Categories: Defining MomentsLa Vie VelominatusNostalgia

Training: The Fourth Bridge

The Forth over the Firth in Scotland

Before the New Year, it was my ride up Haleakala. At present, it’s Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2013. Before Haleakala, it was one of the various Cyclocross races and before that the Zoo Hill Time Trial. The targets change, but throughout my life as a Velominatus, there always seems to be a goal looming over the horizon which spurs me on. Training, for its endless nature, is like painting the Forth Bridge in Scotland: it takes a year to paint and you have to paint it every year.

In contrast to my opinion of painting a bridge, training is something I fundamentally enjoy. Lucky for me, I love training for the sake of training; I don’t feel any compelling need to do a particular ride in any particular time. What I do feel, however, is the need to do any particular ride in a better time than I have previously. I’m fortunate to delight in the process of finding form and fitness, of getting better. I love seeing the improvement; I love setting incremental goals and reaching them through the elementary process of working towards them.

Cycling, in this way, presents me with an incredibly rewarding outlet for that bit of my nature that lives on seeing marked progress. In every walk of life, things are complicated. The deeper we wade into any endeavor, the more embroiled we become in the mechanics of staying afloat – to say nothing of actually moving towards an end. Yet, Cycling is simple; put in the work and the results come.

The more complicated my life gets and the more conflicted my priorities, the more I find I love Cycling for its elemental simplicity. Set a goal, make a plan, follow it. There is no one to look to but yourself. There are no external dependencies. There is only the endlessness of The Work.

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.

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View Comments

Buck Rogers says:

Feb 14 2013 at 7:35 am

@scaler911

^^^What's missing in the Photo of Dean (and the answer is not shoes).

Many things but what I wonder about is that it looks like he has a climbing rope around his waist loosely tied but I do not see it leaving his body. Is that just a belt or is he tied in (although it would be a painful fall as that is no harness) and the photo has been shopped?

I know the dude Free solo's 5.14 or something crazy like that so I do not doubt that he would do that walk sans protection. Just curious as to to what you are referring to.
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 14 2013 at 7:38 am

@Buck Rogers

@scaler911

^^^What's missing in the Photo of Dean (and the answer is not shoes).

Many things but what I wonder about is that it looks like he has a climbing rope around his waist loosely tied but I do not see it leaving his body. Is that just a belt or is he tied in (although it would be a painful fall as that is no harness) and the photo has been shopped?

I know the dude Free solo's 5.14 or something crazy like that so I do not doubt that he would do that walk sans protection. Just curious as to to what you are referring to.

Maybe the rope is holding his chalk bag?
scaler911 says:

Feb 14 2013 at 7:50 am

@Buck Rogers No rope. That's just webbing holding a chalk bag (tho not sure why he'd need that). Dean's the man, and a nice guy.
scaler911 says:

Feb 14 2013 at 7:56 am

@Buck Rogers

@Buck Rogers

@scaler911

^^^What's missing in the Photo of Dean (and the answer is not shoes).

Many things but what I wonder about is that it looks like he has a climbing rope around his waist loosely tied but I do not see it leaving his body. Is that just a belt or is he tied in (although it would be a painful fall as that is no harness) and the photo has been shopped?

I know the dude Free solo's 5.14 or something crazy like that so I do not doubt that he would do that walk sans protection. Just curious as to to what you are referring to.

Maybe the rope is holding his chalk bag?
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 14 2013 at 8:16 am

@scaler911

@Buck Rogers No rope. That's just webbing holding a chalk bag (tho not sure why he'd need that). Dean's the man, and a nice guy.

Yeah. He's from right near where I grew up but across the river in NH. Saw him one time climbing on Cathedral and he was in Rumney as few times when I was climbing nearby. He's only a week younger than I am.

But, as "cool" as free solo stuff sounds, I think it is crazy and would never free solo anytyhing, not even a 5.4.
frank says:

Feb 14 2013 at 8:27 am

@Steampunk

After last year's 2much ride, I wallowed and did a lot less riding than I could have or should have. One of the dangers of goals is that there can be a reduction in riding and training after they've been met.

Indeed. That's why I always try to have my goals set out a few in advance. What's coming after Keepers Tour? A few road races. Cogal and crit in June. TT in July. Cogal in July and one in August...and so it goes on.
frank says:

Feb 14 2013 at 8:43 am

@scaler911

That is beyond harrowing.
PeakInTwoYears says:

Feb 14 2013 at 8:57 am

@Buck Rogers

But, as "cool" as free solo stuff sounds, I think it is crazy and would never free solo anytyhing, not even a 5.4.

Before my accident, I considered soloing some 5.6 at Smith. Now the thought of it makes me nauseous. And watching me try to slackline will inspire derisive laughter; only my closest friends have been allowed to watch.
the Engine says:

Feb 14 2013 at 9:06 am

@frank

@Steampunk

After last year's 2much ride, I wallowed and did a lot less riding than I could have or should have. One of the dangers of goals is that there can be a reduction in riding and training after they've been met.

Indeed. That's why I always try to have my goals set out a few in advance. What's coming after Keepers Tour? A few road races. Cogal and crit in June. TT in July. Cogal in July and one in August...and so it goes on.

Likewise - after being left in the far distance at the KT I've got the potential humiliation of London Edinburgh in two days in early May with newly revised distance of 715kms (what could possibly go wrong there), the Coast to Coast in a Day with the 30% grades and comedy falls again at the end of June and...come to think of it what can I do in July, August, September and October?
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 14 2013 at 9:11 am

@PeakInTwoYears

@Buck Rogers

But, as "cool" as free solo stuff sounds, I think it is crazy and would never free solo anytyhing, not even a 5.4.

Before my accident, I considered soloing some 5.6 at Smith. Now the thought of it makes me nauseous. And watching me try to slackline will inspire derisive laughter; only my closest friends have been allowed to watch.

"Before my accident", words I never like to hear or say! I have only tried slack line walking a few times and, let's just say, it didn't end the way I had hoped it would!