Velominati Community Profile Archive

Velominatus: EricW

Order: Level 2 Velominatus

Social: Website

@EricW's activity:

Velominati Super Prestige: Luik-Bastenaken-Luik 2013

There is something to love about a race that makes a deviation to its route for the simple joy of sending a fleet of professional riders up a fiendishly steep and narrow ramp. The Cote du Stockeu offers zero benefit to the route from a logistical standpoint – in fact, all it does is complicate things. On the way down from the Cote de Wanne &#...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Valverde 2. PhilGil 3. Purito 4. Nibali 5. D. Martin »

Velominati Super Prestige: Paris-Roubaix 2013

It looks so easy on the television. Well, no, actually it looks pretty bloody hard. We think we have some understanding of how they suffer, how their bodies can take the continual beating. But we don’t really know. Not even by riding these abominations they call roads twice in the space of a few days can we understand the scale of the thing...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Faboo 2. Phinney 3. God of Thunder 4. Stannard 5. Boom selektah »

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...

@EricW's posts:

  1. @Cyclops My BRO-nago is also in direct violation of the “Gruppo Rule”. »

Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2013

Imagine a world without the little things we take for granted; a house without a roof, a pub with no beer, a Keepers Tour without any clothes. The last one is a reality for me at the moment, five days in and still no trace of where the hell between Wellington and Paris my bag (filled with V-Kit, shoes, helmet, everything) is. The other thing that h...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Faboo 2. Peter the Great 3. Stannard 4. Tommeke 5. Chava »

The Cogals

Cogals are meetings of like-minded misfits brought together by the promise of beer, preceded by a bike ride. Cogals are free, open to all, organized by our fellow Velominati and are always followed by consumption of post-ride recovery ales and merriment. These are gatherings of unbridled observance of Rule #4.Cogals differ themselves from other...

@EricW's posts:

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Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen Féminine 2013

Marianne Vos has never won this? She who wins everything all the time has never won this? Is it not hilly and tough enough? This seems like a tear in the time-space continuum. Someone is going to be wanting to add this to her palmarés. Weather sounds like a cold but dry day for racing. This is a big one, maybe worth two bumper stickers, so ponder...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Cromwell 2. Vos 3. Armistead 4. Stevens 5. Johansson »

Velominati Super Prestige: Ronde van Vlaanderen 2013

Imagine a world without the little things we take for granted; a house without a roof, a pub with no beer, a Keepers Tour without any clothes. The last one is a reality for me at the moment, five days in and still no trace of where the hell between Wellington and Paris my bag (filled with V-Kit, shoes, helmet, everything) is. The other thing that h...

@EricW's posts:

  1. Drats!  The nibbles got to the VSP! I have: Faboo Peter the Great Stannard Tommeke Chava »

Velominati Super Prestige: Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2013

This is the second round of the Women’s World Cup, the first being the Ronde van Drenthe. Laveno Mombello to Cittiglio, 120 km of racing in Italy. It is a very worthy course and we know who will be wearing the number 1 on her jersey. Enough already, I like Ms Vos as much as the next person but someone has to work her over on the climbs and ri...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Armistead 2. Vos 3. Bronzini 4. Johansson 5. Olds »

Velominati Super Prestige: Gent-Wevelgem 2013

Gent (Deinze)-Wevelgem, it starts with 130 km of cruising around Belgium and Northern France followed by a flurry of bergs and then a final 38 km of  flatter riding to the inevitable sprint finish. How hard can the climbing be if Super Mario got over them? Ask the riders from KT 2012, (the ones not in the following car) and they will tell you...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Tourminator 2. Tommeke 3. Faboo 4. Philbert 5. The God of Thunder »

  2. VSP PICKS: 1. The Terminator 2. T-Bone 3. Faboo 4. Philbert 5. The God of Thunder »

Velominati Super Prestige: L’Eroica/Strade Bianche 2013

Until the 70′s it was common to race on gravel roads, but the Paving of the Planet has led to nearly every road being graced by smooth, black tarmac. As is the case with most things, once we are shown the easy path, it is difficult to return to more arduous ways. So it is with gravel roads; we take measures to avoid unpaved roads and in doi...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Faboo 2. Sagan 3. Valverde 4. Cuddles 5. Pozzato »

