Categories: Breaking The RulesEtiquetteLa Vie VelominatusLook Pro

The Book and the Cover

The Lion King was once a Pedalwan cub, just as the rest of us. Guide the uninitiated.

I rode with a rider I know from work a few weeks ago. The first time we sat in a meeting together, we immediately pegged one another as a Cyclist the way Cyclists always peg one another; nothing specific or obvious but everything nonspecific and nonobvious. It’s what we do, you can’t learn it and it can’t be explained. Then he mentioned he had driven to Seattle from SoCal with his dog and his bike and I was sure. This wasn’t a Harley he was talking about, this was a road bike.

As leaders of our respective teams, we immediately directed the agenda to measuring up one another’s bikes.

Me: “What bike do you ride?”

Him: “I brought my rain bike when I moved here. It’s a Pinarello Prince. My good bike is a Dogma. What do you ride?”

Me: “A Veloforma Strada iR. My rain bike is a Cervelo R3.”

Him: “What groupsets?”

It went on a bit before he turned to the everyone else and explained the situation in layman’s terms. “The conversation we’re having here is that we both have a Ferrari except the Ferrari got a little old and we bought a newer Ferrari. Except we didn’t get rid of the old Ferrari because you just don’t do that. Too many memories. So then you wind up with a Ferrari you ride in bad weather and one that you ride in good.”

When our schedules finally meshed to the point that we got together for a ride, he invited two of his colleagues along with him; one a long-time training partner and one a younger guy he’d never ridden with who showed up on a heavy no-name steel bike with a 90’s-era Shimano 105 8 speed groupsan. And platform pedals. And a t-shirt. And sneakers.

“Are you running or riding?”

We all had a chuckle and set off on a jaunty 80km spin, not too hard but not too easy. Sneakers held on the whole way. He got gapped a little on the bigger climbs but laid down the power to catch up again and sat in the group like a Pro; drafting close, taking the corners well, and rotating through into the wind. And always with a smile on his face.

As the ride wound down, the friend I’d sized up in the meeting sat up and pointed at me and said, “You rode like I expected you to ride.” Then he pointed at Sneakers and said, “And you rode so much harder than I ever expected. If you had a better bike, you’d be dropping us all. You’re an amazing athlete.” Everyone agreed.

I’ve been in touch with Sneakers, a new Pedalwan. He picked up some clipless pedals first, then a bit later he scored a new bike off CraigsList. He’s caught the bug, and catching the bug is what its all about.

Never judge a book by it’s cover. Behind every platform pedal riding, sneaker and t-shirt wearing bicyclist lurks a potential Velominatus.

Vive la Vie Velominatus.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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frank says:

Jun 2 2015 at 9:42 am

@Gabriel David

@LawnCzar

What memories! They seem to be similar to my own!

Back in 1986, I was starstruck by Lemond and Hinault. For a few years, I was definitely the kid with sneakers and platform pedals. By 1988, my parents had come to terms with my cycling obsession and gotten me a fairly good racing bike (complete w/ index shifting – a novelty at the time, quill pedals, etc). I stopped riding during college, but got back to it in 2010 when I was diagnosed w/ Type II Diabetes. It’s good to be back riding (now that I can afford good equipment on my own), doing longer rides, and taking advantage of 24/7 internet coverage of the sport.

I even got a mention in Richard Moore’s “Slaying The Badger” for a letter that I had sent to him! I’m a bit of a fanatic on the 86 Tour. Now we can all enjoy Tour fever w/o being at the mercy of non-European TV, and the postman delivering our copy of Winning (though, I really miss that magazine!)

Winning was a masterpiece; the large format, the glossy cover...OH MAN. I remember running to the mailbox for a few weeks hoping the new issue would be out...and then BANG! There it was. The worst was that they'd usually go to press before the race was over, so you'd have a standing mid-race and not know how it ended.

It was more fun that way, from a certain perspective. Now I'm annoyed if the full GC results aren't updated within a few minutes so I can update the VSP accurately.

