Categories: Look ProNostalgiaRacingTradition

The Athlete’s Superstition

Countering the unlucky 13. Photo via sportful.it

The mind’s influence over the athlete is considerable; particularly in a sport as difficult as cycling. A strong mind can push its body well past its limitations and into the realm of the supernatural; forcing the legs to continue giving more despite each of the million muscle fibers screaming in unified agony. You could say the rider is primarily made up of the mind, for when the mind is broken the rider becomes little more than a clumsy organism perched upon a bicycle. (I speak from experience in this last matter.)

Paradoxically, the same mind that holds such control over the body is also woefully fragile and prone to superstitious thought. It fills easily with doubt and is distracted by ancillary details. This is why the tape must always be perfect, the machine silent, the kit spotless: the slightest problem can disrupt the mind as it steels itself for the suffering that is to come. Indeed, the greatest athletes are marked by the heights of their superstitions.

As a matter of fact, even the moderate ones are. At a certain point in my Nordic ski racing career, I determined that there were a particular pair of gloves and lenses that always landed me at the top of the result list. Like most racers, I had gloves for warmer weather and colder weather, and lenes for sunny as well as overcast weather, but this particular combination of mid-weight gloves and dark lenses rendered me in a position of supernatural Nordic Ski Racing Power. The world was mine, so long as weather conditions permitted their use. I told myself that I performed better with those lenses due to some kind of improved optics. I rationalized the glove by determining that I could better grip my poles with that specific weight of glove.

It wasn’t long before I found myself selecting those gloves and lenses before every important event, regardless of the weather conditions. I could be at the height of my powers, with a perfectly executed training plan, yet they became what I used to convince myself I was ready to race. We’ll tell ourselves anything if it helps us muster the courage to face our sport and the agony that comes with the efforts we put forth.

I can only speculate as to the degree to which this must effect the professional athlete as the suffering and dangers they face become a daily reality. Merckx be merciful; I cannot begin to comprehend what they must give to carry out their craft.

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

Pedale.Forchetta says:

Dec 1 2010 at 4:48 am

@Dexter
Eheheh...
Cyclops says:

Dec 1 2010 at 8:16 am

I'm not superstitious but I pretty much only wear my complete kits now. I feel faster/cooler in them.
mcsqueak says:

Dec 1 2010 at 8:56 am

I don't have any superstitions myself, but everything needs to be "just" right. I went on vacation this last summer for a week and took my bike, and misplaced one of my gloves. For some reason I was really bothered that I'd have to ride without gloves for the week, even though it really wouldn't make a difference I just feel more "complete" as a rider with them.

Thankfully, I found the gloves (dropped them when unloading the car at night and spotted them the next morning under the rear bumper) and once again, all was right with the world.
nvvelominati says:

Dec 1 2010 at 9:06 am

It is bread in superstition the idea that climbing cogs must be odd numbered. It was only the realm of mountain bikes that had even numbered, until Sram came out with the 26 tooth big cog. Shimano always had 23, 25, 27 big for road. I still feel at ease with odd numbers.
mcsqueak says:

Dec 1 2010 at 9:35 am

nvvelominati:
Shimano always had 23, 25, 27 big for road.

I wonder if that stems from the Japanese culture preferring odd numbers, for a technical reason, or maybe a little of both?
frank says:

Dec 1 2010 at 10:23 am

@Omar

Not sure where the hell I was going with that. It's 1:30am and I've had a good conversation with my friend Johnnie Walker.

It's about time someone brought back booze and nonsense to this site!
frank says:

Dec 1 2010 at 10:25 am

@Pedale.Forchetta

One of my old friends cyclists (google: renzo zanazzi giro 47) when I was young once told me: clean bike, clean socks, clean legs and combed hair. That's it :)

Spectacular. Did he elaborate on what made those things indefensible if not some sort of superstition? Surely one can ride just as well in dirty socks?
frank says:

Dec 1 2010 at 10:29 am

@Dexter

I have to sing the theme tune to The Rockford Files between coats of tub glue otherwise I can't go round corners for fear of them rolling off.

Pure. Solid. 24-carat. GOLD.
frank says:

Dec 1 2010 at 10:32 am

@nvvelominati

It is bread in superstition the idea that climbing cogs must be odd numbered. It was only the realm of mountain bikes that had even numbered, until Sram came out with the 26 tooth big cog. Shimano always had 23, 25, 27 big for road. I still feel at ease with odd numbers.

Campy has had a 26T for as long as I've paid attention, but maybe that started when they devised their ill-fated MTB Groupo?
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 1 2010 at 10:47 am

Marcus :
@Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers:I have heard stories of how Kelly would astain from "sexual relations" for up to 6 weeks prior to the Tour de France

Things have been a bit quiet on the home front lately. Wow. Who'd a thunk I am now only a few weeks from peaking?

Now THAT made me laugh out loud at my desk at work! Thanks for that.