Anatomy of a Photo: Agony

Paul Sherwen after the 1983 Paris-Roubaix; Photo Graham Watson

Sitting at the top of Haleakala, I thought of this photo with the staunch realization that there are no words to describe the agony of exhaustion, except Graham Watson’s caption in Visions of Cycling:

Paul Sherwen’s mother cried when she saw this picture of her son, taken after the finish of the 1983 Paris-Roubaix

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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mightyninja says:

Feb 1 2011 at 2:03 pm

@JeffinPetroMetro

Back in the Dark Ages, I stole LeMond's explanation so non-cyclists could understand. It went something like, "If a runner gets to the point where he can't go on any longer, he falls down and lays there until he can get back up. A bike racer gets to that point a couple of times each race where his legs would give out or cramp up if he were standing. But he's on a bike that keeps rolling. So he recovers a little bit, starts pedaling again, and keeps going. No other sport allows the athlete to completely deplete himself and not fall down and quit."

@Marko

Great explanation & so true. I have had similar conversations (like the rest of us) with non-cyclists who just don't get it. Even the above explanation would still draw looks of bewilderment or lack of understanding from these same sad types, but at least it sums up the feelings of a velominati.
I think that to gain ones "velominati enlightenment" or veloenlightenment (to try & poorly coin a new word), one must transcend the physical & mental pain barriers that exist with mere mortals. The lesser/mere mortals (i.e. non-cyclists) will never understand.
Nate says:

Feb 1 2011 at 2:25 pm

@Jeff in PetroMetro
Krabbe, as usual, puts it so well: "Hot and overcast. I take my gear out of the car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me."
Jeff in PetroMetro says:

Feb 1 2011 at 2:32 pm

@mightyninja
I was on a training ride (again, Dark Ages) coming down from Sandia Peak (Albuquerque) at about 80km/h when a fully loaded Suburban passed me on an off-camber sweeping turn to the right. The license plate was from Louisiana. The Suburban was probably going 100km/h to get around me. His tires were squealing, and he drifted into the oncoming lane. But, he made it. And good thing. 'Cause I was on a bike. And he was in a Suburban. And no Suburban, no matter how full of people and suitcases, should EVER go slower than a skinny-fucker on a bike, even if it means going over the edge of a mountain cliff.

He really showed me.

I imagined how the police and the fire department were gonna recover the bodies if that Suburban kept drifting.
Jeff in PetroMetro says:

Feb 1 2011 at 2:34 pm

@Nate
Perfect.
mcsqueak says:

Feb 1 2011 at 2:50 pm

@Jeff in PetroMetro

Yeah, I love it when I'm going through town, keeping up with traffic, yet people still want to try and squeeze by me.

Whatever, as long as they don't hit me while passing, I'm fine that their fragile egos can't handle a cyclist being in front of them, and actually keeping up with the pace.

You see the same shit while driving on the freeway too, people endlessly jockeying for position, because their lives are so empty the "competition" they get from their morning/evening commutes serves as their rage outlet. That 3^3 meter space of asphalt is THEIRS, damnit!
mightyninja says:

Feb 1 2011 at 3:19 pm

mcsqueak :
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Yeah, I love it when I'm going through town, keeping up with traffic, yet people still want to try and squeeze by me.
Whatever, as long as they don't hit me while passing, I'm fine that their fragile egos can't handle a cyclist being in front of them, and actually keeping up with the pace.
You see the same shit while driving on the freeway too, people endlessly jockeying for position, because their lives are so empty the "competition" they get from their morning/evening commutes serves as their rage outlet. That 3^3 meter space of asphalt is THEIRS, damnit!

yes, surrounded by a tonne of steal & plastic makes one extra brave, especially when facing a lycra clad fucker on a pissy little pushie! I've always been of the opinion that those drivers in their hotted up rides, vying for their pathetic little piece of ashphalt, at all costs & without any thought of the peril they are putting themselves &/or family, the other drivers & us cyclists in. I am especially impressed when I see a "soccer mum" with a car full of young kids behaving in this manner. I have even been buzzed by a SUV (as we call them here in OZ) with bikes strapped to the roof (what the fuck are these people thinking?) behaving the same way.

Me thinks that they are substituting/making up for their rather "small" appendages with their "big" vehicles (the males anyway!).
Rob says:

Feb 1 2011 at 3:37 pm

mightyninja:
to gain ones "velominati enlightenment" or veloenlightenment (to try & poorly coin a new word), one must transcend the physical & mental pain barriers that exist with mere mortals. The lesser/mere mortals (i.e. non-cyclists) will never understand.

Velotainment - fixed.(maybe?)

I have heard stories of riders blacking out and coming to to only keep on keeping on. It has never happened to me but I did see god at the top of Smuggler's Notch once (and yes Gianni I was on a bike in a race...).
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 1 2011 at 5:01 pm

Rob :

mightyninja:to gain ones "velominati enlightenment" or veloenlightenment (to try & poorly coin a new word), one must transcend the physical & mental pain barriers that exist with mere mortals. The lesser/mere mortals (i.e. non-cyclists) will never understand.

Velotainment - fixed.(maybe?)
I have heard stories of riders blacking out and coming to to only keep on keeping on. It has never happened to me but I did see god at the top of Smuggler's Notch once (and yes Gianni I was on a bike in a race...).

What year was that? I used to race the Smugs Notch race back in the late 80's early 90's!
Jeff in PetroMetro says:

Feb 1 2011 at 5:05 pm

@mcsqueak

@mightyninja

I'm gonna win the commute to my McMansion. Oooohhh, shiiiiit....
michael says:

Feb 1 2011 at 5:13 pm

Rob:

mightyninja:
to gain ones "velominati enlightenment" or veloenlightenment (to try & poorly coin a new word), one must transcend the physical & mental pain barriers that exist with mere mortals. The lesser/mere mortals (i.e. non-cyclists) will never understand.

Velotainment - fixed.(maybe?)
I have heard stories of riders blacking out and coming to to only keep on keeping on. It has never happened to me but I did see god at the top of Smuggler's Notch once (and yes Gianni I was on a bike in a race...).

I blacked out once for about 1 mile (sorry that's not in metric, but the lap was 1 mile). It was during the sprint and next I remember I was riding around on the course crossing the line again with my friend/coach yelling at me.