Awesome story about the Badger; I'll have to ask you for a page number so I can go look it up!
frank says:

Jun 2 2015 at 9:48 am

@stooge

I usually wear MTB shorts and a wool tshirt. I get a lot of advice from well meaning roadies after they see me out a few times or I ask if I can hang on their wheel for a bit in the wind. It’s cool when this happens and I’ve made some friends. I get a lot of sniggers too. I usually avoid those guys from then on. If they aren’t that fit I might keep an eye out for them and sneak up and gas past them when the opportunity arises. It’s childish, but I get laugh.

I sincerely hope that when you do this, you sit upright on the tops and look about casually, maybe take one hand off the bars to feel around for something in your pocket or inspect a fictional abnormality on your top tube. Anything to make it look like you're just blowing by that fast without the slightest of effort. Childish for sure, and so much fun.

I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with rules, empty authority, and sheepish behaviour. Guidance is cool. Put offs are not cool. Anyone showing the slightest interest in cycling (of any form) should be encouraged in a way that is actually encouraging. The more people on bikes, the better, in my opinion.

Rules #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 should really make this clear, but if one misses the point, then hopefully they'll catch on by the time they get to Rule #43.

My son is 26 months and has had a balance bike for a couple of months. The first thing he says in the morning is often “Bike!”. Same thing after his mid day nap and after his evening bath. He also comes and sits next to me whilst I’m at the computer and says “bike video”, wanting to see some cycling. No more encouragement needed than simply allowing him to ride. It’s early days, but I think we have another one…

Sounds like me, and I'm more than 26 months old!
frank says:

Jun 2 2015 at 9:53 am

@stooge

@Rob

Oh, he was a rule breaker alright. But, as for the cycling, he’d be contravening #7, #27, #33, and #50, at least. He did however have the spirit of a cyclist.

I think if your family dates back to Aus 100 years, then yes, definitely a rule breaker!
frank says:

Jun 2 2015 at 9:59 am

@Gabriel David

Here’s a retro thought:

Let’s petition NBCSN to do weekend TDF highlight shows (in addition to the real time coverage, or course) in the tradition of the old CBS broadcasts. Bring back the music, and the dramatic copy. Just a throwback for all of us who had nothing but CBS back in the day…

I’m quite happy with the coverage I can get via NBC and Universal, but the lack of Giro coverage irks me. They cover all of the ASO races, but the others are spotty.

Universal Sports used to cover all of it, and I'd happily subscribe to their service online but fucking Comcast won't allow it. Fucking cable companies, what bullshit.

@wiscot

Great piece, but I have a question: why has the background been crude blacked out? What was originally there? Was Cipo attracting a bevvy of beauties even in his callow youth?

I miss Winning too. In the UK we had Cycling Weekly which until the early 80s was printed entirely on giant sheets of toilet paper. There as also International Cycle Sport which was mostly B&W but still good. Copies of Miroir du Cyclisme were prized beyond belief . . . the fact that it was in French was irrelevant.

I still don't read the articles in Cycling mags. Honestly, I don't even notice what language they're in!

@Ron

Picked up my first road bike in 2003, an oversized, used Cannondale. I then rode my first race, a criterium in 2005. I was in sneakers with toe clips, I also dive bombed in corners. Goddamn. Now so much seems like second nature. I’m always happy to share with newcomers, as I was there not long ago.

Went to a criterium race in Winston-Salem, NC yesterday, with the VMH and the dogs. What other sport allows you to walk through the team van parking lots and the PRO women, who just finished, want to pet your dog? Can’t imagine that happening after an NBA or NFL game. The Cipollini team women loved the dogs. I told them they should be back home in Milan for the finish. They definitely didn’t understand my English.

The VVomen's cycling scene is so much more underground still, it is very cool. Back for KT2012 I was stuck at the airport waiting for my bike in Amsterdam which didn't arrive for several more days. The Tibco racing team was waiting for their, too, and they were so approachable and friendly, all of them.

To be fair, I did have a long chat with Tyler Farrar back him in Seattle while doing the same and he was approachable and friendly as well, but...
Puffy says:

Jul 11 2015 at 6:08 pm

Interesting reading this article AFTER reading Weight Weenines Article. Sneakers and shorts granted... but there is nothing wrong with riding a steel frame with 8 speed 105. Getting a "better bike" isn't going to make him faster now is it @Frank.