Laurent Fignon

When I became interested in cycle sport it was the late 1980's. There was not much coverage of the sport in the UK, in fact it may have been a vacation in France during the 1987 TDF which saw Roche win and me trying to follow the results in french newspapers.

Over the following year or so I developed favourite riders such as Sean Kelly and Laurent Fignon.
With Fignon I think it was the look, maybe the geeky nickname and the glasses, the cool Systeme U jersey, like everyone I struggled with the later Castorama kit debacle.

He was certainly a fighter and slugged it out with Lemond in 'that' 1989 race.
He has been battling cancer for the last few years. He died today aged 50.

Concept Commuter Speedometer

Redfish Creative of Estonia have come up with an eye catching interpretation of the bicycle computer designed more for the commuter/urban rider.

Gotta say it looks great and I love the different ways of handling it to get different functions.
Very novel approach.

originally on Core 77

.

Photography

I finally had my artwork photographed by a professional. In fact by a professional fine art photographer. It's been in the back of a my mind for a long time but the pressing need to be able to supply good quality prints of my work forced my hand. My camera and my skills just weren't cutting it.

David Ettinger specializes in photography of fine art, apparently a dying breed of photographer. But when you are this good at something? It's not just about the quality of the photographs though, it's also the manner in which David and I arranged the session, David came to my house, we found a suitable wall and the 2 hours it took were filled with conversation, story swapping and the exchange of the odd contact for other services. Now just look at the results, great colour, no distortion, there is something really great about being able to zoom into the image and see the grain of the canvas.

David's website is here: http://davidettinger.photoshelter.com


This leads to the next two stages in this big push:
1 - Reveal the latest drawing
2 - Update the Velopaint website
3 - Get it all online and have the prints available for order.

And I'll get started on that as soon as my daughter is over the chicken pox and we have all moved house. .

'Of Steel'

Third of the Rapha shorts is online today. Go see it now. It is my favourite of the three. What a passionate guy, surely it would be an honour to own a frame built by his hands.

http://www.rapha.cc/of-steel--trailer/?cm_mmc=email-_-270810-_-img1-_-dacciaio


.

Impressed...

I have been getting out and riding nice and early the last few weeks and have noticed the growing numbers of swimmers (triathletes) in the water just off Kathy Osterman Beach in downtown Chicago. There are bouys marking lanes stretching up as far as the Drake hotel. I am drawn to occassionally watch triathlon on the tv, any endurance sport really. Though not drawn to the phenomena that is everyone on the planet thinking they are a triathlete and certainly not the amount of 'triathletes' in TT mode speeding along the Lakeshore bike path (yes I know there are a number of guilty club racers and joggers too).

But watching these athletes swim is just remarkable. I am not much of a swimmer, visits to the pool as a teenager consisted of playing tick (tag) and checking out the girls. So my front crawl involves lots of splashing and frantic motion.

Just watch how it should be done..........




quite beautiful really.

The Chicago Triathlon is this weekend. It's a very big deal in the pro scene, one of the fastest and the largest attended. I am thinking I might be able to get down to watch some of the pro's riding.

.

Garage Sale - Garmin Transitions' garage!

I doubt Wiggo ever actually rode this in competition before heading off to Sky. Nice paint job though.

Yep they have a garage sale online. Choice items include Wiggins' TT frame in National Champ's colours, Zabriskie's US Champ TT frame and a mystery 2009 AR Team frame in my size (okay it's probably still too long for me).

DZ's Captain America themed frame.

This is the front of Svein Tuft's TT machine.
It looks like they cut so much off in order to lower his stem position that they lost the 'F' in 'Felt'.

Get them while they are still available.
If you happen to share the same bike fit as these pro stars that is!


Visit their Garage here: http://www.shopslipstreamsports.com/bikes-and-equipment.html


.

Ooops

Stepping onto a Virgin Train to head to London my eyes were grabbed by this cover to their travel magazine. ' A New Golden Age for British Cycling', great to see cycling on the cover of a non-sports magazine intended for the general consumer, great that they thought it worthy enough to be a cover story - great big bloody mistake therefore to show a photograph of the New Zealand pursuit team!!!!

Carmarthen Park 2008

Inside there are 12 pages dedicated to cycling and the main story is the resurgence of track cycling in the country. The big surprise to me was that although they credit Herne Hill with being 113 years old they go on to claim that Carmarthen Park Velodrome in North Wales is the world's oldest outdoor concrete velodrome in continuous use. The park originally opened in 1900 and it doesn't look to be in too bad condition.

Rider at Carmarthen

Herne Hill I am sad to say seems to be on the decline and I don't know if it will survive the arrival of the new indoor Olympic velodrome - London will lose more than just a banked track.

