No words survive here, only echoes. Echoes of our hopes, of our plans, of our failures. What we thought we might do when we came here is little more than a shadow; it flickers on the walls for a moment and when we turn to look, it is gone. Doubts swell up and bounce off the walls until they become so loud they can no longer be heard.
Once we’ve entered, we can not return the way we came; the only way out is to descend into the darkness and through to the other side. When we emerge, we will breathe a new life, one where we are able to push a bit harder, and suffer a bit more. It is a better world, one with opportunity. One where we can make things happen because we have discovered a new limit of our will.
Pushing deeper into The Cave is learned over time. When we first enter, we will find ourselves in a small cavern with no apparent exit. As we train and explore its darkest corners, we discover a passage. We gather our courage and slip into a larger, darker cavern to explore. Beyond that, there lies another. Each holds its own unique strain of suffering, but with it comes also a degree of control; the choice to enter is ours and ours alone.
When I’m strong, my mind yearns for the cleansing qualities of The Cave. I feel almost the master of my pain, that I command its ebbs and flows. Even on days that don’t require it, I will hurt myself just to prove I can. When I’m chasing my fitness, however, I approach it with the same reluctance I had as a child when made to eat my vegetables. The suffering flows over me in waves and I am at the mercy of its current.
My training this summer has been erratic and unstructured. I’ve had some great periods, and just as I’ve neared a goal, either illness or travel unexpectedly reared up before me and interrupted my progress. A week away from the bike means another two weeks before I find myself back to where I was. Two weeks of drifting like a leaf in the current. Two weeks of knowing what lies beyond, unable to reach it.
Then the breakthrough, and into the next cavern. It is only through contemplating the darkest corners of The Cave that we discover its deepest passages and it is within the deepest passages that we may discover our purest selves.
Have courage and follow the path into The Cave. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@frank
That picture is all kids of awesome. He looks like he's about to bite his stem. Pure TT bike - stripped down to essentials with a sweet pair of tubs on there I'll bet. Jersey tucked into wool shorts, all-leather shoes. No helmet, no bottle, no gloves, no small ring and probably a 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18 on the back. This is what drew me into this sport in 1981. At the end of the event, your time is your time. No drafting, no teammates, no excuses. You against the clock, the weather and your tolerance for self-inflicted pain. Beautiful.
@unversio
When was this photo taken? I did not think that Merlin's were that old. This looks like an OLD pic.
@VeloSix
@il ciclista medio
Gotta chime in on these guys' perspectives. If you're keen for the cave, racing is where its at.
Sure you can push it hard by yourself and a club/group ride can make you push your limits but the true depths of the cave are best accessed in racing. (Applying Rule#70).
The difference is determined by the amount pressure on the pedals in a given circumstance. What affects the level of motivation to maintain (increase?) the pressure and what are the reasons to abate
I've always thought that solo efforts are characterized by interruptions by The Man with the Hammer. You can push hard, for a long periods of time but in the end, you're the captain of your own destiny. You can raise the white flag any time. Group rides take away your control of the pace. Sometimes this means you ride within your limits, sometimes you can control the pace and sometimes you're at the mercy of stronger riders. Sit in, take your turn, drive, draft - whatever. If you're the box there's not always a great incentive to maintain the effort. Its up to you. Its really only a training ride, right?
Race day is different. When the pace hots up there's not a lot that stands up in the court of Rule#5. You came to win the race, right? You have to be with the bunch at the line or you have to keep driving the break. Its what you came for. Changing up or breaking stroke is for misdirected also-rans.
And so...there is...the cave.
@Buck Rogers
My guess is it's in the UK (he's riding on the left-hand side of the road). I'd say late 70s, early 80s. Back then, TT races made up the majority of the sport's events. Road races were next and criteriums seldom held.
When I was a budding cyclist reading Cycling Weekly, this man was the bomb-diggedy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alf_Engers
Remember, those times were all set without the all mod cons of aero clothing, helmets, overshoes etc.And on open roads. Even today, his sub-50 minute 25 time is still a bit controversial because of traffic conditions. There were several courses in England that were held on four lane highways with loads of traffic. 12 1/2 miles out, 12 1/2 miles back with heavy trucks passing regularly = fast times!
Sean Yates would have been a contemporary of Engers. In 1980 Yates won the National 25 Championship. This was, believe it or not, one of the biggest cycling events of the year.
@wiscot Cool history! Thanks!
Interesting that he has a spare tub and a frame pump on his bike. I would not think that he'd have those in a race.
@unversio
Gary Busey was another batshit fast tester.
@Chris
That's Ian Cammish riding for the mighty Manchester Wheelers, probably around 1988. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Cammish Note the drilled, tape-less bars. This is worth a read and look at the personal best stats, utterly astounding.http://www.veloveritas.co.uk/2012/12/19/ian-cammish-interview/ Gary Busey, is, his one role as Buddy Holly aside, a fucking pathetic waster.
@Buck Rogers
He could be doing a 50. If you puncture way out on course, it was a shitty ride home if you didn't have a spare. No cell phones back then to call the VMH to come and pick you up. Also worth noting, most TTs started at 7 or 8 am!
@wiscot
Gary Busey played Buddy Holly?
Mate. You can't exclude Leroy the Masochist: "I like pain. Any kind of pain."
@wiscot
Pete Wells?
There's a massive 200 page gallery thread on timetriallingforum.co.uk titled Legends of TT, loads of old school stem chewing. The shots of the two up testers are the best for suffering. There are also some interesting scans of articles and photos of Boarman, Obree, Yates etc.