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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That is all.
@eightzero
Holy fucking Merckx.
@frank
And the V-community gives me shit for wanting a cycling tat?
And speaking of the community, any sign of the specical edition Seattle Cogal v-pints? Advise whn you need a paypal contribution for their production?
@eightzero
Will try and get it under way and I'll get it all sorted, hopefully this weekend.
@eightzero
Yeah, what about recumbents as well? All good?
@DerHoggz
Recumbents aren't bikes, so no need to discuss those here.
Of all the post ride rituals that exist I think there is none more soothing, more rewarding than a hot shower after a long, cold and tortuous ride. To feel the sting of the hot water on your frozen thighs, the grime and the grit slowly being rinsed away as you start to regain feeling in your numb fingers and toes. Standing there, water running over you as you reflect on the day's ride and the numbness gives way to that old familiar friend, lactic acid.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a cold pint after a mid summers day hammer fest, and sitting in a glacial creek after the Whistler Gran Fondo was delightful, but I've yet to find something as pastoral as that après miserable weather shower.
@urbanwhitetrash
+1 and beautifully said.
@Chris
@ Chris, I'm pretty sure there is nothing inherent about track bikes that would break the rules. They are, after all, the most pure variant of velo not requiring a boost/running start to mount. (ie Penny Farthing)
And since I'm usually a lurker; "Full Disclosure" - I am a full course triathlete, road/mountain cyclist, AND fucktard with questionable facial hair (it is Movember after all) that not only dishes out much V with or without aero bars, but also can be seen on a fixed gear (possibly even during a critical mass) riding with the hipsters that "self-proclaimed real cyclists" often deplore.
As a cyclist that has logged 14,000mi/yr+ the past 4 yrs running (approx 65% training) through pouring rain, tropical storm winds, 15f degree morning commutes, and countless brick workouts (long ride directly followed by 4-12mi run); and given my cycling background spans from BMX/flatland, to crits, long course tri's, cyclocross, mtb, and the occasional Vdome session; I find that I am firmly positioned within a quite slim niche to effectively portray the non-professional/domestique application of Rule V.
And after rubbing elbows with the beginner to elites, the mtbs to the crits, the TT bikers and the hipsters on their fixies, I've found that that in all the world of cycling... "Roadies" tend to be the most judgmental cyclists.
How can someone take something as pure and as freeing as riding a bike so seriously that they lose the idea in the first place?
Here's the truth... "Riding any bike is objectively epic! Any bike. Fixie, recumbent, beach cruiser, or big wheel. The problems arise when the arrogantly prejudiced, ignorant, or those lacking a pan-optic view of cycling get confused.
You see, those poor souls subscribe to the belief that the value of cycling is subjective and dependent on the goal, outcome, clique, or intent.
"Subjectivity is the fallacious belief that the truth changes."
Sorry, Diatribe Over!
@J.Michael
All those accomplishments would be more impressive if you listed your totals in the Queen's units of measure.
@J.Michael
RE track bikes - yes, that's what he said. He just added an important point after it.
As for the rest... You essentially say "as someone who breaks the rules, I don't like the idea of the rules."
You're nicely articulate, I suppose, but you're not making sense when you say
"Here's the truth... "Riding any bike is objectively epic! Any bike. Fixie, recumbent, beach cruiser, or big wheel."
Here's a tip. Scroll up. Look at the last three pics posted. Of the three, only frank's involves anything 'epic'. That's the truth. If you think otherwise, it's because you are setting your objective bar very, very low. Epic is to be aspired to, not the default every time two wheels are involved.