A Homecoming
***
A knock on the door on a chilly night:
"It's me, your friend, do not take fright!
I've roamed the hills to find your street,
with nothing to drink and nothing to eat.
And here I stand under the moon,
in hopes that we'll go riding soon.
Now let me in from the dark of night!
Let's take some photos in the candle light..."
Yes, I've gone mad. Don't judge, it can happen to you.
A knock on the door on a chilly night:
"It's me, your friend, do not take fright!
I've roamed the hills to find your street,
with nothing to drink and nothing to eat.
And here I stand under the moon,
in hopes that we'll go riding soon.
Now let me in from the dark of night!
Let's take some photos in the candle light..."
Yes, I've gone mad. Don't judge, it can happen to you.
Three thumbs way up!
ReplyDeleteOoooooooooooooohhhhhhh, sweeeeeeet riiiiide.
ReplyDelete:)
Are the fenders Berthouds or from VO?
ReplyDeleteThanks : )
ReplyDeleteMile High Mark - They are the VO Polished 52mm Zeppelin Fenders for 650B.
What a breathtaking beauty thou art,
ReplyDeleteWho came a-knocking to Velouria on a chilly night
To fill her with delirious delight
and an unmistakeable envy in my heart.
Congratulations Velouria! ;)
Lem
Ah the epitome of lovely bicycle. I love the colour and the little details.
ReplyDeleteNow if only I had more space I would be adding to the 'family' left right and centre...ah.
Enjoy riding. xx:)
Judgement? I have gone mad with envy! It's perfect!
ReplyDeleteOh very nice! Did you go for a ride right away? Or are you making yourself wait for just the right moment? :) I would probably be trying to sit on it and balance by holding onto the bookshelf or something.
ReplyDeletethat thing is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful build, and I like those white Hetres. Your bike and my bike could be related! I hope you enjoy your Sam as much as I've grown to like mine.
ReplyDeleteLugsnsteel
Not judging at all. Those details are so beautiful they leave me breathless.
ReplyDeleteLove your Blog, Keep up the good work,
ReplyDeleteOh my, is this YOUR new bike? I love the proportions of this bike with the 650 wheels. The color, the componants and the personality all say Velouria but I didn't realize you were having a diamond frame built. I have been having fun building bikes this spring from my pile of stuff but, ALAS, I am now completely gripped by custom bike desire...
ReplyDeleteHoly hulabaloo! That is NOT a bike ... it's a piece of art.
ReplyDeleteSigh! So jealous:)
whoah... that's all i can say.
ReplyDeletethat and, if you keep taunting me with examples of modern works of bicycle art, i'm going to have to start spending a lot more money and even reconsider this "vintage" mindset...
You could eat off that bike. It sparkles.
ReplyDeleteI did go for a ride already, though I am still adjusting the handlebar setup.
ReplyDeleteRide impression goes something like this:
. I am afraid to ride the bike!
. surprisingly relaxed angles
. size seems to be just right
. OMG, I can swing my leg over a diamond frame!
. 8x3 gears is way overkill, perhaps I should not have done that.
. the dynamo lighting is awesome
. these bar-end shifters shift way too easily, this is weird
. I am afraid to ride the bike!
I think the main thing, is that I seriously need to learn to use drop bars. Keeping my hands on the "hoods" feels strange and I don't feel in control of the bike; how can you all do it? Keeping my hands on the "hooks" or "drops" feels more natural, but the brakes stop too suddenly from those positions and I almost get knocked off the bike. Still figuring this out, as well as the perfect brake lever placement before I attach bar tape. Proper pictures and a proper post will come soon.
A 4D Lite? Cool. :) I had one about 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI love it! Man, I am trying to not buy a new bike for another 2.25 years but this is making it hard oh so hard!
ReplyDeleteLovely!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Dynamo lighting- My guess is that soon you'll want them on all your bikes!
I rode drops for years, and will never do it in the city again if I have a choice. The only time I've been hit by a car I was riding drop bars, and I honestly think if I'd been upright I would have seen he was coming right before he right hooked me.
cycler - I have hub dynamo lights on my Pashley, but I like the setup I got on the Rivendell better. My custom mixte will definitely be built with dynamo lighting as well, and I am thinking of putting a modern bottle generator on my DL-1.
ReplyDeleteI got drop bars on this bike, it is specifically meant for long distance rides; I don't plan to ride it in the city. Of course the problem is that I still have to go through the city in order to get outside the city! Haven't figured that one out yet.
Long time reader, first time commenter:
ReplyDeleteJust as your blog title states "Lovely Bicycle!"
Gene in Tacoma
I love it! Everything on the bike complements everything else. Aesthetically, what you did with Lucy seems to have been a dry run for what you did with the Homer. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteWith road brake levers, you'll learn to modulate your braking. You don't want brakes with an "all or nothing" response; it's easier to come to too sudden of a stop on a road bike than on a roadster or Dutch-style city bike.
