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Velominatus: Dan O

Order: Level 4 Velominatus

Social: Website

@Dan O's activity:

Guest Article: Bike #2

I don’t have to tell anyone around here that @Cyclops is weird guy; most of you have already figured that out, and if you haven’t figured it out, you will soon enough. But weird doesn’t have any negative meaning, if you ask me. In fact, I’d say we’re all weird which makes normal more suspect. Several years ago, long be...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Fantastic.  Great story and cool bike.  Success with your dream – gotta love stories like this.  Ride on and build many frames for happy customers… »

Velominati Photo Contest: Season 2012

Truth be told, how many of us can resist a photo of ourselves Looking Fantastic on the bike? How many of us can resist the temptation of taking our eyes off the road and stealing a glimpse of ourselves in a shop window as we pass by? Not me, but then again a strong case could be made for my being a narcissist and I freely admit that I love looking...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. I shoot a lot of cyclocross races – have found it less painful then actually racing cyclocross.  I might be bending the rules, but here’s three of ‘em from this ‘cross season in the Seattle area.  I have zillions of shots, picked these to spotlight … »

Book Reviews: Racing Through the Dark, The Secret Race

I must admit to not having read most of the cycling memoirs in the Works. I may eventually but the local public library doesn’t carry any of them and never will so I’ll have to buy them or ask Frank to tote everything he has to Hawaii. I did get off my wallet and buy these two and it was money well spent. David Millar and Tyler Hamilton...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. I read Hamilton’s book the other day.  Fascinating and sickening at the same time.  I’ve heard/read about some of the stories in the past, but then having them laid out with details – eye opener.  After reading it, you can’t condone what Hamilton and othe… »

Come the Rain

The northwest has just experienced a spell of dry weather over two months long. It’s been enough to make a man sick.That’s all over now, thank Merckx. Commuting home today, I was caught off guard. No jacket, no gloves– nothing. A few drops hit, heavy and plump like ripe fruit. Then the drops became steady. By my half-way point, I...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Man, we had quite the run of nice weather here in the Seattle area – damn nice.  However, did a mountain bike ride today – wet ground, damp leaves, overcast with peeks of sun – felt right… »

In Memoriam: Fiorenzo Magni, December 7, 1920 – October 19, 2012

The Velominati mourn today the passing of Fiorenzo Magni, perhaps one of the Cycling world’s greatest living example of the spirit of The V and all that surrounds it.Magni was the original Lion of Flanders, a feat heightened somewhat by his being Italian, not Flemish – though the Flemish had little to argue with after he won de Ronde th...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Old school bad ass.  Cool pics.  91 years – not a bad run.  R.I.P. »

One-Eyed Wonder: CX-V

What I have always loved about Mountain Biking is the immersion into the woods; the sense of solitude that comes in the wilderness that is lost entirely in the convenience and hustle of the cities I’ve always lived in. What I always hated about Mountain Biking is that my mountain bike never feels enough like my road bike.I was but a budding...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Frank – very cool bike.  CX racing here in the Seattle area almost every weekend until December or so.  MFG and Seattle series both well run and a great vibe.  MFG requires no racing license, indie series.  Seattle series requires USA Cycling license – th… »

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...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Mini pump for me.  I’ve yet to try a CO2 cartridge – call me Amish… I am guilty on sporting the European Posterior Man Satchel at times.  Especially off road, since a 29er tube is too annoying to carry in a jersey pocket. I was actually semi-stranded … »

La Bicyclette, Part II: Scars

We meticulously care for our bicycle, stopping only just short of pampering it. Through ages spend coveting, building, and riding it, we become attached to it and its beautiful finishing details – the luster of the frame’s finish, the angle and sweep of the bars, the gleaming white tape, the tires, the wheels – all perfectly curat...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Great post – my thinking also.  Good scar:  Anything that occurs while bike in motion.  Lame scar:  Anything that occurs otherwise. One of my mountain bikes has all the usual good scars: Worn crank arms, various scratches, and other proof of off-road act… »

