Anatomy of a Photo: Snowy Mountain Stages

Vittorio Adorni knew what Rule #9 really meant.

Vittorio Adorni taught Merckx how to manage himself during a Grand Tour. I wasn’t a part of any of those conversations, but I’m betting there were heavy conversations about not being a little bitch about bad weather, gravel roads, and high snowy mountain passes.

This photo proves the entire modern peloton needs a giant Rule #5 suppository.

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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Bruce Lee says:

May 18 2016 at 8:47 am

+1 Frank. But it seems to me that the softness goes deeper than wussy bitching about the weather. Back in the day there was no index shifting, much less brifters, 10 speeds. Period. Inner rings were a 42, so you dealt with it. And if you were so unlucky to not have Campy brakes, you damn well learned to descend effectively.
universo says:

May 18 2016 at 10:22 am

@Bruce Lee

{ Forrest Gump voice } "They still 42."

My machine has reverted to 52/42 since my earliest training started on 52/42 -- 27 years ago. I was lucky to have found my way with Campagnolo from the start -- somehow.
universo says:

May 18 2016 at 10:28 am

Would there be anyone compelled to join an upcoming group for Pinnacle Mtn III ??
Ccos says:

May 19 2016 at 8:03 am

@universo

@Bruce Lee

{ Forrest Gump voice } “They still 42.”

Too bad the movie adulterated the actual line Winston Groom had Forrest say "Being an idiot a'nt no box of chocolates."
universo says:

May 19 2016 at 3:23 pm

@Ccos

@universo

@Bruce Lee

{ Forrest Gump voice } “They still 42.”

Too bad the movie adulterated the actual line Winston Groom had Forrest say “Being an idiot a’nt no box of chocolates.”

{ Burns Red In The Sun voice } “There is a pain between my ears that I do not understand.”
frank says:

May 19 2016 at 7:35 pm

@Barracuda

@frank is this not a reflection of society in general ?

Seems the values, work ethic and respect of ” the good ol’ days ” has gone and the era of entitlement is here.

Instead of doing the work then getting rewarded, it seems that now people expect the reward, then they will do the work !

Thus flowing into sport.

Top marks; of course it is. Sport is but a simplified reflection of life.
frank says:

May 19 2016 at 7:40 pm

@Randy C

I’ll take the heat over the cold any day. And we’re fixen to get in to the hot season down here in the deep south of the US of A. No biggie. I actually love it. Hotter the better. But cold? Cold sux. Cold can kill you. You need fire to survive cold. Hot? Just some sweet tea and take a breather and all good. There’s been some hot stages at the Amgen in the past. Fun to watch that right now in add’n to Giro. Cheers all.

Heat can kill, too.
frank says:

May 19 2016 at 7:51 pm

@Bruce Lee

+1 Frank. But it seems to me that the softness goes deeper than wussy bitching about the weather. Back in the day there was no index shifting, much less brifters, 10 speeds. Period. Inner rings were a 42, so you dealt with it. And if you were so unlucky to not have Campy brakes, you damn well learned to descend effectively.

Fuckin' spot on, Bevin. Nicely played. And extra points for not shitting on delta brakes.
Bruce Lee says:

May 20 2016 at 8:56 am

@frank

@Bruce Lee

+1 Frank. But it seems to me that the softness goes deeper than wussy bitching about the weather. Back in the day there was no index shifting, much less brifters, 10 speeds. Period. Inner rings were a 42, so you dealt with it. And if you were so unlucky to not have Campy brakes, you damn well learned to descend effectively.

Fuckin’ spot on, Bevin. Nicely played. And extra points for not shitting on delta brakes.

I'm guessing you'll agree that Delta brakes were and are still awesome, Frank. Hell, Campy should bring them back into the line. Bikes are so light now the weight penalty is no longer a factor. Not to mention that Deltas are way better looking than discs are on their best day.
Buck Rogers says:

May 20 2016 at 10:04 am

@universo

@Ccos

@universo

@Bruce Lee

{ Forrest Gump voice } “They still 42.”

Too bad the movie adulterated the actual line Winston Groom had Forrest say “Being an idiot a’nt no box of chocolates.”

{ Burns Red In The Sun voice } “There is a pain between my ears that I do not understand.”

Man, I love that book. The movie is great as well but the novel,as always, outshines the movie.