Velominati: Keepers of the Cog.

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 it’s complexity.

All these factors combine to provide an unique atmosphere and breeds devoted and loyal disciples of our great sport.   We are of a peculiar nature; we seek out the highest mountains and the roughest roads on which to worship at the altar of the Man with the Hammer.  Our legs are what propel us; our minds are what drive us.  We refer to our shaved legs in the third person – the legs – and speak of distance in kilometers and measure sizes in centimeters regardless of what country we are in.  We adhere strictly to the Canon of Cycling’s Etitquette: The Rules.

A velominatus is a disciple of the highest order.  We spend our days pouring over the very essence of what makes ours such a special sport and how that essence  fits into cycling’s colorful fabric.  This is the Velominati’s raison d’être.  This is where the Velominati can be ourselves.  This is our agony – our badge of honor – our sin.

I have a unique way of looking at bicycles.  A good bicycle and it’s components are beautiful things to me. I’m not just talking about appearance, but also how the frame and components show the dreams of those who made them.

- Gianni Bugno, Hardman and Italian cycling legend

Perhaps we are too wrapped up in the past, but the Velominati don’t believe that to be the case.  After all, the greatest lessons can be learned from the past and those lessons can then be applied to the present and may then allow us to more fully experience the future.

Although the posts date back to March 2007, Velominati was officially launched in July 2009 as a project to join cycling fans and writers together to share their passion with the cycling community and anyone else who cares to listen.

The Keepers Are:

Frank Strack, Founder and Editor

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.

Brett Kennedy, Founding Contributor and Editor in Chief

Whilst Brett comes from the land Down Under, he hates that fucking song. An Aussie living as a Kiwi, his life is dictated by the bicycle.

Jim Thomson, Author

Jim rides a bike a lot and hates people.

John Andrews, Author

John bought a Peugeot; champagne gold with sew-up tires in 1976 and has been an addict ever more. Think Magnus Backstead without the big engine. A man who loves to suffer on a long cruel climb and catch all the wee folk on the descent.

Mark Carlson, Aurhor

Marko considers himself velominati padawanus. Though he is passionate about road cycling, he’s only been at it for fewer than ten years. He’s learned much from the Keepers and is humbled to be part of the fray. He also obsesses about his bikes and is lucky to have a partner who is turned on by that. His favorite Rules are: 8, 9, 24, 33, 41, and 43. Rules 1 and 5 go without saying.

Joshua Howe, Author

Josh Howe is a former alpine ski racer and an unorthodox Keeper of the Cog. He believes in beer, bacon, and dishing out pain. And, of course, Rule 5. Really, it is the only Rule; everything else is just a variation on the theme.

Velominati.com is less about the articles and more about the conversation. Those of you who read more and comment more, become an integral part of the discussion and help carry the momentum forward. There are four levels of Velominatus:

Level 4 Velominatus: The casual observer and occasional commenter.

Level 3 Velominatus: The regular reader and casual commenter.

Level 2 Velominatus: The devoted reader and regular commenter.

Level 1 Velominatus: The most committed of reader and commenter.

Want to contribute a story to the Velominati? Tell us why.