To Look Good is Already to Go Fast

Looking fast. Photo: Pedale.Forchetta
Its no coincidence he looks as fast as he is. Photo: Pedale.Forchetta

To look good is already to go fast.
-Paul Fournel, Vélo

My approach to research is pretty straight forward. First, I develop an opinion – usually in a cognitively compromised state. This is the first step in the process for the simple reason that it avoids the bulk of the hard work involving things like reading and thinking. Next, I cherry-pick evidence from my experience and what few materials I have read on the subject in order to support my opinion. Finally, I defend myself with whatever dirty tricks or facts I need to invent in order to maintain my position.

It is only on rare occasions that I will be unable to guess at the evidence I need to support my claim, but in those cases I already know I’m right, so not finding evidence that contradicts my position is almost the same as finding some that supports it. I consider those circumstances validation of my opinion and thus fortify the resolve that I’m right.

Over the lifetime of The Rules, numerous bright sparks have popped up out of the ether like some sort of internet Whack-A-Mole to point out that many of them are all about aesthetics. The point is true enough, but the Velominati have always understoodd that Looking Fantastic is the fundamental building block to finding the motivation to get out on the bike day in, day out – Rule #9 or shine. The fact that the hard work of training is what actually makes you faster is glossed over when you get excited about kitting up in your Flandrian Best, echoing the summoning of Flemish hardmen who have come before you, and using their image to inspire you to get out and lay down the V. Its basic, really.

Despite how certain I’ve always been that this is Truth and that The Rules have been handed down by Merckx from high on Mount Velomis to inspire the masses, an Austrian professor, Dr. Erik Postma of the University of Zurich, recently conducted a study to see whether Looking Fantastic really does indicate athletic prowess.

The results confirmed that Science is unnecessary when you’ve already guessed the truth, but nevertheless it is handy to have a scientific study support my assumptions in case I can’t make up facts as quickly as I need to during an argument. It also strikes me as interesting that the study found that women on the pill are about as good at identifying attractive males as men are.

Thanks to Shaka Mitchell for sending this validating study along to us.

Related Posts

130 Replies to “To Look Good is Already to Go Fast”

  1. @Nate

    @frank and I can’t believe that tumblr wasn’t already in effect. Well done.

    When a bull wanders by, seemingly hopped up on sedatives, grab it by the horns. You can have it if you want; I just grabbed it while I could.

  2. @wiscot

    @Teocalli

    @wiscot

    @frank

    @Chris

    I’m sorry, Chris. Were you saying something about V-Caps?

    Not to be too nit-picky, but when the brim is down, shouldn’t “Obey the Rules” read left-to-right? It reads correctly if the brim is up . . .

    Pic 2 is from the back!

    D’oh! (slaps forehead while blushing.)

    Not nit picky at all. Listen Fronk, this is just your target market re-defining the brief a little.

    All we want is a cap with 3 simple words on the underside of brim, oriented so the wearer can read them when the brim is down, and the viewer can read them when the brim is up? Capiche?

    You’re the designer. We don’t want to hear “impossible” we want solutions.

  3. @Harminator

    Are you somehow under the impression that you have been asked for input? Even worse – are you somehow under the impression that I would give two flying fucks what your input was?

  4. @frank  Certainly not! I live in Egypt mate. Nothing like a bit of dictatorship for gettin shit done!

    Also, as a Design Tech teacher I have a healthy disdain for the ignorant asking for the impossible.

    Carry on…

  5. @frank

    @Chris

    I’m sorry, Chris. Were you saying something about V-Caps?

    About time too. That looks awesome but how close is it to release? How many panels? One on each side and one over the top or multi panelled sides as per the rouleur offerings?

  6. @Harminator

    @wiscot

    @Teocalli

    @wiscot

    @frank

    @Chris

    I’m sorry, Chris. Were you saying something about V-Caps?

    Not to be too nit-picky, but when the brim is down, shouldn’t “Obey the Rules” read left-to-right? It reads correctly if the brim is up . . .

    Pic 2 is from the back!

    D’oh! (slaps forehead while blushing.)

    Not nit picky at all. Listen Fronk, this is just your target market re-defining the brief a little.

