RIDING THE MIELE LTD

Trying to describe, a perfect feeling vintage road bicycle's ride, is a lot like trying to describe the taste of chocolate.  Without another food taste, or hundreds of food tastes, to compare to, explaining the taste of anything is impossible.  The same goes for the color blue, or the feeling of hot.  There must be something to compare to.

And, that is the case with the Miele.  Simply put, the Miele is the best ride, in my collection of vintage road bicycles, be they bikes I used to own or still own.

A few bicycles have come very close to the ride perfection, offered by the Miele LTD.  My 1971 Carlton Professional was a ride that bordered on being magical - but the bicycle was a tad too big.  The eighties something Vitus 979 was incredible, but too flexible for a guy my size.  A Motobecane Grand Record is fondly remembered, as a great riding bicycle, but too big for me.  And, so it goes with each comparison, of the truly good feeling bicycles.  Always near perfect but with one glaring detraction.  Perhaps the closest best ride is my humble Peugeot Trophy, a far less sophisticated bicycle, but one that I can find no ride fault with.  That said, the Peugeot is new to my collection and the bicycle and I have shared less than 200 miles together.

So how does the Miele LTD ride?  Without any interruption of my thought as we go.  The bicycle rarely draws attention to itself, unless it sees a big hill coming.  Then its one fault rushes immediately to the surface.  Gearing!  I set the gearing up, for a younger set of legs, and I must change the cog set, to a more accommodating range, for my aging body.  Other than that, the bicycle and I become one on the road.

The fairly high volume tires, add a degree of suspension, that is welcome as my age.  The bicycle is fast, when I enter the drop position, and give it all that I have.  Without thought, it seems to respond to thought alone, going where I want it to go, without actually pointing it.  I told you it is hard to describe!  Perfect.  I become one with the bicycle or does it become one with me?

I try to think about it, as I write this page, and I cannot remember experiencing hand numbness or pain.  This is a problem that surfaces, on most bicycles that I ride, be they of vintage road design, or full suspension mountain bicycle style.  My Carpal Tunnel does cause me problems, but I can't recall the need to change hand positions frequently, on the Miele.  Perhaps this is because I have found the perfect state of fit/tune for the bicycle.  Perhaps it is a mental thing.  Perhaps it is because the Miele works, so well for me, that it encourages me to ride it the way it was intended to be ridden, with my legs, butt and hands, sharing the load, in proper proportions.  Again, it is like the taste of chocolate.

The Miele is original.  The paint, art and frame structure is unchanged.  Its patina of age, adds to the bicycle's appeal, rather than detracting from it.  I know that cosmetics has nothing to do with the actual ride, but do they impact the perception of ride quality?  I say yes, but that is just me.

So, there you have what I think of the ride of my perfect bicycle.  I don't think about it.  The bicycle and I just go here and there together.  Neither expecting more, or less, than what is offered.  And neither wanting more - or less.  I might add that I have never, for the briefest moment in time, considered selling the Miele LTD and that in itself is saying a great deal.