Everyone knows that the quality of one’s character is measured by the size gear they can push, particularly when going uphill. It is also a well-established fact that no self-respecting Flemish Pro would ever ride a Compact, no matter what condition their knees are in or how ferocious the gradient. Which, by extension, means that Compacts are for sissies. In fact, a true Flandrian would rather lose their national race than ride a Sissy Gear.
The first time we rode with Johan Museeuw, we were shocked to find him aboard one of his carbon/flax race machines – and a compact chainset. Not wanting to offend an Apostle by suggesting he’s riding his son’s bike, I asked him what he thought of it. “I don’t like it. The big ring isn’t big enough for climbing.”
The standard Flemish chainset is – and has been for as long as the Ancients have tracked these details in their sacred scrolls – either a 53T or 52T outer ring paired to a 42T inner ring. On the occasions when the parcours will see them scaling the Koppenberg or Kapelmuur, the Belgians make a concession and dust off their trusty 41T inner ring in order to shorten the gear by a whopping single tooth. In the mountains or over in Wallonia (the land of savages) where they are far from the prying eyes of their proud public, the Flemish hardman may allow his mechanic to bolt on a lowly 39T ring, so long as no one brings it up at the dinner table. (It is worth noting that in Cyclocross it is standard practice to ride a 38T inner ring.)
Museeuw has never been a grimpeur, not when he was a Pro and not now. On Keepers Tour 2013, we had the opportunity to do several more rides with him, one of which was over the roads of Liege-Bastogne-Liege. It was customary for him to suggest alternate routes that avoided the steep hills, and so it was that he tried to talk us out of riding the Stockeu. We rode up side-by-side, taking our time. As we alternated between pedaling and doing track stands, he asked if I was riding a compact. I feigned a combination of exasperation and insult at such a question and told him it was a Flemish Compact.
“Oh, a 39? Goed.”
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Belgian Compact/”/]
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@Mike_P
I'm going to ping a note over to Gianni to get a London Cogal page up and running. That'll also give everyone else a chance to put it in the diary. He needs a date and route so I'll give him the one I linked to the other day and note that it'll be subject to refinement. We can then fine tune it between now and October.
I've created an email address for it, london.cogal@gmail.com
@Chris
This route http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3114387 is the route I have out of London to Box Hill that avoids the main roads. We can go westerly post Box Hill to wherever (as long as we avoid the A272 as that is horrible on a bike, busy and narrow main road). Though is there a need to start in London unless it just happened to be a central point or are there more people that are London based that makes it sensible?
@Teocalli That looks much better than mine, thanks.
I was thinking of a central London start purely from the point that it works for anyone coming in from out of London and those in London who aren't close to the route, i.e., me. I'll be coming into Kings Cross and riding down. The Mall is a good central location and there are plenty of places nearby to grab a pre ride espresso if their travelling gets them here a bit earlier than they'd like.
It may also make sense to have a second meeting point at, say the bike rental place/coffee shop on Priory lane in Richmond Park for those in South West London or coming in by car and didn't want to park in the centre. Anyone doing that could get off the train at Clapham on the way back.
@Chris
I can get you to Box Hill no problem - I do it quite often from Tooting. Go down through Carshalton Ponds, Banstead and Kingswood is OK and then to Westhumble and Holmbury St Mary but after that there be dragons...
...as long as someone else can get us to Havant.
I'll do a map to there and post it when the cogal page is up. Maybe we should start south of the river to avoid having a bunch trying to ride through the city - something like Waterloo, Clapham Junction or Battersea Park ?
@ChrisO
The bit from Box Hill to Havant will be the interesting bit of navigation. Not having a fancy navigation device, I think I'll have to go old school and have a bit of paper taped to the top tub with key points against miles down range.
I'm going to ride out from central London so I'll start it there, @teocalli's route or straight down King's Road to Putney bridge at that time of a Sunday morning won't be too much of a bother but it would make sense to have an rendezvous point.
@Chris Here you go mate, run yourself up one of these - handy instructions here
@Chris
I probably should whisper this in very small print but I have a gps on the bike. Ok, Ok I'll go and wash my mouth out with soap but I live in the "beyond there be dragons" part and you can spend weeks trying to find your way out of some of the back roads. There that's my excuse. Happy to fit in with wherever as I can get dropped up on the edge of London or get a train up to Waterloo.
@ChrisO
Nice tape job.
Next you'll tell me that you've grown a beard and will be doing the Cogal on your new recumbent whilst wearing spd sandals. We're starting in the East End and heading towards Ipswich.
@Teocalli
You've got to love a volunteer. Thanks.
@Mike_P
Yeah I agree re Box Hill. Great view at the top but as I think it was Magnus Backstedt who said something like "Hill? That's just a speed bump". Leith Hill is more of a challenge and coming home up to Hindhead but even those are hardly the Lake District.