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
Marko
My wishes for the New Year:
1) Super Prestige gets updated for 17 finals AND we get an 18 contest
2) An article is posted on why alloy bikes are best vs C and steel
3) Someone posts pic's of their sea foam green Specialisimma… with disc brakes... (hah, just jokes on that part)
4) And a big pile of more classic bike pics too 'cause It's really all about the bike after all
5) We're debating the merits of Sagan's victory at PR
Cheers all for the New Year !
@Randy C
i’d like to see Sagan knock off MSR and de Ronde, really. those races are made for him. PR would be a bonus.
@emerson
Chuck's still around.
I guess what gets me is that two books have come out under the V moniker and that this site was the foundation for those books. Frank has parlayed that into regular writing and speaking gigs. (I'll not mention the clothing). As the books and other gigs have taken off, it seems like the very foundations of all things V (this site) have been badly neglected. some of the Keepers visit occasionally, but Frank not at all.
This might be a bad analogy, but the Velominati is the house that Frank and some friends built. The house got several additions built onto it over the years and was very welcoming to guests who wanted to visit and help out. Slowly, but surely those guests found the home increasingly unreceptive to ideas on how to decorate, keep the place welcoming and inviting. Currently the house is still standing but the foundation is crumbling and fewer and fewer people visit. Hopefully the house will not be condemned anytime soon, but it's not looking good.
Gianni and I have been trying to get our book royalties for months, nay years, and we don't even get replies to our emails. We're owed a lot of money but have just about lost hope of ever seeing it, like all the people who got ripped off with kit orders too. Sad state of affairs, especially as we were all (supposed to be) friends.
@Brett
I still visit regularly and somewhere I still have a hope that my kit-order of December 30, 2016, still will find its way to my bike-laden garage; after all, I do not want to have to remove the name tags/decals from my other bikes simply because I could not get the name tags for my new bike (which is already more than one year old), just because I am OCD about symmetry.
But your comment confirmed what I suspected: it's all about the money and the money/success is what brings this site & community down. Really too bad.
@Wiscot
I agree with your "house" analogy but I do not think the house has become unreceptive for new ideas or that the foundation is crumbling (not yet at least); rather that it is not well maintained or heated anymore (Rule #5 and #9 correct me in my thinking here) hence people move out and do not even come in anymore.
I also think @emerson referred to @chuckp as someone who advertises for/promotes his mag and articles and not that @chuckp is not around anymore.
Who is not around anymore is @BuckRogers! What ever did Uncle Sam do to him; last thing he was still eye-balling US-privates in Germany?
@ChrisO
https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/peter-sagan-spreads-holiday-cheer-baking-cookies/
Did someone say biscuits?
@Brett
It's unfortunate that this site is such a global phenomenon, Frank's behaviour is nothing short of criminal but who really has jurisdiction when the aggrieved parties are spread around the world? There will be no 3rd book, Frank has shown his true colours and we should demonstrate our disappointment and exasperation at him and those who still support him by boycotting their product. Yes, I'm looking at you Cyclist mag (although he's missing from the latest edition 69) I expect to see a letter about mates ripping off mates to answer for any return... And Rouleur? Don't even think about it.
@KogaLover
I think Frank can be labelled an absentee landlord. Maybe he drives by on occasion, but doesn't stop in to see if everything's ok. He's just maximizing his cash flow.
@JohnB
Gents, while I also think something's fishy and something big happened, I think we should abide with the "innocent until proven guilty" paradigm, as well as letting the protagonists state each side of their case. It's all hearsay and blackbox to me, so would appreciate if particularly @Frank can explain. Last thing I heard was, he fell of a ladder (not a wagon) and is still recovering. He must be doing something with the website since old articles get recycled every now and then.
And where's @BuckRogers?