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Voices and Echoes

Doubt. It speaks in whispered tones but echoes in our actions and lingers heavy on the mind. It is a thing that weaves itself into the seeds of our dreams and erodes vision into whim. Doubt leads to uncertainty; uncertainty to fear; fear prevents us from reaching as high as we might.

Doubt is a clingy thing. Like a snowball dropped down a mountainside in a cartoon, it starts small but grows upon its own weight. It continues to collect more doubt until finally it crushes any positive thought. Doubt is the fundamental element of the Anti-V.

As Cyclists, our morale rests on a knife’s edge where the slightest drop of grace can send us into the waiting arms of La Volupté while even the smallest grain of doubt can draw us to the cold anvil of her husband, the Man with the Hammer. Little things such as a freshly wrapped set of bars or a recently cleaned and silenced drivetrain can send morale skyrocketing, even in otherwise atrocious conditions. An elusive click or creak, on the other hand, can coax squares from even the most magnificent of strokes.

Clicks, creaks, or a misfiring drivetrain are guaranteed to send me into a tailspin of frustration and doubt; if my machine disobeys the Principle of Silence or malfunctions, I am sure to face a dismal day on the bike. Clean kit and freshly shaven guns, particularly when the guns are glistening with sweat or rain, is for me one of the greatest sources of form and good morale. To see the muscles moving under the smooth, tanned skin as they strain with effort instantly sends away any lingering doubt and leaves only optimism and drive, my conditioning and training cease to hold sway over my desire and willingness to suffer. And when we are willing to suffer, we can do anything.

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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the Engine says:

Jan 17 2013 at 12:04 am

@frank

@the Engine

As a Fat Bastard on an MTB on a long descent I've had brake fade the same as you get in a car when you cook the disks.

Because I'm very mean I don't use hydraulics on my MTB so the only cause of fade is the rotor getting red hot as I hold the lever in my famous death grip (ok possibly pad contamination might be a factor but the episode that nearly ended me the summer before last was on a dry day with new clean pads and rotors).

Put it this way - I wouldn't be comfortable on a long steep descent on a road bike with disks. Stacking it on a forest trail at 30kmph is one thing at 70kmph on a bend on the open road entirely another.

I think the bottom line is: if you're braking a shit ton, you're fucked.

Tubulars: Melted glue, tire rolled.

Clinchers: Heated up inner tube, tire blowout (possibly the scariest of the scenarios as a real blowout that takes the tire off the rim makes it very clear why we chose rubber over aluminum as a control surface.)

Disc brakes: super-heated rotors and whatever theoretical disasters can occur when using non-formula one fluid.

Basically, learn to ride your bike properly on a descent, understand the risks, and do your best to mitigate them.

I'm getting better a downhill now - half a winter's practice with the club on the MTB is beginning to have some effect. Managed to keep the rims from overheating in the Pyrenees last summer but still ate up brake pads.

I put it all down to a bad crash I had a few years back but I'm slowly but surely making myself descend better. Who'd have thought Rule #64 and Rule #85 would be so challenging?
Durishin says:

Jan 19 2013 at 11:17 am

Wow! Just, plain wow! "And when we are willing to suffer, we can do anything." Thanks, Frank! I needed that.
Richard Bucle says:

Jan 24 2013 at 1:28 am

@Ron I like your thoughts. I came back to riding 3 years ago (Triathlon actually) @ the tender age of 39. I used to TT a bit as a youngster. Last winter, I had a go at the Velo29 winter series - criteriums on Croft motor racing circuit. What a buzz. I too didn't think I could hang in there with the bunch. I started with the Cat4 race - 20 miles or so @ av 23.5mph. Managed that. Then I went into the Cat E/1/2/3/4 race (30 miles) and managed (just) to stick with them @ av 27.5mph. That was one of the best experiences of my life. I drove home with such a buzz. Reading about Paris-Roubaix, how do the riders manage the race...it sounds Brutal? Av speed 27mph.
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Aug 21 2013 at 5:37 pm

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