@G’phant
If the fat boy with the balloons had got that wrong it would have been messy!
He can also fly through mountains!

Can’t go without mentioning the great hairpin sections again!!

Can’t wait to see Le Petit Grimpeur in Le Tour de China

There’s an even more extraordinary Jeb Corliss clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWfph3iNC-k&feature=youtube_gdata_player
If it doesn’t work, Google “Jeb Corliss” and “Grinding the Crack”. (Despite its title, it is SFW).
Nads of krypton.

Just bonkers – why would you even bother to wear a crash helmet? (I guess to attach the cameras to?)

@Dr C
Let the hill repeats begin!!

I might just go for one the first time round!

If the fat boy with the balloons had got that wrong it would have been messy!

He can also fly through mountains!

If it doesn’t work, Google “Jeb Corliss” and “Grinding the Crack”. (Despite its title, it is SFW).

Nads of krypton.

haha I just noticed I wrote about the same thing independently on another thread. As I said there 11.2km with 1100 meters of ascent and 90 hairpins in total. Let the hill repeats begin!!

I’m up for cold weather, muddy adventures on the pave in 2013 and for that matter sportives and the like in the UK/Ireland – it would be great to get a V Fuelled Paceline going if we could get the numbers!

@roadslave
good point, I’d forgotten it was alternate years – happy to do ToF next year instead – need to sort something unofficial, as Phil Anderson charges about £3000 for his week long trip! Will keep an eye on 2012 P-R Sportif and see how it pans out – I recall all the dramas they were having with the route earlier this year

HOWEVER The Tour of Flanders is run every year, and I would highly recommend it – on an awesomeness scale of 1 to 10, the RvV scored a 27 for a great day’s riding and experience.

@Dr CMaybe I should slow down so that I don’t exceed the speed of the tailwind and create my own relative headwind!

nothing like making work for yourself!

try cyling backwards into the headwind, so the wind is constantly at your back…..?

There has to be a solution

I’m a bit worried about the weather myself. It’s not that I don’t enjoy riding in shit weather but a dose of Rule #9 for the longest ride I’ve ever done across some pretty lumpy landscape might be pushing it. Going to give the guns a bit of a twirl this weekend on out local club run and was thinking that I really should ride down to thee start point to add another 20 odd miles to the 50-60 miles.

I was also thinking of doing this, it’s in your neck of the woods and the organisers are guaranteeing fine weather, a fast flat course lined with pretty spectators and free beer and massages at the end.

agreed Frank, I have been looking at better ways of shifting the weight as I am fking shit at losing it due to my passion for fruit pastilles… oh and chocolate… oh and cakes… oh and actually any bloody food any bloody time.

having just got through a new super duper private medical scheme for work I was consdering putting in for a couple of sessions of chemotherapy…did bloody wonders for Pharmstrong.

That looks awesome, I am just hoping the weather holds out and its not raining too badly otherwise the power I will be layind down is going to result in a lot of wheel spinning (yeah right!!) I swear sometimes when I am pushing it up hill I can feel the counter rotation of the earth against my every pedal stroke.

I am currently based in Wimbledon, London at the moment hows about yourself?

“I know you’ve wanked on about how good that fucking bike is for clearing your head for ages, but I now understand exactly where you’re coming from. An hour & a half of concentrating purely on what my body was doing without having to think of anything else, it’s magic!”

I took that as the perfect time to let her know that the insurance claim has been paid & I’m either picking up the repaired bike before the weekend or the LBS is lending me a demo model so I can find some legs again before the 65k group ride I’ve signed up for next week.

@Marcus

New Rule to Self: do not borrow Frank’s bikes. You never know what you might catch.

They don’t make wooden blocks large enough to allow you to reach the pedals anyway. So don’t sweat it, mate.

You go straight for the short guy call? You disappoint me. I thought you were better than that.

Why didn’t you say something like,
“You should be ok Marcus as I don’t think you can get a double dose of the Gonna. I think I caught it from your Missus.”

And then I could respond with
“Did i say don’t borrow Frank’s bikes? I meant to say ‘don’t borrow Frank’s rides.’ Last time I checked Fronky boy, your velomihottie has never needed me to wear wooden blocks.”

See, that was a bit more fun wasn’t it? And then all the other readers would say, “Gee that Velominati is a cool website. I think I am going to buy more V-gear.”

