Categories: Accessories and GearNostalgiaReverenceThe Bikes

La Bicyclette

I love the shape of it. Aroma of it. The way it feels to be around it. It will catch my eye from across the way; I will be powerless to resist taking in its form and perhaps allow my hand to graze its surface. The source of such beauty and harmony, it is a fountain of unspeakable happiness.

It offers me companionship when I need it, solitude when I want to be alone. It distracts me when I’m trying to focus and focuses me when I am trying not to be distracted. It inspires me to take chances, and reminds me to be patient.

It breaks me down when I’m overconfident, it builds me up when I’m insecure. It brings me pain to remind me I should become a stronger man.

I love it when it’s flawless, but I love it more when it shows signs of wear; our time together has changed us both indelibly for the better.

It is no wonder the French and Italians refer to the bicycle in the feminine form, for all these things embody what it means to be a strong woman.

Women are made to be loved, not understood. -Oscar Wilde

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.

Next Gianni's Carbon Ball: Sir Twiggo »

Previous « International Cogal: Festum Prophetae

View Comments

versio says:

May 29 2012 at 12:19 pm

@Jamie
What size shoe? I have a bargain if interested -- Giro Prolight SLX Black 44? I need a 44.5.
the Engine says:

May 29 2012 at 12:48 pm

This is my bike. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My bike is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My bike, without me, is useless. Without my bike, I am useless.
silkrider says:

May 29 2012 at 1:22 pm

@minion

@RedRanger
That guy is F U C K I N G C R A Z Y.

Why do these wackos always have, 'ahem' a "certain" American accent? Does crazy town actually exist somewhere in the states?

come to colorado, your question shall be answered....

i love my bicycle, i am constantly amazed by what it can do, and what it does, this article is right on...
frank says:

May 29 2012 at 1:31 pm

@RedRanger
He chose the car over this little hunny? Hard to believe.
Xyverz says:

May 29 2012 at 1:35 pm

@the Engine

This is my bike. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My bike is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My bike, without me, is useless. Without my bike, I am useless.

Holy Merckx, I love it!
frank says:

May 29 2012 at 1:36 pm

@Collin

For me, I believe it is less the bike itself and the symbiosis of mind and body. The bike is the means through which you achieve it. The longing gaze at the bike in the corner isn't so much for the machine itself, as for the sensation and motion.

When you have a rough day of work, you turn to the bike to settle your mind. When your girl/boyfriend breaks up with you, you turn to the bike. When you're angry, you put in your PR on your favorite route. When you're lonely, you cure it with the solitude and freedom of a ride.

The bike offers solace and discovery. When my mind is in a knot, I find the longer I ride, the less I think, and the faster I feel right. Little is more glorious than getting off the bike after 4 or 5 or more hours and not being able to remember a single thought that was drifting through your mind.

Beautiful, though what never stops amazing me is how being angry doesn't always work out to a PR, maybe it just turns into a mellow ride along the coast/forest/desert (whatever you have) and an appreciation for the simplicity of life.

Similarly, being happy or stoked on a given day may translate into a PR or another mellow ride...it adapts and changes with what our bodies and minds need. Amazing.

A hard ride or a mellow ride will always serve to remind me that life is simple and beautiful; we just choose to complicate the fuck out of it. Usually when we're upset about something, our own doing lies firmly at the center of the struggle.
frank says:

May 29 2012 at 1:39 pm

@scaler911

Oh, and top post Frank. If I catch you in your shop nekkid while I'm up there in a couple weeks, I'm flying Marcus out for an intervention.

When Marcus lands for the intervention, he is really going to laugh at you after I've shaved your eyebrows and sharpied a penis on your forehead.
frank says:

May 29 2012 at 1:42 pm

@brett

@ChrisO
I think you need a different bike then. I could sit and stare at my bike for hours.

I was thinking the same thing; if I've made even a small change to one of my bikes, I'll keep ducking into the workshop to have a peek at 'er to see how she looks. If I make a huge change like wheels, tires, handlebars, stem, seat pin, or saddle, I'll bring 'er up to the living room and keep her close by for a few days.
frank says:

May 29 2012 at 1:44 pm

@graham d.m.

Well done! I've only found/joined this community recently. But I'm glad I did for moments like these posts. It helps me feel less insane as I realize there are others out there who have crazy love affairs with their bikes. What a cool place this is!

Thanks mate. Yeah, we're the opposite of AA for cyclists; we're like a full-on enablement circle. Though in fairness, we recently suggested to @Ron that he actually sell one of his bikes.
RedRanger says:

May 29 2012 at 1:45 pm

@frank

@RedRanger
He chose the car over this little hunny? Hard to believe.

I'm glad I could leave my mark on this thread.