Riding Ugly: The Spider

Too low and too short. Photo: Montreal Gazette

There are lots of things to like about Vroomie Froomie, like his willingness to accept the fact that people are inclined to question his performances. Aside from me resenting him for leading a Tour which everyday becomes a little less exciting, he seems quite a likable guy; he is polite, respectful of the sport, wears team-issue bibs with his yellow jersey, his bike is only subtly yellow’d out, and he hasn’t publicly called anyone a c*nt that I’m aware of. That last point alone represents a refreshing change from last year.

When KRX10 and I worked together during the Dot-Bomb, we used to keep a miniature bike in our office, which we would use to do 6-corner time-trials around the office floor. I’m assuming someone must have made videos of those races and that they must have gone viral in Kenya, because it appears Froome modeled his position after ours on those tiny bikes.

I haven’t seen anyone ride in a position like his since Sean Kelly, except Sean always Looked Fantastic. His saddle is too low, his reach is too short, his back is too hunched, and his heels and elbows are pointed out like he’s trying to stomp on a Smurf. And, from the looks of his shoes, it appears he has been successful. I would very much appreciate it if he would sort himself out and attain a more pleasant position on the bike. I don’t care that he can make it go like a nutter; it’s an affront to my sense of aesthetics to see him hunched up like a spider humping a lightbulb.

And everyone knows that Science has proven spiders to be icky on account of having too many appendages.

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.

View Comments

  • @Buck Rogers

    Jesus, did everyone give up alcohol at the same time around here? Have a drink, laugh a bit, and don't get so worked up with your "invisible friends". There's bound to be awesome stuff to talk about tomorrow on the ITT! I need a bourbon personally.

    Seriously.

    @Dinan

    Mate, you're a good guy but @meursault was teasing you in the vein that everyone here gets teased, and you're taking it the wrong way. It was a lighthearted joke and you're taking it way too seriously. No sweat. Have a drink if you drink, a hit if you smoke, or a wank if you're a guy.

  • @Marcus

    @Buck Rogers

    Jesus, did everyone give up alcohol at the same time around here? Have a drink, laugh a bit, and don't get so worked up with your "invisible friends". There's bound to be awesome stuff to talk about tomorrow on the ITT! I need a bourbon personally.

    Did you just give me a green light?

    I assume that you interpret any action that doesn't result in you having a gun pointed at you as getting a "green light".

    And did you just seriously post an animal picture? I mean, at least its a dog, but I thought you'd be happy sticking to soft porn and skinny Danes.

    And before you get carried away, I said "Danes", not "dames".

  • @Marcus

    @frank

    Reading between the lines, did you just ask for some soft porn with a Great Dane?

    Boobs man, big boobs time.  That's what I heard.

  • @Buck Rogers

    @Marcus

    @frank

    Reading between the lines, did you just ask for some soft porn with a Great Dane?

    Boobs man, big boobs time. That's what I heard.

    Don't start this again. We've been told off once.

    However,,,wasn't Brigitte Neilsen from Denmark?

  • @frank

    As long as we're on the subject, Movistar's Bug Eyed Sprite Adidas shades are deplorable. Can't anyone besides Oakley make a good-look pair of shades?

    Sometimes, things that seem jarringly unaesthetic at first become curiously fascinating over time and then, finally evolve one's aesthetic going forward. The Movistar shades are becoming so for me, although, admittedly, they like so many designs, look massive on tiny heads.

  • @wiscot

    There are two reasons Michel Pollentier got kicked off the tour while winning the maillot jaune in 1978, he failed a drug test (or rather his crappy plastic tube/condom and bulb apparatus filled with someone else's piss was discovered) and he looked like shite on a bike.

    Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpu9Q_FDKFI Notice, in contrast, how smooth Hinault is.

    OR Robert Alban at 2:37 minutes in here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO6CE4EhrwA

    Alban has an excuse - he's all lanky. Pollentier was a midget.

    Speaking of Hinault, I often wish he'd stuffed Lemond and taken his sixth tour. Everything would have changed, everything. Hinault would be the Prophet. Well, no, but closer to, and he was fucking awesome enough to warrant consideration. Lemond wouldn't have been shot, and might have won 7 Tours clean, and COTHO would have known that no amount of perfect doping would have sufficed to better this unassailable tally. He probably would have kept eating cycling shit sandwiches, the perfect fate for him.

    I say Lemond wouldn't have been shot because losing to Hinault for the final time would have been akin to the butterfly's wingbeat in Brazil. All history for him would have been altered. He wouldn't have gone rabbit hunting because he'd have realized the degree of commitment necessary to truly be the best. He'd have turned himself into a cannibal badger to win, because the taste of betrayal, losing yet again despite the promise, would be something he could never again stomach.

    @Buck Rogers: bless you, good sir, for the open season you just declared on the beer fridge. My thought processes have already cleared significantly.

  • I have to say that Froome went down a couple of notches in the V-Stakes with his post-stage comments about Bertie's crash. Taking too many uncalculated risks? FFS, risk management isn't risk elimination! If Froom thinks others are descending recklessly, perhaps he should do some bloody risk management of his own and come off of the wheel. Then he can attack without remorse when the inevitable happens. Seems he's getting a little bit precious in yellow.

    And with that, I give you...

    Froolum

  • @starclimber

    Speaking of Hinault, I often wish he'd stuffed Lemond and taken his sixth tour. Everything would have changed, everything. Hinault would be The Prophet. Well, no, but closer to, and he was fucking awesome enough to warrant consideration. Lemond wouldn't have been shot, and might have won 7 Tours clean, and COTHO would have known that no amount of perfect doping would have sufficed to better this unassailable tally. He probably would have kept eating cycling shit sandwiches, the perfect fate for him.

    I say Lemond wouldn't have been shot because losing to Hinault for the final time would have been akin to the butterfly's wingbeat in Brazil. All history for him would have been altered. He wouldn't have gone rabbit hunting because he'd have realized the degree of commitment necessary to truly be the best. He'd have turned himself into a cannibal badger to win, because the taste of betrayal, losing yet again despite the promise, would be something he could never again stomach.

    Wow.  This is counterfactual history at its best. Chapeau!

  • @Marcus

    @Mikael Liddy teams supply their own yellow jerseys - just not the ones on the podium. That would be a Rapha jersey with Le Coq logo. Sleeves just appear rolled up.

    Nope.  Official Maillot Jaune has faux collar points this year.  Compare collar, zipper and sleeves (raglan vs. standard).

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