The Cogals
Cogals (pronounce it correctly: kog-al) are meetings of like-minded misfits brought together by the promise of beer, preceded by a bike ride. Cogals are free, open to all, organized by our fellow Velominati and are always followed by consumption of post-ride recovery ales and merriment. These are gatherings of unbridled observance of Rule #4.
Cogals differ themselves from other group rides by the meeting the following criteria:
- First, Cogals are free, organized and supported through Velominati, though not necessarily a Keeper. Anyone is welcome to join a Cogal. Legally speaking, however, we have no involvement, so if you crash or die, it’s your own problem. Please be careful to study the route previously and take precautionary measures to stay safe.
- Second, a Cogal is a day-long undertaking that focuses 100% on the bike. The rides are categorized (Casually Deliberate, Rule #5, Rule #10, for example) but are long. This is what you’re doing today, nothing else; see Rule #4. Rides can be any length, but a minimum distance of 130km should be expected.
- Third, Cogals always include a session of Malted Recovery Beverage Consumption after the ride. Whenever possible, it should also include a pre-ride espresso.
Not all the events in The Cogals are actual Cogals. We also post rides and events that are of interest to the community, as well as Keepers Tours, which are Velominati-hosted, paid cycling Tours tailored to the tastes of a velominatus.
Any member of the community is welcomed to organize a Cogal. If interested, either post your interest below or email us with the following information:
- Date of Cogal
- Starting Address (ideally somewhere neutral, like a café or park)
- Route (MapMyRide, Bikely, or Strava)
- Ride Classification (Casually Deliberate, Rule V, Rule VV, or suggest another)
- A paragraph describing the Cogal
Upcoming Cogals
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Submit Your Own Cogal:
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How many folks live in Japan, particularly within the Kanto Plain? We regularly ride up to 150kms in beautiful scenery in Japan.
For what ever reason, bringing together a bunch of like minded cycling nuts just seems to work. Whether you know the individual or group from previous rides, or whether they are complete strangers and the only interaction has been in the mysterious world of the inter portals, it doesnt matter.
The planets just seem to align on a Cogal and as evidenced by February’s Fleurieu Peninsula heat fest, everyone bands together to get the group home in one peice to enjoy tales of the ride and amber fluid and fine food.
We are upping the anti this year in sunny and hopefully not too hot South Australia and aiming for TWO cogals to coincide with our own world tour event and a couple of little known cobble classics across the oceans.
So stay tuned folks for the following cogals
TDU Velominati Cogal : January 2015 @Mikael Liddy’s project
Fleurieu Peninsula Sauna Cogal : April 2015 @Barracuda’s project
Planning underway.
@Barracuda “Hey there’s some people that wanna ride too!” “Pick’em up!”
@unversio Would make for some interesting post ride beverage talk. As long as the brews were in unopened bottles ala the policeman scene !
Thank you Frank, Gianni and Rapha Cycle Club NYC. Cogal and book signing was great to attend. Nice shop, nice people and Gianni, thanks for the post ride malted recovery beverage!
OK, who fancies a Yorkshire Cogal to mark this year’s visit of ‘Le Tour’.
We’re going to be up there watching it over the weekend of 5th/6th July, so I was thinking of putting something together on Friday 4th. We’re camping near the village of Hawes and so we’ll base the ride from there.
I’ll put a route together taking in as much of the actual tour route as possible.
Who’s in?
@Frank
Can we get this up on the Cogal Calendar?
@936adl
Potentially though Friday could be an issue but I may be able to arrange to have some business in Leeds/Bradford on the Thurs if I am lucky which would sort things for me.
@936adl Potentially though Friday could be an issue but I may be able to arrange to have some business in Leeds/Bradford on the Thurs if I am lucky which would sort things for me.
@936adl
Would love to but I’ve managed to book my main target of the year for the same weekend in Italy. Doh!
@Bespoke
Here’s the moveover start for the proposed 2014 Southern Ontario Cogal. I hope this moveover is by the Rules enough.
Sorry guys – I kinda started the conversation and then promptly fucked off.
Southern Ontario Cogal – I would be a keen participant! Milton sounds like fun – Rattlesnake Point sounds like fun – Cafe Domestique would be fun!
It might depend on the date for me, but I’d certainly try to make it work. Sundays are pretty good for me, Saturdays less so, as I work every other Saturday.
@kixsand
I submitted a Cogal post to Gianni the other day. We’re looking at Sunday, June 22, out of Domestique. This is the third annual Cogal out of Dundas””has anywhere else done three annual rides?
I’m gonna try to make it this year, everything permitting. Dragging my fat slow Cat.4 ass up Rattlesnake 3x sounds terrible though.
Saturday July 5: Bay Area Cogal III — East Bay: There Will Be Dirt.
@Nate
w00t!
Some of the dirt.
