Velominati Community Profile Archive

Velominatus: itburns

Order: Gray Order Velominatus

Location: Houston, Texas, USA

Less jive, more V.

@itburns's activity:

There isn’t a lot about a climb several kilometers long ending in a sustained 20% cobbled gradient that communicates ‘Attack’ and/or ‘Respond’. Certainly not when it comes after 240 kilometers with only 20 left to race. Nope, I’ve double-checked the calibration and used a control-case: the only reading I’m...

@itburns's posts:

  1. Drawn here again by spam but one of the rare times I am actually thankful.  The back of the knee of RdV.  Damn. »

The Bike. It is the central tool in pursuit of our craft. A Velominatus meticulously maintains their bicycles and adorns them with the essential, yet minimal, accoutrement. The Rules specify the principles of good taste in configuration and setup of our machines, but within those principles lies almost infinite room for personal taste.It seems in s...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @snoov How could it not? »

In most situations, silence is an ominous thing that signals impending doom. Having never been in any danger myself, I base this largely on my experience watching box-office movies. As a general rule, I use Hollywood as the principal source of information on all subjects as they relate to doom and politics, principally because I’m loath t...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @Yannersan Arundel Mandibles are blessedly noise free. »

While all evidence points to the contrary, the 20th century’s greatest twatwaffle LE Gunderson may have got something at least half right after all. Of course it’s about the bike, otherwise we’d be runners. But there are other factors that contribute to what makes us Cyclists which can often be overlooked completely. Not the cloth...

@itburns's posts:

  1. “Motivation can go straight out the window, where it quickly shivers and tries to come back inside.” Classic.  My “mental” cycling season officially began last weekend.  100km ride in 35C.  The first ride with the beginnings of summer thirst – went throu… »

The Bike. It is the central tool in pursuit of our craft. A Velominatus meticulously maintains their bicycles and adorns them with the essential, yet minimal, accoutrement. The Rules specify the principles of good taste in configuration and setup of our machines, but within those principles lies almost infinite room for personal taste.It seems in s...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @motor city First check the obvious – clean the front mech, especially if you have thick, sticky sports drink in your bidon over the mech. I would then check the limit screw.  I had Tiagra years ago and the limit screw would tend to move.  I finally put… »

We’re heaping coals on the Giro frenzy that’s burning in all corners of the Cycling world by issuing the second installment of the monthly BigRingRiding Sur la Plaque series while at the same time kicking off the Six Days of the Giro series where we’ll post six articles on the subject of this, the best Grand Tour of the year. Y...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @motor city Picked up a pair of the shorts.  I’m impressed – same quality as bibs twice the price.  I also like the Classic (the ones in the picture posted by @motor city).  Black, black, and more black.  Hard to find basic black and quality at the sam… »

Twiggo is dreaming of a Giro-Tour double. He has sent out mixed messages about his Tour ambitions. Will he use the Giro as the ultimate Tour preparation or will be burn all his matches in May and hope he can find another pack for July? He has abandoned his successful 2012 Tour run-up strategy of winning every stage race he entered the previous spri...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @ChrisO This is the same story line Postal used.  It would be nice if it is actually true this time. »

Change creeps in slowly, it has a way of taking the seemingly immutable and eroding it over time. It’s inevitable; if the great canyons were carved from the solid rock of Mount Velomis by such a soft thing as water, then it should come as no surprise that the Velominati V-Kit would also change with time. As David St. Hubbins says, “Th...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @the Engine Does that mean the saying for Velominati is now “Just who wears the socks in the family?”. »

We’re into day four of the Six Days of the Giro series, let’s talk trash. Yes the Tour de France started a few years before the Giro and has always been credited as The Tour to win. You win the Giro, you are a stud. Win the Tour and you are a stud for life. Why is that? Is the Tour longer, tougher, more murderous, more beautiful? In the 20...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @frank Are the other siblings jealous of the Bianchi? »

  2. All three national “loops” are like children – each different but you love each one. The stronger, more team revenue making the Giro becomes, the better.  ASO has the Tour and Vuelta locked up.   »

We’re into day three of the Six Days of the Giro series, and it’s time to hit the dirt.If ever a Keepers Tour goes to Italy, then we’re doing this climb. No doubt. Climbing on gravel up a real mountain, what’s not to love? Continue reading...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @itburns Damn – premature posting.  Ridewithgps was much closer to reality. »

  2. @Tartan1749 A recent route had mapmyride reporting a stretch as a 3% grade when it actually had several spikes at 10-12%.   I think mapmyride is very generous with their averaging and sparse with their data points. »

We continue our Six Days of the Giro series with a look at the troubled bond between Marco Pantani and the Giro.Some were meant to be tormented, as though it were preordained that their brilliance should be balanced with fatal flaws. These are tortured souls, whose dramatic highs are equalled only by the devastating depths of their lows. Continu...

