Velominati Photo Contest: Season 2012
Truth be told, how many of us can resist a photo of ourselves Looking Fantastic on the bike? How many of us can resist the temptation of taking our eyes off the road and stealing a glimpse of ourselves in a shop window as we pass by? Not me, but then again a strong case could be made for my being a narcissist and I freely admit that I love looking at photos of myself riding, though this is mostly because they take me back to the experience I was having at the time.
This time of year has us looking back at the season past and getting nostalgic about the best rides and moments of the year. In the coming Holiday week, the Keepers will be naming The V Moment and the Anti-V Moment of the year, but we thought we’d give the community an opportunity to get a bit narcissistic and share our favorite photos from 2012.
With that, we announce the first annual Velominati Photo Contest. To enter, post your favorite photo(s) from 2012 below and The Keepers will monitor the conversation and use our judgement to name a winner on January 1st, 2013. The winner will receive a free pair of Witte V-Socks (available in the first quarter of next year) and the top three photos will be offered as VVallpapers. Just as with the VSP, The Keepers can post photos and are eligible to win, of course, but we are excluded from the prizes.
Even as I write this I know we won’t be able to resist posting photos of ourselves laying down The V; I already did it in the lead photo of this article. Nevertheless, the photos don’t have to be of yourself, they can be of anything so long as you took the photo or you have permission from the photographer to share it.
Have at it and so far so good on the world not ending.
@Palleus Great shot! It captured an intense moment.
You should send it to cxmagazine.com
I’m in Seattle and raced all the Cascade Cross races. I hope to get to Cross on the Rock next season.
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Here’s me this year in the Cascades (between Rainy and Washington Passes)
My pops and I, with my bro taking the photo, on one of my favorite roads. Summer is a long ways away right now in Canada.
In the hotly-contested cycling-themed DIY birthday cake category, I offer this effort from my wife:
@xyxax that is awesome!
Some awesome photos. I have had a great year on the bike and around the bike. Here are some from the workbench, a source of pride that my second career may go well…
Sub-1400g carbon clincher – will be available with the new “Café Roubaix” branding. Oh, these are available too
The first batch of carbon with my name to them….
A resortation job. A pair of Ambrosio/Zeus clincher wheels with crowfoot lacing.
Taken by Frank, my 50mm CX wheels (very Rule IX compliant), post race.
Some photos on the bike, kinda…
A mountain pass in BC with my name written all over it!
Training with the National Para-cycling team…
Race glory….
My roomie during the Marine Corps Trials, Joe Townsend. Yeah, he opened the Para-olympics this year too.
And a bit of a close-up of the ride…
Can’t really compete on content or composition. Rather I offer some memories of Too-much on 100, June 2012. A shot of (some of) the gang, Roger in his Holy V-estments, and a fitting sculpture we rode by after traversing Mount Effing Snow. I’m pretty sure that’s a hammer in his hand.
VLVV
-cal
@G’rilla
That is a great cross shot!
I gotta get back to the Island and do one of the CotR races…
@Velosophe
Good to hear you are back. I was screwing around on KAF on day and ended up with this photo…
It could do wicked jumps…landings sucked.
@xyxax That is a fine VMH you have there, xyxax!
From my Paris-Roubaix amateur ride in June. First pic was surprise over my family actually making it to the velodrome as I had left them 12 hours earlier to catch the bus to the start. Last one is my LeMan impression after over 8 hours in the saddle on those God-forsaken pave’!
@michael NICE!!! I thought it was The Prophet at first glance!
@cal NICE! I have no photos from the 200-on-100. I guess that I was subconsciously trying to repress the pain!
@Palleus That is an AMAZING shot!
@Harminator
Holy Shiite! Soooo jealous!
@principle
Alright, last comment and then I will shut up! This is my vote for best pic, hardest V moment, whatever the fuck we are voting for. This one rules them all!
@Harminator thank you!
That’s for you.
Il Lombardia 2012, Muro di Sormano.
In honor of the UCI posting equal pay-outs at most WC’s.
CRCA NYC 06/30/2012
@the Engine Gold
@xyxax
Winner – right there – stop the competition now
@principle
Bitch-ass conditions and I can’t man up, BUT I can’t vote for that photo on Velominati as none of those bikes have curved bars. This site is for cycling of all types, but primarily road, and I can’t get past that. Great photo, but no dice. If my eyes and magnification deceive me and they are road or CX bikes, my sincere apologies and this is the winning photo.