Addiscombe CC rider at Herne Hill 2010

Ciclotte: Ride on design

This is basically a high-end spinning bike.

I am sure it doesn’t really cut it for training purposes but if you own a chain of boutique hotels or live in a beautiful home with a view of majestic countryside, such as in the website, then you should be outside riding, sorry I mean you should buy one of these and ride indoors whilst you watch tv on your 50” plasma.

It does look pretty damn amazing though.

www.ciclotte.com

You only get a chance to do this once a decade - The Knutsford Great Race

Just found out about this from the forum at Addiscombe CC.
It's well worth visiting the Knutsford Great Race and reading about this fascinating event.

The Knutsford Great Race is a totally unique event held once every ten years, featuring Original Dandy Horse Machines, Bone-Shakers and Penny Farthing Cycles dating from the middle of the 19th Century. You will not see anything else like this, with riders from all over the world entering. We have received entries from New Zealand, Germany, The USA, Australia, The Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland and England....


Caution

Cycle racing is dangerous and high wheel cycling even more so. Cross the circuit with care and preferably where there is a marshal - always expect the unexpected.

All competitors in the High Wheel competition must wear a helmet.

And look at this,my dream prize...

The Knutsford Great Race cake
Via our newest and very enthusiastic committee members Fiona Haig, it looks as though we will be able to offer a fantastic fully decorated Penny Farthing cake as one of the races prizes, courtesy of Angel Cakes of Altrincham, Cheshire.

And unlike Nascar the Brits do it in the rain too.



If you want to see something a little less sedate - this is the Penny Farthing World Championships.

'Sprinter'....

... is the title of Malcolm Elliot's biography, cracking read too if you can find it, no mine is not for sale. He is also why this letter in Cycling Weekly caught my eye. Back in the '80's Malcolm was one of the pro racers that could be seen on the televised British Town Center Circuit Races, not that that was the pinnacle of his career.

Anyway he is turning 50 and still killing it. Still one of the fastest circuit racers in the UK. Still stylish as hell, though close to a mullet. That's another thing that makes cyclesport so fascinating to me. These old boys who still kick ass, everyone knows of one, back in Addiscombe CC Keith Knight was my guru. Not that these guys are 'old' old boys. No, we have also all seen riders in their 70's on bikes in their 50's. Cycling is ageless. Here is the letter:

Children's books are crammed with bicycles...

...and just in case that isn't enough we took Molly to the Women's Pro, 1, 2, race at the US National Criterium Championships on Saturday.

Unfortunately I did not keeptrack of which books these are from, my apologies to the authors and illustrators.




.

Seymour Powell Concept bike?

Here is a screengrab from a video featuring Richard Seymour who is one half of the Seymour Powell design powerhouse. Notice the prototype bicycle in the corner. I cannot find out anything about it but they obviously like it enough to place it in the background. I just realized it doesn't have pedals - maybe it's some kind of electric/solar bike?

.

New Velodrome planned for London

Ok, so maybe it's an airport not a velodrome..... and it was planned back in 1919...... but if we all just use our imagination.


.

$5 for Landis' bike!

This is a Yahoo News headline story. Some guy buys a ridiculously expensive looking mountain bike for $5 at a Kentucky yard sale and then somehow discovers it was made for Landis to race on in 2007.



But how many sports stories on Yahoo gather 1400 comments in less than 12 hours?
Here is a short selection:

wow Landis's bike goes for $5 and his thoughts go for far less...

Floyd's bike was found abandoned on the interstate.
They should check further down the freeway. His dignity might also be laying unnoticed along with roadside debris.

Yes, but as soon as you ride it you become a jeolous, hateful crybaby... and all of a sudden Greg Lemond won't stop calling you.

Like buying a right handed, five string Fender Stratocaster. One that belonged to an 89 year old Jimmie Hendrix impersonator in front of Binions in Las Vegas.

Theres professional cycling??????????????? NO...WAY

HEY all you hating LOSERS: Floyd Landis won the Tour De France. We all know every single athlete cheats to get the absolute maximum advantage, so that makes it a level playing field. Every one of you losers talking about how Landis isn't worth a nickel, how his life is a hole would KILL YOUR GRANDMOTHER to win the TDF, but you never will because you are no talent hacks full of impotent jealous rage. I thumb my nose in your faces and LMFAO at all of you.

