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
@itburns, @Beers
Thanks - those issues should be resolved now as well. Cheers.
@Beers - IE8 is never fine. Ever. It just so happens to suck so hard that the "feature" I just removed didn't work in it, so the problem didn't show itself, but that's no the same as being "fine". In fact, we don't officially support any MSFT browser as a matter of principle. If we made money or if we paid for development time, that would be one of our best IT business decisions, but since we don't do either of those things, we can't quantify it that way. Instead, I just say I can't be fucked with IE.
@frank
Thanks dude. I was beginning to think that no one cared.
WTF ... I was level 2 when I woke up .... now Im level one ..... what strange and wonderous things happen within this place
@barracuda Congrats. Merckxmas has come early for you this year. I, on the other hand, have a long hill to climb.......
This is kinda cool... a mate just emailed me this link...
Just a little intro. Fairly new to the sport with about 6 years of riding under the belt (if you rule out Triathlons it has really been 4 years of proper riding) I've been following this site for the past year or so. Reading the articles and re-reading The Rules. Half the time I have no friggin idea what you guys are talking about when it becomes too technical but every day I find myself going deeper and deeper into this unique world. It's about the ride, it's about the bike, it's about the people you ride with. I'm loving every moment being on the roads.
I'm from Singapore and it takes only 150km to ride around the entire island. If you guys happen to stop by give me a shout and I will take you out on some nice roads. Perhaps even riding across to Malaysia if you can afford the time.
@getsetchris Welcome! Glad you started posting after a year of reading. Love the shot of your bike! Keep meditating on the Rules and everything else works itself out.
@getsetchris Welcome !
@getsetchris
Welcome! That photo is awesome, it looks like a mashup of various other parts of the world. Directly behind the bike I am sure I am looking at The London Eye with Canary Wharf in the background (London landmarks). I am curious as to what the three towers with the ironing board on top is on the left?
Great that you finally stepped forward and posted, keep up the good work!
@Deakus Thanks dude! Amazing what iphone cameras can do nowadays. We had started out doing hill repeats in prep for the Tour De Bintan but after a week of hard riding we just didn't have it in our legs. It was an Anti V moment but we said fuck it and decided to just go explore the city. The ride turned out to be a nice change from just riding hard all the time.
The water body you see is a man made reservoir, we call the London Eye copycat, The Flyer. That dome shaped thingy is a climate controlled garden which contains plants and trees from around the world. It is nice but a little artificial. The towers with the ironing board is the, Marina Bay Sands, a casino with an observation deck that has an infinity pool, some bars and overpriced restaurants.