Categories: Cogal ReportDefining MomentsLa Vie VelominatusLook ProThe RulesThe Works

The Rules Goes on the Road-NYC

What’s wrong with this picture?

Here are a few lessons learned while in New York City.

I’m sure leaving a bar at one o’clock in the morning is not how the serious riders prepare for a ride with a 9 o’clock morning roll-out. I am sure.
Conversational pace for a group ride means different things to different people. Eddy could talk your ear off at 40kph.
Lezyne mini-pump owners, listen up. Grease up those aluminum threads on your pump. It’s inflating effectiveness is diminished when the inflator tube is corroded in place and the group disappears up the road.
@xyxax is the single best draft I’ve ever hunkered behind, until he wasn’t.
Signing books and interacting with strangers is better with pints on the book signing table.

The Rapha store is an excellent place to begin a ride. It’s a killer bike shop with no bikes for sale. Once in the door there are ample places to rack a bike. Behold beautiful espressos, fresh croissants, bike racing projected on a whole wall, seats, tables, a WC, and evidently some nice kit for sale too. They are welcoming to riders who just want to hang out for a coffee and watch a race. Did I mention it has two Belgian-style beers on tap? It is a beautiful place.

Saturday dawned sunny and warm. The Rapha Club-Velominati Saturday ride was on. Riders assembled, the place filled with carbon wheeled beauties, Rapha clad youth and us. The V-kit stood out in contrast to the understated Rapha colors. I outfitted Frank with the oldest and heaviest bicycle there. It was a thirty year old steel bike with heavy but aero aluminum wheels. The best part was it was geared for Roubaix when we were riding Flanders; it had a 44 tooth inner ring and a mostly inaccessible 23 tooth inner cog on the back. I was hoping it might slow him down but it didn’t, nothing does.

The ride was awesome. Some of us represented the kit better than others, let us leave it at that. Our Rapha Club leader, Rob, did a beautiful job getting thirty-plus riders out of Manhattan and eventually back, safely. He is a stud.

The book signing was heart warming; people buying The Rules and us writing something obnoxious in it, for them. Riders were coming into the store and whipping out their copies for us to sign. The New Jersey boys drove two hours to join us on the ride and buy a pile of books. It is simply amazing to me: this Velominati community which has grown across the world, all people who love to ride the bike. To meet some of them at a Keepers Tour, or Cogal or in the Rapha store, it makes this whole endeavor worthwhile.

The San Francisco Event is happening this weekend and I encourage all nearby to venture into the city for the riding and signing.

Mr T was bold enough to shoot photos while riding. Grazie for sharing.

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Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

Gianni says:

May 6 2014 at 4:09 am
@Chris

@Chris

The picture raises two questions:
- Was @frank operating at at rate of two pints to @gianni's half?
and/or
- Did @frank bring an extra V-Pint along to ensure that he was Drinking Properly?
In mitigation though it would appear that @gianni is attempting to maintain some for of Rule #44 adherence even off the bike.
Yes, Frank operates at a pint emptying rate of N x 2.5 to most humans, or at least me.

No V pint but that is a good idea. We were both worried about forgetting other important things like cycling shoes.

I was beer runner. No chance to sit down. And between @xyxax, Frank and myself there is about six meters in height. This furniture is too small.
Gianni says:

May 6 2014 at 4:12 am

@ChrisO

@Gianni So what is wrong with that picture? (In reference to the caption on the main photo).

I've looked several times and don't see anything - apart from the keyboard stashed somewhat untidily on top of the magazines in the bottom shelf and what may be some of the more questionable items from Rapha's range. Don't get me wrong I love their kit, I'm just less enamoured of the shaving set and leather-bound ride journal end of the spectrum.

To me it was the incongruity between Rapha's fancy products and our book, which is full of cursing.
Gianni says:

May 6 2014 at 4:13 am

@Timojhen Ha! Timojhen, it was great to meet you.
Chris says:

May 6 2014 at 4:18 am

@Gianni

@ChrisO

@Gianni So what is wrong with that picture? (In reference to the caption on the main photo).

I've looked several times and don't see anything - apart from the keyboard stashed somewhat untidily on top of the magazines in the bottom shelf and what may be some of the more questionable items from Rapha's range. Don't get me wrong I love their kit, I'm just less enamoured of the shaving set and leather-bound ride journal end of the spectrum.

To me it was the incongruity between Rapha's fancy products and our book, which is full of cursing.

Rapha elicits cursing by other means - namely by placing their embro and chamois cream in identical packaging.
Gianni says:

May 6 2014 at 4:19 am

@seemunkee

And you managed to not miss the insanity of the 5 Boroughs ride.

We saw almost no sign of that event at all. Except we did send Frank's brother-in-law into it with a hangover, or if not a hangover, not feeling superb.
Chris says:

May 6 2014 at 4:22 am

@Marcus

@frank

Why the fuck were you wearing a helmet indoors?

On such a day of days when you are presumably meant to be providing some sort of example, why Frank? Why?

At least Frank is looking as though he's zipped himself up properly to neatly display the V-Cog cross the finish line (figuratively speaking) whilst Gianni looks as though he's just been tipped out of the voiture balai.
Gianni says:

May 6 2014 at 4:26 am

@Rob

Boy oh boy, what a great day out. The images say it all, West Side bike path, GW bridge, gravel and no car roads next to the Hudson and a beautiful spring day! Not to mention the signing, Rapha and the Gypsy Doughnut!!

so wish I could have posted up...

Gianni - hey I'm impressed your looking fit! So too fearless leader ( but the helmet in store does need explaining or new Rule?). Was there a seatpost competition between Frank, Xyxax and Gianni??

Congratulations, job well done!

I thought of you on that route. It was stunning. Frank still wins the seatpost competition, then @xyxax. I don't compete in that even, but it was fun to get Frank on the Bella for the bike's sake. Bella has not been ridden so fast in many years.
VeloSix says:

May 6 2014 at 6:39 am

Damn, this book signing tour must come south! Yes, we read fuckers!
razmaspaz says:

May 6 2014 at 8:16 am

Who is responsible for spacing those books in a Rule #27 compliant fashion?
wiscot says:

May 6 2014 at 8:22 am

@razmaspaz

Who is responsible for spacing those books in a Rule #27 compliant fashion?

Other than the bottom shelf, I'm seeing a whole lot of OCD going on there.