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

D-Man says:

Dec 1 2010 at 7:11 pm

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 and, of course, the whole "no shaving the day of a race" thing.
I think I would prefer to NOT miss those relations as opposed to maybe placing one or two spots higher on the GC!

It's true, women weaken legs.
Oli Brooke-White says:

Dec 1 2010 at 11:18 pm

frank:
@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?

Because it's not pro to roll up to a race with dirty anything...except perhaps thoughts.
frank says:

Dec 2 2010 at 8:03 am

@michael

Odd numbered cogs dictate that each time the chain goes over the teeth the wide and narrow plates of the chain alternate going over each individual tooth, creating more even wear.

That sounds like genuine hocus-pocsu! THAT's the kind of superstition I'm talking about, mate!
frank says:

Dec 2 2010 at 8:08 am

@D-Man

D-Man:

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 and, of course, the whole "no shaving the day of a race" thing.
I think I would prefer to NOT miss those relations as opposed to maybe placing one or two spots higher on the GC!

It's true, women weaken legs.

Obviously. But the right ones also strengthen the mind and heart, and I'll take a strong mind over legs any day.

@Oli Brooke-White

Oli Brooke-White:

frank:
@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?

Because it's not pro to roll up to a race with dirty anything...except perhaps thoughts.

I see now I have a typo - I didn't mean to say "indefensible" but intended to say "indispensable". Either way, I think the cleanliness has more to do with morale than anything else, no?
McTyke says:

Dec 2 2010 at 9:05 am

frank :
@michael

Odd numbered cogs dictate that each time the chain goes over the teeth the wide and narrow plates of the chain alternate going over each individual tooth, creating more even wear.

That sounds like genuine hocus-pocsu! THAT's the kind of superstition I'm talking about, mate!

Very interesting! There is one gear combination (52x19) on my winter bike which, when selected, gives me the feeling that I have gained a slight boost in leg power. I don't know why this should be - perhaps something to do with the chainline being perfect? Hey Frank, is there anything significant about the choice of a 14-tooth cog for the V-cog logo?
nvvelominati says:

Dec 2 2010 at 9:39 am

Andy Hampsten quote: "For a mountain stage I would do 23, 21, 19, 17 etc. or 25, 23, 21, 19, 17. If there was something nuts in Italy like the Tre Cime Lavaredo or the Mortirolo then I would go to a 28. I never used even-numbered climbing cogs other than the 28. Never. Not that I am superstitious; I just hate how every time I looked at even numbers for climbing cogs my palms would get sweaty. Odd only."

@McTyke
The 14 tooth was what our great Merckx used on his bike for the hour record.
michael says:

Dec 2 2010 at 10:15 am

@frank
It's true though!
Geoffrey Grosenbach says:

Dec 2 2010 at 10:45 am

@eightzero
How about a local Seattle ride this Sunday, 8am at the Stupid Intersection by Gregg's? Or email boss@topfunky.com and I can give you my phone number.
frank says:

Dec 2 2010 at 6:56 pm

@nvvelominati

Andy Hampsten quote: "For a mountain stage I would do 23, 21, 19, 17 etc. or 25, 23, 21, 19, 17. If there was something nuts in Italy like the Tre Cime Lavaredo or the Mortirolo then I would go to a 28. I never used even-numbered climbing cogs other than the 28. Never. Not that I am superstitious; I just hate how every time I looked at even numbers for climbing cogs my palms would get sweaty. Odd only."

Sorry everyone, we just found the GREATEST.CYCLING.QUOTE.EVER.
Omar says:

Dec 2 2010 at 10:36 pm

@frank,
Booze and nonsense are my specialty. Especially if it's a good scotch!

@Cyclops,
Us pianists are quirky bunch. In fact, I find it odd enough that there are other pianists that ride in groups simply because we get used to spending so much time alone in a practice room that being alone seems normal! I'm working on recording some of my repertoire and creating a personal website, so whenever I get everything up and running I'll be sure to shoot a link your way!

@Buck Rogers,
I'm glad you enjoyed my scotch-fueled rambling! I can assure you that there's more to come now that there's snow on the ground!