In most situations, silence is an ominous thing that signals impending doom. Having never been in any danger myself, I base this largely on my experience watching box-office movies. As a general rule, I use Hollywood as the principal source of information on all subjects as they relate to doom and politics, principally because I’m loath to do any “reading” or “research” of my own; the more thinking an actor or actress can do for me, the better. The more glamorous they look, the more trustworthy they are.
For the Cyclist, however, silence signals efficiency. Noise is loss; every creak, squeak, click, clack, groan, moan, or other emanation of sound from our machine or body is energy escaping the system. Energy that we put into the system through hard-fought application of The V. That includes uncontrolled, dog-like panting or wheezing, and the creaking and clicking of body parts, by the way.
Sound is energy carried on waves of vibrating air. Sound escaping our bicycle or body as a consequence of us applying pressure to the pedals is evidence that some portion of our energy is being expended to produce noise instead of moving us forward. This makes noise intolerable and infuriating in equal measure and in extreme circumstances may precipitate a Rule #65-violating Millarcopter. Drivetrain noise means loss with every link of the chain that passes through the derailleur and over a cog. A click in the bottom bracket or a creaking in the cleat signals energy poured into compression of bearings or plastic, not speed. Wheezing or panting indicates air converted from V-giving breath into the useless rattling of a larynx.
Silence the machine, control your breathing into a steady, muscle-fueling source, and maximum V will follow. The mind fixates on noises and is distracted from The Work; it is only through the Principle of Silence that we may find Rule #6.
But riding a quiet bike is far from riding in the silent vacuum that signals impending danger. On the contrary, a silent bike submits us to the genuine beauty of our Sport: the whisper of the wind in our ear, the song of a bird who encourages us along our way, the crisp click of a perfect shift, the rhythmic patter of rain on our helmet, cap, or the tarmac as we carve our path along La Vie Velominatus.
But the most beautiful sound of Cycling has come to me late in my life as a Velominatus. My reluctance to ride sew-ups has for many years denied me the sublime sound of a handmade tubular rolling along the road. This world opened up to me early last year when I finally built a set of Golden Tickets for my introduction to the Hell of the North. This year, almost by accident, I wound up riding my Café Roubaix Arenbergs for all of Keepers Tour 2013, glued to the best set of tires available – the FMB Partis-Roubaix. The amplifying qualities of the deep-section carbon rim allows the supple hum of the handmade tubular to sing like Merckx’s mighty rollers upon the rock of Mount Velomis.
This sound inspires. It is a reason to get out to ride. It is a reason to be a Cyclist. This sound is a reason to live.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@Ron
Yeah, I've never greased the spacers either. I'll take the cassette apart, scrub the cogs in a bath of warm water with a little orange cleaner, then rinse, dry, and re-assemble on the hub.
@VeloVita
If that's what it is, then I suggest a regimen of Rule #5 adherence and exhibiting some fucking self control.
@frank
Don't know why, but I hate the loud noise of the expensive/flash hubs these days. I can't remember where, but I read an article where a rider joined some pros for a training ride. After discussing prior with one of them about ettiqute and style, on the first downhill his mentor chided him "PROS DON'T FREEWHEEL!"
Descents aren't for recovery, they're for going faster...
And if you feel the need to freewheel in the group, how about jumping on the front and using up all that conserved energy champ?
@mcsqueak
AND GREASE THE SPACERS. And you might want to drop a bit of triflo on the rivets of the spiders on the bigger cogs, assuming your cassette has them. Wipe it down afterwards, you want lube IN there, not on the outside.
Grease the spacers whether they're metal or not, by the way.
@eightzero
Yeah, and I've been wanting to say that the better clincher tires also have a great sound, and that if you pair them to some nice wheels, you're on your way. Supple clinchers on 3x box section rims is a great sound. Carbon clincher will give you a hardon any time you ride alongside a wall and can hear the roar of the wheels.
But tubs and carbon together...ohmama.
I suggest an adjustment of attitude. First off, you organized what could be the most ambitious Cogal to date, and that is saying something. A Stage Cogal? Yes please. Chapeau.
The question you should be asking yourself is not can I do it, but how long will it take me? There is no quitting, but it might take you for fucking ever. I remember climbing off my bike on a long ride in France when I was 14. That shit haunts you. Don't climb off. Just slow down if you have to.
Now, this starts getting tricky with these really long days, but my most valued training technique is to train to ride farther/harder than the ride you are training for. I've done that my whole life. If you are doing a 200km ride, train to ride 250km. Knowing you've gone longer/harder etc will walk in like Guido and knock those pesky doubts right out of your mind when you hit 125km and start to wonder.
You are on your way, the next step is to learn to eradicate those doubts and replace them with strength. Strength comes from knowing you can do more.
VLVV, mate.
@frank
I've never in my life greased spacers. Rather than flame on about wether I think it'll work or not (I can just call you if I want to do that), I'll drop over, hell, I'll quit beer for 3 months ('cause there's no need to get stupid with the betting), if that solves the problem.
@scaler911
You apparently need to learn how to push on the pedals. Fabian and I can show you how to do that after I show him how to snap the pawls off the Zipp freehub body.
Admittedly, laying down massive wattage is not likely to be the Squeaker's issue (sorry mate). If the cassette is not 100% tight, the spacers will creak and my Campa cassettes have this problem consistently as unless I locktite the lockring, they always seem to come loose.
Don't quite beer for three months because you're wrong (you are) - lets just get shitfaced together after my super secret Festum Prophetae celebration once that gets cemented.
Oh, and don't ever question me. EVAH.
@frank
PDX Cogal. We'll see.............
@frank
I have never ever had this problem with a Shimano cassette. That is all.
@Steampunk
Shimano is so crappy, it doesn't even require unnecessary maintenance or precautions!