@Tartan1749
I can support this statement.
@girl
@Buck Rogers
@the Engine
She is bidons full of awesome and beyond my merit.
Those candles reflect my frame size, btw, not my age.
Dammit, my previous post didn’t take. Let’s try this again…
Me and LeMan chattin’ it up after the inaugural Palo Alto Echelon Gran Fondo, of which he was the rider of honor:
This one is after reaching the top of Kaiser Pass in the 2012 Climb to Kaiser ride. To be rule compliant, the pass is at 2800m:
@Xyverz damn, if he isn’t a dead ringer for Brent Spiner …
Mrs. climberevan braving the flurries to invoke #9.
trying again…
This whole thread is full of win, loving all the pictures.
I say once a quarter or once a month (or whatever), there should be an “open photo” thread for people to share images of their two-wheeled adventures.
Hill repeats near my parents’ house during the great snowstorm at the end of the world (12.21.12). My Dad thought I was crazy, so he shot this picture from the garage.
Turns out the Continental GP4000s is not a great snow tire.
@EricW
You’re in your Flandrian Best there, aren’t you? In a snow storm? Top marks.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Thta’s my vote right there. Amazing.
@frank Right you are. I accidentally brought the knee warmers and not the longer leg warmers home with me, so there were a couple inches of Flandrian Best on the legs.
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i’ve no shots of famous cols or cycling greats. what i do have of 2012 is fond fond memories of amazing rides with the best of company. 2muchon100, west point, mcmaster, dutchess county, kearsarge, the list goes on. truly an incredible year.
the one with the buildings in the background is taken by one of the cannibal velo guys, so come what may, it’s all his credit. Go irish!
the other 3 are from a 160km gravel route with 3k meter of climb up in new hampshire.
after my friend finished his nature call, he spent 10 minutes picking off little thorny nettles that stuck to him like glue.
i’ll have to scroll through and view this article in its entirety. im sure i skipped over some gems
@cal i never saw that man with the hammer carving. im sure i was in a state of hysterics at this point, so even if it fell on me i’d have been oblivious to him. great find!
@xyxax wow david she’s a real gem. those little touches sure are priceless. i’d take that over a “cake boss” tower any day
@bugleboy21 hope you were able to hold the field off on the sprint
@Marko loved seeing that shot of you on the gravel the first time around. and those guns, just ripping shit
Surely a late contender for V-moment… read this report of the latest race in the Belgian cyclocross series and have a look at the photo.
Total mud coverage, but then at the sprint Zdenek Stybar rides this guy into the barriers, and as he falls he throws his bike and himself across the line anyway to take the win. Stybar was relegated anyway.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/gva-trofee-gp-rouwmoer-2012/results
Xmas at @Bianchi Denti’s place involves a ceremonial burning…
@brett Is that grill built from aero bars?
@Pedale.Forchetta
this is THE one! great shot.
@xyxax
Sure. Uh-huh. Exhibit A follows. Rather, the candles are clearly a reference to your oversized big ring. That’s gotta be it.
Nude Grand Fondo Toronto, Ontario. I told you we don’t wear loin-cloth anymore!
It looks like the keepers will have there hands full with all of the great images of awesomeness Not sure about the last one but he was….. enjoying himself on the bike..
@brett
Hope you are up wind of that sucker , and what no marshmallows?
Here is my two-penneth.
Taken on the Diabetes UK London to Paris ride on Day 2.
A beautiful day, 28 degrees C. Great company, worthy cause.
This was after a lovely switchback climb, nothing to hard, big ring all the way, it then turned onto a long straight road along the top of a plateau, before a cracking descent. I
stopped to take the picture and let my riding companions distance themselves from me. (It also allowed a good chase back on)
This is why we ride
This won’t win me any hardman points, but I thought I’d share a memory of a really great day with the VMH. Top of Hurricane Ridge, WA (1525m of climbing in 29km) in the best conditions one could hope for.
We plan to do this ride from our home next summer, about a 150km round trip; I hope to suggest a cogal for any Seattle and other brethren who might be interested.
I’ve seen beautiful and interesting photos so far (like the one above) because they are exactly what PeakInTwoYears said, a memory of a great ride or a great moment.
@PeakInTwoYears I’m in! I’ve wanted to ride Hurricane Ridge for a few years but haven’t done it yet.