Seattle Summer Cogal 2012 Report

Some weeks ago, I took notice that the days were getting longer (note that this is not necessarily synonymous with “summer” in Seattle) and that it had been an overly long period of time since the Inaugural Seattle Cogal on Whidbey Island back in October. A quick email to Frank to suggest we organize a Cogal resulted in my new understan...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Cool – nice write ups, sounds like a great time.  This Cogal ridable from my house, though I missed it.  Fantastic how this site has grown into like minded bike freaks actually sharing rides – for real.  Awesome. »

La Vie Velominatus: The Rain Bike

In our privileged stables of bikes, it ranks towards the bottom of the heap as Bike #2 or lower, but the Rain Bike is no slouch. This is, after all, the bike we rely on in bad weather, trusting it to carry us safely through what typically amounts to the most dangerous conditions we ride in. Provided you ride year-round, you likely ride this machin...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Yeah, given the choice – an aluminum, titanium, or hell – even carbon – might be the choice for the rain bike.  Even so, steel bikes hold up fine.  My rain rig is a 1997 Ibis Hakkalugi ‘cross bike and after 15 years, still rolling strong.  Steel frame and… »

Twistin Banged and Felled. And Got Back Up.

As a byproduct of brakes being strictly for ornamental purposes, cyclists are often forced to find alternative means of stopping their bikes. As a matter of both convenience and effectiveness, the tarmac and other objects of greater mass than the sum of cyclist and bicycle are often employed for this purpose. Collectively, we refer to this process...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. I tortured the family with Rush 2112 during breakfast a few weeks ago. Funny enough, the kids asked for a replay during dinner. “Attention all planets of the solar federation. We have assumed control”… I’m coming back from laziness also, my lamest w… »

Guest Article: The Fine Art of Pedaling

Keeper Jim and I came across Meg Fisher during an icy-rain Rule #9 training ride on Mercer Island in March. The first thing that struck us was that there was a good rider up the road, one of the few braving those cold, wet, early morning hours. It wasn’t until we caught up to her that we realized she was riding with a prosthetic leg.The thr...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Damn, total bad ass story. Fantastic. Awesome to see what determination and technology can do – allow you to ride. And just ride, really ride. Great stuff… »

The Shropshire Hills Cogal Ride Report

With the Cogals slowly starting to take shape and the days getting longer, @936adl did a good job in the timing, organization, and the promotion of his Cogal. Buckle in for the fruits of his labor as from all accounts, this was a fantastic ride and great time; I’m only sad I couldn’t be there myself. Fair warning: He’s already ta...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Looks like a great day. Great pics and write up. Well done… »

Keepers Tour 2012 Update, Part 3: Awesome, Kinda Weird, Awesome Again, and Solemn

With Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2012 stitched up and in the history books, the challenge of documenting the trip became immediately obvious; how do you take the myriad impressions, experiences, and perspectives and put them down in a meaningful way – let alone in a way that can somehow be digested. Surely, to document even just the Keeper...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Damn. All pretty damn cool. Very freakin’ cool. What a trip. Diggin’ the pics, words and video… »

Anatomy of a Photo: Depletion

One eye open and dreaming; were the building on fire, I suspect this shell of a man could hardly be bothered to move from his bench.As a Cyclist, the enormous weight of the total exhaustion felt by LeMond at this moment fills my spirit with equal measures of dread and envy. Continue reading...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Fantastic pic of LeMonster. At this point of the year, I resemble this after a slow mountain bike ride. It’s been a lazy winter… »

Il Progetto: Nederaap CX-V

Building a frame has been, since childhood, a dream which always seemed a little bit out of reach. Aside from not being sure how not to do it wrong, I’ve always assumed that, in addition to nunchuck and computer-hacking skills, my lacking of welding skills would render any would-be frame unridable at best and lethal at worst. Not to mention...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Fantastic looking frame – awesome. Don’t fret too much about the build kit, anything decent will work. If you do race ‘cross, it’s all gonna get pretty mud battered anyway. Not racing ‘cross with that frame would be a crime. Hit the MFG or Seattle ‘cr… »

