Greg's cap looks familiar. Available 2016!
We made it to the new year! Bicycles have not been outlawed so things are looking up. Yet, the state of Cycling could always be much better and here are a few hopes.
Women’s Cycling- If anyone is racing on passion alone it’s women cyclists. God knows they are not doing it for the money as they don’t get any. Professional cyclists need to unite to get more of a share and women need to be there for the wrangling. The Women’s Cycling Association (WCA) is a great beginning. In Europe, another association, Strongher, is here to raise women’s cycling profile. I don’t know enough about women’s racing but I do know they are racing their asses off. They get little press, little money, little respect but anyone who watched the Women’s Worlds in Richmond knows how hardcore the racing is.
Men’s Cycling- The men are making good salaries, the prize money is impressive but the basic professional structure is teetering over a giant pot hole. Teams need more financial stability which will promote longevity and more sponsors. Can’t Gianni Bugno use his abundant Italian charm and good looks to fix all this, FFS? Frankly I’ll never have an informed opinion about this so I just hope someone gets it together. I’m calling for a strike damn it! See, I just said I no informed opinion.
Professional men’s cycling, like most professional sports where money is the driving force, is always going to be imperfect. And by imperfect I mean cheating by degrees will always be there and professional riders have always been negotiating the results while rolling down the road. There is no reason to think any of this will ever change so take your professional cycling with a small glass of skepticism.
UCI’s Technical Changes- It is likely the UCI will lower the weight limit for racing bikes in 2016. There maybe a trickle down effect for us civilians but I hope I can just lose some weight on me in 2016. It would be cheaper.
The disc brake experiments this year will be interesting. A soaking wet Amstel Gold or Roubaix would be a good litmus test. We all know soaking wet carbon rim brakes suck something awful; it’s the only time I fantasize about the discs. And speaking of soaking wet Roubaix, is that not on everyone’s list this year? This has to happen. And a snowy L-B-L while we are praying for miracles. Baby Jesus, make it so.
Velominati Goals- In 2016 I think we all hope for the time and health to train so as to crush our enemies and to hear the lamentation of the women (second part is optional). Getting older is no excuse when Rule #5 is on our crest, so Vive La Vie Velominatus, people. And yes, maybe finalize the V-crest this year too.
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@Ron
Ron - Actually live in Arlington, VA. If you're ever back up this way, let me know and we can ride together. And if you haven't been, we can go to Coppi's Organic for dinner (or brunch, which they're supposed to start doing sometime soon). Cheers, Chuck
http://www.urbandaddy.com/dc/food/32684/Coppi_s_Organic_Restaurant_Coppi_s_New_Home_in_Cleveland_Park_DC_DC_Restaurant
@wiscot
Awww jeeze, that is so wrong in so many ways. Yellow card.
I think we have discovered a deep, dark secret about ol' wiscot! Somebody has thought about what Andy would look like dressed as a woman...
He's only had a few weeks of winter as well, and out comes that skeleton. Quick, someone nominate him to write a piece on a classic cycling tale so we can get his mind back on track.
Chuck - sounds good! Haven't been in a few years, but I have very fond memories of my time there. Used to ride my bike down to the National Mall nearly every weekend, either sit outside and look around or head to one of the museums. Also saw tons of good live music. And, most importantly, it was standing around waiting for a bus that got me hooked on cycling; saw a bike commuter whiz by and thought, "Why the hell am I riding a bus to work? I have a bike." That was around 2002. Pretty much ridden a bicycle daily since.
I'll give you a shout if I'm ever in your area. Last time I was happened to ride with a guy I "met" online. Dude let me ride his Colnago and I was a complete stranger! Awesome.
@RobSandy
Shaun Kelly? SHAUN?
@Unc V
Nishiki track - 1980 steel - gave to my brother who probably traded it for beer when he was U21 but will never admit it
Benotto - 1979 steel - traded for the Univega
Univega - 1983 steel - sold so I could afford the Schwinn
Schwinn Paramount - 1985 steel - gone but not forgotten
Condor Lightweight - 1981 steel - rebuilding now - will have Alu rims and calipers
Trek hardtail - 1999 Alu and still in service as my 1x9 XC bike
Basso - 1994 steel - sold to a friend who appreciates the finer things like full Campy
Ibis Hakkalugi - 1996 steel - gave to a friend's daughter to help her into cycling last year, she loves it, cantilevers and pink fingernail polish on the handjob and all :)
Raleigh CX - 2006 Alu - crashed, parted out
Terrano Razza - 2006 CF with VeloMax CF rims- still in service, my son rides it now
Fuji cross - 2014 Alu - still in service and I ride it every day
Have ridden many other bikes over the years esp. when racing but these were the long-term keepers. Other than the Terrano all have Alu rims, either Mavic, Bontrager, or American Classic. All have calipers, cantis or v-brakes except the Fuji.
Disc brakes have made a measurable impact in my enjoyment of the work: I just don't worry about scrubbing speed anymore. Kind of like how we all don't worry too much about having to pump the drum brakes in the rain anymore now that nearly all cars come with (OMG!!) disc brakes and ABS. I still slip around the cross course of course, and when it's raining let some more air out on the road, but I know I can stop on a dime if I have to, which frees my mind to concentrate more on the line, balance, speed, and general riding with élan, kind of the point of being casually deliberate.
I don't work in the cycling industry (oh, to dream!) and haven't received any products for free which would prejudice my opinion ;) except for free race entries when I was sponsored (too long ago).
@GottaRideToday
Given I'm less than three months on from une mauvaise chute which cost me a broken arm and six weeks off the bike, I'll poke this one with a stick...
I've come across a few cycling superstitions over the years, but never one against wearing crashed clothing again. Back in the mid-80s the first question local juniors asked each other after a crash was "never mind the body, how's the bike?", and I'm sure it's still the same the world over. We healed, but had little money then to get bikes going again quickly. Clothing was much the same, and with perhaps one racing and one training jersey and shorts, we'd be straight back out in them, repaired if necessary. That said, anyone with obvious multiple repairs, or worse still, holes in their shorts, was given a wide berth, although some track sprinters in particular no doubt used "weathered" clothing to show they weren't to be messed with... To me a few scuffs on a favourite jersey is fine, as long as one doesn't look like they've been dragged through a gorse bush backwards...
Sponsored kit is probably another story, fronting in ragged race kit probably makes the sponsor look cheap, even if they are.
@Oli
You know, as in 'leproushaun'...
@Ron
Probably early onset of winter cabin fever with nowt but cheese to eat. Tends to bring on hallucinations. Particularly when the haggis are out of season and in hibernation.
When piling on a few winter kilos should we term it "preparing for the track season"....
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/olympics/bradley-wiggins-gains-over-11kg-as-he-prepares-for-olympic-team-pursuit-205328?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social