Missed opportunity my lofty friend. All because you dissed a short guy instead of going for the slightly edgier, but always guaranteed laugh of talking about porking someone else’s missus.

And no matter how far you people slam down your stem, tall guys on bikes always look fucked.

New Rule to Self: do not borrow Frank’s bikes. You never know what you might catch.

They don’t make wooden blocks large enough to allow you to reach the pedals anyway. So don’t sweat it, mate.

@frank

@Buck Rogers

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

No, I meant giardia, and I was joking. I just had the runs in a major way. On the plus side, I could eat whatever I wanted.Fuck, I hate it when my jokes don’t work out. Now I feel like a New Zealander, or more specifically, Minion.

New Rule to Self: do not borrow Frank’s bikes. You never know what you might catch.

LOL!!! Chapeau!

@Buck Rogers

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

No, I meant giardia, and I was joking. I just had the runs in a major way. On the plus side, I could eat whatever I wanted.
Fuck, I hate it when my jokes don’t work out. Now I feel like a New Zealander, or more specifically, Minion.

Nice story, Fronk. But don’t worry, I’m sure that your VMH never reads this site anyways, and we, as your brothers, would never say anything to her. ;)

@Buck Rogers

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

No, I meant giardia, and I was joking. I just had the runs in a major way. On the plus side, I could eat whatever I wanted.
Fuck, I hate it when my jokes don’t work out. Now I feel like a New Zealander, or more specifically, Minion.

New Rule to Self: do not borrow Frank’s bikes. You never know what you might catch.

@Buck Rogers

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

No, I meant giardia, and I was joking. I just had the runs in a major way. On the plus side, I could eat whatever I wanted.
Fuck, I hate it when my jokes don’t work out. Now I feel like a New Zealander, or more specifically, Minion.

I wasn’t even going to go there. Did think that it’d be harder to get gonorrhea in India than, say, Thailand. I was also pretty sure that you wouldn’t disclose that in a public forum! LMAO!

@Buck Rogers

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

No, I meant giardia, and I was joking. I just had the runs in a major way. On the plus side, I could eat whatever I wanted.
Fuck, I hate it when my jokes don’t work out. Now I feel like a New Zealander, or more specifically, Minion.

Yeah whatever sunshine. You’ve got a LONG way to go before reaching pinnacles I’ve scaled. Step one: terrible spelling. That’ll get you started.

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

Yeah, that’s like my cousin who had mono and claimed she had contracted it while playing beer pong in NYC. Likely story, indeed.

@frank

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

No, I meant giardia, and I was joking. I just had the runs in a major way. On the plus side, I could eat whatever I wanted.

Fuck, I hate it when my jokes don’t work out. Now I feel like a New Zealander, or more specifically, Minion.

@Buck Rogers

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea in India did for me.

Fronk, are you SURE that it was gonorrhea that you picked up in India? If so, that ought to be an intersting story as there are not too many ways one can contract gonorrhea!

Awesome. I’ll stick with being slow in the legs but fast of mind, myself!

My friend loves biking. He sent me this article. He’s a goddamn idiot but could kick your ace in a race.
Thanks for the indulgence.

Not sure how to respond to that. But that’s a pretty bold statement unless your friend is Jens Voigt.

On a side note and completely unrelated (or as Monty Python would say, And now for something completely different) I have to share some good news. I was stuck by a needle yesterday during surgery and the patient was a trauma dude that I was fixing his eye. He’s some guy from the Mexican border who was stabbed in the eye with a broken beer bottle while in a bar fight.
Needless to say, myself and the Infect Disease folks were a bit worried about his HIV status so I had to go on the anti-retroviral meds that make you sooooo sick! Even two doses of this stuff has made me feel totally like shit. But, the lab results came back 10 minutes ago and he is HIV negative! So I can go off the HIV meds.
Now if only his Hep C can come back negative, I’ll be all clear!!!

That sucks, and good news so far. I gotta ask: you a MD, RN or scrub? I myself work in the OR as a anesthesia technician/ technologist. 12 years in the ER before that. Only been stuck once and it was ‘clean’ (needle off a piggy-back IV). Have a few co-workers that have been though. Nothing like coming home and telling the VMH “hey, know we’ve been together for 10+ years, but gotta glove up for the next 12 months.

Not nice shit but glad you got the HIV negative. Fingers crossed on the Hep C.

