I’m often told I romanticize Cycling’s past, that the days gone by weren’t quite as rosy as I make them out to be. There is some truth to this, certainly, but the assertion isn’t entirely accurate in the sense that I romanticize everything about Cycling.
Because events are seasoned by our thoughts and individual experience, we necessarily cannot see them for what they truly were. The thoughts that pass through our mind when looking at an old or new photograph, a race, or when we go for a ride influences the way it is remembered and the significance it holds.
Our minds are very good at forgetting pain and remembering pleasure; it isn’t very long after an experience that negative associations begin to fade and positive ones to amplify. This psychological mechanism is the gateway to romanticization. Certainly, I remember that climbing Haleakala last January was a horrible experience, but I’ve managed to forget what that means precisely. On the other hand, the memory of accomplishing a task that turned out to be much harder than I had anticipated lingers strongly; I find myself drawn back to the mountain for the chance to experience once more the purity that touches us briefly when we persevere despite total exhaustion.
Romanticizing encourages us to study the past, to appreciate how things were, and provides the opportunity to learn from the mistakes others have made. It reminds us that things were not always as they are today and that those things we wish were different may be so tomorrow. It helps us forget that many long hours of suffering are balanced only by brief moments of exhilaration. It helps us to dream, to imagine what could be.
Do the great races of the past seem more glorious than they were? Perhaps. Does the sunlight’s glint off a chromed chainstay blind me to the weight of the bicycle and the extra burden it places on its rider? Certainly. Does the memory of reaching down to flick a downtube shifter eclipse the inconvenience of sitting down to shift, and removing a hand from the bars? Absolutely. But they also form the fabric of what keeps me returning to the bicycle.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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Oh yeah, make no mistake, I am all for no radios.
Or, at the worst, a one-way radio from the commissaire to let everyone know about crashes or road hazards up ahead.
It is hard to imagine going back on any technology, so I do not see it happening until Velominati becomes the movement that dictates world cycling taste (of course that is exactly what our fearless leader envisions - if that was a question in any of our tiny brains, i.e. we are just leetle cogs in the overall Dutch inspired world cycling domination scheme). So, although we all feel that the races would regain a certain "je ne sais quoi" with no radios, can it go back?
An odd (to me) inverse of this radio/no radio is bike frame design/weight restrictions by the UCI. We now have a 100 year old design slowly morphing but if the restrictions had not been imposed I would be riding a mono single blade 7 lb space ship that I feel pretty sure would be affordable by now as opposed to fitting the technology to the old design parameters at huge cost.
Forget that I still ride steel, in an odd way I love technology and if I was competing I would have to be on the newest carbone but for just getting me out on the tuesday night group ride my old horse still keeps up fine. If the bike of my imagination was being made now I would have traded up but so far to me its still just the same bike with a few better bells and whistles.
@Rob
Carbon fiber is still pretty darn expensive, even just as raw material before processing. I don't know quite where I stand on the regulations, but I really do like seeing some of the TT, track, and such bikes from the 90s. TT evolution is very interesting to me. It would be cool to see people still zipping around on Lotus 110s
@frank, rob, chriso, buck, chris
I have seen the radio's as a good thing for a bit, until lately, like the past few years.
Its nice to know if there is danger ahead, like trains not closed down on the Paris-Roubaix, so all things considered, it would be a nice thing to know...you know?
But...here is my beef, and I know it happens. Race after race, buddy and I watch with disbelief that the breakaway gets caught in the last floggin K....and after seeing this 100 times repeated, there is no randomness to it.
They must....(handfist) MUST, sit back in the car, hit 'www.figure-out-time-gap-breakaway.com' and go to it and hit in the distances, gaps and KNOW with surety the effort necessary to catch the breakaway, and then know EXACTLY when to go. That is artificial as Pamela Andersons beautiful set of knockers, but artificial none the less.
Take the radio, bring back a bit of the randomness, give the breakaway the benefits they deserve. They may still yell out the window, honk the horn...but, everyone is fair game to know...and that is only a 'maybe'
back to the Romanticizing from our vantage point. What would we say if some poor bastard walked his bike, like this one? What would we do today? We would laugh, and say 'PRO??'..really. Yet, because this was 1910, we wax poetic about it.
and no matter, this dude descending Tourmalet has balls
nothing under romanticizing this, its flat cool
@Souleur
I defer to Le Blaireau:
"I am against them (race radios). It is just a 'Game Boy' that has a gigolo attached at the end telling the racer when to take a piss."
Nipple. Fucking. Lube. No matter where you stand on the issue.
@sgt
This is about as close 'race-radio' should get - EVER!
Thanks BIG RING RIDING!
@sthilzy
Saw that today. Just f'king amazing! The look in the Lone Rangers eyes is chilling. Just f'king perfect!
@sthilzy
You just took the fucking A+1 badge for the week. Fucking fantastic. Not to mention we love us some BRR.
@sgt
Full stop. Done. A+1.