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.
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 kilometres and measure sizes in centimetres regardless of what country we are in. We adhere strictly to the Canon of Cycling’s Etiquette: The Rules.
A Velominatus is a disciple of the highest order. We spend our days poring 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.
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Velominati.com is less about the articles and more about the conversation. Those of you who read more and poster more, become an integral part of the discussion and help carry the momentum forward. There are several levels of Velominatus*:
Level 4 Velominatus: The casual observer and occasional poster.
Level 3 Velominatus: The regular reader and casual poster.
Level 2 Velominatus: The devoted reader and regular poster.
Level 1 Velominatus: The most committed of reader and poster.
Gray, Black, and Orange Order Velominatus: Once having passed Level 1, the inducted among the Order wear three color badges, based on their rank.
We strive to foster an open, fun, critical, and censure-free environment. Any criticism of our writing, spelling, grammar, or intelligence is welcome and nothing said will ever get you suspended from the site. That said, the code of conduct is governed by Rule #43 and the Piti Principle. Members consistently exhibiting behavior that falls outside these parameters will be warned to check themselves; should warnings go unheeded, we may elect to issue a suspension. The first offense will result in a one-week suspension, the second in a two week suspension, and the third in a three week suspension. A fourth offense will result in a lifetime ban.
Velominati reserves the right to edit posts with the express interest to preserve the spirit of the conversation and the community. Regarding posts that address a grammatical or typographical error, Velominati may elect to take their input, correct the error in the articles where appropriate, and editing posts that point them out. This editorial action is not to serve as a censure entity, but to preserve the spirit of the conversation. That said, we endeavor to only edit those posts that point out a minor issue and only in the event that we make the edit before the post has yielded further discussion. Furthermore, when possible, we will strive to acknowledge said poster for their correction.
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*Levels are calculated based on the previous year’s activity.
View Comments
@canerican
Thank you for visually articulating my hatred of Instagram.
@ChrisO
The only way a photo should look like that is if it actually was black and white (or a guerrotype) with some awesome french/italian/belgian dude from the the pre-70s crushing it on a gravel mountain climb with a Ford Model-T or open top Peugot off in the background cooking the engine trying to keep up. That way the Keepers could engage in a rousing debate about who, when, and where the photo was taken and our collective knowledge of the sport would be that much deeper.
Seriously. From what I can see through the filter blur that bike looks pretty classic/classy. If you want to blur shit play with your depth of field and let us see the subject in full focus with a beautifully muted background a la @Pedale.Forchetta.
@DeKerr
Pedant alert: That would be Daguerrotype, named after Louis Jacques-Mandé Daguerre.
Other than that, bike looks pretty nice - just shoot it from the other side, put your cranks in the proper position and valve stems at 6 o'clock.
@wiscot
and put it on the big ring, FFS.
@wiscot my bad. thank you.
@DeKerr
No problem. I'm a pedant about some things and work in a museum so I'm sensitive to this kind of stuff. Hey, it's been bit of a baptism by fire, but stick around.
Gentlemen,enjoying reading the Rules. Never to old to learn.
If ever in Perth, Western Australia in October, get in touch, and we may be able to arrange a start for you in the 5PR (five pub ride - see attached)
kind regards
harro
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Greetings all.
I've been hanging around the site for a couple of months, and thought it about time I introduced myself.
At the age of 37 (and far too overweight) after riding fairly casually for a couple of years, I decided that I would really give cycling a shot. In May, I told Mrs. KW that I wanted to ride a century in September. She thought I was crazy, but I set about training. I rode as much as I could during the week, and began increasing the miles on the weekends. After a couple of months, I was hooked and the inevitable disagreements began about how much time I spent on the bike.
I began commuting by bike 2-3 days a week (26 miles round trip), and finally convinced her that I was truly serious about this business. I was able to find myself a humble steed (my first ever road bike) that fit the budget (I hold only an advisory vote on the budget committee). I managed to drop about 30 pounds, and was able to complete the century in less time than I had hoped.
I recently joined a local club, and continue to ride as much as I can. I'm afraid that the weather in SE Wisconsin will force me indoors soon, but after nearly 4000km since May, I feel good about my first season on the bike.
OK, that's quite enough rambling for now. Time to map out the next ride.
@KW
I'm not a Keeper but as a dilataunte of the V, welcome! You sound like, no you are, off to a fantastic start to a journey that will take you many, many places - literally and figuratively - perhaps the latter more importantly? Enjoy the journey and remember this discipline is not intuitive in terms of equipment, position or skills so asking those who know (not those who pose) is the short cut to the true V.
@KW
It sounds like you had a great season. Way to dive in. As you can see, folks here take cycling seriously, but not themselves. Welcome to the fray!