Sur la Plaque: Rule #9
As many of you know, there’s been a lot of synergy between BIGRINGRIDING and Velominati for several years now. Though BRR and Velominati have very different flavors, we work on a similar principle: foster passion for the sport through a mix of knowledge, history, and humor tempered with a healthy dose of irreverence, all while obviously making things up as we go along.
It seems only natural, then, that we should work together and thus it is with great delight that I present our monthly feature with the Big Ring taking his capitalized view on a Rule of his choice. No better Rule to start with than my personal favorite, Rule #9. And remember, it’s more than just a chainring, it’s a state of mind.
Yours in Cycling,
Frank
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LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR. IF YOU DON’T SEE ICE, YOU’RE NOT AS BADASS AS GREG. PERIOD.
Chapeau! Goes together like peanut butter and fuckin’ chocolate!!!
@Buck Rogers
Couldn’t disagree more. Goes together like chocolate and peanut butter. Not peanut butter and chocolate…..
-Dinan
MSR was definitely 9 to the power 5 in the unpleasantness stakes. Frankly, everyone that got back off the buses should recognised as the Hard Man that each everyone is.
Anyway, Monday morning, freezing fog on the way to work. Had an inner tube pop thanks to potholes. Stopped. Found the leading edges of my bike, my lights, my helmet had iced up. Delightful. More than once this winter I’ve got to work or got home on the commute and found ice on the outside of my winter bib tights (neatly proving they insulate well).
The best thing about that photo is actually the look coming out from the eyes, seems just to be, “yeah it’s cold, so what?”
Just another NZ winter’s day for Greg…
If that’s not enough to gall you into Rule #9 submission, I’ve got your winter training ride for you: the littlest Steampunk insisted we head out today in sub-zero temperatures.
Well, from up here in the North (rad: Stockholm, SE) it feels like spring is heading in the other direction. Still riding in snow, ice and freezing temperatures and have been for four months none stop now…. You’re all invited if you haven’t yet ridden on ice. It’s quite fun actually, just need to keep a straight line and keep smiling…
@Steampunk Awesome.
We had a little bit of warm the other day, so my youngest, 4, says, “can we go outside and ride our bikes because it is the first day of Spring?”
Yes we can.
SO STOKED BRR IS BACK FROM SABBATICAL.
Rule #9 here is having to wear knee warmers when on the turbo in the shed!
@the-farmer
What’s a shed?
Good case study for Rule #50. With the helmet glaze, imagine if there were snot-sicles?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I would rather be out but it gets dark at 7 and I’ve taken my mudguards off ready for the spring, feckin weather.And me only at 56 north and all!
Looking in the mirror, seeing ice. Feck, shut that window it’s effin freezing in this bathroom.
Bipolar snow falling for the umpteenth day in a row. White of a morning, gone by lunchtime. Gusting to 50 mph and blocking roads all around. Officially fed up, heading out on the MTB tomorrow.
Pure fucking awesomeness! You could play hockey on his lid.
@Steampunk
A construction of bailer twine, fertiliser sacks and corrugated iron with random openings in which Scottish farmers keep tractors, cows and turbo trainers
Meeting point at Ovada.
Photo by me.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Wow! Beautifully framed, crisply focused, frosty as hell. Just wow.
@Pedale.Forchetta
I don’t know what you do for a real job, but god knows you have a back up career as a cycling photographer. You’re way better than Graham Watson with a fraction of the access he has. Chapeau!
Regarding the top photo of the frozen Kiwi: if the young man wants to know what he might look like in a couple of decades, it’s right there for him to see. Not a bad picture, in my opinion.
@Pedale.Forchetta
That is a fantastic photograph. Well done, sir.
-Dinan
@Pedale.Forchetta Fantastic shot!
@the Engine
What’s a turbo trainer?
Snow drifting on the balcony a few years ago. Forgive the short socks.
@Pedale.Forchetta
I didn’t know you were in Sheboygan. Oh… wait. Too warm.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Nice work. Your photos never cease to amaze and impress me. Tell me you have a website or something where humble folk like us may purchase one of these to hang in our homes.