Ride Like a Girl: Marianne Vos

While it took seven Belgians to dominate the Men’s Cyclocross World Championship race on Sunday, it only took a single Dutchwoman to dominate the women’s race. That’s seven times more dominanter, if my math is correct – which it always is.Cyclocross fascinates me, mostly because it is completely insane. But I admit: I like...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Without a doubt, women racers don’t get the attention and money they deserve. They’re working just as hard as the men and ride really well. Without a doubt (Part II), cyclocross does indeed rock. The courses, the scene, the bikes, the conditions, the r… »

La Vie Velominatus: Building Wheels

Self-awareness is a non-optional ingredient of leading a fulfilling life; while we should always push ourselves to explore new things, we should also be aware of our limitations and weigh expectations against them. This is why I avoid any activities involving intelligence or a blow torch, and take particular care to avoid those involving an inter...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Cool post. Wheel building is an art. One I never learned, despite that fact I worked in bike shop for a few years. I am lame. At the time, other shop rats did the wheel building. I have however, trued a few zillion wheels. Wheel building is only pie… »

Guest Article: Anatomy of a Photo-1994 Paris-Roubaix

Duck and cover! Our guest article series rolls on with @scaler911′s Anatomy of a Photo. Photo, words, enough said.Yours in Cycling, …...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Cool post. That was an interesting era. For the youngsters out there, that time was exploding with suspension changes in the mountain bike world, some of it applied to road bikes – for better or worse. I still could see a front suspension fork being … »

Darkness

Yesterday, Seattle was dark for 15 hours 34 minutes and 37 seconds. Let us not count how much it was light– it is of no use to us. I rode to work in the black, and in the black I rode home.The darkness is good to me. It shields my filthy chain from those who would judge it. It casts anonymity over the creaking of my bottom bracket. It erases...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. The Seattle weather has been great – cold and clear. I’ve barely been riding in it however – shame on me – thanks to a crazy workload lately. I’ll be out soon, really soon… Frank – cool pics on the post. »

Announcing New V-Features: The Rides and The Cogals

I peer into my V-Pint, seeking out The V-Cog in its base as the hoppy taste of a local IPA washes over my tongue and begins its work. I breathe out slowly, basking in the sense of satisfaction that can only come from knowing you’ve done just enough to avoid failure. That’s right, fellow Velominati; we’ve launched two new V-Featu...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Fantastic to get more Velominati related rides together. This site has become a community – awesome. If another hits the Seattle area, I plan to attend. Freakin’ cool stuff. »

Velominati Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2012

The Hardmen. They inspire us; we aspire to be one among them. They drive us to be better cyclists. They are the solitary voice among the thousands in our heads that tell us to keep pushing when all the others tell us to stop. Their long shadows look on in approval as we pull on our cold and wet weather gear and head out into the elements to ride.Ev...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Damn – that would be a cool trip. Fantastic job putting this together. Not in my cards however… »

Reverence: Fi’zi:k

Three is a big deal.  There are three constituents to an atom, there are three main classifications of galaxies, we live on the third stone from the sun, we perceive the universe in 3D, we have the holy trinity, there are three goals in a hat-trick, there are three little pigs (and bears),  there’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (yup, thre...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Fizik saddles – damn cool stuff. Doesn’t work for me though. My ass conformed to the shape of the old school Flite saddle. One resides on all my bikes… »

On Rule #9: Love the Work

Fitness. The rhythm, the feeling of precision in our movement, the sensations of The Ride. The temptation of knowing we might in some way control our suffering even as we push harder in spite of the searing pain in our legs and lungs. The notion that through suffering, we might learn something rudimentary about ourselves – that we might f...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. @Frank NIce post. For sure, crappy weather riding does earn you the “Badass Merit Badge”. Now that the clocks turn back tonight, commuting now done in total darkness. Suiting up for a ride, knowing it’s gonna be dark, wet and cold, yes – you gotta “Lo… »

Whidbey Island Cogal; October 15, 2011

On October 15, 2011, a select team of Velominati gathered in Langley on Whidbey Island to go for a ride together. These gatherings, referred to as Cogals, are a key component of the vision of Velominati, to bring the community from the Interwebs into the reality of The Ride. After all, we are Cyclists and we are meant to ride our bikes – not...

@Dan O's posts:

  1. Great write ups and pics. Sorry I missed it, right in my area too. Call me lame. A few rides like this a year would be cool, no? »