Anatomy Of A Photo: Where Do We Go From Here?

Hincapie, Kaufman, Armstrong, McRae, Julich. 1989

A great unknown awaits the young men, bound by a common entity of steel, flesh and passion rolled together. Do they contemplate the future, or are they so encapsulated in the here and now that anything beyond the finish line seems like it could only be for old people? Have they any inkling which path they will take, or be guided towards? Maybe the only thing on their mind is just how badass their eyewear is.

What ambition burns within, do they believe they will be, or even seek to be, a cycling superstar; which of them knows it? Maybe ambition isn’t considered, not part of the equation. The simple act of pedalling a bicycle may remain one of joy, of freedom, or become a mistress so harsh that she is eventually despised, and thrown aside, banished to but a bitter memory of a time better forgotten. Who will be remembered, and who will even want to remember?

When a pastime becomes a job a certain element, that of detachment, is lost forever. Making your passion your profession is fraught with risk, and the balance of work/play becomes ever more critical to cultivating satisfaction within, lest you be eternally damned to harming the very thing once loved more than anything else. Keeping things Casually Deliberate is a failsafe, a safety net below the trapeze on which the real world swings precariously.

Stay passionate. Rock cool shit and ride your bike like it’s your lover. Everything will be alright.

Brett

Don't blame me

View Comments

  • @Buck Rogers

    @Rob

    @girl

    @Rob

    Ok, I can't remember what the original article is about but I'm enjoying the @Girl coment - snap back at @ChisO and as usual @Buck you kill me. That little cadidiot should be tied to a link of the old chain that spanned the Hudson and thrown in for a swim!

    If I have to comment on RR vs Tri they are both hard but one has a mental side and has tactics that dictate whether or not you kill yourself to stay in the race. Guess which one? Also and then I'll shut up, it's not like your bike handling like Cavendish in a Tri. Legal drafting in a Tri race does not change the equation because there is no sprint for the line for places... First through one hundred are just trying to stay in the pack - whoopee! Yes they swim and run and it's the training that is harder but once in the race, any leg, it's just a matter of not red lining like the kid mentioned above.

    Glad it reads like fun as that is the way it is intended.

    Racing: same, same, different, same. All racing has a mental side to it. Whatever the race, if you've done the training, race day is 90% mental. I'd even go so far as to say there are tactics in tri but I know that will push many of you over the edge. (If that comment alone pushes you over the edge I can't wait to read the brain explosions posted here after i finish my pedal with the LBS boys.)

    Yes to it reading as fun, @ChrisO's riposte too! And I post with the true expectation that no one takes my word or thoughts as anything but an opinion and usually a large dose of tongue in cheek.

    Having said that, I want to state clearly that Tri is no less a sport but unfortunately its preponderance of twats at the cat 5 end (or whatever the Tri equivalent) gives it a bad name! Also, of course it has tactics as does mountain biking and cyclocross. The point is in those three disciplines the tactics are to RR as checkers is to chess.

    End!

    Cadidiot! Awesome! Fuck, that's classic!

    Also, Brother, Think about a trip to Maine next third week in June. Cogal write-up coming soon, right Gianni?!?!?!

    Whoooeee - I'm IN. Just give me a time and a place!

    P.S. http://www.combat.ws/S4/MILTERMS/WP0SLANG.HTM

    - so glad we can't do stupid embarrassed silly faces. Just don't go overboard with this new knowledge or the plebes are going to think your way not cool...

  • @Beers  it looks like he put on his smoking slippers for a snack, a cigar and a kip? I only have seen one six and that was a modern one ( I'm not that old) - only 4-5 hours a day and of that only a couple of hours of Madison. The rest was entertaining devil take the hindmost,  scratch races and the like for points and dosh. It would be great to get to Amsterdam or Rotterdam one of these winters...

  • @wiscot

    Every once in a while at an organized charity ride I'm doing, some tri-chicks (yes, I know I'll get into trouble for using that kinda language, but it's way better than some terms that have been bandied about on this site), show up. Man, they scare me. They also ride bikes and gear I could never afford. Mind you, I take solace in the fact that I'm better dressed than they are . . .

    We have a few Tri dudes in our bunch. They're cool because they are always in the bunch. They race with us too so know how to ride in a bunch, how to roll a pace line and all that. Then you get the tri-wads who roll onto the back of the bunch while we are doing a kick arse pace line and decide to join in unannounced and uninvited. After getting over being told to get the fuck off the aero-bars in the bunch, they get to the front of the pace line and decide, wow, these guys roll off easy.. I'll show them and take off hard thinking they are teaching us a lesson. Well, they just get left there which compounds their idea that they are kick arse and use roadies can't come around. Eventually they tire and the pace line starts again rolling past them. They're pretty smug off the front but they never seem to be there for the sprint... One day I hope they might learn but they never do.

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