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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@RedRanger
Well, it’s mostly been Scaler thus far but I’ll take half-credit, sure!
@RedRanger
Thanks,
The VMH is the one that’ll have her hands full depending on attendance.
@frank
Good stuff, Fronk! But our start time on the “200 on 100” is 5 am, not 8 am, and finish is more like 8 to 10 pm!
jk,, I realize that you are just throwing out times to get a posting going.
Also, my place on the Lake in North Ferrisburgh will be open to people for crashing on the couch/floor, first come, first served as a base of operations.
@Buck Rogers
Correct – your sample article didn’t have a time and/or location for the start. If you give me an address of the starting point and a time, I’ll update the Cogal listing.
But you’re right, everything is subject to change pending more detail!
The route: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/55543862
Something else I didn’t mention; I can pretty much promise a strong headwind both going out and coming back. It goes up to the gateway to the Columbia Gorge, a world class windsurfing destination. Didn’t get that way ’cause of light winds.
I’ll probably re-post this a few more times before the Cogal starts, but you can RSVP me at skbugco@yahoo.com (ghost account), and I’ll give directions, phone numbers etc. Please include your handle so I can sorta weed thru the riffraff.
Hey Brett, are we going to have a eNZed one?
The Whidbey Cogal V-Pint arrived: it’s a beaut! We should have a world-wide Cogal day. Cogals everywhere all on the same day.
Merckx be praised!
I’m still up for hosting a Santa Barbara / Solvang, CA Cogal in March, April or May. I can do any number of routes, 100-150 km, with lots of climbing… Anyone interested?
PS Have fun in Austin tomorrow.
@sgt
Yes. Very interested. So long as we end up, or go thru Ojai up 150 from Carp. If I made 7-8 figures, that’s where I’d live. Riding, surfing, culture………
@sgt
A Cal Cogal is very much in order and I’ll make every effort to be there (Wilier and all). I’d need to run the traps on work and velominatus paterfamilias conflicts etc.
@eightzero
I like the idea of an international V-ride day, cogals or just solo rides.
However, there is a risk that with so many people throwing down the V at the same time in different locations that the earth moves from its current axis.
I think its a risk worth taking…
@sgt
If it were April or may I would be definitely interested. I am less than two hours away.
@motor city
Perhaps if we all rode east at the same time we could reverse the rotation of the earth and turn back time a la Superman!!
@scaler911
That’s one possibility… But have you ever ridden Foxen Canyon or Harris Grade? Hwy 150 pales in comparison.
What about a 2 day? Day 1 Santa Ynez Valley, Day 2 Santa Barbara / Ojai?
@sgt
No. I haven’t. Did 150 when I was down there for the winter a couple years back. Just remember it being a great climb.
@frank Maybe under the cogals there should be a place where all the expected participants can be listed as to get an idea of how many people plan on attending? I don’t know how many hour of coding that would take, but I think it would help organizers get an idea what to expect.
The tiniest of Cogals took place last Saturday on Beach Road, Melbourne. G’rilla was in town from Seattle (do we call that place the home of Velominati?), and joined Kiwicyclist and myself for a little 40k spin down to Mordy – with about 30 others in the bunch. G’rilla was resplendent in what might have been the first appearance of the V-Kit on Beach Road?
Whilst it may have been a mini-Cogal, with the USA, Aus and NZ represented, I believe it was the first Tri-Nations Velominati gathering? However as always I stand to be corrected.
ANZUS.
Behold the V-Pint in all its glory! Merckx be praised!
@Mr Haven
Don’t wait for that lazy ass to organize one! Do it! You are empowered. In fact, I’m just thinking now that we need a special badge for people who have organized Cogals.
@eightzero
Thats some nice laundry you’re doing back there, mate.
@sgt et all
Obvs April is out for me, but I’d try to join one in May, or July/August. If we did it late enough (August) I’d be able to make the case for a drive down the PCH to Santa Barbara. We did it from NorCal to San Francisco and are really dying to do the rest.
@frank
That’s all the miscellaneous kittes, bibs, and jerseys I use to make me look like a douche. There’s a Tyler Hamilton jersey, a complete Smith/Wesson Landis kitte, a few Discovery and USPS jerseys, a CSC Hamilton kitte, another AToC Landis jersey. You get the idea….
