Categories: EtiquetteFolkloreLa Vie VelominatusNostalgiaThe Hardmen

On Rule #43: Shaming the Sensei

This cat got skills

I think it would be hard for anyone to make the case that Eddy Merckx was Roger de Vlaeminck’s Cycling Sensei, but I think we can all agree that De Vlaeminck was a student of Merckx, if only a student of his domination. But every student at some point becomes the master, and the driven student will always challenge the Order of Things.

Every rider should keep their bicycles safely inside their warm house during the Winter, on account of us not being savages and not wanting to leave our beloved steeds out in the cold. Rule #69 suggests, then, that if one happens to have a brick front staircase, one should ride one’s bicycle down said stairs rather than waddle down in cleats with bicycle lurched over the shoulder. Such was the case on this snowy Winter’s day, somewhere in Oost Vlaanderen, when the student Roger casually rode his bike down his brick steps while The Prophet waited on the sidewalk to start the ride.

Not only is RdV demonstrating a fundamental property of life (i.e. that shaming your Sensei is an incomparably rewarding experience) but that rivals can be mates. I observe two important points: Roger and Eddy are getting ready for what appears to be a winter training ride and Roger and Eddy are on rival teams. I’ve always been good mates with my competitors; I may well view them as pure evil during an event, but outside that narrow scope, I recognize that they drive me to become a better person, to explore the very limits of my abilities. For that alone, I owe them a debt of gratitude because the quality of my rivals tests the quality of my own character. Most of them are people who share the same motivation and goals as I do. There is no need to hate them in even the remotest realms of reality. We are not soldiers at war; we are foes engaged at a game of Sport – we are more similar than we are different.

Rule #43 is about brother and sisterhood. Save the rivalry for Race Day and learn to know your opponents and spend time with them. You may find they are much like you and have many lessons to offer. But come Race Day, crush them like an ant under the Lone Ranger’s boot.

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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Chris Myhill says:

Dec 17 2014 at 4:46 am

Note the car on the drive. I'm not sure what it is (Lancia?), but like everything else in the 70's it's as cool as fuck.

Chris
wiscot says:

Dec 17 2014 at 5:47 am

@Chris Myhill

Note the car on the drive. I'm not sure what it is (Lancia?), but like everything else in the 70's it's as cool as fuck.

Chris

Looks like a Lancia - some sweet Italian stylin' going on at the rear end. I'd date the picture to the late 60s as Merckx rode for Faema from 1968 to 1970 and de Vlaeminck for Mars Flandria in the late 60s too. Roger and Erik rode a lot of cyclo-cross in their days so mad skills on bike handling were currency of the realm for them. I heard it told that Roger could actually ride in the tram tracks commonly found in Belgium and hop out without crashing. That's bike handling right there!
Ron says:

Dec 17 2014 at 6:51 am

@unversio

"Classic looking wool kit." Dug around to uncover Torm from the UK making Sportwool products. Torm makes their T7 with full length YKK 3C locking zip. I can't handle quarter-zip.

I have the T7 jersey and I like it a lot. I wish it was a bit shorter, but they clearly state their jerseys are a bit relaxed, not club fit, but not peloton-tight. My biggest gripe is the pockets. They're a bit too small and definitely too narrow. I can't fit a big beer in the center pocket after rides, nor some holiday whiskey in a bottle on way home from the bottle shop. But, the biggest issue is that I can't fit my Lezyne (older model) bag with my tube, tool, CO2.

If they resize the pockets, I'd say they're golden. But, as it is, I tend not to wear the jersey that often because the pockets make carrying my normal ride/puncture gear a pain.
Ron says:

Dec 17 2014 at 7:03 am

@Chris

Cycling with a competitor or with the VMH Tough choice...

...although I'd be temped to have a word about the Ugg boots.

(perfect display of caps, though)

I'd happily follow her rear wheel, as opposed to that of Gus, my burly soigneur. Also, I'd overlook the boots. At least she's not riding in Crocs!
unversio says:

Dec 17 2014 at 7:10 am

@Ron

@unversio

"Classic looking wool kit." Dug around to uncover Torm from the UK making Sportwool products. Torm makes their T7 with full length YKK 3C locking zip. I can't handle quarter-zip.

I have the T7 jersey and I like it a lot. I wish it was a bit shorter, but they clearly state their jerseys are a bit relaxed, not club fit, but not peloton-tight. My biggest gripe is the pockets. They're a bit too small and definitely too narrow. I can't fit a big beer in the center pocket after rides, nor some holiday whiskey in a bottle on way home from the bottle shop. But, the biggest issue is that I can't fit my Lezyne (older model) bag with my tube, tool, CO2.

If they resize the pockets, I'd say they're golden. But, as it is, I tend not to wear the jersey that often because the pockets make carrying my normal ride/puncture gear a pain.

Essentially needed the Sportwool jersey layer this winter. Ordered their accompanying base layer as well. Riding tubulars all winter so I only carry Lezyne Pressure Drive and one small alloy tyre lever to dig under the tyre. In most winter scenarios will wear a dhb gilet over the T7 jersey to which I can complain that the rear pockets are way too damn high!
KogaLover says:

Dec 17 2014 at 8:58 am

@wiscot I actually think it's a DAF (Dutch car known for driving backwards as fast as going forward). The car parked on the sidewalk looks like an Opel Kadett.
Nate says:

Dec 17 2014 at 9:17 am

@Chris

Cycling with a competitor or with the VMH Tough choice...

...although I'd be temped to have a word about the Ugg boots.

(perfect display of caps, though)

That is all kinds of awesome. the best looking derny pilot in all Flanders; usually it's some large older man, whose chief attribute is the ability to punch a bit hole in the wind.
brett says:

Dec 17 2014 at 9:29 am

@wiscot

@Chris Myhill

Note the car on the drive. I'm not sure what it is (Lancia?), but like everything else in the 70's it's as cool as fuck.

Chris

Looks like a Lancia - some sweet Italian stylin' going on at the rear end. I'd date the picture to the late 60s as Merckx rode for Faema from 1968 to 1970 and de Vlaeminck for Mars Flandria in the late 60s too. Roger and Erik rode a lot of cyclo-cross in their days so mad skills on bike handling were currency of the realm for them. I heard it told that Roger could actually ride in the tram tracks commonly found in Belgium and hop out without crashing. That's bike handling right there!

@KogaLover

@wiscot I actually think it's a DAF (Dutch car known for driving backwards as fast as going forward). The car parked on the sidewalk looks like an Opel Kadett.

I thought it was an Alfa Romeo myself, maybe a Giulia, but the tail on those had a dip in the middle so a Lancia was my second guess. The only DAFs I'd heard of were trucks! @bianchi denti will know...
Teocalli says:

Dec 17 2014 at 9:36 am

@brett

@KogaLover

@wiscot I actually think it's a DAF (Dutch car known for driving backwards as fast as going forward). The car parked on the sidewalk looks like an Opel Kadett.

I thought it was an Alfa Romeo myself, maybe a Giulia, but the tail on those had a dip in the middle so a Lancia was my second guess. The only DAFs I'd heard of were trucks! @bianchi denti will know...

The only DAFs I remember were smaller on account of the rubber band drive not being up to powering a bigger car as I remember them.
pistard says:

Dec 17 2014 at 10:17 am

@Nate

That is all kinds of awesome. the best looking derny pilot in all Flanders; usually it's some large older man, whose chief attribute is the ability to punch a bit hole in the wind.

But some manage to bring a bit of style to the job: