Like many of you, I enjoy cycling blogs. But not as much as I enjoy reading and responding to the completely asinine comments posted thereunder. Recently, I decided to start the thread, commenting on a piece about Bilenky's AMAZING Wonder Woman Bike debuted at NAHBS. The bike is amazing! The paint job alone is estimated to be worth $3500 bucks. The attention to detail is unwavering.
Almost.
My gripe was, on a bike like that, where no detail is left untouched, the builder finished off the trick, two-tone bar tape with motherfucking black electrical tape. The exact same shit that holds down the confetti tape on my trusty LHT.
Seriously, this doesn't make me angry. It doesn't make me think less of Steve. It doesn't even really detract from the bike. What I can't believe is that, on a bike like that, the black electrical tape was deemed good enough. There is no other part of that bike that didn't get taken to the next level. Except the tape.
The other clever commentators did not agree with my assessment. One asked if I was a builder. Do I need to be a fucking builder to appreciate craftsmanship? The guys from Indy Fab posted a picture of Sven Nys. OK. When I see Sven's bike being displayed at NAHBS because it exhibits an mind-blowingly stunning level of craftsmanship, you'll have made a point. But, what was I expecting, posting on a fucking bike blog...
You have a right to ask what I would prefer. A few thoughts, in no particular order, or maybe in order of my personal preference:
1. A wrap of resin soaked thread. Think of the guides on a nice fly rod. Perfectly aligned, color coordinated, glossy finish, stunning
2. Good ol' super glue. This one may not work, as I don't know how well CVA sticks to the plastic tape used on the bike, but it's invisible. It would show a rejection of the status quo.
3. Something other than black? I'm less enthusiastic about this one, as I do believe that if it had to be electrical tape, black was the right color. Nah, disregard this one. If it had to be electrical tape, black was the right choice.
So there you have it. Me, an inglorious grease monkey, constantly flinging poo, criticizing a builder who shits more talent in a day than I can ever hope to possess.
But seriously, you take every other piece of that bike to the next level and leave the fucking black electrical tape...
