two years with a cielo
i have tried, with some considerable succes i might add, to refrain from chasing the exclusivity banner that might occasionally place thewashingmachinepost at the forefront of velocipedinal blogging (as it is seemingly known). it's all very well rushing through a review of apparel, componentry or cycles in order to be at least a day or two ahead of the competition (though i find the idea of having competition in that sense, to be something of a reduntant concept). for what option would there be but to keep the review period as short as possible, unless a friendly manufacturer is gracious enough to send well in advance of release date? i find book publishers to be the only corner of the world that operates consistently in this manner.
though i have approached this conundrum in a previous post, reviews carried out in this fashion can, at best, provide initial impressions, unable to confirm whether those impressions are long-lasting. how much more relevant would a review be if allowed to take place over several months and onto a year? for by that time, one would know whether those first opinions are built to last. does the headset creak after a month; does the stitching unravel after a couple of washes; does the zip function repeatedly under all circumstances; does a jersey that started out as a medium, take on the mantle of a large after several weeks of riding? all these questions demand answers that most of us would be inclined to ask; the problem is usually that, in order to maintain pace with the real world, time is almost a luxury.
i feel it would confuse the issue greatly were i to pen some words a month or so later along the lines of 'remember i said how good that jacket was, well...'. it would not necessarily be unseemly so to do, but if the subsequent criticism were a small one, it could conceivably undermine everything positive that appeared in the original review. so i don't do it.
however, every once in a while, it is a practical undertaking to extend the review period, where a lengthy investigation would be a judicious endeavour. riding a chris king cielo is one such example. this is principally because the cielos departing nw nela street, portland, are essentially the same as the example currently inhabiting the front portion of thewashingmachinepost bike shed. if you are willing to accept my assurance that this particular bicycle has been my main squeeze for the past two years, i feel my own experiences from its saddle are suitably framed to inform your own, should you be considering just such a purchase.
the bicycle arrived in its ipod box from portland just over two years ago, replete with a fine representation of chris king output, namely aheadset, bottom bracket and wheels constructed around a pair of blue r45 hubs. it may be of prudent note that the latter have been replaced along the way. the originals, the rear of which featured the titanium ring drive, suffered from an isolated case of corrosion last winter, greatly promoted by the corrosive properties of peat dust (who knew?) these were speedily replaced without question, and i have taken steps to ensure this is not repeated.
the original wheels, due to their titanium ring drive, required close auditory attention to identify the famed chris king buzz. the new wheels feature the now standard stainless steel ring drive and i'm happy to say the buzz is back. i paid the originals the compliment of riding being close to gliding; these perform in similar manner, generally out-wheeling all in the velo club peloton on any opportune descent.
having been graciously supplied with a bottom bracket grease port tool, in the last month or so, i have taken advantage of this simple method of lubrication. chris king recommend a six monthly service, depending on riding conditions, but i figure i'm as bad as everyone else in having left it for a couple of years. no greater satisfaction can be had than from the fact that the old grease, unceremoniously ejected past the seals was not much contaminated despite the wet crap in which i find myself riding regularly.
though entirely unrelated to cielo cycles in any pertinent way, the bicycle started out with sram rival components, being replaced around midway by a sram red groupset. though the front mech has recently displayed a tendency not to garage itself when changing from outer to inner ring, in this case, i'd blame the mechanic. the rear shimano dual pivot caliper has also demonstrated a bit of stickiness; that mechanic again. and purely for decorative purposes, i fitted brooks leather bar tape to enhance the appearance (yes, i am that shallow), but the cork bar plugs seemed of less than sturdy constitution (they broke) and have been replaced by laphroaig whisky bottle corks. of these, i have no shortage of supply.
the fullwoodfenders look pretty well as fine as they day they arrived from river city bicycles, and that with only a twice yearly dousing in teak oil. i cannot pretend that all the various bolts and nuts that attach various items of trinketry have fared well in the salt-laden islay atmosphere, but the cielo is neither to blame, nor alone in this affliction. however, the front and rear stainless steel dropouts are as shiny as the day they accepted the wheels, while the trademark stainless seatstay caps still reflect all that goes on around them.
there is a trend, of sorts, to create the finest of steel frames, either lugged, brazed or, as in the case of the cielo, tig welded, then augment them with carbon forks. why? i have nothing against carbon per se, but on the evidence of the ride promulgated by the narrow, curved forks on the cielo, steel is ultimately deserving of its real reputation. despite having plenty of experience relating to a wide variety of carbon forks, i cannot truthfully state that i've found any undue vibration or hand discomfort despite two years of continuing road surface deterioration. surface dressing has a lot to answer for.
baldly stated, the cielo has been an absolute joy to own and ride. the black sparkly paint is as black and sparkly as it was when new, exhibiting no signs of chipping, scraping or corrosion. under the climatic conditions of my geographical locaton, that is no mean feat, though its portland heritage doubtless serves it well in such matters (portland receives only marginally less annual rainfall than islay).
on the basis of everything the cielo sportif has endured, and the huge portions of comfort and joy it has provided these past twenty-four months, i would unreservedly recommend this as a purchase, whether you intend gracing its tubing with chris king componentry or not. in matters such as this, i'm happy to have taken my time and resisted the desire to be first kid on the block to let you know.
and you'll be pleased to know that even after washing, it's still a 55cm frame.
cielo cycles and chris king components are distributed in the uk by evolution imports.
posted sunday 22 january 2012
