Gravity

In defiance of Gravity, we touch the heavens

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.

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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Marvellous says:

Apr 4 2014 at 4:30 am

@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!!
Marvellous says:

Apr 4 2014 at 4:34 am

@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!!
Marvellous says:

Apr 4 2014 at 4:41 am

@antihero

@Marvellous

A little shot of the valley. Total of 104kms completed, 1500m of total climbing, sunburnt and torn hamstring after the second ride of the year here...... After the snow disappears you understand....

Can you feel the depth of my envy from here? That looks like a fine and pleasant misery of a climb. Sweet.

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....).
scaler911 says:

Apr 4 2014 at 9:33 am

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.
Optimiste says:

Apr 4 2014 at 10:22 am

@wilburrox

. . . 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

This is why Rule #55 seemed self-evident the first time I read it. Challenge - Reward.
razmaspaz says:

Apr 4 2014 at 11:48 am

@ChrisO

@LeoTea

@Rob I'll take hills over a headwind any day of the week. At least gravity is consistent. It doesn't change strength or direction on a whim. Conquering a hill gives me a sense of achievement. Wrestling a headwind just annoys me.

Gravity is easier to overcome than aerodynamics.

If you go twice as hard uphill you go twice as fast.

To go twice as fast into the wind requires eight times the effort.

Apparently it's physics.

This fact was pushing on me today as I rode out of town at 14kph and back in at 66kph, on the flats.
piwakawaka says:

Apr 4 2014 at 11:31 pm

@razmaspaz

@ChrisO

@LeoTea

@Rob I'll take hills over a headwind any day of the week. At least gravity is consistent. It doesn't change strength or direction on a whim. Conquering a hill gives me a sense of achievement. Wrestling a headwind just annoys me.

Gravity is easier to overcome than aerodynamics.

If you go twice as hard uphill you go twice as fast.

To go twice as fast into the wind requires eight times the effort.

Apparently it's physics.

This fact was pushing on me today as I rode out of town at 14kph and back in at 66kph, on the flats.

I am blessed with hills and wind.
Marvellous says:

Apr 5 2014 at 7:16 am

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.....