When you ride on the "hoods, grip them with the "web" of your hand, and your thumb and forefinger wrapped around them. Keep your other fingers on the lever, or the underside of the brake, so that you'll have easy access to the brakes. I actually feel most in control of the bike when I ride on the hoods: I feel less stable when I ride the tops of dropped bars (something I don't do often).
Hm, good first try, you should consider an alternative career as a bike poet :-).
ReplyDeleteJustine - I intentionally did not get interrupter brake levers installed here, so that riding the flat portion of the top is not an option. I have nerve damage in my hands, and doing this makes it even worse, very quickly - as I learned with the original drop-bar version of my Motobecane, where I kept my hand entirely on the tops!
ReplyDeleteI've been practicing riding the hoods and braking again today, and it's gotten better after we changed the saddle position and angled the handlebars up a bit. It'll take some getting used to, but I think I can do it!
Time will get you there I'll bet. You'll ride, tweak, ride, tweak and soon you'll wonder what you ever worried about. Again, congrats!
ReplyDeleteLooks absolutely gorgeous!!!!! So excited for you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Justine about the continuity with Lucy!
I've been contemplating a "go-fast" bike for my wife. A Sam, or any other Riv bike, for that matter, would work nicely. Incidentally, we stopped at the Rivendell HQ last month while vacationing in California. It was a Saturday morning, just before the store opened, and Grand Petersen himself waited on me. Of course I was honored and babbled endlessly about being a big fan of Rivendell. He shared fond memories of visiting Montana, where I live. Next time I'm in the Boston area, I'll keep an eye out for you and your growing fleet of bikes.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job with components! With the 650b Grand Bois tyres you're making me wonder if you're doing a rando build.
ReplyDeleteIs this bike going to provide a platform for touring rides?
I think you may eventually grow to like drop bars. Once you get used to a few different hand positions and adjust the hardware to suit, you will probably have more available comfy positions than on any other type of bar. I always wear the bar tape to shreds in the "on the hoods" position and the outside of the top bend first, but the rest of the tape is usually just about shot by that time too. Other types of bars on other bikes of mine just get worn in one spot.
ReplyDeleteYou are going to look smashing on that bike.
Tom said...
ReplyDelete"... we stopped at the Rivendell HQ last month while vacationing in California..."
Oh I am so, so jealous. I think I would lose my mind if I visited the Rivendell HQ. Seeing the frames and floor models at Harris Cyclery is bad enough!
david m. - Yes, it's going to be a rando/touring bike for sure.
I didn't recognise the connection between "Lucy 3-Speed" and the Hillborne, but I can see now that it is definitely there. Wait till you see some changes I have in store for my Pashley Princess - let's just say that my taste is pretty consistent!
How did you get a new green Hillborne? I live about 10 minutes away from the shop and go often enough. The only green one that I know about is the demo that they use. All the new ones from this point on are will be the Tawain models that will switch over to side pull brakes. Then they will have the American made ones with the second top tube and canti brakes. Did you pay extra for the paint? Stunning
ReplyDeleteAnon - I got the frame as a gift for XMas. It was not the floor model, but a fresh frame in the same size (52cm). Back in December Harris still had some of the older-version frames left that they have since sold. I have a post showing the floor model here.
ReplyDeleteThe green colour was the standard colour for the Sam Hillborne before Rivendell changed it to orange, so it did not cost extra. For a while they offered both the green and the orange versions, but now it seems that they have switched over to orange entirely and no more greens are available.
Beeeautiful!
ReplyDeleteGood choice on the lighting, it is what I have been going to on most of my bikes. Hard to beat a quality dyno system, especially with the choices available from B&M in the lighting department.
Aaron
If you are going to tour and are considering, say Vermont or New Hampshire, or heading out west for bigger mountains, your gearing is not overkill. Even if you never use the granny locally, you will be ever so happy to have it when you are tired, carrying gear and climbing. That chainring doesn't weigh much and you won't notice it, unless wishing for it when it is gone.
ReplyDeleteJust catching up and checking in only as of now
ReplyDeleteand all I can say is WOW
Anonymous: I am now happy to report that you were right. Even in some areas near Boston (Concord, Lincoln, Lexington, Belmont) I am happy to have those gears. I don't use them all of course, but I can only imagine what the hills in Vermont and NH will feel like in comparison!
ReplyDeleteLate to the party, but I have to say that I've got the madness, too. I love the green, but the orange is growing on me. YOur build is beautiful and I know that you're enjoying it. I'll be thinking hard about this frame through the winter. I have a somewhat unique and bike, but this one has stolen my heart. Enjoy!
ReplyDelete