Velominati Super Prestige:
Giro D'Italia 2013
Velominati Community Profile Archive

Velominatus: sgt

Order: Level 2 Velominatus

So Cal MAMIL (mamilus californicus), back on the bike for four years. Obsessed. Current Bike count: 4 (two road, one mtb, one trainer). Weapon of choice: '09 Wilier Izoard, Campy 10sp. Favorite ride: Toscana, baby! Hoping to ride L'Eroica in the next couple of years.

@sgt's activity:

Velominati Super Prestige: Milan-Sanremo 2013

Finally, we have Milan-Sanremo. I hope pedale.forcetta is ready to shoot some pictures, especially black and white because it will be cold and possibly wet. Throw in a little wind and a race of this distance will weed out the less hardy. Recently, but not too recently, this race would be won out of a decent size field sprint. And yet, besides Fabs...

@sgt's posts:

  1. Going with some longshots… no guts no glory. VSP PICKS: 1. Chavanel 2. Sagan 3. Pozzato 4. Van Avermaet 5. Moser »

The Tubeless Enigma

There must still be a few readers out there who have not followed the Dutch Monkey down the merry tubular path; for them I offer an update on an alternative. Road tubeless has been lauded as the best thing to happen to cycling since the introduction of seatpins. These have been around for years but the road version has not gathered the expected mom...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @sgt correction. Rule #11 violations.  Rule 9 was in effect this weekend.  Need to post more, obviously. »

  2. @Nate thanks for noticing buddy.  Been lurking a lot, but the muse hasn’t been moving me. Plus it’s been a tough fall/winter finding enough time to ride.  Rule 9 violations galore. But yeah, we do lots of climbing around here and my mates on carbon wheels… »

  3. @Nate Nailed it again.  The valve stem nut is required for tubeless, hence road tubeless is inherently in violation. I gotta say, I love my tubeless mtb setup, but haven’t drunk the kool-aid (tubulars or tubeless clinchers) on the road yet, for most of t… »

The Rules

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @Nate Awesome!  I can hear it now…. Pedalwan:  ”Daddy, I’m cold! I wanna stop!” @Nate: “Time to V-up on this one, boy!” And I hate to admit it, but I’m in Rule #36 violation for my nighttime mtb rides (safety glasses as well). Is that wrong? »

Product Review: Bont Vaypor and Vaypor XC

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. OK.  Nothing like a shoe post to drag me out of my cave… Much to chew on here.  My Carnacs are starting to show a bit of wear, and next years club kit is black and chartreuse with black socks (yeah, I KNOW!) , which is going to clash big time with the O… »

Breaking The Rules: 29

As we gingerly assembled outside the gite, the Belgian sun shining for the first time in the three days we’d been in the spiritual home of cycling, the conversation was muted; what do you say to a legend of the sport, an apostle in his parish about to hold a sermon on two wheels? I can’t recall who it was who said it, but I remember the...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @itburns This… And by the way, this is the only seatbag you’ll ever see on my bikes: »

The Great Debate: Pump or Chuck

I’ve said it once before, but it bears repeating now: adherence to Rule #29 carries with it the ultimate mission of the aspiring Velominatus, which is to geek out endlessly over the minimum amount of gear which yields maximum security in the event of a mechanical incident while riding.The goal here is twofold. First, with no European Poste...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @eightzero Ha! Too true!  When I flew up to Seattle (and snuck a ride in w/ Frank after work on night) a month or two back TSA took umbrage with my repair satchel.  They even had to consult the manual to determine how to dispose of my newly confiscated c… »

  2. Chuck, clucks! »

The Bikes

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @Nate, @Gianni  I was referring to Cook, ie, “the last haole to be treated like a returning god”.  No offense to any of da kama aina out there. I personally consider Hawaii to be my second home, since I have the immense good fortune to visit frequently…. »

  2. @Gianni Ummm… that didn’t work out so good for the last haole…. @ smithers Nice. Bike.  You’ll come to love celeste, I’m sure.  And you’ll turn a lot of heads on that baby. »

The Rules

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @Cyclops pics or it didn’t happen »

The Bikes

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @eightzero I hate to break it to ya, but you’re still going to need to carry a spare tube.  You just may not need it as often, and you can run lower pressures, but you’ll still need a tube. And make sure you’ve got good levers, them tubeless tires tend to… »

