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

Iandays says:

Oct 27 2016 at 6:41 pm

+1 for sacrificing ride time to spend the most valuable time ever with your kid.

My boy is 6 now, and we've been going to the skate park and loving it so much, I had to get a 20-inch. Things I never thought I'd say in my 50's: "Honey, can you bring my BMX bike home, I'd love to go to the skate park"

The other day, he took the drop down one of the steeper ramps sitting down. My heart was in my mouth as he nose-wheelied down the face of it - and landed ok. Some painful lessons await in the future.

These are great times. Totally worth sacrificing solo time on the bike,
Rob says:

Oct 27 2016 at 8:32 pm

@Buck Rogers

@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.

Yes to lights, didn't the Stones advocate one light on behind? That's day time for me and 2 at night with one in front. I tell my wife that I light up like a Christmas tree so she can go to court and yell at the drunk/ahole who hit me "which frigging light did you not see"! Then maybe she will win a big enough settlement to put the kid through grad school?

Hey Buck are you still at the Point or did you move to der Kiaser land??
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 28 2016 at 1:24 am

@Rob

@Buck Rogers

@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.

Yes to lights, didn’t the Stones advocate one light on behind? That’s day time for me and 2 at night with one in front. I tell my wife that I light up like a Christmas tree so she can go to court and yell at the drunk/ahole who hit me “which frigging light did you not see”! Then maybe she will win a big enough settlement to put the kid through grad school?

Hey Buck are you still at the Point or did you move to der Kiaser land??

YES! I have landed on The Continent! Fucking awesome here and I cannot WAIT for the Spring Pave'!!!

As for the Stones, are you referring to their cover of the Robert Johnson song, Love in Vain? I still remember when the record company released The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnsons on CD back in the early 1990. I had just started college and I remember picking it up at the local record shop. Talk about blowing your musical mind!
sthilzy says:

Oct 28 2016 at 2:01 am

@Rob

@Buck Rogers

@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.

Yes to lights, didn’t the Stones advocate one light on behind? That’s day time for me and 2 at night with one in front. I tell my wife that I light up like a Christmas tree so she can go to court and yell at the drunk/ahole who hit me “which frigging light did you not see”! Then maybe she will win a big enough settlement to put the kid through grad school?

Hey Buck are you still at the Point or did you move to der Kiaser land??

Lights winter, Spring, summer, autumn! And with the sentiment from a few years ago, http://www.velominati.com/general/la-vie-velominatus-urban-riding/

http://www.velominati.com/technology/the-reflective-bike-of-authority/

Ride wide and bright!
Hank says:

Oct 28 2016 at 10:25 am

You know, I'm new to this great sport, but on the subject of lights, and I understand the Prophet did not have one, but now that I've used it I would not go out without my Varia rear Radar.

Its all about maximizing your odds as far as I can tell, and that Varia picks up cars 300 feet behind me, well in advance of when I can see or hear them, and in some cases, it even goes around a curve so I know a car is coming before the car can see me, day or night.

I check in here often, and am curious what the true Velominati think. You guys and gals all ride with head units anyway, so its not much of an addition.

Among my circle of cycling friends, everyone who tries them swears by it, including a guy who tends to follow all of the Rules and had been on the road without lights for 50 years.
Cary says:

Oct 28 2016 at 4:08 pm

living in the DEEP south, comes with its inherent advantages and disadvantages. one of the big advantages is that you never really have to even contemplate putting your bike up, or riding an indoor trainer, or anything of that nature. i mean, when it snows, we take pictures of it, and say shit like, "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.

one of the big disadvantages is that we, as daily cyclists, must share the road with a buncha fuckers that, being barely competent enough to handle normal road conditions, completely screw the pooch when it's wet or icy. it does take practice to deal with this, and the stakes are obviously high.
Ccos says:

Oct 28 2016 at 4:58 pm

@Hank

There's a local master's racer here in southern New England that rides and races with a mirror. Owing to the fact that he's a complete bad ass and has won 20+ national championships, no one says Boo to him. Someone else, perhaps not.

What's a head unit?
ChrisO says:

Oct 28 2016 at 11:45 pm

@Ccos

@Hank

There’s a local master’s racer here in southern New England that rides and races with a mirror. Owing to the fact that he’s a complete bad ass and has won 20+ national championships, no one says Boo to him. Someone else, perhaps not.

What’s a head unit?

Greg (@Gladoe ?), who comes on our cogals also uses a mirror.

I assume it's so he doesn't put too much distance into everyone on the climbs and have to wait so long at the top.

To be fair it is quite handy and he was often giving the Car Back call before the rest of us knew it was there.

As for the Varia or things like that, I can see the benefit on more open roads but riding around London one just assumes there's a car behind you.
Rob says:

Oct 29 2016 at 7:08 pm

@Buck Rogers

YES! I have landed on The Continent! Fucking awesome here and I cannot WAIT for the Spring Pave’!!!

As for the Stones, are you referring to their cover of the Robert Johnson song, Love in Vain? I still remember when the record company released The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnsons on CD back in the early 1990. I had just started college and I remember picking it up at the local record shop. Talk about blowing your musical mind!

NO WAY!! You are near the sacred stones! You dog you, how did you engineer that one?? Man oh man I need to make a spring time rendezvous with you on the top of the Koppenburg!

And yes, Robert Johnson - I had it wrong 2 lights on behind! Best to Mrs. Buck and all the Buckettes!
Rob says:

Oct 29 2016 at 7:31 pm

@Ccos

@Hank

There’s a local master’s racer here in southern New England that rides and races with a mirror. Owing to the fact that he’s a complete bad ass and has won 20+ national championships, no one says Boo to him. Someone else, perhaps not.

What’s a head unit?

@Ccos oh shit is that little fucker still wearing that dipshit mirror?? You are talking about my nemesis back in the early 80's if you are talking about someone who wheel sucks, whines and enters every age graded race to wear the national jersey so he doesn't have to pay entry fees? No I'm not bitter or vindictive - really but I never ever heard him say a nice thing or do a nice thing and that mirror sums up his whole shtick. Before the rule he was the reason I did not ever entertain using a mirror. P.S. The sad thing is he was a good racer, when he wasn't wheel sucking me I'd sometimes get really low and come up on his blind side, that little mirror would be desperately seeking me like a mini me Eye of Sauron, his neck twisting around like it was on a gimbal. Funny as shit!