Anatomy of a Photo: Sock & Shoe Game

Orange and Orange? Yes please.

I know as well as any of you that I’ve been checked out lately, kind of like Luke Skywalker hiding away on Ahch-To. But unlike Luke – who cut himself off from The Force – I haven’t cut myself off from The V, so I find myself compelled to take a moment out to celebrate Billions and Billions’s sock and shoe game.

Massive love happening here.

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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RobSandy says:

Jan 31 2018 at 5:23 am

@chris

@RobSandy

@Teocalli

@chris

Remind him who used to wear Nike socks………?

0

I think he’s trying to look Euro. It’s a Thing.

Our juniors go on about it all the time. One of them rode the last club hill climb in a long sleeve baselayer with bib tights over the top, full finger gloves. It was Euro.

0

Bib tights over the top of what? Not his LS base layer? That sounds fucking hideous.

Yes, and yes. It was baffling.

I hadn’t realised Euro was a thing with the young people. Angus has never mentioned it but he’s a Youth rather than a Junior. Maybe that is still to come. Perhaps they’re referring to this.

Euro brings to mind Italian teams with arm and leg warmers that match the main colour of their jerseys and a billion sponsor logos. And absolute overkill when it comes to scarves, buffs and snoods. Fortunately, Angus has recently ditched his red legwarmers.

Yep, that's the thing. And lots of fluoro.
chris says:

Jan 31 2018 at 5:46 am

@RobSandy

@chris

@RobSandy

Our juniors go on about it all the time. One of them rode the last club hill climb in a long sleeve baselayer with bib tights over the top, full finger gloves. It was Euro.

0

Bib tights over the top of what? Not his LS base layer? That sounds fucking hideous.

Yes, and yes. It was baffling.

Usually, I'd have suggested that it was because he was Welsh and it may have had something to do with sheep but you would have thought the Welsh cycling youth of today would know better given the sterling efforts of Geraint Thomas as a role model.
wiscot says:

Jan 31 2018 at 5:48 am

@chris

That kid has the eye of the Tiger about him! Looking mighty pro for one so young. Good on him!
chris says:

Jan 31 2018 at 5:48 am

@xyxax

NOSE MAGNETS

Are we moving on from nipple lube. This doesn't sound as comfortable.
RobSandy says:

Jan 31 2018 at 6:04 am

@chris

Our juniors go on about it all the time. One of them rode the last club hill climb in a long sleeve baselayer with bib tights over the top, full finger gloves. It was Euro.

0

Bib tights over the top of what? Not his LS base layer? That sounds fucking hideous.

Yes, and yes. It was baffling.

Usually, I’d have suggested that it was because he was Welsh and it may have had something to do with sheep but you would have thought the Welsh cycling youth of today would know better given the sterling efforts of Geraint Thomas as a role model.

0

I'd have taken the piss out of him more but even at 15 he can rip my legs off any day of the week so I doubt he'd have cared.
chris says:

Jan 31 2018 at 6:56 am

@RobSandy

I’d have taken the piss out of him more but even at 15 he can rip my legs off any day of the week so I doubt he’d have cared.

I've got the same problem with Angus he is about to turn 15 and will happily rip my legs off.

It's eight weeks until RVV. We're riding with a few other A Group riders from the club. I haven't been on the bike for a month due to a kidney stone and it feels like all the good work I'd put in before Christmas has ebbed away. I'm hoping to get the all clear to train early next week but it's going to be hard to achieve the sort of form I'm going to need to keep up.
chris says:

Jan 31 2018 at 9:20 pm

@wiscot

@chris

That kid has the eye of the Tiger about him! Looking mighty pro for one so young. Good on him!

0

Thanks. He's at that age where he's beginning to care more about how he looks on and off the bike. He's also getting quite good at turning himself inside out racing and training. He was in bits after last nights FTP test.
RobSandy says:

Feb 1 2018 at 12:34 am

@chris

@wiscot

@chris

That kid has the eye of the Tiger about him! Looking mighty pro for one so young. Good on him!

0

Thanks. He’s at that age where he’s beginning to care more about how he looks on and off the bike. He’s also getting quite good at turning himself inside out racing and training. He was in bits after last nights FTP test.

0

The Force is strong with this one.

Is his FTP higher than yours now? Must be a sobering moment when that first happens.
chris says:

Feb 1 2018 at 1:13 am

It's certainly higher than my last test and things will have only got worse since then. He also has the advantage of being considerably lighter than me - if I'm going to ride up hills with him, matching his FTP won't be sufficient, I'll need to be 20% up on him.

A 20% increase on where he is now is doable but he's only just started ramping up his training. Who knows where he's going to be by August when we'll be on holiday near the Pyrenees.

I don't need any sobering thoughts, the kidney stone thing has been sobering enough.
The Pressure says:

Feb 5 2018 at 3:49 pm

@Frank Welcome back!! And the shoes shall be white...unless it rains!