Categories: ExportLa Vie VelominatusMusings from the V-Bunker

Winter

The Prophet gets pumped to ride. Hopefully that thing isn't going to find its way onto his bike.

As Cyclists, we are uniquely subjected to the changing of seasons. The green canopy of forest that we ride through in Summer gives way in Fall to one of orange and yellow that mimics the fire of sunset. Just as those hues give notice to the changing from day to night, so do they now signal the change from Summer to Winter.

It is also a time of transition in our riding. The rides are first wetter, then cooler. Soon, we’ll be rooting about the kit bin for gloves and a wooly hat. Shorts become three-quarters and three-quarters become fulls. There might be a shadow of trepidation in bidding the warm months adieu, but there lurks some excitement, too. Wearing long sleeve jerseys and leg warmers signals to us that the fight for peak form is behind us and our rides now have a sense of insouciance about them; it is freeing to embrace the lack of structure to our rides. We ride, once again, simply for the pleasure of riding.

There is something else. The longer days of Summer almost afford us too much liberty in our training. The sun rises early and sets late; the possibilities to train are endless; the morning ride is skipped for the likelihood of riding in the afternoon. The afternoon schedule fills up and the ride is missed and the training takes on a more frenetic nature. The shorter days of the winter offer less choices, so the rides are fought for more vigorously. Choice can lead to indecision while restriction often feeds discipline.

I embrace the coming Winter and its accompanying discipline. Besides, after the Winter come the Spring Classics, and we loves ourselves some cobbles. 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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View Comments

Barracuda says:

Oct 26 2016 at 5:40 pm

@Ccos

@Ron

The most dangerous animal on the road BY FAR is the Retirie goingtochurchae subspecies andlate one of those fuckers is worse than 10 pissed off rednecks. In as far as the helmet placed lights, all I can do is quote what I overheard at a cafe stop one bike rider (not a cyclist mind you) say to another bike rider about his choice of putting lights on his helmet: “You know, if you put one more of those things on your helmet….I won’t be able to ride with you anymore.”

We have the above species but also the much more unpredictable and far more dangerous " methaddicus noneblinkus drivefast angryie " , so we get both spectrums on the road down here.
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 26 2016 at 10:11 pm

@Gianni

@Ccos

@Ron

The most dangerous animal on the road BY FAR is the Retirie goingtochurchae subspecies andlate one of those fuckers is worse than 10 pissed off rednecks. In as far as the helmet placed lights, all I can do is quote what I overheard at a cafe stop one bike rider (not a cyclist mind you) say to another bike rider about his choice of putting lights on his helmet: “You know, if you put one more of those things on your helmet….I won’t be able to ride with you anymore.”

I have to agree but also the Retirie Leavingchurchius is extremely dangerous. They are feeling well chuffed and driving with a clean, guilt free slate after church. In a word, invincible.

And not only that, they are racing like fuck to get that first table at the IHOP or Cracker Barrel restaurant.
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 26 2016 at 10:12 pm

@Ron

Buck – yup, I use lights all the time.Like I said, I can kinda forgive a college kid on campus or someone without means around town, but not the serious roadies in black kit and no lights in poor light conditions. It’s insane. Especially because we’ve had something like 8 cyclists killed in the past 2-3 years. We’ve absolutely smashed the per capita national average. A seasoned cyclist was killed one block from my house. Driver was like 85 years old, admitted to the police he saw the cyclist, admitted he thought he simply had enough time, pulled out in front of him. NOTHING has happened to the driver. I honestly know of no other situation where you can kill someone and absolutely nothing happens, especially when it was NOT accidental, it was dangerous use of a deadly machine. I’m part of an advocacy group and we’re pushing the city to implement something, some form of punishment if you hit and kill a cyclist. Suspended license, a night in jail, something. Our deaths have been all over the spectrum, from seasoned roadies to seasoned commuters, to people lacking a car and relying on a bike to get around. My wife gets more and more unhappy with me road riding as the deaths accumulate.

And many cyclists I see put me in a hard spot as an advocate. I see commuters riding downtown in the city not riding defensively aggressive, no lights, not follow road rules, earbuds in, etc. No wonder the newspaper comments sections are packed with “Well, every cyclist I see…they deserve to be hit.” But then I’ll see roadies out in the country doing nothing to decrease their chances of being hit. As nice as it would be, the fact is that in the U.S. cyclists on open roads need to do everything they can to decrease their odds of being crashed into.

