Categories: Belgian Affirmations

Belgian Affirmations: Kapelmuur

There isn’t a lot about a climb several kilometers long ending in a sustained 20% cobbled gradient that communicates ‘Attack’ and/or ‘Respond’. Certainly not when it comes after 240 kilometers with only 20 left to race. Nope, I’ve double-checked the calibration and used a control-case: the only reading I’m getting on the Pain Gauge is the needle dropping all the way over to and past ‘Survival’.

Here we have Roger De Vlaeminck containing a vicious attack from Freddy Maertens on the hardest bit of the climb, giving more than a little bit of insight into why we refer to these guys as Hardmen. On an unrelated note, I find it to be a crime beyond articulation that the Kapelmuur won’t feature in this year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen; but that won’t stop us from riding it during the Keepers’ Tour; we’re all about history and tradition. I want to keep seeing this scene repeat itself over and over. After all, if a joke is funny once, it should be funny a thousand times.

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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frank says:

Dec 2 2011 at 3:40 pm

@Oli

@frank
According to those links a crank is both a crank and a lever, with the bottom bracket as the pivot or fulcrum.

My original reasoning was this, with the BB being the pivot and the point where the chain is connected (i.e. the chainring) being the fulcrum. Maybe I was right originally, but the way I've understood it recently based on Cervelos research, was that the lever arm effectively stops at the chainring, and that the crankarm's length doesn't effect leverage past there, meaning that the length of the crank from the BB to the chainring is the lever. Who knows, at this point I need to pull out my books again and freshen up, because I'm not clear on this anymore.

This will be good to ponder on my 10 hour ride tomorrow.
frank says:

Dec 2 2011 at 3:43 pm

@gaswepass

Just to put in 2c on the nutrition discussion- first 2 hours is a freebie- one can provide the energy without doing anything harmful to the body. Then the body goes for glucose from the quickest places it can steal it from. To be more scientifical, glycogen stores get depleted over the 2hours. So either supplement w carbohydrated "sugared" water of choice (and hydrate of course), or other supplement stuff(food!). For sure, as you go on to subsequent hours of riding you want to provide the nutrition so you don't cannibalize muscle like mcsqueak was mentioning. The body won't eat body fat for nutrition during these rides- too much work for little return. The better you do at keeping up as you go the better you'll feel.
And don't forget the chocolate milk to follow!

Thank you - that makes sense. This always points back to the same conclusion: its really fucking hard to get rid of fat; you don't just exercise it away. Moral of the story? Try hard not to gain it in the fist place!
eightzero says:

Dec 2 2011 at 3:54 pm

@frank

This always points back to the same conclusion: its really fucking hard to get rid of fat; you don't just exercise it away. Moral of the story? Try hard not to gain it in the fist place!

That's it. I'm fucked.
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 2 2011 at 3:59 pm

@frank

@Oli

@frank
According to those links a crank is both a crank and a lever, with the bottom bracket as the pivot or fulcrum.

My original reasoning was this, with the BB being the pivot and the point where the chain is connected (i.e. the chainring) being the fulcrum. Maybe I was right originally, but the way I've understood it recently based on Cervelos research, was that the lever arm effectively stops at the chainring, and that the crankarm's length doesn't effect leverage past there, meaning that the length of the crank from the BB to the chainring is the lever. Who knows, at this point I need to pull out my books again and freshen up, because I'm not clear on this anymore.
This will be good to ponder on my 10 hour ride tomorrow.

Braggart! :)

JiPM: We need to start earlier so that we can log ten hours before it gets dark on Sunday!!!
itburns says:

Dec 2 2011 at 5:06 pm

@frank

Try hard not to gain it in the fist place!

Keep your fist place to yourself.
wiscot says:

Dec 2 2011 at 5:23 pm

@frank
Lucky bastard. We won't get ten hours of daylight here in WI tomorrow. Forecast is pure shit too.
Alex says:

Dec 2 2011 at 6:38 pm

@Netraam

Wait... That link with Boonen and Cancellara.. they're both on the lowest gear.

I think you'll find that they're only on the smallest gear at the rear. Boonen was on the big ring and Cancellara's approach is a little unorthodox for a front-running attack on that hill.
Alex says:

Dec 2 2011 at 6:41 pm

actually forget what I said, I'm wrong. He's more likely on a 44.
frank says:

Dec 2 2011 at 7:29 pm

@wiscot

@frank
Lucky bastard. We won't get ten hours of daylight here in WI tomorrow. Forecast is pure shit too.

We have 9 hours of light, but I'm planning on 30 minutes dusk on both sides...I'm riding really slowly on these steep climbs - I don't think I'm pulling off much more than 20km per hour, so I need all the daylight I can get!

And when you say "lucky bastard", I'll remind you that I won't feel that way after 4 and I'm frozen and tired and have six more to go. Alone.
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 2 2011 at 7:37 pm

@frank

@wiscot

@frank
Lucky bastard. We won't get ten hours of daylight here in WI tomorrow. Forecast is pure shit too.

We have 9 hours of light, but I'm planning on 30 minutes dusk on both sides...I'm riding really slowly on these steep climbs - I don't think I'm pulling off much more than 20km per hour, so I need all the daylight I can get!
And when you say "lucky bastard", I'll remind you that I won't feel that way after 4 and I'm frozen and tired and have six more to go. Alone.

NICE! Let us know how it goes. Sounds AWESOME!