Velominati Community Profile Archive

Velominatus: frank

Order: Keeper of the Cog

Social: Website / / /

A lifelong Velominatus, the history and culture within cycling fascinates Frank (pronounced in Dutch and Flemish as “Fränk”) and, if given even the vaguest of excuses, will discuss it ad nausium. A devoted cycling aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Question? Email me.

@frank's activity:

We close out the 6 Days of the Giro with our sixth and final installment.A body at rest, stays at rest. A body in motion, stays in motion. Things get a bit more ambiguous when it comes to a body on a bicycle tearing down a twisty mountain descent at speed, particularly in the rain. But it is here, on the boundary between clarity and ambiguity, wher...

@frank's posts:

  1. @piwakawaka Me and the mouse in my pocket. Why, did you post it? »

In most situations, silence is an ominous thing that signals impending doom. Having never been in any danger myself, I base this largely on my experience watching box-office movies. As a general rule, I use Hollywood as the principal source of information on all subjects as they relate to doom and politics, principally because I’m loath t...

@frank's posts:

  1. @scaler911 They come lose. Massive. V. @Blah It’s called the “Sound” of “Silence”. Get it? »

  2. @strathlubnaig I’m filled with equal parts pride and shame at how many times this joke was made before I finished reading the thread. We are a sick lot. »

  3. @G’rilla You might have noticed that creaking when I dropped you the other day, were it not for the bend in space/time it caused. In fact, it has been reported that Google bought a quantum computer in order to measure the rate of V being sucked from you… »

  4. @Steampunk Shimano is so crappy, it doesn’t even require unnecessary maintenance or precautions! »

We close out the 6 Days of the Giro with our sixth and final installment.A body at rest, stays at rest. A body in motion, stays in motion. Things get a bit more ambiguous when it comes to a body on a bicycle tearing down a twisty mountain descent at speed, particularly in the rain. But it is here, on the boundary between clarity and ambiguity, wher...

@frank's posts:

  1. @Steampunk Did you get an ear infection on the way down? »

  2. @Steampunk Ah, there he is. »

In most situations, silence is an ominous thing that signals impending doom. Having never been in any danger myself, I base this largely on my experience watching box-office movies. As a general rule, I use Hollywood as the principal source of information on all subjects as they relate to doom and politics, principally because I’m loath t...

@frank's posts:

  1. @scaler911 You apparently need to learn how to push on the pedals. Fabian and I can show you how to do that after I show him how to snap the pawls off the Zipp freehub body. Admittedly, laying down massive wattage is not likely to be the Squeaker’s is… »

We close out the 6 Days of the Giro with our sixth and final installment.A body at rest, stays at rest. A body in motion, stays in motion. Things get a bit more ambiguous when it comes to a body on a bicycle tearing down a twisty mountain descent at speed, particularly in the rain. But it is here, on the boundary between clarity and ambiguity, wher...

@frank's posts:

  1. HOW DID WE MISS THIS ONE? BRR EVEN POSTED IT FOR US. V demerits all around. »

  2. @Beers First day of rain here in a while, roads slick with diesel and other nasty things. Started a long twisting descent with a yellow school bus behind me. I barely – BARELY – dropped it. I descended like a Wiggins for sure. Roads can be fucked when… »

In most situations, silence is an ominous thing that signals impending doom. Having never been in any danger myself, I base this largely on my experience watching box-office movies. As a general rule, I use Hollywood as the principal source of information on all subjects as they relate to doom and politics, principally because I’m loath t...