    All we want is a cap with 3 simple words on the underside of brim, oriented so the wearer can read them when the brim is down, and the viewer can read them when the brim is up? Capiche?

    You’re the designer. We don’t want to hear “impossible” we want solutions.

    Just remember it without having to read it. Reading on a brim is a bad design choice anyway.

  7. @frank

    @Nate

    @frank and I can’t believe that tumblr wasn’t already in effect. Well done.

    When a bull wanders by, seemingly hopped up on sedatives, grab it by the horns. You can have it if you want; I just grabbed it while I could.

    You have already set too high a standard for me to take over the tumblr.

    Do sedatives have an inverse reaction in bulls?

  8. @G’rilla

    Some research in the other direction…post-ride beer hampers recovery.

    But is that really a surprise?

    http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088384

    You can’t believe everything you read, and conducting a good experiment is really hard.

    @Nate

    @G’rilla

    Some research in the other direction…post-ride beer hampers recovery.

    But is that really a surprise?

    http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088384

    What a load of bollocks. That study is trying to replicate team sport binge drinking “” the protocol is for the subject to have 12 +/- 2 vodka drinks after. We, in contrast, are cyclists, not barbarians or Russians, and have far more refined drinking habits.

    This. There’s a reason you’ve got that badge, mate.

    @G’rilla, I blame that useless 13″ MBP you just told me you’re using. The resolution is way too low to be able to comprehend this sort of Awesome.

  9. @Weldertron I think POC doesn’t like cyclists.  Their helmets for skiing and motocross look pretty slick but their cycle helmets look like brain-injury protection.

  10. Photo: pedale.forchetta

    Photo: pedale.forchetta

    You know, I like looking at VeloKittens, Vanderkittens and Liz Hatch’s thighs as much as the next red-blooded American (or British, Italian, Aussie, Kiwi and any others on this site) male, but I really want THOSE calves. Well, not THOSE calves, rather, calves that look like THOSE calves.

  11. @unversio

    @Harminator

    @wiscot

    @Teocalli

    @wiscot

    @frank

    @Chris

    I’m sorry, Chris. Were you saying something about V-Caps?

    Not to be too nit-picky, but when the brim is down, shouldn’t “Obey the Rules” read left-to-right? It reads correctly if the brim is up . . .

    Pic 2 is from the back!

    D’oh! (slaps forehead while blushing.)

    Not nit picky at all. Listen Fronk, this is just your target market re-defining the brief a little.

    All we want is a cap with 3 simple words on the underside of brim, oriented so the wearer can read them when the brim is down, and the viewer can read them when the brim is up? Capiche?

    You’re the designer. We don’t want to hear “impossible” we want solutions.

    Just remember it without having to read it. Reading on a brim is a bad design choice anyway.

    Not sure you quite got the ‘impossible’ element in there.  That, or you’re operating on a level of irony well above what I can detect.

  12. Not entirely impossible. What’s known as a 180-degree rotational ambigram, readable both ways. The word “dollop” is a natural example. “Obey the Rules” would be a little difficult to render as such, and pretty much illegible.

  13. @postcard

    “a little difficult … pretty much illegible” indeed! Understatedly well played, sir.

  14. @pistard dammit, not postcard.  Damned auto-correct when posting from a mobile…

  15. This kid gets it: http://www.manualforspeed.com/development/blue-or-blue/

    He’s already won the junior PR & rainbows, though I’d assume he’ll be riding in support of Faboo for a couple of years yet.

  16. Neither Dr Rosenblatt nor Board of Education officials returned calls seeking comment yesterday.

    I think my parents are the role models for empathy and accountability, which
    is the UK’s leading relationship research organisation, and I
    choose the road to avoid the parents of those that died.

  17. Excellent beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your
    site, how can i subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal.
    I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright
    clear concept

  18. Just clicked on this old article, and what do I see? Back in Feb 2014 there was in existence a design for a V-cap. So in amongst all the rumour and false dawns, a prototype did escape into the wild.

    So essentially it is simply cruelty by the helmet lovers of this world that is holding back the cap lovers as they ‘know’ that once released then We will be the one Looking Fabulous.

    Nurse?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.