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

Buck Rogers says:

Oct 31 2016 at 11:56 pm

@chris

@Gianni

Regarding KT 2017, the V bunker has sustained flood damage and the intercom system doesn’t work anymore and as far as I know there are no plans yet. Tricking William and Alex directly makes sense, jaysus, they have as little business sense as we do. And they are the best so anytime spent with them is worthwhile.

Thanks for the Heads-up @Chris! I was able to register online for the 230 k course this morning without trouble. I also threw in the Shuttle service for an extra 25 Euro as I have no idea of the logistics at this point.

@Gianni!!! Yes, I have met William and Alex and realize that you are most definitely correct about them probably not bothering to keep the websites current but still rocking and rolling the good life!

I will be in touch with them about my trip . For now, I am planning on sleeping in my car the night before and driving back the night after the ride--not exactly ideal but I imagine that hotels and lodgings will be few and far between without connections and I only live around 3 hours away. Maybe if there is no Keepers Tour I'll make a multiday vacation of it to visit the whole Flanders region and have my lovely VMH and kiddos come along as well. I'm sure that William and Alex would be able to help set me up with lodging for seven.

But, I am bummed that there is no Keepers Tour on the horizon.

Time to set the office up for the rollers! Nothing like Sweating to the P-R and RVV Oldies on youtube in your office during lunch, eh?
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 31 2016 at 11:57 pm

@Rob

@Xyxax, that is just fine, you and Buck bail, do you know something we don’t?? Oh wait, there’s an election coming up…

There is NOTHING good on the horizon in the States with this election. The time to get out is NOW and come back in 4-8 years!
chris says:

Nov 1 2016 at 3:09 am

@Buck Rogers

Just entered the slightly less V 130km route.

Have a look at booking.com for accommodation, the big advantage is that with a lot of it you can book without paying and then swap/cancel if you find better deals. We also looked at Airbnb for our now not happening Gent Six trip, lots of cheap and easy accommodation there.
Randy C says:

Nov 1 2016 at 4:10 am

@Buck Rogers

@Rob

@Xyxax, that is just fine, you and Buck bail, do you know something we don’t?? Oh wait, there’s an election coming up…

There is NOTHING good on the horizon in the States with this election. The time to get out is NOW and come back in 4-8 years!

I've rode out the last sixteen years I think I can manage another four or eight, Recall what Warren Buffett said, "Your children will do better than you even if we elect three bad presidents in a row". The best thing we have to look forward to with this election is that it will be over very soon.

BTW and FWIW: our Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is an avid mtn biker, has completed IronMans in Kona, has a marathon PR of 2:47, has scaled Everest and if he loses the election, I read he was planning to bike the Continental Divide. That's the kinda cat I can get behind! Cheers
Buck Rogers says:

Nov 1 2016 at 7:10 am

@Randy C

@Buck Rogers

@Rob

@Xyxax, that is just fine, you and Buck bail, do you know something we don’t?? Oh wait, there’s an election coming up…

There is NOTHING good on the horizon in the States with this election. The time to get out is NOW and come back in 4-8 years!

I’ve rode out the last sixteen years I think I can manage another four or eight, Recall what Warren Buffett said, “Your children will do better than you even if we elect three bad presidents in a row”. The best thing we have to look forward to with this election is that it will be over very soon.

BTW and FWIW: our Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is an avid mtn biker, has completed IronMans in Kona, has a marathon PR of 2:47, has scaled Everest and if he loses the election, I read he was planning to bike the Continental Divide. That’s the kinda cat I can get behind! Cheers

Ha! Yup! We'll survive for sure, and doubly so as long as I do not bring any politics to the V site!!!
TBONE says:

Nov 1 2016 at 9:09 am

@Cary

“i wonder what it’s like to have four seasons”, or, for transplants, “i miss having four seasons”, then we put on our various thermals, and have at it.

In Vancouver/Seattle we really only have 2 seasons, raining, and not.

I'll be indoors, turning left in zone 5 until March, at which point I'll tackle the odd flat Spring Series course. And if the weather's somewhat decent, I'll bust out the Jake the Snake with road tires and ultra mega fenders.
wiscot says:

Nov 2 2016 at 10:12 am

Just an FYI for the Velominatus budgetatus out there with winter coming on fast. I was in my local Dollar General store on Saturday, looking for a cheap phone connector cable. Lo and behold they had front and back LED bike lights. Nice wee rubber hook-and-loop with two LEDs and three lighting/flashing modes. $1 each. Can't go wrong at that price and if someone nicks them, then they're easily and cheaply replaced.
Ruud says:

Nov 2 2016 at 12:54 pm

@wiscot

Hey Wiscot! Good to see you're out riding, even this time of year. At that price, better get three or four sets as you may as well look like a Christmas tree riding those Washington Country roads! Be well, and be safe!
xyxax says:

Nov 2 2016 at 1:59 pm

Man, I've fallen out the back of all these comments, just like a typical cogal.

@Gianni: not Maui-esque, but to be in view of mountains at most times has filled a hole in my soul that I didn't know I had. I carry Swiss francs in my left pocket and euros in my right. Life is complex that way.

@Rob good to see the toad back here on the board. Sell that damn house. Do the Eurotrash circuit.

@Buck: some day we'll finish a ride together. Promise.
Gianni says:

Nov 2 2016 at 5:17 pm

@Buck Rogers

@chris

@Gianni

Regarding KT 2017, the V bunker has sustained flood damage and the intercom system doesn’t work anymore and as far as I know there are no plans yet. Tricking William and Alex directly makes sense, jaysus, they have as little business sense as we do. And they are the best so anytime spent with them is worthwhile.

Thanks for the Heads-up @Chris! I was able to register online for the 230 k course this morning without trouble. I also threw in the Shuttle service for an extra 25 Euro as I have no idea of the logistics at this point.

@Gianni!!! Yes, I have met William and Alex and realize that you are most definitely correct about them probably not bothering to keep the websites current but still rocking and rolling the good life!

I will be in touch with them about my trip . For now, I am planning on sleeping in my car the night before and driving back the night after the ride–not exactly ideal but I imagine that hotels and lodgings will be few and far between without connections and I only live around 3 hours away. Maybe if there is no Keepers Tour I’ll make a multiday vacation of it to visit the whole Flanders region and have my lovely VMH and kiddos come along as well. I’m sure that William and Alex would be able to help set me up with lodging for seven.

But, I am bummed that there is no Keepers Tour on the horizon.

Time to set the office up for the rollers! Nothing like Sweating to the P-R and RVV Oldies on youtube in your office during lunch, eh?

For now, I am planning on sleeping in my car the night before and driving back the night after the ride

Isn't the sportiv the day before RVV? My advice is to drink a helmet full of malted recovery beverage after your ride, sleep in your car again, meet up with Alex and William for some serious spectating of RVV the next day.

Driving home directly is anti-V and you will fall asleep at the wheel and crash your sweet sweet eurocar.