Snow is never an excuse for staying in! There’s never any snow on the beach.
@wiscot
Absolutely, between Pedale, Kristoff Ramon, Jared Gruber and Emily Maye, GW is losing ground as quickly as he lost respect with his LA comments.
Awesome photos form MSR Pedale. I want to take photos like you.
Honorary Keepership for BRR, please.
Non-voting, class C stock, I don’t care. We need a 6th Keeper.
7th, sorry, Joshua.
@starclimber
It’s not the socks that need forgiving, it’s your me scrolling sown to see your arse that begs forgiveness!
@Steampunk
I dunno but apparently this is a description of one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cyclops-Turbo-Trainer-/221019888017
@il ciclista medio
At least your “climbing” on the drops a la Pantani!
Rule #9 on the football pitch last night!
My shed is only for storage of bike shaped object. As for the weather I can’t even go snowboarding, the feckin roads closed, arrrrrghhhhhhhhhhh. So looks like another b’stard turbo session for me then. Still and all I’ve shed 7 pounds in 3 weeks. That’s shed as in lost as opposed to shed as in where thebastard bike is kept!
@the Engine
Oh. What’s it for?
@Buck Rogers
I remember playing in similar conditions many years ago and losing a shoe while tracking back to defend. And another five minutes to find he damn thing while play continued: up and down the field with one eye on the ground, hoping I might be able to get it back on…
@scaler911 Thank you, I’ll find others here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedaleforchetta/sets/72157633022136858/
And thank you all!
@Pedale.Forchetta Johan Van Summeren – MSR 2013. Solemn.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Absolutely amazing stuff. I liked them all. I very much liked this one of Cavendish and followers. Well framed and good depth.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedaleforchetta/8570269619/in/set-72157633022136858/
Please continue to share with us. You’re quite talented!
-Dinan
Out: 20km/h headwind, choc gateaux, double Espresso.
In: 20km/h tailwind, Scotch egg, large Rum & ginger.
LOVE the work!
@Pedale.Forchetta
I also wanted to note that this photo was possibly the best of the bunch in my opinion. I think it was well framed and really conveyed the rigors of that day.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedaleforchetta/8570317585/in/set-72157633022136858/
-Dinan
I didn’t see ice but does brain freeze on the bike still count? That, as we say in Scotland, was teuch. No quite balaclava conditions and way better than a turbo session.
@G’rilla
There can only be V.
Hi there,
Not sure if I missed the introductions forum or if there’s no such thing here, anyway as I rode all the way to the Cauberg despite 0 degrees Celsius and horizontal snowfall today, I kinda feel entitled to introduce myself here (see Rule #19).
So I started to toughen the fuck up (i.e. bought my first roadbike) in 2012. I live where Gemany, the Netherlands and Belgium meet. Despite opposing Rule #29 and being a newbie, this looks like my kind of place.
No, not as badass as Greg, but I am unilaterally declaring myself the winner of the day:
VMH and the Velominippers are out of town for spring break. Got up this morning, rode 100K in a 10C drizzle, finished at the bar where I treated myself to a cheeseburger and two malted recovery beverages. As soon as I post, I will grab the third beverage to be consumed while standing in a very, very hot shower, after which I will nap, unmolested, for as long as I damn well please…
@Spun Up
Sigh. I have not seen 10c since October.
The other day it was 2C with 40km/h crosswinds out and back. Never have I gripped the bars so hard. If it was raining I probably would have curled up on the side of the road and waited for a nonexistent broom wagon.
@Mirko Welcome, from a demi-noob to the site. You’ll come around on #29. It’s simply a matter of increased exposure to Awesome. If not, I’ve got a 15 year old EPMS that I’ll give you for less than half of retail.
From what I can tell about the community, at any moment each of us occupies our own place on the Path. There is no judgement of others, only obscenity-laden insults (mostly in Australian), snarky off-handed remarks, and the occasional back-handed compliment.