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Archive for the ‘Technique’ Category

The Rhythm of the Stones

by frank / Sep 14 2010 / 31 posts

This picture makes me think, “There’s a right way to ride the cobbles, and a wrong way.”  Those riders who have raced on the cobbles of Flanders and Northern France will tell you that riding the stones fast takes a “something” that can’t be taught.  The trick seem to be finding a subtle space between steering a...

Know Your Limitations

by frank / Aug 17 2010 / 37 posts

I always strongly consider observations from anyone willing to wave a 44 Magnum in people’s faces.  As such, I’ve always appreciated Dirty Harry‘s recommendation that a man know his limitations.  For example, I can appreciate that I am not an elegant creature and it is best if I avoid sports involving hand-eye coordination. I&...

Reverence: The Double Shift

by frank / Jul 11 2010 / 23 posts

There was a time when shifting was an art. Friction down-tube shifters required a finess and a light touch of the fingers; a slight overshift to pop the chain onto the cog, and then ease the shifter forward to rest the chain perfectly in its place. Over time, and with the advancement of technology, the art has slipped out of shifting, first with in...

Le Mecanicien

by frank / Jun 8 2010 / 129 posts

Each of us remembers how they became a Velominatus. For me, it was at Grimpeur Wielersport, in Zevenaar, The Netherlands. Its the perfect place: a small shop, on a small street, in a small town, in a small country, run by a Giant of the Sport, Herman van Meegen. I haven’t been back in years, not since my mentor and original owner was forced t...

Tape-O-Philia*

by Gianni / Apr 25 2010 / 124 posts

Nothing says “amateur” more than an imperfect handlebar tape job, a dirty bike or a nasty grimy chain. Conversely, a clean bike feels faster. And new handlebar tape and a clean chain imbue a rider with extra fortitude and a little extra snap in the legs.The professionals don’t need to wrap their own bars-they have full- time mechanics who can...

The Trench

by frank / Apr 7 2010 / 18 posts

This 1968 photo of the the sector at Wallers-Arenberg shows what it must really be like to ride Paris-Roubaix.  The cobbles are uneven and the holes are deep; the safety of the gutter is dramatically reduced by the deep mud.  At 95km from the finish, the race can’t be won here, but it can certainly be lost.I’m not speaking of personal...

Sur la Plaque: Mechanics of the Big Ring

by frank / Nov 13 2009 / 124 posts

I’ve been riding for long enough to know that what “feels” good and and what “is” good in terms of technique are two independent sets with a small intersection; it’s very important to put a lot of thought and research into what you’re doing to make sure it offers a benefit.  Research takes “work̶...

Where Will It End?

by frank / Jul 25 2007 / 3 posts

Yesterday, the very sad news broke that Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a homologous blood transfusion Saturday after winning the first long time trial at the Tour de France.Vino was one of the last riders who were at the top of the sport during the Armstrong era who had managed to avoid doping suspision. Armstrong never failed a drug test...
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