@frank
Hey, easy there fella.
The Welli-Roubaix will be held while I’m in Belgium, which served as a cogal last year (although lazy asses like @minion couldn’t even be bothered to drag himself along, even living in this city). So next year I’ve arranged for a 2-time attendee to run the ride. Either that or we run one before or after Belgium.
And… who was trying to organise the Sydney on for xmas/new year? Get in touch, we can make it happen…
@brett
Awesome! You know I love you. We’ll also be doing the Ronde van Seattle, but i have to figure out if we’ll do it before/after or if someone will lead it in my stead. I’m thinking 130km with the last 50 over the steep cobble climbs in Seattle. ROCK!
@Eightzero
Well, at least the beer looks right…
New Cogal added (more detail to follow): 202km around Ontario, Canada.
http://www.velominati.com/cogals/event/ontario-canada-cogal/
@sgt
Maybe we should look at May. Unless one is making a Pilgrimage to Belgium, it’s probably best not to schedule a Cogal to conflict with a monument, and there are so many of those in April.
@brett
Hi Brett, Yeah I thought the Welli-Roubaix would be a goodie, but I’ll be over in Belgium the same time you guys are, different tour party though, when I see the V-kit I will come and say hi.
Before would be good.
How many South Island Velominati represent? I am happy to run one, what do I need to do?
@Mr Haven
Figure a route and a day, and then let us know (best to email us or post here) with the day, route (on MapMyRide or some such mapping utility) and starting point (cafe or park address), and we’ll get it in the calendar. From there, we’ll work out the details, including an official article detailing the plan. We like to get the article announcing the Cogal up about a month prior to the ride to allow for people to plan around it.
At least, this is the model we used for the Austin Cogal and in the absence of evidence that it didn’t work, we’re planning to continue with it.
@Frank.
Consider it done. Build it and they will come.
@Frank
You have mail……
The English Cogal is being planned as I type!
Well it will be once I’ve finished dishing out the V on tonight’s ride! http://www.shifnalcyclingsociety.co.uk
Andy
For the 200-on-100 in VT next June 28, I just looked up the sunrise time in North Troy on that day and yes, it is pre-ordained by the Gods and Merckx’s, that the ride starts exactly at sunrise, which will be at 0505, or written another way, V after V in the morning. How amazing is that?!?!?
I see that a meeting place has been set at the school in North Troy which is perfect. We’ll need to meet there around 0430 as the border is just a bit away and it is going to be a loooonnnggg day.
Searching for bars in Bennignton, VT, which is the first major nearby town in VT after we finish the ride, for post-ride drinks (chocolate milk?) and food! I imagine that the ride will be around 12+ hours so should plan on the ride finishing around 6 to 7 pm.
@Buck Rogers
Sign me up! And would be grateful for a space in the barn at your place the night before. How long a drive from there to the Canadian border? Or should we be looking into finding somewhere to stay closer to the border the night before? Seriously getting amped up for this. Or getting seriously amped up. Or both, really.
Looking forward to doing the Ontario/Vermont Cogal double””almost exactly a month apart. Nice way to start the summer of 2012.
@936adl
Count me in for an English Cogal. Where, the Telford area? I’ve got family down near Much Wenlock, awesome countryside requiring a bit of V. Did my first (almost) century over near there in October.
I trust you’ll be rolling out on the new Rourke.
That green on your blog is a bit lurid!
@Steampunk
Absolutely. I just mapquested it and it is 2 hours and 10 minutes from my place on the Lake to the start. I might be getting a room somewhere nearby for the night as the start time is (has to be) so early on the 28th. Still, even then, you can crash post-ride at my place, and before hand if I decide to get up at 0230 to go to the start (man, that sounds like a REALLY bad idea).
@Buck Rogers
Thank you for the accommodation. A couple of options. If I’m bringing our filmmaker/support driver””and if he’s using my car””we could just meet you at the border and would be grateful for a place to crash thereafter. Alternatively, we could come down the day before and take you up to the border with us.
@Steampunk
Excellent! I would say meet at the border and you gfuys crash at my place after the ride. Should be awesome. the VMH is down with having a few riders come by afterward and crash so it’s all good. Super stuff! I’ll probably drive up the night before and crash at a dive motel so that I do not start off any deader than I have to be!
