It came to me in a moment of absolute clarity, the kind of clarity which only arrives to one in an oxygen-depleted state and at high speed – usually down a steep descent. It would be awfully nice to justify wearing my Molteni jersey, rather than having it hanging in my workshop all the time.
It had been suggested a few times already by the time the notion came to me last winter, that Velominati should organize an international Cogal on which all of us around the world would climb aboard our bicycles in honor of each other, and devote the day to riding. It is, after all, what we do; we ride our bikes. The rest is detail.
While the idea is simple enough, the selection of a date has proven positively futile. Summer on the Upper Half of the planet (you know the one – the one that matters) means VVinter for the Lower Half. When the Lower Half (you know the one, the one with all the convicts and Aztecs) is in summer, the important side is snowed in or sopping wet. You simply can’t choose a day that works for everyone.
The solution, of course, is simple: I unilaterally pick a date for the entire community and shove it down everyone’s throat by the virtue of being louder than almost anyone else (with the exception of the bloke sitting just behind me and to my left at the café; that is one loud-mouthed bastard, that.)
Being the type of person I am, with all the personality defects I have at my disposal, I was still perplexed by the selection of a date that holds significant meaning for all our community. January first, so we may ride off our hangovers. October 3rd, to celebrate Leiden’s liberty from the Spanish. Then the epiphany as I flew down Lighthouse Hill towards the shore of Puget Sound, where Pearl Jam and Sound Garden once rocked out in the weeds: the Velominati International Cogal will be held every year in honor of The Prophet’s birthday, June 17.
Every Velominatus is free to observe this day however they like. Take a holiday from work; declare an exemption due to your specific religious requirements. Ride on the day, in a way that helps you honor the way Eddy rode himself. Ride lots, was his sage training advice. I like to surprise my rivals, was his explanation attacking 70 or 80 or 90 or 100km from the finish. However you ride, on Festum Prophetae each year, we will honor The Prophet. We may also choose, as is customary with other holidays, to arrange within our immediate community to designate the nearest convenient day to observe the holiday. If taking the day to honor him is impractical on the 17th, designate a nearby day that works better for you.
Mark your calendars for June 17, Festum Prophetae*. Personally, I will climb aboard my steel Bike #2 fitted with tubular tires, don my wool Molteni Jersey and head out with only a bit of food in my jersey pocket and water in my bidon with the express intent to meet the Man with the Hammer. No mean feat, considering the Seattle Summer Cogal will have taken place only the day before. Two Cogals in one weekend: I can’t think of a better way to honor him.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
*A special thanks to @ChrisO for helping determine the “correct” latin phrase.
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Festum Prophetae greetings to you all, added felicitations to all of us who are fathers, and to Ron, I toast you with my morning coffee, and wish you a fabulous day, and hope you geet a full set of Assos or a new bike, or whichever is the more expensive, instead of a load of crystal for your wedding pressies
I was being lazy, and doing that tapering crap, before I head off on wednesday for the Pyrenees, until I read this post, and am now going to get my steed out, in fresh tanwalled slippers for a quick slide around in the rain
I see my bike club (NDCC Bangor) are endlessly quoting the Rules at each other on facebook on a daily basis - no-one has made the link to the V-kit that I am often seen wearing, though the link to the rules on this site have been posted there several times by a few of them ... ;o)
I shall wish them all a Festum Prophetae and see if anyone knows what I am talking about - actually, the entire club are doing a 100km ride today with 1000 other cyclists for Charity, around our local peninsula - I guess they are celebrating FP without knowing why - sometimes that's how it is!
A good day to y'all
@markpa
Pure filth
After reciting Eddy's Prayer, seven of us rolled out at V past VV and headed into the cold. After the climb and fast descent of the Haywoods we headed towards the Moonshine climb. It was almost as far away from our start/finish that we could get. Perfect time for my derailleur to snap in half.
Luckily, a VMH friend lives fairly close by, and came to my rescue as the lads rolled on.
A car crash blocking the highway meant my VMH friend had to eject me halfway, as she had a rehearsal and was running late. My good mate Nath came to my second rescue and got me back to town. Cheers guys...
I met up with the guys back in town and we went to @bianchi denti's place and watch the Ronde highlights and ate the birthday cake @rigid had baked for Eddy...
And it was a good day...
@brett Great celebration, but sorry to see your deriller shat itself wtf!?!
@Oli
JRA.
Ron - congratulations and felicitations, Mate. Do not listen to the cynics - marriage is a grand institution.
Brett - bummer about the rear mech. Commiserations.
All - Happy FP. I celebrated with a small ride - my first proper one for ten weeks (i.e. with hills and being able to stand up in the pedals without my bust foot making me squeal like a stuck pig). Ten weeks of no riding and instead drinking beer to console myself means I look a like a fat pig, and ride like one, but it felt good to be out there pretending I wasn't one. Hope the rest of you find FP equally satisfying.
I can think of no greater act of worship than ripping your derailleur in half as far from home as possible, and baking a cake with the Prophet's name on it - chapeau
@Fronk will be proud/ secretly jealous/ try to outdo this
@brett Bummer mate!
@Ron Congratulations!
@all well done with your celebrations.
I really wanted to celebrate today with a podium place in my category (slow buggers) at a small local MTB GranFondo. I was so keen that late yesterday afternoon I thought I'd go out and have a reccy of the course. Everything was going pretty sweet... as usual the climbing was pretty full-on something like 1100m in the first 15 kms but I got to the top ok. I figured I had an hour's light left with only a sweeping downhill to do. No problem! Fuck me if the course markings didn't suddenly dissapear.
I looked around for a path and I came to a spot where I found a hobo fire but no hobo, I figured he didn't want contact and had hidden. I don't know what the Italian equivalent of 'dueling banjos' is but it was playing in my head there was an old sign saying something about a MTB trail. I pushed on but what trail there might have been had long since gone even the goats thake the easier route. So with fading light, no battery left on my cellphone (no coverage anyway) I was forced to crash through the undergrowth on foot dragging the bike along. I eventually got down, not before considering abandoning the bike, and when I got back to the car it was dark. My wife was of course freaking out!
Result: my legs are cut to shit and! I'm fucked if I was going back for more today, but all said and done a good mission.
I'll do a 100kms tomorrow in the 35C heat.
Happy Birthday, Eddy.
A deliberately intense 96km on 54/44 with an 11/21. Rolling hills and long sections.
Another similar ride today to honor Eddy. As if he cares.