Anatomy of a Photo: Rule #47

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• @Flaccus

  @Chris

  @Cyclops

  from the looks of euphoria on their faces it is obvious that they are drinking Rochefort 10

  Just when I'm trying to knuckle down and get myself back on the bike and off the booze you have to remind me that there's a few 10s kicking round the house somewhere. Thanks.

  Love that glass, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for one of those on ebay.

  Question.....Is there one for every Rule? and can you have one for every rule obeyed on a ride? Now that would be Badass! Flaccus

  That would probably limit me to adhering to a couple of rules only which would result in both me and the bike looking shit.

  I would suggest that for mere mortals like myself Belgian beers should be treated like mountains. If the percentage is pushing up above 7% it should be taken with caution and probably only a couple at a time.

  On the morning after my last birthday one of the other dads kindly took my lads to their rugby matches. I couldn't open my eyes or move my head and there altogether far too many empty 10s in the kitchen. Mrs Chris tells me that there was a point at which I could have stopped that wouldn't have resulted in half as much damage.

  It's odd that when it comes to beer my common sense gene seems to be sadly defective yet when it comes to the mountains it was quite happy to tell me that the Hautacam, Luz Ardiden and the Tourmalet was probably pushing it.

• @Joe

  @chris - I'm a life long Londoner but recently transplanted to Los Angeles for work. Enjoying the hills and the good weather!

  I hope you know about sunscreen.

• @Malfadactus

  @Buck Rogers

  @Malfadactus Yeah, as Frank says, forgetting to blink can really exacerbate dry eye and this happends to me when I ride sometimes or even during surgery. We are trained during residency to remember to blink when operating under the microscope b/c when you are inherently focusing on a near task with total concentration you suppress your blink reflex and your eyes dry out and blur. It is much worse for people with dry eyes. Frank nailed everything, though. Use wrap around sunglasses. If you wear contact lenses it can be worse as well as your eyes will dry out faster. Besides blinking more, getting better/tighter fitting sunglasses, and not wearing contacts, there's not a lot you can do. You can use artificial tears but I would not want to try to put those in while actually riding!

  Thanks for the input. I have been shopping for a new set of glasses that will fit tighter, and I have an appointment with the eye doc next week. But the old pictures with the goggles made me wonder if new glasses would just be a half-measure that might or might not work. I guess the real issue is whether I would feel sillier in absurdly expensive pro-style sunglasses, or in absurdly retro old-style goggles.

  Expensive sunglasses are expensive for a reason: they are very good. Try some JawBones or something similar. You will be out a pretty penny, but vision is worth it, I'd say.

  The goggles will backfire on you very quickly as they will prevent any kind of ventilation and they'll fog etc. From your statement above, I gather you've not invested in good shades; buy or borrow a pair from a mate and go that route first. There is a big difference between top of the line shades and the stuff at the budget end.

• @frank

  @Malfadactus

  @Buck Rogers

  @Malfadactus Yeah, as Frank says, forgetting to blink can really exacerbate dry eye and this happends to me when I ride sometimes or even during surgery. We are trained during residency to remember to blink when operating under the microscope b/c when you are inherently focusing on a near task with total concentration you suppress your blink reflex and your eyes dry out and blur. It is much worse for people with dry eyes. Frank nailed everything, though. Use wrap around sunglasses. If you wear contact lenses it can be worse as well as your eyes will dry out faster. Besides blinking more, getting better/tighter fitting sunglasses, and not wearing contacts, there's not a lot you can do. You can use artificial tears but I would not want to try to put those in while actually riding!

  Thanks for the input. I have been shopping for a new set of glasses that will fit tighter, and I have an appointment with the eye doc next week. But the old pictures with the goggles made me wonder if new glasses would just be a half-measure that might or might not work. I guess the real issue is whether I would feel sillier in absurdly expensive pro-style sunglasses, or in absurdly retro old-style goggles.

  Expensive sunglasses are expensive for a reason: they are very good. Try some JawBones or something similar. You will be out a pretty penny, but vision is worth it, I'd say.

  The goggles will backfire on you very quickly as they will prevent any kind of ventilation and they'll fog etc. From your statement above, I gather you've not invested in good shades; buy or borrow a pair from a mate and go that route first. There is a big difference between top of the line shades and the stuff at the budget end.

