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Velominatus: Mclennan

Order: Level 3 Velominatus

Location: Daylesford, Victoria, Australia

Social:

40 something bikenut, former submariner.

@Mclennan's activity:

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...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. @the Engine Gold »

  2. New bike, ruptured achilles tendon, taking photos of it is as V as I’m getting for a couple of months! »

Return Of The Gumwall

If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that ‘useful’ things like practicality and functionality can often take a back seat to more basic pursuit of aesthetics and taste. If you haven’t, then your name might just be Paul.You may have also become aware that there is occasional flagrant flouting of certain guidel...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. Gumwalls, I’ll drink to that!!  Veloflex Masters »

Solitude

The task spreads out before me like molasses poured onto a tabletop, indulging in its viscous immensity. Its growing breadth makes it a kind of enigma, the sort distinguished by an elusive end and therefor an intangible beginning. It occurs to me, at this moment, that the difference between those who achieve and those who stagnate is not measu...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. @Nate Yep 404 and a 404 in the Faema photo as well »

The New V-estament

During the birth of The Rules, just like the Big Bang, there was a flurry of new activity, too much expanding and not enough contracting; certainly not enough thinking. It’s hard to keep the throttle back when divining the Word of Merckx in real time. The interweb tubes whistled with new Rules shuttling back and forth, beers consumed, genius...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. @Deakus No problem, cheers! »

  2. @Deakus I wasn’t actually serious, just having a bit of fun.  Suggesting I am stupid is a bit harsh I would have thought.  For your information you can always open another internet window if you wanted to look something up but being stupid I dont know how… »

  3. I nearly partook of a #32 transgression yesterday.  I didn’t end up using a camelbak but was contemplating it’s use.  Thought I better get some clarification.  The details were.  34 degrees celsius, 100km ride on gravel on a cyclocross bike with a single … »

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...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. The only downer with rain are the douchebags in cars who realise it is more dangerous to drive in the wet so drive faster to get home and out of it. The true beauty of the rain ride is the post ride ritual whose pleasure becomes more intense. 1. Arriv… »

La Vie Velominatus: Clean Bike Day

It seemed so easy, when I was young, to decide who to love and who to hate. These days, life is a complicated web of heroic deeds and dark shadows. As we get older, it appears our heroes and villains get mixed up.Fortunately for us, Cycling is about much more than bike racing. It is about loving the machine, submitting ourselves to the cathedral ...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. All here probably know this one but the moist baby wipes are perfect for a snappy cleanup.  Not much use if you have been riding cross or MTB but gets rid of grease and grime pretty well.  Just make sure you dont pinch the last pack when your other half n… »

  2. Havent found the Boxer of any use for cleaning any of the bikes but good fun to watch lapping Ballarat Velodrome at speed. »

  3. Get yourself a three year old and just show them what has to be done.   »

Best Kit Ever?

What is the best pro team kit ever? I’m talking team kit only, not a leader’s jersey, national team jersey or the national champion jersey. Not the worst either, for those are legion and worthy of a much longer article than this. @wiscot and I exchanged emails about Urs Freuler and the fantastic Atala kit which led to quick discussion o...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. Im addicted to woollen jerseys and have the Cinzano, Wiels and Molteni short sleeved jerseys.  Never wear the Molteni but over this last Winter got a Soigneur long sleeve done in black with our headtube logo.  Black very slimming – just what you need ov… »

Guest Article: Bikes Smell Awesome Too.

@snoov moves the topic away from Lance, doping, EPMS, and Berty’s Spanish adventures. Our brains are so crammed with nonsense our childhood memories get jammed deep down into the center.  A memory waits to be released and sometimes it’s a remembered smell that floats it up to the surface. VLVV, Gianni…...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. @anotherdownunder I was thinking about putting up a post about Robs Cycles and then I scroll down and there it is.  I remember going in there regularly during my school years from the 70s to the 80s.  My first and second bikes came from there, first a 20 … »

Does a Bike Have a Soul?

Does a bike have a soul? I can’t make that argument, I don’t think I do either, actually. But we do invest a lot of emotion, pride and dare I say love in our bikes. We form emotional bonds to inanimate objects all the time. My favorite old dead car had to sit in the driveway for another year falling further into rusty disrepair before...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. @BarracudaMany thanks Barracuda, she’s getting there, just picked up the wheels yesterday so the build can get underway now. »

  2. @Gianni Many thanks for your compliment Gianni.  We are very happy with the end result.  Tarn Mott the framebuilder and myself have been talking about doing a project together for a couple of years.  I have a few frames that he has built for me.  We decid… »

  3. @Xyverz Still a couple of weeks to go, just waiting on the groupset (Chorus), wheels are R45s black to H+Son TB14s, Veloflex Master 23s.  Bike sexy, rider not! »

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...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. @Pedale.Forchetta Absolutely, I’ve only ever used two on one occasion but doesn’t stop me being paranoid of running out on a long ride. »

  2. 2 x CO2 but I still worry on a long ride it wont be enough. »

Does a Bike Have a Soul?

Does a bike have a soul? I can’t make that argument, I don’t think I do either, actually. But we do invest a lot of emotion, pride and dare I say love in our bikes. We form emotional bonds to inanimate objects all the time. My favorite old dead car had to sit in the driveway for another year falling further into rusty disrepair before...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. I dont know if it has soul or mine is just a bit warmer because I have it.  Stainless, Llewellyn lugs, handmade in Australia.  »

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...

@Mclennan's posts:

  1. I just noticed a picture with several members on a tour in Belgium one of whom appears to be wearing jeans with a cycling cap. I would have thought this contravened this quote of yours in Rule #22: Cycling caps can be worn under helmets, but never when n… »