La Vie Velominatus: The Choice

Koblet in all his Cyclist Majesty

The only people I would care to be with now are artists and people who have suffered: those who know what beauty is, and those who know what sorrow is: nobody else interests me.
– Oscar Wilde

I have a theory that every living being is designed to cope with a certain level of stress in their lives, that if our lives are somehow free of stress, we will invent new ways to meet our mind’s infinite capacity to worry about things it can’t control; I call this phenomenon the Suck Equilibrium.

The ability to cope with stress is what makes a person great; in Einstein’s case it was the stress caused by a desire to discover the Unified Theory, in other cases it might be to balance the checkbook. The driver isn’t important; that it pushes us to do more in life is what matters.

The Suck Equilibrium dictates that we adapt to the amount of stress we carry; no one is free of this burden – the hungry seek a meal, the homeless a home, the bike-less a bike, and the millionaire more millions. There is no cure, there is no remedy; no matter the level we reach, our natural inclination is to seek more from ourselves. In the end, there is only Rule #5.

The Cyclist is a unique character among the others. While the artist suffers because they must; the Cyclist suffers because they choose. To me, the greatest artist is that who choses to suffer, and who discovers the beauty in that choice. I am proud to call myself a Cyclist.

Vive la Vie Velominatus.

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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Ron says:

Oct 1 2013 at 7:23 am

Oh man, also have to share...I rode on Saturday morning with three Divinity School dudes. Good lord! As a former Christian that was quite the group ride. At least I'll be in good hands should I get smacked by a car, talk about Highway to Heaven...
Ron says:

Oct 1 2013 at 7:43 am

I do a lot of food system research for my job. Was also just thinking about self-created stress along the lines of eating agriculture-industrial food and the constant public health fears of contamination. Many people have no option but to eat these foods (though I know sweet potatoes, venison, and squirrel are cheap!) and there are continually outbreaks that send fear, and death, through the population.

Interesting as very conscientious consumers as cyclists how the American food production system is now poisoning people, animals, and the land. So much for the bucolic, pastoral farm.
Mike_P says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:07 am

I just need to post a reverence comment as thanks to @Frank for the truly wonderful Hugo Koblet photo at the top of the article. You can almost hear his tires and smell the farmland he's passing. Just look at him. Pure class.
SimonH says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:13 am

@strathlubnaig

... often wonder why I cant just go out for 'an easy ride'.

Amen. I always, always go out to destroy myself. I learn the most about myself that way. When all else is dying a death my legs keep on spinning and screaming at me which always feels good in some twisted way.

No such thing as a leisurely ride. I must always go to war everytime.
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:16 am

It's his goggles. I have been staring at that photo all day trying to figure out what the hell was on his forearm. Thought is was a bandage but it didn't look right. Super photo.
Teocalli says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:26 am

@Buck Rogers Ahhh of course. I was trying to work that out too. What about what appears to be an extra pump behind the seat tube just behind his knee? Clearly you are having a Jerome day workwise then too?

@SimonH Too true. Every time I go out with two of my buddies we always ask ourselves why we try to destroy each other every time we go out. Of course we then go out and try to destroy each other. At our combined ages one day we probably will. Unfortunately I'm the oldest by a fair way. Though at the moment it's me trashing them. Long may that last!
Mike_P says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:36 am

@Teocalli

@Buck Rogers Ahhh of course. I was trying to work that out too. What about what appears to be an extra pump behind the seat tube just behind his knee?

It's Hugo Koblet so is probably his eau de cologne.
the Engine says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:41 am

@Teocalli

@Buck Rogers Ahhh of course. I was trying to work that out too. What about what appears to be an extra pump behind the seat tube just behind his knee? Clearly you are having a Jerome day workwise then too?

@SimonH Too true. Every time I go out with two of my buddies we always ask ourselves why we try to destroy each other every time we go out. Of course we then go out and try to destroy each other. At our combined ages one day we probably will. Unfortunately I'm the oldest by a fair way. Though at the moment it's me trashing them. Long may that last!

And once again - the spare pump
the Engine says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:49 am

@Teocalli

@Buck Rogers Ahhh of course. I was trying to work that out too. What about what appears to be an extra pump behind the seat tube just behind his knee? Clearly you are having a Jerome day workwise then too?

@SimonH Too true. Every time I go out with two of my buddies we always ask ourselves why we try to destroy each other every time we go out. Of course we then go out and try to destroy each other. At our combined ages one day we probably will. Unfortunately I'm the oldest by a fair way. Though at the moment it's me trashing them. Long may that last!

Aha - its a gonfleur a sort of medieval CO2 canister using compressed air. They were refillable and popular until made redundant by external support with spare wheels.
Teocalli says:

Oct 1 2013 at 8:52 am

@the Engine Or is it the welding kit? The goggles could be dark enough.