Needless to say, myself and the Infect Disease folks were a bit worried about his HIV status so I had to go on the anti-retroviral meds that make you sooooo sick! Even two doses of this stuff has made me feel totally like shit. But, the lab results came back 10 minutes ago and he is HIV negative! So I can go off the HIV meds.
Now if only his Hep C can come back negative, I’ll be all clear!!!

Scary shit, dude. You guys do amazing work, and risk alot. The VMH used to be in a similar line of work, and its a very stressful deal.

Very glad you’re negative, and here’s hoping for a negative on the Hep C.

And, for something completely different, the HIV drugs sound like a great way to loose weight, much like getting gonorrhea giardia in India did for me.

@All
Speaking of events and consdering my dismal form right now, I decided to set my self a small target with a sportive in Blighty. I am going to be doing the Epic course so should be a nice little ride and if anyone else is going to be doing this let me know.
South Downs Sportive

Good stuff! Looks like a nice ride. I’m off to do this one in Shropshire the week after. It is going to be my first century (well almost at 98 miles).

Where are you based in the UK?

@Buck Rogers @Chris @all Northern European Velominati @ in fact anyone who is game
I’ll try to sort a Paris Roubaix trip for 2013, for those who like to gaze into the distant future, to include the P-R sportive and a few other rides over a couple of days and of course, the race itself – could be a good focal event for the EuroV’ers

Sounds like a plan! It’ll be good training for the LEJOG I’m planning on doing with a mate later on 2013.

I may just about have got to grips with my new rollers by then or, more likely, have died trying.

Just went to their site…I take it back. They do some “heavy” trips…
http://www.backroads.com/biking-trips

Loads of stuff going on with them – sounds like mostly pleasure, with moderate level suffering, but with degree of luxury – nice

Late to the discussion, but this article and the posts are very timely (and amazingly apt, eloquent and inspiring) for me indeed.
I haven’t touched a bike for ten days,

How do you do that when you WORK IN A FUCKEN BIKE SHOP!?!?!?!?!?!?! I dare you to show Kahuna this post.

@All
Speaking of events and consdering my dismal form right now, I decided to set my self a small target with a sportive in Blighty. I am going to be doing the Epic course so should be a nice little ride and if anyone else is going to be doing this let me know.
South Downs Sportive

Looks like a fine day out – I did a couple of runs down that neck of the woods through the South Downs a few weeks ago whilst sailing Hamble – mind you, I would struggle not to stop in every other village for a pint in one of those delightful little English village pubs – got a bit pissed on one of the 30 mile runs after two such stops!

@frank
Is this not your job?
Maybe one for the “favourite rides” page, would be the mentioned idea to have a register, as suggested, not for discussion, of rides/ trips that Velominati are doing, that they feel others might wish to join if riding/travelling in the vicinity, so folk have a contact to liaise with??

@brett
Amazing just how shit the guns and lungs feel after a short lay off – first day on bike today for a week – decided to batter the hills and frig me, did I struggle – but then on the fourth climb at about 20km and 450m upness done, they started to sing like a well oiled Pavarotti, I guess the Voluptia appeared – Merckx I felt strong – such a relief – I’ve had a shit week so far, albeit I haven’t been shared the body fluids of dodgy Mexican Scratchback, but for that time nothing mattered – cheap and completely legal Mary Joanna

I haven’t touched a bike for ten days, and it feels like my mind and body are being deprived of some sort of life-force, and energy and clarity is being slowly drained from me. It’s the old ‘life getting in the way’, but riding is a part of my life that really dictates everything else in it. My job(s) is cycling related, so it’s ironic that cycling is preventing me cycling in a paradoxical way. I’m sat at a computer putting together a magazine that celebrates the freedom that riding brings, yet that very act is preventing the act that I’m portraying to the audience.

And I know that when I ride again, the pain that I feel in my legs and lungs will wash away the pain in my mind and my heart that has built up and clouded my very being.

It’s time to escape.

aye laying down a couple of hours every afternoon and then proper runs on weekends. Its just getting back into the routine really. I have been really amazed how good the recovery drinks. I am using SIS at the moment and was a bit dubious about how much difference they would make but after trying them I have really noticed it.

Will definitely let everyone know how it goes and will even try and get a couple of pictures if I can remember.

@All
Speaking of events and consdering my dismal form right now, I decided to set my self a small target with a sportive in Blighty. I am going to be doing the Epic course so should be a nice little ride and if anyone else is going to be doing this let me know.
South Downs Sportive

Thanks man.