Anatomy of a Photo: The Shoulders of Giants

The question tackled here is of carrying the bicycle, should it require carrying. The non-cyclist is perhaps more inclined to consider carrying their bicycle than is the Cyclist. Examples that come to mind include the navigation of a giant mud pit or a steep twisty narrow snowy descent, where the uninitiated may erroneously contemplate the like...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @unversio FTW! »

The Bikes

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @smithers Sounds like the decision has been made, from here.  I have a lot of friends and club mates on Treks and Spesh’s,and they love ‘em. Looking forward to pics. »

  2. @Flying Crowbar Fuck off. @All Site integrity restored.  You’re welcome. »

Anatomy of a Photo: The Shoulders of Giants

The question tackled here is of carrying the bicycle, should it require carrying. The non-cyclist is perhaps more inclined to consider carrying their bicycle than is the Cyclist. Examples that come to mind include the navigation of a giant mud pit or a steep twisty narrow snowy descent, where the uninitiated may erroneously contemplate the like...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @unversio That’s a Bingo! »

The Bikes

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @Flying Crowbar You have a fine ride, my friend. I’m a bigger fan of Giant and Cannondale, for many of the reasons stated above, than Trek or Spesh. Don’t get me wrong, they make some really fine bikes.  But Bike #1 should be all about passion.  It shoul… »

Anatomy of a Photo: The Shoulders of Giants

The question tackled here is of carrying the bicycle, should it require carrying. The non-cyclist is perhaps more inclined to consider carrying their bicycle than is the Cyclist. Examples that come to mind include the navigation of a giant mud pit or a steep twisty narrow snowy descent, where the uninitiated may erroneously contemplate the like...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @Buck Rogers “We ain’t in the prisoner takin’ business.   We’re in the killin’ Nazi business.  And cousin, business is a-boomin.” »

Reverence: Speedplay Pedals

I’m old as dirt. My first two race bikes employed toe clips and toe straps and that set-up was bad. For many reasons it was bad and any retro-hipster who thinks otherwise is wrong. When Lemond and Hinault started racing on the white Look clipless pedals, everyone but Sean Kelly quickly switched. Talk about a quantum improvement, it was long o...

@sgt's posts:

  1. Surprise, cockfags! »

Anatomy of a Photo: The Shoulders of Giants

The question tackled here is of carrying the bicycle, should it require carrying. The non-cyclist is perhaps more inclined to consider carrying their bicycle than is the Cyclist. Examples that come to mind include the navigation of a giant mud pit or a steep twisty narrow snowy descent, where the uninitiated may erroneously contemplate the like...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @unversio Yeah, that rifle thingy is called a “camera”.  It used “film” to take a “photograph”.  Kids these days. »

  2. @meursault Mostly to keep the head lice in place. What’s great about this photo ain’t the carry, is the loose slope he’s climbing to get BACK on the road. »

Reverence: Speedplay Pedals

I’m old as dirt. My first two race bikes employed toe clips and toe straps and that set-up was bad. For many reasons it was bad and any retro-hipster who thinks otherwise is wrong. When Lemond and Hinault started racing on the white Look clipless pedals, everyone but Sean Kelly quickly switched. Talk about a quantum improvement, it was long o...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @roger Great.  Now what happens when someone Googles “Asian Asshole+Nipple Lube”?  Bang!  Right to here! That’s just great. »

The Bikes

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...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @Smithers I’d get the bike that makes you want to ride it like you stole it.  The one you can’t take your eyes off.  The one you lay in bed at night thinking about, and then lying to your partner about. The one you can wait to throw a leg over.  The one … »

Reverence: Speedplay Pedals

I’m old as dirt. My first two race bikes employed toe clips and toe straps and that set-up was bad. For many reasons it was bad and any retro-hipster who thinks otherwise is wrong. When Lemond and Hinault started racing on the white Look clipless pedals, everyone but Sean Kelly quickly switched. Talk about a quantum improvement, it was long o...

@sgt's posts:

  1. @frank Bollocks!  I was just skimming down the comments, thinking about the Underpants Gnomes, and BAM!  Well played. @frank Keepers Tours?  2013?  What?  I’ve been hearing inklings about Flanders, what about Italia? http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/… »

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