@itburns's posts:

  1. A current band with heavy riffs and great vocals: http://www.smallstone.com/artistinfo.php?artist=56&s=SkanskaMord »

  2. @frank That is a classic.  As a bonus, I had never noticed the “how to put on a wetsuit” tutorials that are linked at the end.  WTF? Some of the “advice”: Put both feet in first Pull the wetsuit up fully to the waist before trying to insert your arms … »

We’re heaping coals on the Giro frenzy that’s burning in all corners of the Cycling world by issuing the second installment of the monthly BigRingRiding Sur la Plaque series while at the same time kicking off the Six Days of the Giro series where we’ll post six articles on the subject of this, the best Grand Tour of the year. Y...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @Dan_R Since you are looking for someone as boss, why not The Boss, Rik Van Steenbergen.  Seems to be an obvious choice for the shop. »

Twiggo is dreaming of a Giro-Tour double. He has sent out mixed messages about his Tour ambitions. Will he use the Giro as the ultimate Tour preparation or will be burn all his matches in May and hope he can find another pack for July? He has abandoned his successful 2012 Tour run-up strategy of winning every stage race he entered the previous spri...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @motor city “Gesink may surprise as much as he may fall off.” Gold. »

The Bike. It is the central tool in pursuit of our craft. A Velominatus meticulously maintains their bicycles and adorns them with the essential, yet minimal, accoutrement. The Rules specify the principles of good taste in configuration and setup of our machines, but within those principles lies almost infinite room for personal taste.It seems in s...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @Deakus The only big difference I have seen between the current Contis in use and the past Veloflex and Vittoria tires I have tried is that the Contis “throw off” debris, the Veloflex and Vittoria are softer, have a slightly better ride, but get nicked … »

Winning one Monument in a career is more than most Pros will ever achieve. Winning two in a season, nearly impossible. Winning two a week apart, it has been done more than a few times, by only the toughest of men. The Ronde and Roubaix both have cobbles but that is about all they have in common. Roubaix might be the harder one to win. The evil Lady...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @DocBrian I think it was spammers posting comments with malicious links.  Gave Frank a merry chase for a bit but he took them at the line. »

André Leducq was a complete French Badass, with a capital B. He was third, below Merckx and Hinault for Tour de France stage wins. Nicolas Frantz was an equally Badass Luxembourger. He rode to more victories than Frandy Schleck shall ever attain in a few lifetimes. He did win the Tour de France.The crowd is obviously pleased to have these thin, he...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @Malfadactus The Tifosi Pave frames with the “Light Night Fototec” lens work well for me and are not that expensive. »

We are the Keepers of the Cog.  In so being, we also maintain the sacred text wherein lie the simple truths of cycling etiquette known as The Rules. It is in our trust to maintain and endorse this list.See also The Prophet’s Prayer. Continue reading...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @brett I drink non-homogenized milk from a local dairy if I’m lazy, “raw” milk from another dairy occasionally.  Is the suffering you mention more than the industrial dairy variety?  Does the equivalent of a cow wet nurse now count as suffering?  Humans… »

Our products represent the spirit of Velominati; every product we offer is made with the utmost attention to detail – no compromises were made in their selection or design. Whenever possible, our products are made my small, locally-owned businesses who share our passion for quality and we make every effort to ensure they are made in an enviro...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @itburns One of the things I enjoy about this site is that it makes me think of things that were just automatic before.  Never noticing that I put electrical tape “half way” on the bars, then having to face the fact that I have an aversion to a finishi… »

I have weird feet, apparently. It’s not really something you normally come to realize without asking questions that one rarely has reason to ask. I might have asked them, though, had I ever had any notion that feet don’t always have to hurt in a cycling shoe. Hurt might be a strong word – more like “squished” or “numb”. I’ve also h...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @DerHoggz I found the eSoles to be more of a standard arch support and not enough, even after molding, but I have very high arches.  The Spesh greens feel more like a golf ball right behind the ball of my foot instead of the traditional support over the … »

Our products represent the spirit of Velominati; every product we offer is made with the utmost attention to detail – no compromises were made in their selection or design. Whenever possible, our products are made my small, locally-owned businesses who share our passion for quality and we make every effort to ensure they are made in an enviro...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @Cyclops No, and I don’t know why.  Never said my brand of OCD makes any sense, it just is. »

  2. @Bespoke I finished redoing the electrical tape on my bars.  It ends at the wrap now, not on the bars.  Strange that I always had half the finishing tape on the bars and never noticed before but that once Roger pointed this out it looked like absolute … »

I have weird feet, apparently. It’s not really something you normally come to realize without asking questions that one rarely has reason to ask. I might have asked them, though, had I ever had any notion that feet don’t always have to hurt in a cycling shoe. Hurt might be a strong word – more like “squished” or “numb”. I’ve also h...

@itburns's posts:

  1. @Nate, @DerHoggz I have the eSoles – they came with my defunct Lakes.  Arch is the standard placement for “walking” shoes, and for my foot the extreme arch “green” insole from Specialized still works better.  I guess just like every other contact point, … »