“Small target” eh, definitely sounds EPIC! That sounds awesome! Cannot wait to hear how it goes! Better start logging some serious K’s as that sounds like it will be a real ride!

Bloody hell, happy for you about the results so far and I hope that the same is to be said of the Hep C.

Just cannot be too careful, esp in non-insured trauma types here in the city.

Speaking of events and consdering my dismal form right now, I decided to set my self a small target with a sportive in Blighty. I am going to be doing the Epic course so should be a nice little ride and if anyone else is going to be doing this let me know.

South Downs Sportive

I would definitely be up for that, keep the updates coming as things progress.

@Frank

Perhaps its possible to add some kind of page for events where people can put details and others register interest in said event.

Needless to say, myself and the Infect Disease folks were a bit worried about his HIV status so I had to go on the anti-retroviral meds that make you sooooo sick! Even two doses of this stuff has made me feel totally like shit. But, the lab results came back 10 minutes ago and he is HIV negative! So I can go off the HIV meds.

Now if only his Hep C can come back negative, I’ll be all clear!!!

@Buck Rogers @Chris @all Northern European Velominati @ in fact anyone who is game
I’ll try to sort a Paris Roubaix trip for 2013, for those who like to gaze into the distant future, to include the P-R sportive and a few other rides over a couple of days and of course, the race itself – could be a good focal event for the EuroV’ers

“Good focal event for the EuroV’ers” Talk about your understatement of the century! It would be FUCKING awesome!!!

Thanks man.

I’ll try to sort a Paris Roubaix trip for 2013, for those who like to gaze into the distant future, to include the P-R sportive and a few other rides over a couple of days and of course, the race itself – could be a good focal event for the EuroV’ers

The joy is in just doing the damned thing – I’d rather be riding for the sake of it – which is why we decided to do the Trans Pyrenee Trip – I want to get lost up in the hills, taking our time, celebrating the joy of just doing it and being there – the thought of a cyclosportive, whilst we’ll do loads and enjoy them, just doesn’t excite me as much as the pure odyssey of the several days trip – I imagine we will feel completely stoned the whole time – dozing in the fresh air with the feeling of freedom that getting up to the top of a mountain under one’s own steam brings – can’t come soon enough – better book something after it of course

@drsoul
Thanks for the preview. Let’s face it, incorporating cycling into a movie is hard. A fairly regular actor can pass as a messenger; masquerading as a pro is much more difficult. Also, the logistics of recreating say, a Tour de France, is just a nightmare on so many levels. (I doubt any movie about COTHO’s exploits will ever come to pass). While I’m no fixie, the messengers do ride for a reason (to make a living) rather than just fanny about and pose. Kudos to the filmmaker for incorporating an aspect of our bike culture into a movie. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea as many see all bike riders as the same (violating traffic laws willy-nilly) but from a filmmakers point of view, its a viable and novel ingredient to a thriller movie.

The movie may very well end up being a fun, brainless way to while away a couple hours on a repackaged format for a thriller. To that, I say, well, maybe I’ll netflix it some day maybe I won’t. Something tells me though it won’t make it onto The Works page.

@mcsqueak
I plan on spending about ten days in Portland and Seattle in a couple of weeks. I’m up for a ride out on Skyline Blvd or out to Larch Mt. or Multnomah Falls if the timing is right.

Email me at johnbruneel @ yahoo.com (my ‘ghost’ account) and I’ll give you my contact info. Be fun to have 3 VM out on a ride, maybe more.

Roger that, wilco

Brett did organize a pilot Cogal in Welly for the Welli-Roubaix, and it went really well. We need more of those.

Now, if any of you know of investors who want to support me while I quit my day job and work full time on Velominati, I could even make it happen.

Hey that would be sweet. OK, up to three now!

I plan on spending about ten days in Portland and Seattle in a couple of weeks. I’m up for a ride out on Skyline Blvd or out to Larch Mt. or Multnomah Falls if the timing is right.

I’m all for a group meetup that starts here in Portland! OK, so our count is up to two now.

