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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And my Father's Day card, very much in the spirit:
@gaswepass
Oh, I was almost able to keep with them. they did have to slow down occasionally playing follow the leader!
With life being what it is, I was happily pleased to be able to get out for a quick ride today. My goal was 130km, but unfortunately my rear tire sliced and the stan's was only able to hold for 4km and the spare tube lasted another 1km. I did manage to sneak in 94km before this happened. Climbed 760m and kept the speed at an average of 36km/h.
This was my first ride in over a week as unplanned hospital visits had me and the wife out of town missing our bikes and children. The first km's of the ride, involved a lot of deep thought. Then as the guns slowly woke up, from the week of sitting in chairs in hospital rooms, and the hips started to loosen, my thoughts disappeared and I hammered. Just me an the bike, no thoughts other than to hammer. Thanks be to all who make the parts on my bike. Thank you Ernesto for designing such a wonderful bike. And thank you guns for letting me take everything out on you.
@Ron Congratulations on the big day!
@brett Superb baking skills, always a tragedy to see broken Campy gear!
The day for us was one of celebration and sadness. Celebration of The International Cogal and day of Fathers and sadness as it was the last ride for one of the key member of our cycling group before he returns to his homeland. In true Merckxian spirit, we hatched a plan to see if we could get the Strava record for our departing buddy by working our asses off for him up a local 15km long Cat 4 climb, a section of the Tour de Langkawi. One by one we each went to the front and rode ourselves into the ground before peeling off, with the man of the moment sheltered at the back. With a couple of kms to go, the last domestique had popped and then, like a rocket, our friend shot off to the top. To show appreciation for all the hard work, he pushed himself so hard he chucked his breakfast several times after finishing. But mission accomplished, the fastest non-pro time up the mountain stage, a sub 36 mins. Our day was all about friendship, brotherhood, working your backside off for the success of others, oh and yeah after the ride about Fathers.
@Nate
Touches the heartstrings....you got a budding artist on your hands!
@Nate
That is fucking sweet! Zoom lines, the right color kit. Nailed it!
While waiting on the wife shopping Saturday, me and the little guy (2 1/2) decide to walk over to the local Performance Bike 2 doors down. Lo and behold he was able to pedal around on a little 12" bike with training wheels. Needless to say, he'll be getting one this week!
@Tartan1749
Can I give some gratuitous advice which you can ignore as you wish... no to training wheels.
As a father of three, our best effort on a bike was the one who started on a pushalong thing without pedals (Like-a-bike is one common brand but there are many others) where they sit and scoot with both legs but can lift up the legs and balance.
With the training wheels the boys got totally dependent on them and shit-scared of taking them off, cue much trauma and angst.
With the push-bike Lillian made an easy transition to a pedal bike when she was three years old. You should have seen the looks of the bigger girls and boys in the park, still on training wheels, when she went zooming past them on a proper bike.
In fact she was on a real bike before her bigger brother and I think it was only the embarrassment that forced him to do it.
@ChrisO
Wholehearted 2nd. #1 son started on the "skuut" and easily transitioned to pedal bike. It makes a ton of sense too- think how hard everyone starts out reefing on the pedal when never ridden before. Who wouldnt fall over? When he jumped on a pedal bike, first thing he did was start flintstone-style getting rolling, then pedaled like he'd been doing it for years. #2 daughter can make it the mile to the neighborhood park without difficulty at age 3. So i'm biased towards balance bikes over training wheels.
@Tartan1749
Thanks. And seconding @ChrisO's advice -- our 5 yr old started off on a Skuut balance bike at 2 1/2 and graduated to a pedal bike without training wheels by 4. #2 is about to start on the same program. Friends of the 5 yr old who have gone on training wheels haven't been able to get off them.
@Adrian
That is a cool send-off, and probably one he'll never forget.
I snuck out for a quick 35k while the house was empty. Came home to discover my VMH had our boys doing yard work, which is a rarity. Then I enjoyed a malted post-ride recovery drink, although sadly, it wasn't Belgian.