Fitness. The rhythm, the feeling of precision in our movement, the sensations of The Ride. The temptation of knowing we might in some way control our suffering even as we push harder in spite of the searing pain in our legs and lungs. The notion that through suffering, we might learn something rudimentary about ourselves – that we might find a kind of salvation.
Cycling, like Art, is based on the elementary notion that through focussed study, we might better understand ourselves. But to describe Cycling as a an Art does it an injustice. An artist, they say, suffers because they must. A Cyclist, I suggest, suffers because we choose to.
This element of choice, what psychologists refer to as the locus of control, is part of what allows us to feel pleasure through suffering. Through this choice unfolds an avenue of personal discovery by which we uncover the very nature of ourselves. Like Michelangelo wielding his hammer to chip away fragments of stone that obscure a great sculpture, we turn our pedals to chip away at our form, eventually revealing our true selves as a manifestation of hard work, determination, and dedication to our craft.
Having chosen this path, we quickly find that riding a bicycle on warm, dry roads through sunny boulevards is the realm of the recreational cyclist. As winter approaches, the days get shorter and the weather worse. Form tempts us to greater things, but leaves us quickly despite our best intentions. Its taste lingers long upon the tongue and urges us to gain more. Even as life gets in the way, we cannot afford many days away from our craft before we find ourselves struggling to reclaim lost fitness.
To find form in the first place, and to maintain it in the second, is a simple matter of riding your bicycle a lot. This simple task asks of us, however, a year-round commitment to throwing our leg over a toptube in heat, cold, wind, rain, or sleet, lest we spend months fighting to reclaim last year’s lost condition.
But with riding in bad weather is revealed a hidden secret. It is in the rain and the cold, when all the seductive elements of riding a bicycle have vanished, that we are truly able to ensconce ourselves in the elemental qualities of riding a bicycle. Good weather and beautiful scenery, after all, are distractions from the work. Without them, we have only those elements that we ourselves bring to The Ride: the rhythm, harmony between rider and machine, our suffering, and our thoughts. As the rain pours down and all but the most devoted stay indoors, we pull on extra clothing and submit into the deluge.
We are the Few, we are the Committed. We are those who understand that riding in bad weather means you’re a badass, period.
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@Dr C
It's great for training, I have to say that. Function rather than form.
I know with 95% confidence that tomorrow I can get up at X o'clock, the temperature will be Y, the conditions will be Z and that I will be able to do whatever I have planned for my training
Inshallah, of course, as I'm sure Blah was mentally adding ;-)
@ChrisO
Enchilada is my favourite, most tasty, philosophy.
Huzzah! Just got my new Pearl Izumi Lobster's Claw Wind Mitt - they really are the Crab's Nippers
Violated a Rule, but got them for 60% off via Cyclestore Direct.com - Booo!! (You can't blame me for that)
Awesome piece, Frank! And timed perfectly for me - I was riding in 75*F sun just a week ago, now I wake up to 38 and cool rain with a high of 61.
I'm excited for this winter, first one with full fenders on a proper road bike, picked up some lobster claw gloves on closeout at end of last winter, and picked up some wool knee warmers. Already had the rest of my winter gear sorted out. While some gear I buy is on impulse or excessive, having the proper cold weather gear is a must for staying warm, dry, and comfortable. Plus, having the right stuff that is also nice makes it impossible to stay indoors.
I also have nothing to complain about, since I'm living far further south than I've ever lived & the weather here is so much nicer than I'm used to that I hardly feel like a Hardman some days.
@mcsqueak
I just picked up the De Feet Dura gloves. Very nice, good in say 55-high 30s for me. Not that thick so decent grip, but still warm. I like them a lot. (Beware there are non-wool ones, so if you want partial wool, be sure you order the Dura gloves.) I also ordered their Belgian booties to replace some worn-out ones. Nice as well. And, their Kneekers, which are partial wool. Quite thick, very nice & warm, though a bit bulky in a pocket. They are far less expensive than any other wool knee warmers I've seen. I will say though that they are "one size fits all." I'm around 171 cm with a 58 cm thigh (Note: not that big!) and mine fit well, but I can't imagine they'd work too well on the Big Lads with serious Big Ring Legs. (I also have some of the fleeced inside/nylon outside knee warmers. I see these two types are useful on different rides & am happy I have both.)
And since I'm rambling on about gear, and I hope it's not blasphemous to tout other bib shorts 'round here, but I just picked up some Voler Elite bibs for cx. Didn't want to wear my nice road bibs in the muck when I'm likely to go down and maybe rip them. Went in with a pal on mine, you can get them 2-for-1 through Voler, with 10% off and free shipping. Not quite as nice as some high-end bibs I've worn, but for $58 they are pretty choice.
Hope that maybe helps out anyone searching for some new winter gear.
@RedRanger
Up here in Wisconsin, to get a snow day I think we have to have something like 10" and/or below zero temps with wind chill warnings. 4" - 5" is an inconvenience, but nothing to get upset about. Everything is usually pretty cleared within 24 hours of a bad dump and we go about our business as normal. A lot of folks who live in the rural areas have wee cabins the size of old phone boxes for the kids to stand while they're waiting for the school bus. Wouldn't want the little dears to freeze to death . . .
@Steampunk
NICE! Man, you are packing on the k's! You'll be smokin' next summer in VT.
Let us know how it went. That is a REAL ride.
@frank
That was the first thing I noticed about that AWESOME pic was that he did not have a race number on. What an amazing professional he truly was.
I do my own cycling laundry in the sink as well - too bad it doesn't seem to improve my riding accordingly!
(and I'm still annoyed that the reflectively logo bits on my bibs and leg warmers start to come off even when I gently wash them in the sink as opposed to the washing machine. Figured they would hold on for longer but it's not meant to be I guess.)
@mcsqueak
That happens to all my castelli shit, even with gentle hand washing. Unless you go the full pro level like the Vkit with castelli, their logo shit always comes off. Really annoying. Have not had that problem with descent stuff or the pearl izumi stuff.