Nice piece, Frank, and the discussion that follows.
I concur with many of the comments, and would like to add some thoughts – sorry, this is a long post.
I have been riding bikes for a long time, beyond riding around the neighbourhood with my buddies, for more than 25 years with varying degrees of seriousness. I am looking forward to reaching the 10,000 hour mark that it is said that it takes to learn to do something well. Recently I am riding with more seriousness and focus. But I do not ride to escape the rest of my life, or to help me sort it out or to think about and solve problems from work. I ride to ride. This focus on the moment itself, on the physicality of it, on the effort, on the weather, on the right line for the next corner, on deciding whether or not to add the extra 20km loop, on remembering to eat, on the right gear for the next pitch of the climb, etc. is what give me pleasure and helps me in the rest of my life. To be a better father, husband or colleague. It has been shown that focusing your conscious intensely on things that are away from your daily problems actually allows your subconscious to solve those problems. Then when you bring them back to the conscious you find that the solution is evident. Cycling does this for me. This focus is nowhere more evident than when riding the rollers, as I am forced to when the days shorten. I ride on the terrace in the pre-dawn darkness while my family sleeps. If I am thinking about work, I fall off.
In recent years I have to some extent focused my riding on big rides (Quebrantahuesos, Maratona dles Dolomites, La Marmotte, all great events in beautiful places). This gives great motivation (why else would you ride the rollers?), but at the same time the focus on one event takes away from the overall enjoyment. You are in an incredible place for riding, but have to save your legs for tomorrow, get up ridiculously early, wait at the start, worry about getting run down by some turd who has never done a real descent in his life,…. So, this year I am focusing on something else, yet to be clearly defined. Either something like the Atlantic-Mediterranean route that Dr C mentioned or checking off as many of the climbs on this list as possible (List of highest paved roads in Europe – http://bit.ly/qeptfn), or looking for the highest dirt road passes I can find. The idea is to focus on the ride, not on the event.
Along these lines, I often refer to these words from Jean Bobet’s, Tomorrow we ride.
“People ask me whether I actually enjoy cycling. This question surprises me, since the answer is so obvious. Yes, cycling is enjoyable, and one can even give enjoyment to others, at times, but all in all it’s a rather banal question.
The divine surprise comes when you discover that beyond enjoyment lies the thrill of la volupté. The voluptuous pleasure you get from cycling is something else. It does exist, because I have experienced it. Its magic lies in its unexpectedness, its value in its rarity. It is more than a sensation because one’s emotions are involved as well as one’s actions. At the risk of raising eyebrows, I would maintain that the delight of cycling is not to be found in the arena of competition. In racing the threat of failure or the excitement of success generates euphoria at best, which seems vulgar in comparison with la volupté.
The voluptuous pleasure that cycling can give you is delicate, intimate and ephemeral. It arrives, it takes hold of you, sweeps you up and then leaves you again. It is for you alone. It is a combination of speed and ease, force and grace. It is pure happiness.”

Nicely done sir!

The In-laws live in Paso so when we come down from Tahoe I always bring the bike. Next time I’m gonna venture south a bit more to your neck of the woods. I’ve also always wanted to do the PCH from Carmel and end in SLO. Have you done it?

Nice one, Fredrik!
Good point. I do find being on the bike clears my mind, but I’m rarely trying to escape or forget anything. It’s more along the lines of letting my mind wander, wonder, and roam. My life ain’t bad, not much to escape!
Last week I was finishing a ride, hammering along the home stretch which is a slight downhill that gives you some nice speed. Suddenly I realized that my legs were seemingly turning on their own, flying around effortlessly. It was a magical moment.

That’s exactly what Bobet calls La Volupté. A moment you cannot control, or even call up, but must savour.

The point is, Cycling gives me whatever it is I need on any particular day. I change for the worse when I don’t ride, and I change for the better when I do. But it couldn’t give me all those things without also giving all those beautiful things you describe.

Fantastic stuff. Bobet’s book changed my life, in particular that chapter on La Volupte – I’ve written several times on the subject. Best cycling book ever. Also, absolutely agree on the goals – they’re very good in some ways, and very distracting in others. Also, if you’re driven and motivated by the event, you risk faltering when the event is over if you don’t have another lined up afterwards. Cycling is much more than just a means to an end.

Excellent work, this post earned you the +1 Badge for the week. Cheers.

@all
Continuing fantastic discussion. All great stuff!

@roadslave
You’ll have to send me the original of that photo – that is fantastic! Don’t worry about hitting the summit in clear weather; you’re not riding for a view, are you? My favorite rides ever have all been in the misty clouds. Seems appropriate.

http://www.backroads.com/biking-trips

Good point. I do find being on the bike clears my mind, but I’m rarely trying to escape or forget anything. It’s more along the lines of letting my mind wander, wonder, and roam. My life ain’t bad, not much to escape!

