 hours long and the Quarq's "Saturn" ring catches a lot of extra buildup. Also new brake pads and although I love those zero gravity brakes, they are a ***** to clean all those cnc'd holes and crevices."
11-02-11, 02:43 PM
#68
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This is cracking me up (what can I say, I'm in a hotel room in Madrid and the weather's crappy, I'm bored).
The owner says: "It was a brand new chain and cassette before the race, but the race is about 12 hours long and the Quarq's "Saturn" ring catches a lot of extra buildup. Also new brake pads and although I love those zero gravity brakes, they are a ***** to clean all those cnc'd holes and crevices."
The owner says: "It was a brand new chain and cassette before the race, but the race is about 12 hours long and the Quarq's "Saturn" ring catches a lot of extra buildup. Also new brake pads and although I love those zero gravity brakes, they are a ***** to clean all those cnc'd holes and crevices."
11-02-11, 02:54 PM
#69
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11-02-11, 02:55 PM
#70
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Hello pot?? It's the kettle here, and we need to talk. 
YOU posted the flamebait-worthy thread title and a few other gems such as the bit where people who have immaculate bikes are posers who would rather polish their bikes than ride them.
YOU posted the flamebait-worthy thread title and a few other gems such as the bit where people who have immaculate bikes are posers who would rather polish their bikes than ride them.
11-02-11, 03:00 PM
#72
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I said "people who have immaculate bikes are posers" where...? Did I insinuate people think too much and obsess over their rides, absolutely. Go up and down the threads in here and tell me a large chunk aren't obsessive and neurotic.
11-02-11, 03:04 PM
#73
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Yup, kinda goes with the territory. So obsessed that we post incessantly about bikes and biking when we aren't riding them.
11-02-11, 03:05 PM
#74
Descends like a rock
He txt'd me too today to tell me the chain was new and the cassette was cleaned before the race. So yes, that dirt is from a 12 hour ride, BUT it does go along with the keep what needs to be kept clean clean and ride your damn bike. I love the black and white mentality of this website though.
11-02-11, 03:12 PM
#75
Senior Member
Here are some photos I shot of a bike belonging to a very strong local racer. This is his bike after a two day bike race. It's the only road bike he owns and he has put what I would assume is nearing 50,000 miles on it.
So next time you're concerned about scratching your frame or concerned you're bike's too worn to go on, these are great photos to look at.
https://www.nickbrandeau.com/blog_images/s_bike/
So next time you're concerned about scratching your frame or concerned you're bike's too worn to go on, these are great photos to look at.
https://www.nickbrandeau.com/blog_images/s_bike/
Maybe if someone was anal or obsessive compulsive to cleanliness (which do describe a large demographic of bikeforums).
If anything - this is the bike of a neurotic rider. The bike is a top tier bike with top tier weight weenie components as even down to the cables and stem cap. someone who either doesn't care at all about the dirty state of the bike and rides obsessively, or someone who purposely keeps the bike in that condition because of underlying neuroses.