The PB Superflash Micro on my helmet is nice and high, I think the two levels (on bike, on helmet) can only help. I just use a simple Velcro strip through the vents and it’s so light I don’t even know it’s on there.

Man…we need the VSP to start again so we can get away from this doom and gloom!

Ron, I read your posts and then I wonder, "Wait, did I write that or did Ron?" Could not agree more and will probably add a few more lights.

I've got five kiddos still to put through college and I would not want the VMH to have to start strip dancing again for money.
davidlhill says:

Oct 27 2016 at 1:23 am

@Ron

The PB Superflash Micro on my helmet is nice and high, I think the two levels (on bike, on helmet) can only help. I just use a simple Velcro strip through the vents and it’s so light I don’t even know it’s on there.

I'll all for lights, but not at all convinced that strapping one to one's helmet is a good idea. There is a theory that Michael Schumacher's helmet failed to perform when he crashed because he had an action camera attached to it.

On impact you want the helmet to spread the impact, and not, potentially, to drive a small object (the metal cased light?) through the helmet.

Based on the number of things attached to motorbike helmets I see I think I'm in the minority in being concerned about this.
RobSandy says:

Oct 27 2016 at 2:44 am

A nice autumnal ride in this morning. Nothing really happening in my legs, but oh well, just enjoy the ride.

I'm also starting to find the lack of a 16t cog on any of my cassettes a larger and larger annoyance. Think I'm going to have to invest in a 11-23 and/or a 12/26t for race season next year. I'd like an 18t as well but it seems to be virtually impossible to get both unless you run a hideously expensive 12-21 dura-ace or something.
RobSandy says:

Oct 27 2016 at 2:49 am

@Ron

First road bike ride in far, far too long this morning. Having a four month old has seriously cut into riding time. Oh well, the little guy is pretty fun to be around (sometimes!). Anyway, nothing like riding in full kit on a pristine road bike after a few weeks of only riding the commuter bikes.

They grow up really fast, enjoy every moment of them while they are small. My little lad has just turned 5 and he's a total joy. He's still very much a small child but he also likes lego and star wars and bikes.

I've managed to get him going on his pedal bike properly now - he had a bit of a wobble switching from balance bike (on which he was awesome) to pedals, didn't like the pressure - but now he just potters on it so easily and confidently, properly Cas Deb.
Teocalli says:

Oct 27 2016 at 8:27 am

@RobSandy

A nice autumnal ride in this morning. Nothing really happening in my legs, but oh well, just enjoy the ride.

Nearly head butted a Buzzard on my lunch ride. They're big birds when you are that close. We'd have had each other if I hadn't ducked.
RobSandy says:

Oct 27 2016 at 12:23 pm

@Teocalli

@RobSandy

A nice autumnal ride in this morning. Nothing really happening in my legs, but oh well, just enjoy the ride.

Nearly head butted a Buzzard on my lunch ride. They’re big birds when you are that close. We’d have had each other if I hadn’t ducked.

I love buzzards. I'd have been well impressed with that. I spotted a couple of red kites on the last audax I did. I think the other guys were impressed with my acumen, being able to identify birds on the wing while riding.

I've heard that in Scotland eagles will attack helmets they don't like the look of.

Ooh missus.
DVMR says:

Oct 27 2016 at 1:00 pm

@Ron

Man…we need the VSP to start again so we can get away from this doom and gloom!

Jayzus, it's only after finishing up! I'm actually kind of relieved that it's over. I had a disastrous first full VSP season. Hey, any chance of a prize for the lanterne rouge?
DVMR says:

Oct 27 2016 at 1:19 pm

@RobSandy

@Ron

First road bike ride in far, far too long this morning. Having a four month old has seriously cut into riding time. Oh well, the little guy is pretty fun to be around (sometimes!). Anyway, nothing like riding in full kit on a pristine road bike after a few weeks of only riding the commuter bikes.

They grow up really fast, enjoy every moment of them while they are small. My little lad has just turned 5 and he’s a total joy. He’s still very much a small child but he also likes lego and star wars and bikes.

I’ve managed to get him going on his pedal bike properly now – he had a bit of a wobble switching from balance bike (on which he was awesome) to pedals, didn’t like the pressure – but now he just potters on it so easily and confidently, properly Cas Deb.

My baby girl is just 14 months old, and although I've ridden a lot less than I would have liked to this year, I wouldn't take back any of the time I've spent with my daughter. There will be a time when I can ride much, much more; but right now she is priority number one.