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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View Comments
@G'phant
@Marko
Love it. I was thinking one step ahead but you hit it right on the head. We should start thinking about our own channel V.
BTW, I would love to see a Velominati Iphone app. I love the mobile site, but how cool would a V icon on the phone be? I would pay for that app.
@Pedale.Forchetta
@Marko
@frank
Grazie mille lads, we think we are at 24 years! Pedale, your photos are exceptional again. The photos show what a beautiful day it was, the Giro pink ballon against the blue sky is now my computer wall paper. And more back-stage access, you are our Man in Italy!
@RedRanger
It's in the conceptual phase. "Compliance Check" - shake for a rule and make sure you're in compliance. Upload pics from your camera of (a) massive Rule observances and (b) massive Rule Violations...along those lines.
Now, if only I had a clone...
@G'phant, @Marko
Gears are spinning as to how I can get the raw feed. Once I get that, it's a piece of cake. I don't think I can pull it off for this year, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility that we get it up and running for next year.
Of course we'd stream directly to the iPhone app as well. And store the feeds for replay. And editing into a Greatest Hits. And I would keep a "mute" button dedicated to Brett's channel.
@frank
Well if it's THAT easy we need to set you a sterner challenge. How about (i) making the app compatible with users submitting questions / comments which scroll along the side of the feed and (ii) a Skype-type hook-up, so that you can also livestream callers' questions / comments?
Re getting the feed: wouldn't the simplest way be to get it from one of the broadcasters, on the basis that (i) you won't stream the commentary, just the pictures, (ii) you'll give them credit, and (iii) you'll give them a cut of the (modest but worthwhile) subscription fees you collect via PayPal from those of us who sign up (and are sent the necessary password)?
BTW, the "Compliance Check" app (magic 8-ball for cyclists) sounds excellent. Will it work on my Crapberry?
@frank
You should have a stupid trick in there too, like the ability to "take and upload photo" of your bike for immediate virtual compliance check. Of course, the app does none of that and always simply returns "Out of compliance with Rule 5."
@mcsqueak
Yeah - that's great...make all these lengthy processing animations and star-treky sound effects and then just say, "Sorry. Rule 5."
I also thought about having the Shake for Compliance Check be weighted towards The V.
@frank
I think it's good to maintain equilibrium - and easier on you in the long run. Tho it's really too bad. It was a frikin' funny thread and as said before, photo wasn't personally a problem. In the least.
On the other hand, the number of times the word "porn" is showing up in RE. Alpin's CduD photos... that could cause you a Google ripple!
Cookie?
@all
Well, after heavy deliberation, we've decided on our first +1 Badge award. We had loads of people we wanted to hand it to, including some of our longest-standing members. We went back and forth on whether to award the first one as an honorary retrospective for deeds past, or to focus on the last week since the announcement of the program. In the end, we decided to start fresh and award it to whomever had the biggest impact on the site over the course of the last week based on who contributed the most to either getting conversations going or by providing something in an similarly meaningful way.
Admittedly, we have some big shoes to fill in that regard as we had Alpin reporting live from the Dauphiné to provide not only loads of up-close photos, but also of Richard Virenque flashing the Sign of the Merckx.
So, with that, the first +1 Badge is awarded to Alpin. Thanks for your contribution this week, mate. Keep it up.
@frank
Nice one. Very hard to go past someone who gets Reeeeeshard to give the M-sign to camera. Let Aline such amazing photography. Well done, Alpin. Most worthy.