Categories: CyclotourismDefining MomentsLa Vie VelominatusNostalgiaThe Rules

On Rule #12: The Luxury of Passion

No Graveur needed here.

Rule #12 is a luxury of passion; the #1 for good weather and epic rides or races, the Nine Bike for bad weather, the Graveur (which is neither a cross bike nor a road bike), a ‘Cross bike, a mountain bike, a townie, a track bike, a time trial bike. Add in steel, carbon, titanium – a bike for each material and a material for each bike. The only logical conclusion is that we all need – need – a bare minimum of somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 bikes. Columbo couldn’t poke a hole in that case.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for just riding your bike wherever you happen to point it, in whatever weather you happen to be riding in, on whatever kind of road you happen to have at your disposal.

We should collect as many bikes as we can love, but we should also remember that bikes were meant to be ridden, not pampered. 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.

Next Guest Article: Zen and Getting Your Ass Beat »

Previous « Anatomy Of A Photo: Looks Don't Kill, Guns Do

View Comments

Gianni says:

Jan 31 2015 at 4:14 pm

@Oli

@Lynn Pauly

Shouldn't everyone own at least one campagnolo'd up celeste Bianchi? I think so. They are just so good looking.
Lynn Pauly says:

Jan 31 2015 at 4:21 pm

@Oli

Well you know, that didn't faze me at all..simply thought of it as part of the grand presentation of these beautiful bikes. You down under? I'm in Minnesota... literally a stone's throw away from where Greg LeMan lives. Lots of my buds know him. We don't do drive bys of his house we do RIDE bys...
Lynn Pauly says:

Jan 31 2015 at 4:25 pm

@Gianni

Yes, of course! And Im just such a princess myself about it... my friends call me the queen with my duchess!
Gianni says:

Jan 31 2015 at 4:37 pm

@Lynn Pauly

@Gianni

Yes, of course! And Im just such a princess myself about it... my friends call me the queen with my duchess!

It should be no other way!
The Grande Fondue says:

Jan 31 2015 at 8:18 pm

@Lynn Pauly

Well this pampered little princess is actually RIDDEN since she is only one of two... Yes, I'm looking to ADD; perhaps an INFINITO CV lies in my future... MAYBE. But it has to be the right color, of course.This sweet little greenie is known in these parts as The Duchess. No interloper will ever rank higher OR get more attention. .. believe me. She takes me wherever I want to go.. whenever. Rain or shine.

Love the chromed stays and fork. Matching stem would be perfection.
pistard says:

Jan 31 2015 at 9:35 pm

@The Grande Fondue

@Lynn Pauly

Well this pampered little princess is actually RIDDEN since she is only one of two... Yes, I'm looking to ADD; perhaps an INFINITO CV lies in my future... MAYBE. But it has to be the right color, of course.This sweet little greenie is known in these parts as The Duchess. No interloper will ever rank higher OR get more attention. .. believe me. She takes me wherever I want to go.. whenever. Rain or shine.

Love the chromed stays and fork. Matching stem would be perfection.

At least it's a quill stem. And period correct: black stem (and bars) was the thing in the late 80s, early 90s. Almost a dead ringer for Fignon's Gatorade-era Bianchis. But that Rule #41 issue needs addressing.
brett says:

Jan 31 2015 at 11:23 pm

@the Engine

@Chris

@the Engine

I'm not known as a bike pamperer

Ivor, we're not tri-athletes, comfort stops are allowed.

...and I promise not to shit myself on the KT

Yeah we've all made that promise before...
brett says:

Jan 31 2015 at 11:26 pm

@Oli

@Oli

And yet, there's no evidence of that...

Man, I love your Bianchis. And Wellington.
markb says:

Jan 31 2015 at 11:32 pm

@Ccos

There's a shop near work that sells recumbents, that it also sells bikes with huge wicker baskets attached to the bars with frames made out of scaffolding poles tells you all you need to know about the customer base, most of whom have ginger beards.
the Engine says:

Feb 1 2015 at 8:32 am

@frank

@the Engine

The V-Bike can take much more than a 32mm tire. Its a fucking CX bike, you git. Can't wait to smack you upside the head in Lille for not bringing a road bike on Keepers Tour!

Did I mention I'm bringing two bikes? The Ridley may get a 52 or 53 up front this year so that I can blow my knees up properly.