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Velominatus: Auto-X Fil

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@Auto-X Fil's activity:

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...

@Auto-X Fil's posts:

  1. @Benno Where I live, dirt roads are plentiful, traffic-free, and often steep as hell. They are also truly dirt roads, smooth and forgiving, not gravel (which is awful for a road bike). Yes, some days I ride glass-smooth pavement, but to avoid thousands … »

The Rides

The Ride. It is the cathedral of our sport, where we worship at the altar of the Man with the Hammer. It is the end to our means. Indeed, The Bike may be the central tool to our sport, but to turn the pedals is to experience the sensation of freedom, of flight. It is all for The Ride.The world is overflowing with small, twisty roads that capture ou...

@Auto-X Fil's posts:

  1. Yeah, if you REALLY want that no-spacer look, step 1 is getting fitted, and step 2 is finding a frame with the right size headtube for you. Which is generally not the raciest frame. My stem happens to be slammed and flipped – for a mere 6cm of saddle to b… »

Meditations on the V-Meter

There was no need for Rule #74 until the cyclometer showed up on our handlebars. According to the late Sheldon Brown, the cyclometer has been around since the early 1900s.“Star-wheel cyclometers, such as the Lucas unit, suffered two serious problems. They made an annoying “tink-tink-tink” noise. At high speeds, the star wheel would s...

@Auto-X Fil's posts:

  1. “Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” – Steve McQueen. Well, Steve was racing cars in LeMans, so there was no need to train. But when not racing or training, crunching data is a fine pursuit. I map rides out with GPS Vi… »

Climbing Weight

When it comes to weight and body dysmorphia, we cyclists can go toe-to-toe with any thirteen year old tween who has done their time flipping through the pages of Vogue and Sixteen. However fit and thin we might be, at some point it dawns on us that we’re not as light as we could be. The obvious solution is to buy lighter parts for our bikes,...

@Auto-X Fil's posts:

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  2. I finally found a use for my pull-up bar! »

Ride Like a Leader: White Bar Tape

When done correctly, Cycling can be both the hardest and dirtiest of sports. We relish in the glory of returning from a ride, battered by the four winds and soaked by the seven rains; our bodies, faces, and machines covered in the reasons why most people might stay indoors. Given that, there is something almost cavalier about submitting to the delu...

@Auto-X Fil's posts:

  1. Logos are that darker blue Bianchi used in the 1980′s. I could potentially match them to the cable, but black or white seemed easier. »

  2. Rule #8 question… I’m acquiring a 1985 Bianchi Veloce. Nothing special, but it’s Celeste, Italian, and draped in Campy. What to do for tape/saddle/tires? The hoods are tan/brown, and I’m not sure I can source other colors. The saddle is an ugly black S… »