Riding the stones of Paris-Roubaix, in the Spring, in crap weather (it’s possible) and finishing the ride in the velodrome in Roubaix* should be enough enticement for any right thinking cyclists to jump on to this event. It gets better, watching the race in a scrum of drunken-loud-mad-fans, everyone covered in a sheen of beer, frites and mayonnaise. It’s an experience of a lifetime. Do you still need more? Perhaps riding the last fourteen bergs of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, being your very own Boss of the Bosberg and then spectating this race, again the loud-drunk-fans, the sheen, the madness. Fabian Cancellara shall pass by so close he may wink at you as he drops the hammer on Boonen, again. How about a personal ride with the Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw? It does not get better than this, I’m sorry but it can’t.
It can’t yet it does, a tour of the Merckx bike factory and the Ronde van Vlaanderen Museum at Oudenarde. That is correct, we are going to museums, all right, a museum and it’s a museum about bike racing. There is much more fun crammed into this nine day holiday than should be allowed, please regard the original post for all the information.
This is the fantasy camp of a lifetime for cyclists. If not for yourself, dear reader, then bestow the holiday gift to end all gifts on your mate. The Velominati are united in a love and appreciation of cycling and the Spring Classics are a distillation of all things Hardman and beautiful.
Not to belabor the awesome factor, here are just a few more items:
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*disclaimer from our legal department: unconfirmed but in the works.
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@frank
Nice detail. That's a long chain for sure.
@frank
Don't a bunch of the pro's ride longer wheelbase frames for P-R? Seems like I heard that from Phil and Paul on one of the P-R DVD's I watched. Defintiely a cool photo, though. Love the Merckx. What year is that photo? Looks a little later than my '92 Merckx but not much. '94 maybe?
@frank
The quintessential Canadian hardman! One of my heroes. Love that photo.
@frank
Man, can't believe this kind of bike didn't catch on. I mean, really? That thing is damn near a recumbent and must have handled like shit.
@wiscot, @Buck Rogers
Yeah, they usually ride a longer wheelbase, mostly to make the bike handle better on the stones, specifically, they'll extend the wheelbase so the bike is a little more stable (sluggish). This machine, however, wasn't particularly successfully, possibly because it was too extreme. Bauer finished in 22nd place, as this is the '93 Roubaix which Duclos-Lassalle won in a photo finish (using a rock sox against Ballerini's softride stem).
That's the Specialized Sub-6 helmet that we were talking about the other day as well.
@frank
Correction - the photo finish was 1994. Duclos-Lassalle still won in '93, though...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/the-classics-most-surprising-winners
@frank
Sheesh. CyclingNews was wrong - '93 was the photo finish with Ballerini, as he was on Gan by '93 and it was still Z in '92 when he won at age 37. (He was the oldest winner at 38 in 1993 when he beat Franco.)
@frank
Photo finish in '94? '94 was won by Tchmil, wasn't it?
@Buck Rogers
Got it. Not trying to sharpshoot you, just getting confused here.
Looking to build up a set of Nemesis or Hed C2 tubulars on Campy compatible hubs. I love the classic look of liver sculpted hubs, and have run White Industries on for Shimano, but am a bit nervous about the DS spacing for Campy and NDS tension being low (L=38.0mm, R=16mm). Since I can't find a pair of silver Campy hubs looking for other options. The Royce posted above are gorgeous; PMPs look wonderful as well. What would you recommend for Campy? Am I overly concerned about the WI flange spacing?