Looking Pro is a delicate art rife with paradox and enigma. Aesthetics in a sport as difficult as cycling is itself a contradiction; surely anything wrought with such suffering should be driven by function and function alone. Yet cyclists are both some of the hardest people in sport and the most vain. For a cyclist knows better than perhaps any other athlete that Morale is a fickle beast that lives upon a knife’s edge; it can drive us on to incredible heights yet squash us at will like an insect for little more than spotting grime on a freshly laundered jersey or dirt on the bar tape. In order for us to ride well, we must have good Morale. In order to have good Morale, we must look Fantastic.
The argument could be made that the best way to improve your riding is to meditate extensively on Rule #5; some might even suggest that aesthetics dilute it’s purity. On the surface, that may be a seductive thing to believe, but it ignores the single most important fact of cycling: looking Fantastic is the best anesthetic available. Just imagine how you looked there, standing on the pedals, dishing out The V. I was magnificent and didn’t feel a thing; I looked Pro.
Along with the vital The Three Point System, mastering the art of being Casually Deliberate is one of the key principles to Looking Pro. A professional gives the impression of having been born on their bicycle; they are one with their machine. When riding, their Magnificent Stroke exudes grace and power. Movements on the bicycle are deliberate yet effortless. Standing, sitting, climbing, cornering – rider and machine form a cohesive union.
Even when not riding, the Professional exudes an air of calm. Sitting across the top tube, the rider rests easy, precisely familiar with the movements of their loyal machine, trusting in the motion and balance. The bicycle is as familiar and connected to the rider as the very air they breathe.
In your quest to master the art of the Casually Deliberate, keep these pointers in mind:
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For a salutary lesson in "tranquillo" check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwg_jg-6AHA So much adherence to the rules, I doubt there's a single violation in the whole thing. Gotta love the old school TT gear - tucking your jersey into your shorts - and the commentary too. Is there a better description of a TT than "a long concentrated discharge of strength"?
@wiscot
Love that video. "The simplest possible manifestation of power, psyche and style." F'ing brilliant.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Absolutely spectacular photo. I toyed very seriously with making this one as the main photo for the article, but Bobet took it on account of his sitting on the bike.
@Marko
A-Merckx! A craftsman doesn't discuss his tools openly; he simply knows they are the right tools for the job and he gets down to work.
@G'phant
Yes. Just, yes.
@frank
See what you've done?? Give an inch and they'll take a mile (or give 2.5cm and they'll take 1.6km). Espresso. End of.
"Absolutely spectacular photo. I toyed very seriously with making this one as the main photo for the article, but Bobet took it on account of his sitting on the bike"
Not to mention those amazingly cool sunglasses. Man, he is sooo in the groove in that photo!
Excellent article!
Looking PRO has long been a passion of mine and is something I brought with me to cycling from the other sports I've participated in. I could never step onto the field, even for practice, if my kit wasn't in perfect form.
I've actually been looking for a new Thursday night ride because the fucks I ride with endlessly engaged in Tech Talk. No passion, no love, no style...just bullshit info from their power meter or HRM. Fuck, it kills the ride for me.
As for talking up hills - beer in the bidon is perfect for this! Makes it easier to ignore the pain and always makes me more talkative. I definitely had people give me an odd look during rides. "What the hell are you going on about? Can't you seem I'm about to have a heart attack?!"
That Lampre jersey is superb.
And I'm going to spend the entire ride looking Casually Deliberate tomorrow, despite the wind and bitter cold.
And I imagine he is showing the fan a picture of the Zoncolan and saying something like "this is excellent for a dozen laps before lunch" and the man isn't quite sure if he's joking or not.
@wiscot
Kind makes me wish they still raced TT's on their roadbikes. I mean, I'm all for the right tool for the job and all, but who here hasn't used a knife when they needed a shiv?
Oh yeah, in my fairytale cycling world one of the Grand Tours will soon include a TT where every rider is on the same steel frameset. They can choose their gruppo, but every rider is on a traditional geometry steel frame with drop bars. And to make this even better, any builder could submit a frameset and the fans would vote on the one they'd like to see used. Maybe each one could also be raffled off after the race, with the proceeds going to something good, like funds to build a Velominati Club House in Northern Italy...
I know, he would be intimidated to see my guns in photo form.