Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoLook ProThe Hardmen

Anatomy of a Photo: Looking Fantastic

Roger de Leginck riding in a Flemish Mirror. Photo: CorVos/Pez

Steel Gazelles, check. Monster fork rake, check. Hairnets, check. North European monsoon, check. Flemish Mirror, check. Chain welded to the Big Ring, check. WTF Leggins affixed to Our Hero, check.

Roger de Vlaeminck does his part to remind us that while Looking Pro isn’t synonymous with Looking Fantastic, being a Level V Badass can make even the most jacked gear look the business.

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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wiscot says:

Dec 10 2011 at 11:12 am

@Oli

@Souleur
Clearly RdV does give a damn that it's cold, wet and nasty or he wouldn't be wearing those stupid leg protectors. That's 10 points off his style file he'll never get back.

Somewhere, I have another pic of RdV wearing those leg protectors. (I'm going nuts looking for it). They we're a kind of semi-hard shell neoprene type thing with velcro straps around the legs. Given RdV's exemplary hardness, I suspect it may have been a case of him getting serious bucks to wear them. (Kinda like Kelly wearing those really shitty Brancale helmets in the late 80s). I've never seen anyone else wear them, so I think it was a one-off with Roger. Maybe he got so much shit for wearing them he stopped doing it.

These guys could get such great positions because the differential between saddle height and bar height was much less than commonly found today.

I think Roger is thinking "whatever" to Eddy's comment that as the road gets steep that his ass will be dropped.
Souleur says:

Dec 10 2011 at 11:20 am

Eddy: hey rog, my dick goes this way, when you wear those ugly bastards, yours goes the other way, now ditch them things...you make us all look bad
DerHoggz says:

Dec 10 2011 at 11:24 am

@wiscot

In reference to bar height, these days the hoods are pretty close to where they had their drops.
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 10 2011 at 11:33 am

@wiscot

@Oli

I've never seen anyone else wear them, so I think it was a one-off with Roger. Maybe he got so much shit for wearing them he stopped doing it.

I'm having serious trouble trying to picture what someone would end up looking like after they gave RDV shit about anything!
TommyTubolare says:

Dec 10 2011 at 11:50 am

@DerHoggz

RdV is not a Dutchman.The Prophet probably dropped him though!
Tartan1749 says:

Dec 10 2011 at 12:58 pm

@DerHoggz
Hey DerHoggz, check out the Ontario Cogal and see if you'd be up for meeting us there for a Memorial Day Sufferfest
Oli says:

Dec 10 2011 at 3:12 pm

@Buck Rogers
Monsieur De Vlaeminck, I wish to assure you that I said none of these things I've been unfairly credited with. Mercy, merci.
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 10 2011 at 3:19 pm

@Oli

@Buck RogersMonsieur De Vlaeminck, I wish to assure you that I said none of these things I've been unfairly credited with. Mercy, merci.

De Vlaeminck is probably on a flight right now to your house to personally KICK YOUR ASS! :)
Chipomarc says:

Dec 10 2011 at 3:43 pm

Those leg protectors aren't much more dorker that guys taping on that bright Green and Blue SpiderTech nonsense on their legs these days.
Steampunk says:

Dec 10 2011 at 4:02 pm

@Chipomarc

Those leg protectors aren't much more dorker that guys taping on that bright Green and Blue SpiderTech nonsense on their legs these days.

I was waiting for someone to comment on that one way or the other. I'm still on the fence, especially if they provide some muscular support, which improves performance. I mean, Frank has been known to rock the nose plaster, for chrissakes! Also just got a couple of the Spidertech thingies from their launch swag bag. Don't see myself ever wearing them, mind...