Velominati Super Prestige: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women 2013

Finally, some cold nasty Belgian one day racing. Oman, Qatar, does anyone brag about winning those stage races? Yes, they might but really, it’s a tune up for the real season which finally begins this Saturday. Will racing in China or Oman grow the sport? Will there be a new wave of inspired young racers from these countries. Does professiona...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. E. Stevens 2. I. Teutenberg 3. R. Gilmore 4. L. Brand 5. L. De Vocht »

Velominati Super Prestige: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2013

Outside my window, its pouring rain. My bike is leaning agains the wall in my office, covered in grim and grit from the ride in, which was characterized by equal parts cold, wind, and rain. The spot in the locker room where I changed before my shower was marked by sand and mud, and when I walked to the shower, I left a trail of dirty footprints.It...

@EricW's posts:

  1. VSP PICKS: 1. Boom Selecta 2. Boonen 3. Hushovd 4. Vanmarcke 5. Boss Hog »

To Carbone or Not To Carbone?

That is the question. Are carbon wheels a viable option for everyday riding? Should carbon wheels be your go-to wheels rather than your just-for-racing wheels? I don’t really race and I don’t own any carbon wheels and I wonder. Granted, every professional is and has been on carbon wheels for many years so it’s easy to think we sho...

@EricW's posts:

  1. @tessar Agreed.  Also, I remember reading somewhere that clinchers with light latex tubes actually have lower rolling resistance than tubulars, hence why Tony Martin used them on his TT World Champ bike last year. Admittedly, he did flat out twice, but a… »

  2. @roger I have posted a few pics, I don’t want to flood the forum with my own bike.  You can see a few more shots here http://velospace.org/node/45549 »

  3. @teleguy57 You might want to take a look at Corsa Concepts.  I only recently found out about these guys.  They’re not cheap, but still not Zipp/Enve prices.  A lot of the local cross racers ran them this year and I didn’t see any failures. »

  4. I use the Bontrager Aeolus 5.0′s as everyday wheels and race wheels except in the winter, when shallower aluminum wheels go on. Although, lately, I have been lusting after a set of Golden Tickets or the clincher alternative H+Son TB14s. »

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...

@EricW's posts:

  1. @motor city Very nice!  My #1 still has the stem cap from the bike that brought me back into cycling all those years ago.  It’s a bit ironic that a nice Colnago wears a GT stem cap from an entry level mountain bike, but if it wasn’t for that old mountain … »

  2. @Deakus Thanks.  Yeah I’m definitely worried about the rough handling.  I’ve packed and shipped bikes before, and I always put a bridge or spare hub in the dropouts.  The one comforting thing is that the frame is steel, not carbon (although my fork is).  … »

  3. All, Quick question.  I’m doing Levi’s Gran Fondo in October (I know feelings about the guy are mixed, but it’s a hell of a ride).  This will be the first time flying with my bike, as so far I’ve been able to drive everywhere I needed to ride/race.  What… »

  4. @Xyverz Even though my #1 is a Colnago, and soon my #2 will be as well, I could never get my head around the c35.  It just looks so…awkward.  Nonetheless, still an amazing piece of cycling history. »

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...

@EricW's posts:

  1. @Sauterelle For Velominati, this one is even more appropriate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn0FF1KwL4I »

2012 Anti-V Moment of the Year: Bullies are really just pussies

As referenced in the 2012 V-Moment of the year article and ensuing discussion, it was a most Vawesome year for cycling. It’s been hypothesized here and on cycling sites with more integrity that the fantastic racing of 2012 may be, at least in part, attributed to a cleaner peloton. Unless you watched the Tour de France you’d think the da...

@EricW's posts:

  1. @Marko @wiscot I agree with Cav on this one too.  Also, those glasses make him look like a total hipster.   »

  2. @VeloVita Well, I guess I have to admit that I use rugs too.  On a regular basis.  Totally takes the barefoot experience to a whole new level.  Just have to hope that the out of competition rug testers don’t show up. »

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...

@EricW's posts:

  1. On a slightly different topic, while looking up the specs on Trek bikes for a friend, I stumbled upon what is either a hilariously bad photoshop or Jensie is just laying down so much V that the space time continuum is tearing (look at the fifth rider in t… »

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