@frank's posts:

  1. @eightzero Yeah, and I’ve been wanting to say that the better clincher tires also have a great sound, and that if you pair them to some nice wheels, you’re on your way. Supple clinchers on 3x box section rims is a great sound. Carbon clincher will give… »

  2. @mcsqueak AND GREASE THE SPACERS. And you might want to drop a bit of triflo on the rivets of the spiders on the bigger cogs, assuming your cassette has them. Wipe it down afterwards, you want lube IN there, not on the outside. Grease the spacers whet… »

  3. @VeloVita If that’s what it is, then I suggest a regimen of Rule #5 adherence and exhibiting some fucking self control. »

  4. @wiscot To be fair, I brought cliff bars and shots, but didn’t want to use them unless I had to. I wouldn’t normally do that, but for a long winter training ride, it is a great way to lose weight. Wouldn’t dream of that in the summer. People disagree … »

  5. @mcsqueak Only when pedaling? Take the cassette off, clean it, grease all the spacers, and put it back on, tight. Oh, and whatever you try, just try ONE THING AT A TIME. Don’t change too many variables at once. »

  6. @Chris This is correct; hub noise is not included, though it can be annoying. I happen to like the nice, crisp click of a hub, and both my Royce and Hope hubs have this characteristic. I base this on spinning the wheel in the VVorkshop, as I don’t sto… »

  7. @Bespoke I’ve never stopped pedaling, so I’ve never noticed the sound of my freehub. »

  8. @the Engine Start with solid foods, but as you carry on, you can switch to gels. Find some with less sugar but not chewing helps a lot. Plus, on a ride that long, chewing starts to be too energy-intensive anyway. I’ve been so burned that chewing caused… »

  9. @ChrisO Spot on, replenish afterwards but consuming muscle is, in my opinion, a modern myth by hobby nutritionists. I’m sure at some point you can start to consume muscle, but not so long as you are fit enough that you body knows HOW to burn fat and tha… »

  10. @Blah And what about the kid in the jump suit? Re-posting because it got buried. I have a feeling blue pants has some sweet shades on. »

  11. @Deakus There is a guy Rob who does what he calls “The Corkscrew”, which is to then ride up Haleakala after doing the East Maui loop. That’s a real ride. Did it for his 50th birthday this year. The Volcano on the west side doesn’t have a road up it, b… »

We close out the 6 Days of the Giro with our sixth and final installment.A body at rest, stays at rest. A body in motion, stays in motion. Things get a bit more ambiguous when it comes to a body on a bicycle tearing down a twisty mountain descent at speed, particularly in the rain. But it is here, on the boundary between clarity and ambiguity, wher...

@frank's posts:

  1. @mouse Did you know that word is derived from the Dutch work for butt, kont? You’re welcome. @RedRanger Wow, that kind of climb is right up my alley. »

Twiggo is dreaming of a Giro-Tour double. He has sent out mixed messages about his Tour ambitions. Will he use the Giro as the ultimate Tour preparation or will be burn all his matches in May and hope he can find another pack for July? He has abandoned his successful 2012 Tour run-up strategy of winning every stage race he entered the previous spri...

@frank's posts:

  1. Big shakeup; we lost Santambrogio and after the second rest day swaps, our standings have shifted. Provisional Race Results 1. NIBALI Vincenzo 2. EVANS Cadel 3. URAN URAN Rigoberto 4. SCARPONI Michele 5. NIEMIEC Przemyslaw Provisional VSP Standings … »

Cycling is a mighty sport with a rich and complex history. Every company, racer, piece of kit, and component has a legend, a story behind it; in many cases it also has a personal and nostalgic connection to our lives.  While this particular sport is steeped in tradition, it is also fiercely modern, a fact that serves only to deepen its complexity...

@frank's posts:

  1. @thebaron Me too. Having a old loyal mutt myself, this brings a tear to my eye. Awesome. »

Bicycles and automobiles- can’t we all just get along? @Kah writes about this universal (do aliens have this issue also?) problem of us co-existing with humans in cars. We all drive cars too and have cursed the occasional cyclists for some good reason. Cars are our greatest threat. We can crawl away from our own bicycle crashes, thanks very m...

@frank's posts:

  1. @mouse Lets see here, we’ve got a TDF winner and (presumptive) two-time Giro runner-up against a talented kid who won a second-rate one-week stage race. Brainstorm! Lets put the rookie in! »