Last week I was finishing a ride, hammering along the home stretch which is a slight downhill that gives you some nice speed. Suddenly I realized that my legs were seemingly turning on their own, flying around effortlessly. It was a magical moment.

Backroads (http://www.backroads.com/) is an active travel company specializing in hiking, walking, riding, and other active travel pursuits around the globe. They have always been well reviewed by folks that I know who have travelled with them (though, alas, none of my friends have done any of the cycling trips). They do a Tour of California package, some California Wine Country trips, and others. Because their focus isn’t cycling, they are not as “heavy”, if you will, as the aforementioned outfits we’ve been discussing. But they do have trips. They are also generally on the luxury side of things as far as accommodations, support, and “extras” are concerned.

You know, I saw the preview (and the resultant comments, similar in review to yours) on the Bike Snob NYC blog. Sure, the whole fixie culture has jumped the shark. But, what exactly, is so wrong with the looks of this film from your perspective? It seems like a “suspense-filled/ chase/whodunit/what’s it all about?” film that involves bikes and bike messengers. I got no beef with that. Sure, bike messengers are always made out to be self-centered, close-minded jerks (to use a polite term). And there are portions of the preview that support these perceptions. But, really, are we only interested in seeing cycling at the center of medium to big budget major release films that have the aesthetic qualities to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes?

For those who haven’t seen the preview, here it is:

http://youtu.be/Pn6ie1zCkZU

Just back from the Hurt Locker – 30km of muchos 14-18% with a smidgeon of 21% – can’t quite imagine doing that all day for 5 days….

Tony Martin awesome, Faboo defended like a demon, but just pushed too hard – what a TT

Thanks again. Yes, I am familiar with La Fuga and planned to connect with them next year, too. This will be my first year trying “organized” trips with groups. As I have experiences with them, I’ll report here.

Has anyone here used Backroads for any of their cycling trips?

@DrC… nice ride, but means we haven’t met! I’m rubbish at remembering faces or names, but I rarely forget bikes. Only Specialiseds I’ve come across on GPM10 were Tarmacs

I regret to inform you about this. God, save us.

Premier Rush, starring some cunt on a bike.

I typically ride 6-7 days a week. I feel as if I haven’t done a proper ride in weeks. Turns out it has only been a few days. Either way, like a lot of you, if my world doesn’t revolve around my rides, I feel out of balance.

I have been riding bikes for a long time, beyond riding around the neighbourhood with my buddies, for more than 25 years with varying degrees of seriousness. I am looking forward to reaching the 10,000 hour mark that it is said that it takes to learn to do something well. Recently I am riding with more seriousness and focus. But I do not ride to escape the rest of my life, or to help me sort it out or to think about and solve problems from work. I ride to ride. This focus on the moment itself, on the physicality of it, on the effort, on the weather, on the right line for the next corner, on deciding whether or not to add the extra 20km loop, on remembering to eat, on the right gear for the next pitch of the climb, etc. is what give me pleasure and helps me in the rest of my life. To be a better father, husband or colleague. It has been shown that focusing your conscious intensely on things that are away from your daily problems actually allows your subconscious to solve those problems. Then when you bring them back to the conscious you find that the solution is evident. Cycling does this for me. This focus is nowhere more evident than when riding the rollers, as I am forced to when the days shorten. I ride on the terrace in the pre-dawn darkness while my family sleeps. If I am thinking about work, I fall off.

In recent years I have to some extent focused my riding on big rides (Quebrantahuesos, Maratona dles Dolomites, La Marmotte, all great events in beautiful places). This gives great motivation (why else would you ride the rollers?), but at the same time the focus on one event takes away from the overall enjoyment. You are in an incredible place for riding, but have to save your legs for tomorrow, get up ridiculously early, wait at the start, worry about getting run down by some turd who has never done a real descent in his life,…. So, this year I am focusing on something else, yet to be clearly defined. Either something like the Atlantic-Mediterranean route that Dr C mentioned or checking off as many of the climbs on this list as possible (List of highest paved roads in Europe – http://bit.ly/qeptfn), or looking for the highest dirt road passes I can find. The idea is to focus on the ride, not on the event.

Along these lines, I often refer to these words from Jean Bobet’s, Tomorrow we ride.

