"I'd like a time trial helmet, made out of hair, please"
We’ve remarked many times on the connection between the pained musician and the Cyclist. Layne Staley and Marco Pantani being a prominent example of a reflection in a pond of mental strife. Perhaps something about finding strength – or at least some kind of peace – through suffering is a personality trait that Cycling shares with being an Artist. But sometimes it is much more simple than that. Sometimes, you just want to get psyched to get out and ride. Or to stay in and ride, as the case may be. @blackpooltower lets us in on his own dirty little secret.
Yours in Cycling, Frank
Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and the other assorted Ramones like Linda (yes, really, I checked) might not look like God’s gift to the performance-minded cyclist, despite Johnny’s quite aero hair, but in fact they’re practically a secret weapon.
I’d love to say that my training is all Man-With-Hammer-seeking epics and Moser hill repeats but frankly I live in central London, an hour from anything resembling countryside so, whisper it, I do also spend some time on the turbo. Filthy habit, I know. Sorry.
Although, you know what? Graeme Obree did a fair bit of indoor training and if it’s good enough for the JK Rowling of cycling (which is to say: made it with no one’s help, on welfare/benefits, therefore a total hero) then it’s good enough for me.
Of course indoor training is a bleak prospect without music. And it can’t just be any music. It has to be the right music.
So, if there wasn’t a band whose entire output was recorded at between 90 and 100 bpm, with irrepressible energy levels and just the right blend of anti establishment individualism (totally fake in Johnny’s case), catchiness and outright dumbness to keep an underperforming wanabe racer spinning those stupid fan blades round for one more effort … you’d have to invent them, no?
But no need. The Ramones, AKA punk rock pot belge, exist. Or at least their music does, and that’s the bit you need.
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@frank
"Yes, it goes all the way up to “Registers on the Richter Scale”! "
Dan has a scale ?
The Ramones, got to see them in the mid 90's at a festival. It was about 40 degrees (over 100 to some of you). The leather jackets stayed on and they played about 50 songs in 50 minutes. 1,2,3 - 1 minute song, 1,2,3 - 30 second song, 1,2,3 1.30 minute extravaganza. I don't remember there being any talking except the song count ins. Awesome.
Music on the trainer is interesting, when I'm starting to suffer the earphones come out, it just seems to annoy me. A sure sign I'm approaching the red zone.
@sthilzy
Find this gets the HR going nicely;
Loudness
Also, I listen to Megadeth pretty much exclusively while on the turbo.
@dyalander
Saw the Ramones in 92 for the mediocre "Mondo Bizarro" album. Social D opened. Still the best concert I've ever been to hands down. Still have the concert tshirt. Gabba Gabba Hey.
Saw the Ramones just the once - a gig called The Longest Day at the disgusting Milton Keynes Bowl in 1986. Line up was Faith Brothers, Billy Bragg, Spear of Destiny, Ramones, REM and U2. All for (in today's dollars) well under $100. Typical Brit festival: bottles of piss being thrown around and it rained for most of U2's set. Almost missed my bus home too. Good times.
Saw Still Little Fingers once in 1983 - the last show they played at the notorious Glasgow Apollo. Wildly popular in Glasgow they were.
Bob Mould (solo) and Husker Du are good for the turbo. Public Service Broadcasting too.
@markb
The Orb's Blue Room at 40 minutes is a bit like that on the turbo. You either completely zone out and time flies or it stops time completely and take the battery out of your torch when you're at the very back of the pain cave.
@wiscot
Oddly enough the MK Bowl is now a popular race circuit.