Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoDefining MomentsNostalgia

Anatomy of a Photo: Campagnolo Candy Van

Every night I pray to Merckx that in the morning when I wake up I’ll have a Campagnolo Free Candy Van with a Super Dome.

And every morning, its a fresh disappointment that it didn’t come true.

This photo also serves as further evidence that Cool peaked some time around the summer of 1977.

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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wiscot says:

Feb 15 2013 at 1:33 pm

Mr Pink Jersey in the foreground is rocking some serious deliberately casual. That ting had to be a chick magnet of the highest order - or did women not go to races back then?
frank says:

Feb 15 2013 at 1:42 pm

@Gianni, @Steampunk

Sorry, but the evidence speaks for itself.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Discuss.
Skip says:

Feb 15 2013 at 1:45 pm

When I turned 16 all my friends wanted sports cars. I wanted a Peugeot 505 wagon...
PeakInTwoYears says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:23 pm

@frank

To which we could add Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Larry Carlton and on and on...the pantheon of 70s guitarists may well be unparalleled by that of any other decade. It was a fabulous decade for music, especially guitar music.

Watching "It Might Get Loud," I just about shit my pants when Page started playing "Whole Lotta Love." That sound. There is nothing--nothing at all--like the sound of a Les Paul and a Marshall stack. A quintessentially 70s sound.
Tobin says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:28 pm

Give me Hendrix over the Harlem Shuffle any day! Well, maybe except this Harlem Shuffle...you may need some retinal bleach after this one...

http://youtu.be/nVxeBiD8ZE0
frank says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:28 pm

@PeakInTwoYears

Fuck Carlos Santana. Overrated douchnozzle twat.
Tobin says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:29 pm

Stinking links!!
frank says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:29 pm

@PeakInTwoYears

Watching "It Might Get Loud," I just about shit my pants when Page started playing "Whole Lotta Love." That sound. There is nothing-nothing at all-like the sound of a Les Paul and a Marshall stack. A quintessentially 70s sound.

And I love that both White and The Edge walk over and are like "How the fuck are you doing that?"
frank says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:31 pm

@Pedale.Forchetta

I like/want everything plus this buckle, 1975 circa.

Too cool. TOO COOL.

I'm not nearly cool enough to rock that bastard. But you're Italian, so there's no issue. I'm Dutch on my good days and American on the bad; not exactly the epitome of style or cool.

Except Hendrix was from Seattle, so there's that.
Ron says:

Feb 15 2013 at 2:53 pm

Wow, one van, a few videos, and we've got ourselves a TGIF party! Nice.

Steampunk, Oooh boy, a Country Squire! Mine was a Caprice Classic wagon in maroon. Those would both make nice support vehicles.

I've been limiting myself to 1 hour rides lately, other stuff going on. I put in three hours today & damn, I forgot how tired that much riding can make you when you're not training all that much. The weekend is here & I could use a bed, not a bar. Oh well, I'll Rule V it.