It has been a busy couple of weeks in the Velominati Boardroom as we’ve been scrambling to finalize a few partnerships and get all the products for the Keepers Tour customers designed and produced. Suffice to say, fists and beers were slammed in tandem as we feverishly worked out the final designs.
Producing V-Pints, V-Shirts, and V-Musettes seems a simple enough task; and we also needed a flag and banner to fly at the roadside of the various races we are due to watch from the roadside, including de Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. There was also a the small matter of getting our hands on musette bags, which aren’t commonly found on the market, as far as we could tell. Fair heart, never worry; Gianni and his VMH took matters into their own hands and made them up from scratch. If their other business ventures fail, musette-sewing may be a good fallback, they Look Fantastic.
The most significant effort due was for the Keepers Tour Cobbled Classics 2012 design; enter our graphic-design mastermind, KRX-10. We tossed a few emails across the net and settled quickly on the notion of using a variation of the Lion of Flanders. “Now we need a public-domain vector graphic. Race you to it”, was the last word from KRX10 on the matter before the design was finalized. Then it was on to deciding on a tag line, with the result being perhaps the best example of what happens when the Keepers argue long enough on such matters.
With that, we proudly present the official artwork for Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2012:
The last two weeks I’ve felt like a kid waiting for Christmas as orders were placed and we entered into the torturous period of time while we waited to lay our hands on the final products and see the fruits of our labor. And I have to say, this round may have produced our finest products yet; the V-Lion and tagline turned out magnificently, as did all the other items. The flag and banner are actually breathtaking – waving in the wind. We hope you like it as much as we do.
A few items of note: Attendees of Keepers Tour will receive a musette packed with their V-Shirt and V-Pint along with a few lovies from our sponsors, and will also have the honor of commenting for the next year with the V-Lion badge. Also of note is the matter that these products are not available for sale and will never be; the only way to get Keepers Tour products is to attend a Keepers Tour, so bear that in mind next time around. Finally, if you’re looking for a real photo of the V-Pint, you’ll have to wait until we arrive in Belgium, as they were shipped ahead while I was away on business and as such they have not yet been seen by anyone, even me.
Please also get yourself acquainted with our Twitter and Tumblr sites if you’ve not done so already – we’ll be reserving the site for major updates, and will be posting minor updates in those to locations throughout our trip, with Twitter being used for small updates, and Tumblr for the ones that are too much for a tweet and too little for the V.
VLVV.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Keepers Tour CC2012/”/]
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@paolo
I'm going to respect people's privacy and not name them. If they'd like to let you know who they are, they are free to point themselves out.
Ok, I've looked at all (so far) the photos here and on FB and I really can't express how unbelievably awesome this whole thing is. Too bad you're not Catholic Fronk because you'd definitely be up for sainthood. Being somewhat of a lay-theologian I will share that the Hebrew word for glory (Kabod) brings with it the connotation of great weight - that when you are in the presence of the glory of God you are pressed down (more like crushed) by the weight of His glory and that's how I feel about all this stuff. I know that it is merely a bunch of fucktards riding bikes around but I long to be there as a pilgrim on his way to the Celestial City longs to be "home". The black and white photos only add to the "weight" of the event and bring a sense honor and tradition that I think escapes the average American cyclist and that I am just now coming to understand.
Fronk, you pondered why I sent you a custom built frame - it is because of this - if you've been paying attention to little hints I drop here and there and the imagery/language I sometimes use in my articles (and the conversation I had with Marko in your kitchen) you know that I believe certain things about a realm outside the temporal, but in the here and now you have "created" a worldwide community of like-minded people that has given me a sense of pride and purpose to be considered a part of. In this "realm" you have been a mentor and someone I look up to. I may be a somewhat portly 50 year old Cat 4 that is just some punter dicking around in relation to the real giants of cycling but I'm having fun in this "new birth" and you guys embrace and even encourage my delusions of grandeur and I really appreciate it. I also appreciate that behind the facade of "arrogant roadie prickishness" that is the joke that runs through the veins of this site is in reality a humility and acceptance of everyone (trolls excepted) that has even the slightest interest in the tradition and history of racing/cycling. In other words, Fronk, you are worthy to be praised and this Cobbled Classics tour just proves it. This is the event of a lifetime and you guys will remember every cobble, every pint, every laugh for the rest of your lives. Hopefully the gods will smile on me and I will be able to make a future edition of a Keepers Tour but in the meantime I will live vicariously through you guys and bask in your "glory".
One more thing, Fronk, I notice that Marko has a GoPro on his helmet - believe me when I say that if there is not some sort of DVD/download made available of all the shenanigans your chickens WILL pay.
@mouse
HAHAHA mouse!
@Cyclops
Well-written, Cyclops. The only thing I can add is VLVV.
Good Lord, would you like some frites to go along with that mayo?
@Cyclops
+1. I am currently only a shell of the cyclist I hope to someday become, but I have this site and many of the great people I've met here to thank for the strides I have made thus far. Truly an awesome community for everyone who "gets it".
@frank
Frank, the photos are beautiful - you were truly fortunate to have such a photographer capture part of your trip.
If he is providing you with the full-size photo files, I'd make one of those cool bound photo books that you can make online these days. They deserve to be printed.
+1 to Cyclops. I couldn't agree more. Keep the photos coming all - its great to experience vicariously through like-minded souls.
@scaler911
Dude, where were these shots taken? I tried to figure it out but I can't place the locations.
@Cyclops
Hey One-eye,
I can spec out the wheels. I need to go on KT 2 as well!
And agreed, you magnificent bastard! I love the air of superiority that the road culture breeds when the reality is humility in extremis. Unless you are one of those wheelsucking tools that don't get it.
@Cyclops
How much for a 29er frame?