Wellington isn’t renown for its great summers; a mate is always quick to remind me that if the weather was perfect all the time, everyone would want to live here and we’d be overrun by Aucklanders (just like Aussies but not quite dumb enough to live in Canberra). As our summer goes into its last death throes of amazingly calm, sunny, cloudless days, the arm warmers and undershirt have only just emerged from their longest hibernation ever. And I probably won’t need them for tomorrow’s ride either.
Come next Monday, however, I’ll be on the other side of the world and months of unzipped jerseys and SPF30 will be but a memory; a cold, wet, distant memory. And I have to say I’m almost looking forward to it with a strange enthusiasm and a hint of romanticism. Almost. No amount of fitness gleaned from training in perfect weather can prepare one for the rigours of a Belgian spring.
We know how the body will react when it is pulled from its warm cocoon and plunged into an icy bath. How the mind will handle it is a bigger concern. We can prepare ourselves physically to the nth degree, but if we’re mentally inept then the sag wagon becomes a likely option. At which point something deep inside takes over, thought processes return to normal and the mere thought of getting off the bike is quickly and methodically banished. Not here, not now.
Let the hardmen be hardmen, let it rain and blow and the cobbles turn to mud when they grace these roads. But Merckx have mercy on a fair-weather soul, even if only for a few selected days. Let our Flandrian Best suffice and our tubulars have sure grip on dry stones. Failing that, at least keep us upright and we will drink a toast to you night after night.
Bring it on.
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Enjoy KT 2013 looking forward to the report. All Weather is good weather!
Four words em·bro·ca·tion
Have a great KT2013! Looking forward to the stories that will become legend!
Velominati News Flash! Sighting of Alien Velominati on Maui! Two pasty white Canadians, Phil and Scott are here, riding their brains out. Summit, check, West Maui, check, check, they are covering the island in V-style. That's the way to ride.
Enjoy Brett! Love to be there, but just can't pull m'self away from my 3.9 earthquakes, 4wd and trim soy decaf mochiatto latte espresso..
@Gianni
Nice! Are you pacing them on a scooter, continuously spraying them down with SPF100 sunblock?
@mcsqueak
Neither, they are self-motivated. They seem to know where to go. My wife saw them as she was driving into town and was so surprised to see men in v-kits that she had to stop find out more information. There are only 5 v-kit owners on Maui, total, me and wife included so to see another pair is big news.
@sthilzy
Good call, sthilzy! Absolutely love the embrocation stuff from Mad Alchemy. In the cold it's either the Mellow or the Gentleman's Blend. All other times I slather on the summer stuff (non-warming).
-Dinan
Here are a couple of pics from my neck of the woods today. What a strange winter, although we old timers recall this being normal. Last year by this time I was riding in summer kit and had 1500k on my saddle outside prepping for KT. KT is going to be awesome this year as well. The Pavé boys and Genevieve do not disappoint. All the best to you sods.
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What does the expression, "prepare ourselves physically to the nth degree" try to convey. Is the convention to assume a high value for n? But if n is zero and you prepare to that degree, you've not prepared at all.
Or, are we talking degrees of a sphere or ciricle? If so, depending on your goal, is the assumption that you try to get n to be as close to 180 as possible?
I'm so confused.
@Gianni
Now I need to pony up for a full-on V kit, on the off chance some random VMH will pull me over and chat me up.