  Jawbones have been replaced by Racing Jackets in Oakley's lineup FYI.  They are the same, just can do a strap now.  I think there was some legal issue with the name as well.

  I've been very satisfied with Optic Nerve Eyeques that I got for much less than Oakleys.  Four shades of lens as well.

• Speaking of the drink, the New Yorker Feb. 11 & 18 issue has a nice article on whisky, particularly the resuscitation of the Bruichladdich distillery. Nice run-down of what goes into making whisky. Oh yeah, and it has a guy on the cover sporting a neck tattoo of...a bicycle. Looks to be a hybrid though...

  Fellow contact wearer, dry-eyer. I only wear contacts when cycling and playing futbol. Used to wear them all the time but they really bother my eyes at this point if I go over a few hours. (which reminds me, I'm up for my 2 year free glasses/contacts!). I always wear shades when cycling, even just clear ones in low-light or during cx riding in the woods when it's dim. I have a pair of Oakley Radars with Pitch lenses (that I found!) and those provide a lot of coverage, best out of the 4-5 cycling-specific shades I have. I'm after some Path lenses since these cover half of my face, but they provide great coverage. Definitely no need for goggles, or to suffer dry eyes! Good luck.

  And TGIF everyone! Hope you get some good, long weekend rides in!

• And regarding budget shades/quality - I have three pairs of nice Oakleys that offer really excellent lens quality and vision. Nice as. I also have some Uvex shades that I got off a bargain site for around $30 with three sets of lenses. The optics are great for the price, but nowhere near the Oakleys. Not sure about top-model Uvex, as these were mid-range. But, I was after so decent, inexpensive shades for cross riding/racing so that I'll only have to worry about my teeth if I go in face first, not teeth + shades.

• @Ron mmmmmmmmmmmm Bruichladdich, my favourite. 

  As for contacts, have you tried daily disposables with a high silicone content? They allow your eyes to breath much more easily. Previously my eyes would dry out a bit by the end of work and I was told I might have to stop wearing them. Now I pop them in when I get up and take them out when I go to bed. Perfect.

• @Malfadactus

  Not sure if this is the appropriate venue for this question, but here goes. I have a serious problem with dry eyes on long rides. Even when wearing sunglasses, after four or five hours, one eye dries out to the point where I can't even see out of it, and the other eye gets pretty marginal. Not pleasant and downright dangerous. So, if I were to obtain and wear a set of old school goggles, like the gentleman in the photo above, would that be a rules violation? Would I have to obtain and wear the rest of the old school kit-button collar wool shirt, cap, etc? Could I put the helmet straps over the google straps? So many issues.

  Perhaps a pair of Oakley's finest would be in order

• @Ron

  Speaking of the drink, the New Yorker Feb. 11 & 18 issue has a nice article on whisky, particularly the resuscitation of the Bruichladdich distillery. Nice run-down of what goes into making whisky. Oh yeah, and it has a guy on the cover sporting a neck tattoo of...a bicycle. Looks to be a hybrid though...

  Fellow contact wearer, dry-eyer. I only wear contacts when cycling and playing futbol. Used to wear them all the time but they really bother my eyes at this point if I go over a few hours. (which reminds me, I'm up for my 2 year free glasses/contacts!). I always wear shades when cycling, even just clear ones in low-light or during cx riding in the woods when it's dim. I have a pair of Oakley Radars with Pitch lenses (that I found!) and those provide a lot of coverage, best out of the 4-5 cycling-specific shades I have. I'm after some Path lenses since these cover half of my face, but they provide great coverage. Definitely no need for goggles, or to suffer dry eyes! Good luck.

  And TGIF everyone! Hope you get some good, long weekend rides in!

  Which are better: Jawbones or Radar?  By the way, does TGIF refer to shoes, and if so it must be a reminder to slower cyclists that: "toes go in first."

• @gianni - the lack of pubs is disconcerting, even more the lack of al fresco boozing. So many sunny evenings going to waste for lack of beer gardens..

  @nate - will need it soon. Face, arms and legs have turned a dirty brown, the rest is still polar white. regulation issue.

  Bruichladdich used to be part owned by a mate of my boss. REAL character....lovely dram. Still like Talisker and bum basic Laphroaig a bit better maybe....