How Did We Get to Here?

Mr Strack, Mr Merckx and The Rules

How did we get to here? Here is Frank, the founder of Velominati, standing next to Eddy Merckx. Eddy is looking at The Rules, in Rouleur’s book-zine format. Frank is in his best button down sweater, trying to keep his shit together. And it is not easy for him to do this as Rouleur has invited him to London and now he is showing The Rules to Eddy Merckx.

The first time I met Frank he was wearing a Rouleur cycling cap (in a pre-Rules world, so no foul). The Velominati website is directly inspired by Rouleur magazine. Rouleur is a big, dense tome (or book-zine) of the best cycling writing and photography one can buy. It’s not cheap but why should excellence come cheap?

That Frank (or Velominati-The Rules, his billing on the invite) was invited to London to partake in this festivus is due to his persistence and unfiltered love of all things Cycling. A less persistent person would have told all of us to sod off and stopped paying the site’s hosting bills years ago. That Velominati is still here is because there are enough cycling fanatics out there who participate on the site and are not put off by everyone else’s dickish comments. We are amused by each other’s dickish comments. Personally I live for them. The Rules might be what gets the site notoriety but for those that enjoy the site frequently, it’s the daily surprises and humor that keep us coming back.

We should all take pride and pleasure that Frank is over there, representing all of us, having a laugh with Cipo, Fabian, David Millar and especially Eddy. Viva La Vie Velominatus.

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

KogaLover says:

Nov 23 2015 at 3:59 am

While @Frank was doing it his way, winter finally arrived in Switzerland, as did the hail storm, unexpectedly.

I almost felt like Hinault, but while my fingers turned black, my face became green with envy for @Frank. What did Eddy really say about The Rules? "Efkes doorbijten"?
blackpooltower says:

Nov 23 2015 at 5:41 am

I wasn't there for this momentous meeting, though did see @Frank on stage on Friday. He did a superb job, despite sporting an egregiously long casual sock.

SuperMario, who was on before Frank (thus his warmup act, in future anecdote retellings, no doubt), was a veritable cartoon character, complete with waxed chest and unlaced para boots. He was asked "how do you maintain your physique" and replied something along the lines of "I do some cycle ... visit the gym ... and the sex". The last phrase delivered with a classic Italian "of course, you know?" expression on his face.

A singular individual.
Teocalli says:

Nov 23 2015 at 6:54 am

@RobSandy

@Teocalli

Wrong weekend to choose to go to Tenby, still the sun is out here.

No way, me and Mrs Sandy were in Saundersfoot all weekend. Did you see the weather on Saturday? The rain, cold, wind, hail…yes, we were out riding in that. Had a lovely ride on Sunday though and finished at Wright’s Cafe near Camarthen. Great times.

You could say we saw the weather......we walked from Tenby round the coast path to Saundersfoot through it. Hit the first coffee cafe we saw in Saundersfoot and left a large puddle on their floor. Went to Pendine, Mumbles and Southerndown on the way home on Sunday.
Matt says:

Nov 23 2015 at 8:18 am

HOLY FUCK.
Krames says:

Nov 23 2015 at 8:19 am

That's just incredibly cool!

Hope you're having a great time Frank!!!!
Al__S says:

Nov 23 2015 at 11:21 am

Notes from Saturday: Microphones work better when held near the mouth...
frank says:

Nov 23 2015 at 11:28 am

@Barracuda

@brett

@frank

Have you got a semi there?

Yep, definately wood

Can you blame me?

@wilburrox

A checked shirt, tie and cardigan… smooth, very. And best, not a silly bow tie. Just classic. And the book was possibly autographed? By the author for Eddy yes? Too cool. Cheers @frank

Funny you mention that; this is roughly the way I dress at work and my sweaters have started a sweater arms race in the office. One must always endeavor to look one's best. I do admit, however, that over the course of teh event, my attire moved towards nice jeans and V-Shirts in order to shamelessly plug the site a bit.
frank says:

Nov 23 2015 at 11:30 am

@CycleChick

Goodness @frank that is nothing short of Cool as Fuck. You have officially surpassed my meeting with Valentino (crosses self) Campagnolo in Rome. Official girl wood, right here. Chapeau.

Girl wood. I'm going to have to remember that. Nicely played.

@Gianni

@CycleChick

Goodness @frank that is nothing short of Cool as Fuck. You have officially surpassed my meeting with Valentino (crosses self) Campagnolo in Rome. Official girl wood, right here. Chapeau.

He may be too bleedin’ high and bloody mighty to hang out with the likes of us now.

Joshua Riddle, your buddy, was at this event and he and Frank got together so maybe Velominati can do some business with Campagnolo. That would be nice.

The VMH is making sure my ego gets crushed back down to proper skull size. Waiting for my flight at Heathrow I actually caught myself wondering why no one was asking me for an inscription. Spoiler alert: its because no one gives a flying fuck.
frank says:

Nov 23 2015 at 12:05 pm

@Tugman

Chapeau to you @frank and to the rest of the Keepers! What has certainly been a labor of love has surely reaped a plentiful harvest for you folks. I think I can speak for all of us here when I say your work here at Velominati can be described in one word- Priceless. Thanks to you and the boys, this middle-aged Midwestern fat boy is not just another knob riding a bicycle, but is inspired and engaged in cycling at a level above the crowd. Well done, I’m certain you were brimming with pride as well as humbled to be standing next to Merckx while he thumbed through the pages. I know I’d be beside myself if I were in your shoes. Fine Work!

Brimming with pride doesn't begin to describe it. Humbling and empowering in a way that might require a therapist to help me reconcile.

He seemed to like it, he was really flipping through it much longer than I expected. He handed it off to his assistant when we finished up, at which point I figured it would slip into a bag or a rubbish bin. But a few hours later, as he approached the stage, this happened.
frank says:

Nov 23 2015 at 12:11 pm

@edster99

Good talk yesterday Frank. Hope you enjoyed it all as much as I did!

I certainly did!

@edster99

p.s. Is there a rule about not turning up for your slot because you are in bed with a hooker? Not you Frank !

I didn't hear that as being the reason, but given who it was I would not be terribly shocked. Rumour mills are not to be trusted; I do know more about another appearance that was missed and having heard the reason from the primary source, I do know the word on the street was dramatically different from what reality was.

That said, in general, I would say not turning up for your slot for any reason other than an absolutely unforeseeable emergency is highly unprofessional. Even then, it would be courteous to offer an official statement of apology to the organizers, who work their fucking asses off behind the scenes to keep that motor humming. Seriously, talk about herding cats. Incredible work to the team behind the scenes; I do not envy them at all.

@Al__S

Notes from Saturday: Microphones work better when held near the mouth…

Were you there? Did we meet? If not, why? (Sorry, translating a online handle to a person without context is a bit impossible. Was looking forward to meeting you.)