Ok,
I’ve mailed @Gianni with the detail of the Tour de Cogal on 4/7. Keep an eye out for the details, it promises to be epic!
Ooops, i meant Tour de France Cogal.
@Nate Am I going to want to put 28s on my bike for this ride? Currently running 25s.
@Xyverz
25s should be fine. That’s what I am running. The photo of packed dirt is representative of most of the unpaved surface. You might have more fun on the dirt on the 28s, but depending on the tire, you of course have to push them around the rest of the paved part of the ride.
@Nate I should be able to make this. Addition of some dirt looks cool. A Grasshopper series-like ride? Looking forward to the details.
@Dave R Awesome, you beat me to pinging you by email to see if you’d be around. I suppose it is a bit Grasshopper-ish if that term can be applied outside of Sonoma County.
@Dave R
@Nate
Thanks for the reference to Grasshopper Adventure Rides. Those rides look incredible. Painful and incredible.
Ok, after about a year of dealing with this fucking bug with the calendar, I think its fixed. You should be able to scroll through the calendar again and hopefully the calendar won’t keep getting replaced by the next (or was it the last or maybe random?) event on the calendar.
Computers. They make you 100% more efficient but create 200% more work.
Is there a cogal of the falling leaves again this year?
@urbanwhitetrash
There is; @eightzero must have it in the queue. I think its the third weekend in October. Should be properly cold and fucked.
@frank
Third Weekend in OCTOBER!
cold and fucked is right
@frank
Should we have a French cogal of the falling leaves the third weekend in October? I submit Le Havre to Caen as a potential route – 137km.
David
@Davidlhill
Bugger, and I thought we were talking about a nice June/July jaunt in the Sun with long balmy evenings, farmhouse coffee and crepe stops and you are planning a (nearly) mid winter slog in an Atlantic Gale. Call me Complaining-Cancel-lara but…..oh well, I have to potentially count myself in………
@Teocalli
Correct on all counts. 10/18/14. It’s in the queue; I just emailed @gianni yesterday to nudge him.
I have also reconnoitered practically all of the Seattle Summer Cogal 2015. It will be *epic* yet doable. I am open to date suggestions. STV was a success, but perhaps we wish to move into late June to avoid the scorching heat. Once a date is picked, we are going to all put it on our calendars. Right @frank? Right?
10/18
Roger, Roger.
Caledonian Christmas Cogal (Mark II)0I am due back from Alberta in December, is there interest in a repeat winter solstice abbreviated Cogal ?
@strathlubnaig I was wondering the same thing. I would offer to host(happy to if nobody else can), but I suspect the 10km of urban crap at the start and end of the ride may be less than appealing.
@strathlubnaig
Keen but been invited to coach the SC development squad Sunday 21st. Perhaps they should experience a midwinter Cogal?
unfortunately it’s the local clubs Christmas lunch/ride that day.
Perhaps a route like this:
http://www.strava.com/routes/140374
Not hard or long(unless the weather decides to play up), but enough to keep us going. Cafe stop just after half way in Sorn if it’s open. There is even a good 12km section before we get back to the city for some through and off to keep the development squad occupied if they haven’t dropped us by then…
Main problem being the first 10km, and last 14km are through the city, which probably isn’t too appealing.
Moving to the tri-cities in WA in January — any cogals/rides planned for those parts?
We seem to have lost the the comments on the individual Cogals (eg, the Adelaide one).
@The Grande Fondue
These have been restored. Nice catch!
UK North, South, East, West what interest in a Cogal? Rerun the London Cogal and see if we can avoid getting drowned (and lost)? Something different – Wales, Lakes, Dartmoor, Flat Lands?
@Teocalli
I would be if I’m around but that’s unlikely.
Very few weekends that I’ll be back in the next few months unfortunately.
Break a leg… (if ever an emoticon was permitted it should be here).
@Teocalli
Funnily enough, @Roadslave525 and I were discussing the need for another Cogal. Would it really be fun, or memorable if it wasn’t biblical and we got to the end with the same number of people (and/or Garmins) that we started with?
@Chris
Well I’m game for one but preferably with the intent of a dry sunny day. Diary is pretty full already so setting a slot would be good and then decide where?
I’d be interested in an English Cogal if it all came together. The Shropshire Cogal seems an awfully long time ago……..
@JohnB @strathlubnaig @theengine
Any plans for the 4th Scottish Cogal? I’m happy to host if that helps spur things on! Got a few routes in mind, probably in the 160-200km range with upwards of 2500m of climbing.
@campbellrae1
Do you guys fancy meeting half way(ish) and trying to arrange something in The Lakes?
Depending on dates I’d join an English Cogal.
However, Eroica Britannia is coming up – who’s doing it from here?
David
Merckxy Festum Prophetae!
Merckx turning 70 years
For a ride later today……….