“People ask me whether I actually enjoy cycling. This question surprises me, since the answer is so obvious. Yes, cycling is enjoyable, and one can even give enjoyment to others, at times, but all in all it’s a rather banal question.

The divine surprise comes when you discover that beyond enjoyment lies the thrill of la volupté. The voluptuous pleasure you get from cycling is something else. It does exist, because I have experienced it. Its magic lies in its unexpectedness, its value in its rarity. It is more than a sensation because one’s emotions are involved as well as one’s actions. At the risk of raising eyebrows, I would maintain that the delight of cycling is not to be found in the arena of competition. In racing the threat of failure or the excitement of success generates euphoria at best, which seems vulgar in comparison with la volupté.

The voluptuous pleasure that cycling can give you is delicate, intimate and ephemeral. It arrives, it takes hold of you, sweeps you up and then leaves you again. It is for you alone. It is a combination of speed and ease, force and grace. It is pure happiness.”

@All I often think of cycling as a personal time as after all even when I am cycling with groups of other riders I am always competing with myself. Its a daily battle with my inner self, driving myself to go out after I get home from work. Forcing myself to take the harder route rather than the easier route. Not allowing myself to give in to the myriad of opportunities to take the path of least resistance. I also find that this extends far outside my love of cycling and into the rest of my life also. In the relationship with my VMH, the way I carry out my job and the time and effort I put into the VeloBambino’s.

There is always and easier route in life in everything we do, but the satisfaction that comes from knowing you tried that little bit harder and didn’t take that route is something that can be barely noticed by the world around you but is always noticed by yourself.

I love cycling, I love my life and I love the route less travelled the cobbled V-way not the well worn highway.

Good deal. I’ll keep an eye on it. The summer is a busy time for me professionally, but taking a couple of weeks out for an extraordinary experience such as this seems more than worth the time off. Thanks again. I’ll review their site further.

Ventoux will be on the 2013 menu….

apparently they are a very professional set up – they’ll need to be when the 7 of us numpties turn up! (also will need at least 7 seats in the broom wagon I fear)

This, too, is an excellent image and most certainly captures a bit of the weirdness you were feeling at the moment you captured it. Seems we have some photographers posing as cyclists amongst us; or maybe it’s the other way around?

I wonder what other avocations of an advanced nature we have here in our community…

I had not heard of GMP10. Thanks, I’ve just bookmarked them. The trip you outline here, is it a bespoke tour that you have designed? I don’t see their 2012 schedule posted.

@Frank – loving the wallpapers… here’s what I have on my work desktop (obviously, my mac at home one has a photo of the kids)… the backside of Ventoux. I love the texture of the wooden railings, the slightly surreal lighting… I had just averaged 174bpm for the 1 hour 48 minutes 39 seconds it had taken me to climb this beast, and I was feeling light headed, buzzing, and slightly sick (hunger pangs)… and love the fact that the weirdness of those feelings came through in the photo. It also is a permanent reminder that when we got to the top, we were in a cloud, and we couldn’t see shit: exactly the same as when I climbed the Tourmalet and the Galibier… I seem doomed to never get a view (hence, I love your wallpapers)

Great words and thanks for the wall papers which are now adorning my two screens at work and I’m just waiting for someone to ask me “why?”

@Dr C

Have Tourmalet on your wall
Click on this to set the Col du Tourmalet on the wall of your bedroom rather than just your laptop!
I think I’ll get that picture of Jens on the wall of my surgery – that’ll get the message across!

This could cost me a fortune! I’ never going to get approval to wall paper the house (although I might not actually get turned down as Mrs. Chris won’t believe that I’ll ever do it!) but it would be great to do the garage. Problem is that like most garages the walls are unpainted block – I’d have to get the whole thing plaster boarded properly first. I’d also have to refurb the shed so that I could use it to store all the crap that currently takes up wall space in the garage. It’ll certainly put a dent in the shiny bike bits fund!

@all

It’s great to see that there are people who haven’t surrendered themselves to the mind numbing oblivion of reality television, fast food and outlet shopping!

Is it me or does Tucson look better “in the ’70s”?

I both hear you and am with you on all counts. And love the pic.

@RedRanger
The sadist in me loves the expanse of rumble strip.

every time I cross that stuff I am utterly surprised how rough it is. Now that I live in the south side of town I get to explore even rougher roads.