Categories: Breaking The RulesCyclocrossDefining MomentsRantings from the V-Bunker

Motorhead

Motors are acceptable for this.

Motherfucker.

I honestly don’t like swearing in an Article, much less using such a word to open an article, but seriously. Motherfucker. A motor discovered in an U23 rider’s bike at the Cyclocross World Championships has to be the lowest of the low that anyone can go. I’m so pissed off, I’m rhyming. Which itself makes me madder than a hatter.

I have a pretty lenient stance on doping, which I hold to fairly wide criticism. I believe that the path towards doping is full of shadows and gradual steps towards the darkness. It is easy for me to imagine a young, ambitious rider who has sacrificed education and other vocations for the chance to become a Pro Cyclist, who is taken under the wing of an older, more experienced rider and to whom is explained the ways of the sport. If I was 18 and following that path, I cannot say with certainty what choice I would make, given the limited perspective one would have under those circumstances. While I hate doping and wish for clean sport, I hold limited judgement over those who have strayed down that path.

But we ride bicycles for the pleasure of propelling ourselves along the road under our own power. We push the pedals and we go faster, it is as simple as that; the motor resides in our heads and in our hearts. Performance enhancing drugs will, to various degrees, fine-tune and modify that motor, but there remains alive a notion that even a doped rider is holding true to this basic notion.

Competition is about finding out who is the superior athlete, it is as simple as that. We train, we fine-tune our equipment, we learn the strategy and tactics required to rise to the top. Doping certainly obscures that concept, but that a rider would abandon this fundamental principle of our sport by utilizing a motor in their bike seems to me an order of magnitude removed. It is gratuitous to the extent that there is no possible justification apart from an unabashed desire to win over all else.

This is bike racing, not motorcycle racing. For fucks sake.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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wilburrox says:

Feb 2 2016 at 6:22 pm

@frank

@ChrisO

@wilburrox

Something like 90% of pro peloton is mechanical doping ? And will probably be even more once the SRAM sponsored teams have all the eTap gear the need (and racers want?). There is no doubt that the motorized derailleurs work very well. And there are definitely little motors on the bike.

Technically no, morally yes.

And their little noise is horrible. That tiny electronic whine that says “I can’t shift my own derailleur.”

This is a sound that no bicycle should ever make. I’m tempted to get the SRAM stuff because it actually seems to be an improved way of shifting, but now I’m backing off that idea again.

I remember the first time I rode Di2 and hearing that noise, it sounded so unnatural on a bike. And if you’re ever at a Pro CX race, you’ll hear them all shifting enmasse, zzt,zzt,zzt,zzt,zzt,zzt! It’s horrible!

That'll disappear soon when most are running 1x's. No diff than XC it makes much sense for CX. That's the FD motor whirr making a perfect shift every time. It doesn't suck. Even the auto trim provides a little zzt that reminds that this is some pretty cool stuff.

The thing about the eTap is the button push on both levers to trigger the FD. That seems a little strange to me. I'm sure ya could get used to it fast. But, not sure how one goes about marrying up the RD shift at same time. You'd wanna pop a couple shifts in back just before the front or shift front and then adjust back. With the Di2 it's easy peasy to get a perfect FD shift and corresponding RD adjust at same time.

Anyways, I love great shifting mech's and certainly the aesthetics are best and I also love the motorized shifters too. Thinking about it a little... I used to be a watch snob for automatics. They were all PITA. Now I'm pretty much wearing my Timex Ironman and thinking I want quality Seiko or ecodrive Citizen. Hmmm.
Oli says:

Feb 2 2016 at 6:28 pm

@kixsand

From the scant evidence of that inconclusive video I totally refuse to believe Cancellara is using a motor. Having seen how he wins races throughout his long and storied career I'm confident that what he does in that clip he's quite capable of doing without resorting to an engine in his frame.

Although admittedly I have been wrong before...
piwakawaka says:

Feb 2 2016 at 10:09 pm

@Oli

@kixsand

From the scant evidence of that inconclusive video I totally refuse to believe Cancellara is using a motor. Having seen how he wins races throughout his long and storied career I’m confident that what he does in that clip he’s quite capable of doing without resorting to an engine in his frame.

Although admittedly I have been wrong before…

if only it was someone other than Boonen, maybe someone who had been away all day but seriously it looks bad really bad.
KogaLover says:

Feb 3 2016 at 1:17 am

@frank

No, you will not find that one on FB or anywhere else for that matter.
KogaLover says:

Feb 3 2016 at 1:29 am

@frank

Hesjedal is Canadian (why Denmark? @ErikdR defend yourself!) and having read the various posts and videos on his spinning wheel, I am convinced he did not have a motor. His pedals did not spin anymore when he crashed. The motor works on the cranks so the pedals should have continued to spin.

And on Cancellara (and since I live in Switzerland): corruption does not exist in this fine country and all pay their taxes, and black money does not exist and Sepp Blatter is Swiss, so I give him the benefit of the doubt.
Oli says:

Feb 3 2016 at 3:21 am

@piwakawaka

I disagree, and I watched the whole race and have watched the finale many, many times. If you want to believe that about Cancellara then good on you, but I'd need an Oprah episode to change my mind.
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 3 2016 at 4:45 am

@Oli

@piwakawaka

I disagree, and I watched the whole race and have watched the finale many, many times. If you want to believe that about Cancellara then good on you, but I’d need an Oprah episode to change my mind.

Yeah, as much as I really, REALLY do not like, and have never liked, Sparty (he beat up on my Tommeke too much and became a massive whiney bitch as well over the last 5+ years) I also give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Also, like Oli implies, there really is no way to ever tell unless he actually did use a motor and he actually decides to admit it. Both highly unlikely in my opinion.
chuckp says:

Feb 3 2016 at 5:59 am

Now, this is a proper motorbike. Miss doing this. And have to remember I can't do this on a bicycle.
chuckp says:

Feb 3 2016 at 6:00 am

Something is wrong/weird. My pic didn't post.
blackpooltower says:

Feb 3 2016 at 7:25 am

@blackpooltower

Well since no one else had it, try this link. Might also contain Oprahs.