@Buck Rogers
Good. Let’s try to sort this out soon and see who else is coming. It might be possible to get some kind of a deal at said dive motel with the booking of multiple rooms. Especially on a weeknight. (Note to self: renew passport).
@Steampunk
Completely agree. the Cogal write up on the 200-on-100 has been submitted, just pending reviw and publication by Fronk. Then we can start taking names and setting up the fine details.
@Buck Rogers
Since this is an A to B ride, how are we going to get people back from B to A?
I was also wondering if anyone was going that I could carpool with? From my current location to North Troy it is a 10 hour and 15 minute drive… I’d be willing to drive part of the way and meet up with someone coming from the south as well if possible…
Also, while Bennington is nice (I grew up 15 minutes from there), I would also suggest checking out Brattleboro as there may be more selection.
Also there’s a great English Pub called the “Man of Kent” in Hoosick Falls, NY, just across the border. A bit further west in Troy, there’s Brown Brew Pub, who makes a lot of great beers (There oatmeal stout won Gold at the World Beer Cup a few years back) I realize these places are a bit far though considering where the ride ends.
Back to Brattleboro though, if the last bit of the route was changed, and instead of heading towards 112 where the road splits on in East Jamaica, we headed down 30 towards 142, we could end the ride down by Brattleboro and be within minutes of cold brew.
Yeah, the logistics on this is very tough. I am hoping to hire a friend to help get me back to my place on the Lake after the ride and possibly take a few others with me.
It’s going to have to be a situation where the local riders, myself included, have to provide their own trans to point A and from point B, and hopefully help out some of the other riders. Depending on how many show, it could be a real limiter.
The Hoosick Falls, NY place sounds very doable. That might work perfectly.
As for changing the route, I am not for it personally. I plan on riding Route 100 all the way to the border through Stamford. Why? Because it just seems right and it is the 200-on-100 after all! :)
I actually have a few ideas, but I’ll reserve them for the official cogal posting when the interested riders will be more present.
@King Clydesdale; @Buck Rogers:
Re. logistics. There’s some merit to all starting out at a single departure point (ie. Buck Rogers’s base). Vehicles, etc. can be left there. Depending on numbers, I still think we might want/need two cars on the road. I’ll likely rent a bigger SUV to transport extra wheels/gear, etc. If we had a second, that might allow for the proper transportation from B back to home base (A is a bit distant even by car). Just thinking out loud.
@Steampunk
Just not sure of the numbers. If we have only five to ten people it should be okay with just two vehicles for transport. I am trying to get a buddy to help out with the return trip but i am not at all sure that it will happen.
As for point A, I am just going to try to get a different friend to carry me up the the night before and leave me at the dive motel that we can all stay at, hopefully.
I’d say that everyone needs to arrange a ride to the start with someone who is going already locally. I’ll be able to, hopefully, take a few people myself to the start.
It would be best to try to meet somewhere near North Troy the night before for dinner, crash locally and then ride the next day and have a drink and dinner somewhere near the border. Return rides will be difficult as well. Not sure how to handle it.
Maybe we can all chip in and rent a van and pay someone to drive it that day? That might work well.
@Chris
We’re based in Shifnal so the ride will start and end there. We’re pretty likely to run through Much Wenlock at some point, as the route will take in the best the Shropshire Hills have to offer.
It’s a real pity but it’s unlikely the new Rourke will be ready for the Cogal, so I may never to make do with the current steed.
@936adl
Long Mynd included I would assume? Is the date and route set?
The Mynd will almost certainly feature, it’s a must. I’m still working on the finer details of the route.
Date is likely to be 14/4, but subject to confirmation.
@936adl
Ah now that might be a little tricky. I’ve got this on the weekend of the 25th of March and this on the weekend of the 31st. Three trips in four weeks would be pushing it.
Sod.
Maybe see you over in that direction for the Wild Edric in October.
@936adl
All this talk of Shifnal, the Long Mynd and Much Wenlock, almost makes me homesick. And then I remember the weather…..
Hello Shifnalite. I was born in St Georges just up the road. I recall many a decent ale drank in the White Hart many moons ago.
@936adl
Will be in Oxford shortly after that. Any chance to shoot for a midweek, 26/4 kind of date?