Gravity
Gravity is the most unavoidable force on Earth, with the possible exception of Stupidity. And like with Stupidity, you can take measures to reduce its influence on you, but you won’t get rid of it completely, assuming you’re staying on this planet. From the very moment we’re born, Gravity takes its unrelenting hold on us – which isn’t altogether bad because I learned from watching Despicable Me that as soon as someone is smart enough to invent anti-gravity serum, someone will be stupid enough to leave a skylight open.
We Cyclists protect a secret from the rest of the world: we can defy gravity. Riding allows us to float a few meters above the ground, suspended in a cloak of V. Add a little speed to the mix and a maybe few sweeping switchbacks and we are as close to achieving human flight as we will ever get.
Once we trade flat roads for the hills, Gravity reveals its true secret to us: the mind can overcome physical limits when we form the cohesive unit of bicycle and rider. There is a symbiotic bond that forms; Gravity pulls us down toward the bottom of the hill, and we require our strength to counter its force and scale the heights. The strength required to achieve this takes a heavy toll on our body, and it is only through focus and determination that we keep the legs turning over smoothy. Riding back down the other side, we learn to fool Gravity and explore the intersection of centripetal force, friction, and our old friend Stupidity.
With practice, we learn that our mind can drive us to overcome the the physical limits of not just our bodies, but Gravity itself. Its hold on us remains, but the effects are greatly diminished. In defiance of Gravity, we rise to touch the heavens and ride where angels fly.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
@ChrisO Ha Ha. It’s a system that is well designed to turn out a very nice sort of layabout. Bertie Wooster is an excellent example.
Jump ahead to minute 9 for a neurological vindication of this article’s premise and every rider’s experience:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/opinion/slomo.html
First post here. Hello, friends.
Ron
@Teocalli
Yes, and then there’s the quote “God loves drunks and idiots.” This explains somewhat the mitigating factors in the proliferation of stupidity and perhaps it’s paradoxical ability to prevent people’s self-selection for removal from the gene pool.
Perhaps too a proclivity to then drive engine-revving pickup trucks near cyclists.
@ohbejoyful
Nice one! It does seem to explain the reason we all get captivated by 2 wheels. I like the big picture of what the vid is about too and that may explain why I feel no guilt for my hours on the bike?
Glad you joined in.
@wilburrox All I see is pure Joy written on her face!
@Teocalli I tried watching the video with no sound and it made absolutely no sense to me, although it probably wouldn’t even with sound…I assume a 5 wheeled bike wouldn’t be described as a V-Bike…
@Bjarne Nordberg
That, is a fine quote. And then we get to descent like gods too! Lord knows, steep descending on foot is the worst, it’s crippling. On a bike pure thrill.
@ChrisO
that’s why I got dropped every single time by my mates: Denmark gets plenty of wind but not that many “gravity assisted training places” . I do need to get my V-meter * 8 and apply healthy dose of Rule #5.
@therealpeel
I can understand that – without the explanation it would make no sense whatsoever. It does with sound though. The nub is that it turns out that in zero gravity you cannot turn on a bike.
@Gianni Precisely! You run to the top of a hill and then what? Run down the other side? Big whoop… I like riding my bike up a hill as much as the next guy. Maybe even more. And to be able to do it faster than my buddies on a given day? Or even better in a race. And digging deeper to do it? All great fun and satisfying. But as long as I’ve been riding a bike I’ve always looked at getting to the top usually meant good fun coming down. That’s when we fly. On the other hand, running? Ugghhh.
That all said, the opportunity to take a ski lift to the top of mtn’s in order to ride a bike down? I guess that’d mostly be a big travel full suspension mtn bike kinda gig… that kinda thing doesn’t grab me so much. Maybe it’s the earning the ride down, after the effort to get to the top, that makes it more rewarding. Cheers, RC
@antihero Haha, first thing in season it is hell, but you can never get bored of cycling here for sure. Come to Austria and take in the Alps!!
@wilburrox Hey it’s the bomb here. I have lost 8kg since living here from last July. The scenery and the variety is amazing. Over the tops you can see is Italy – 18km, and if you follow the valley you get into Germany 60km, south of Munich. A truly magnificent centre of cycling!!
@antihero
The Zillertal/Kitzbuhel mountains. A cyclists paradise, the Tour of Germany uses this road pretty much every year. I live on the pass over the top, so my cycling consists of up and down or vice versa. When I am tired I just throw the bike in the car and drive to the valley either side for quiet unspoilt and safe cycling (totally unlike the UK where I am from….).
Love gravity. The pleasure of the descent would be diminished without the fight against gravity on the way up.
The only place that it’s acceptable to be a “gravity slave” is downhill skiing.
@wilburrox
This is why Rule #55 seemed self-evident the first time I read it. Challenge – Reward.
@ChrisO
This fact was pushing on me today as I rode out of town at 14kph and back in at 66kph, on the flats.
@razmaspaz
I am blessed with hills and wind.
A typical road profile here in the Zillertal. Note in km and hm. Currently riding a 50/34 compact with 12/32 out back. The locals will employ triples, and the pros 53/39 with probably a 25/27 out back – this is true HTFU territory…..