Ive heard of Pink Floyd, Floyd Meadows (Comedian), and Hurricane Floyd (1999). Who the hell is Floyd Landis? Are there more than 50 people in the US that watch the Tour de Frog?

and one to make us all feel better,

Thats terrible that people have to put down others, i hope he gets what he is asking for it. Its sad to see others putting down ones happiness, if those of you had the bike you would be the same way. Can't we every just find something good to say to each other, so far they haven't been able to controll are thinking, just yet or atleast they have not starting to enforce it completely. So instead of downing some one, maybe just give some hope. You know nice things and good deeds are always paid back. Nobody likes to be put down! Just the way i choose to think. Have a Good One!!!!

.

Rapha movies

I have been meaning to post about these all week and it's not as if you haven't heard about them already, so treat this as a reminder.

This Friday and the next two friday nights Rapha are screening three short films about 'cycling'.
The first this Friday, 'A Throw Of The Dice', is Director Nick Livesey's take on famed Professional Bike Racer and Thrice Paris-Roubaix winner Johan Museeuw. The films were made in collaboration with Ridley Scott's production company. As usual with Rapha expect some quality.

Taken from Pezcyclingnews today....

Speaking from a personal standpoint, I have seen the films and the one this Friday has to be the craziest of the three. It features footage from last years Paris Roubaix as well as footage from Museeuw's winning years. It is a very intimate look at what the race means through the eyes of one of its fiercest competitors - The Lion of Flanders (Museeuw). The directors were given free rein to interpret as they will and it goes without saying that Livesey took this explorations to the utmost maximum to produce one of the strangest, most compelling and visually stunning short films about a bicycle racer that I have ever seen. It has been a treat for us to see and hear about these films as they have been in their development stages.

A Throw of the Dice - trailer from RAPHA on Vimeo.

The films will be streaming for 24 hours each friday and are not downloadable or embedable but I wouldn't be surprised if a dvd doesn't make an appearance later though.

Here is the link for the film's homepage: http://www.rapha.cc/rsa-films


.

Very proud sponsor of the Kickstand Cyclery

As of today and for one week a month for the next 4 weeks 'Velopaint' will be gracing
the top banner of Yehuda Moon and I am quite proud of that.

Yehuda, Joe, Thistle, Fizz, Sister Sprocket and the Bike Ninja keep me entertained daily and
really capture the great quirks and passion of cyclists of all types.
It's highly recommended reading, get it on your RSS now.
Keep up the great work Rick and all involved.

www.yehudamoon.com.


.

'The Joys and Torments of Solitude' - JJ Sempe

Illustration from the cover of the New Yorker August 2, 2010. The artist is JJ Sempe.


.

The World Awheel

Uncle Dave in Law struck gold.
Check out this link to the Lilly Library at Indiana University.
The World Awheel..

.... a large collection of books, trade catalogs, periodical literature, photographs, sheet music, manuscripts and ephemera related to the early history of cycling. The collection could hardly have found a better home. Although Indiana is associated with automobile racing today, Indianapolis was once home to a large number of bicycle manufacturers. Cyclists wheeling their way across the country or, in a few cases, around the world in the late nineteenth century invariably passed through Indiana on their way to or from Chicago, a city which had become almost legendary among cyclists for its excellent paved streets and attractive parks. Visiting cyclists usually had good things to say about the Hoosier State and never failed to appreciate its flatness. In 1898, the League of American Wheelmen held their annual meet in Indianapolis, and for a whole week the city was given over to cyclists. Indianapolis was also home for a time to one of the most famous bicycle racers of all time, Marshall "Major" Taylor, and in 1982 the city honored Taylor by naming a new velodrome after him. Since 1951, Bloomington and Indiana University have hosted the annual Little 500 bicycle race. Modeled on the Indianapolis 500 and described as the "World's Greatest College Weekend," the race was the inspiration for the 1979 film Breaking Away.

Just the 4 pages of introduction on the site give enough book titles to entice me to spend too many hours and dollars on ebay.

Gotta love these guys.


Images from the Lilly Library website.


.

Conspiracy theory

CO gov candidate: Denver mayor's pro-bicycle ideas part of UN New World Order conspiracy

Xeni Jardin at 12:30 PM Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010

"At first, I thought, 'Gosh, public transportation, what's wrong with that, and what's wrong with people parking their cars and riding their bikes? And what's wrong with incentives for green cars?' But if you do your homework and research, you realize [the public transport initiative] is part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty."—noted nutjob and Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes. [via BB Submitterator, thanks John Napsterista]

on Boing Boing

Now....

As seen on the Now Network.

On the live site this is a dynamic figure and a pleasing one.


.

Choir / bike flashmob Central Station Brussels

Seen at Hipster Nascar and therefore Zlog - what genius - what beauty - I do experiential design for a living and this is my dream for the future of advertising but I know what a dirty taste that may leave in the mouth after what is otherwise a wonderful happening.


.