los angeles to inland empire

Emi Brown: Los Angeles to Inland Empire from Matt Lingo on Vimeo.

I'm always into documentations of a 'bike ride' and this film of a sixty-mile jaunt is a nice example. The essence of cycling; getting from A to B. And just enjoying the ride. Check out Emi's blog too...

il centenario

Il Centenario - Una Storia from j. dunn on Vimeo.

Picked this up from Embrocation and now trying to get my hands on a copy. Amazing photos by Dan Sharp in a beautiful package, produced with an independent spirit that mainstream publications always lack and can never replicate. Just so nice. Watch and enjoy. And then try and get hold of a copy too.

winner?

From almost the moment it began, I decided to pay little attention to the 'Wiggins to Sky' developing plotline. Not that I wasn't interested in where he would end up, it's just that protracted signings in any sport that are played out in the press usually leave a bad taste in the mouth; truth buried deep below the headlines, the speculation, the lies. Viewing from afar and through the most twisted of lenses, we have little with which to develop an informed opinion with. Now it's done and dusted, I'm still not sure what to make of it all. I've always liked Bradley Wiggins  but I can't help feeling cold over the whole Sky Team and their seemingly win at all costs mentality. The underdog will never lose his appeal. The cash rich are always viewed less favorably. These pillars of sporting law will remain. But so to the harsh reality that a pile of cold, hard cash often leaves the underdog with little choice but to chase his tail. The Yankees win. Man Utd win. So I'm guessing that Sky will too, in some shape or form. But winning in road racing doesn't have a singular definition and it depends on what Sky demand? Stage wins? A Classic or two? A Grand Tour title? If it's the latter, and Wiggins is their chosen one then they may well come up short. I think a lot of riders like Michael Barry, Serge Pauwels and Boasson Hagen but I'm not convinced that they are enough to vault Wiggins above Contador, A Schleck and Armstrong. For better analysis than I can provide, you should read this piece by Whit Yost, who expertly breaks down the battle that is Garmin Vs Sky. 

franco bitossi

bike ride two

However sometimes cruising isn't the order of the day. Another Rapha Continental ride again beautifully documenting that some journeys require a little more effort; elicit a lot more pain. So here's to pushing yourself and suffering too.

bike ride

Going for a bike ride will always remain one of life's simple pleasures. Every journey is different. No matter how long or how short the ride, it will always be a fresh experience. To me, this collection of photographs captures the essence of the bike ride perfectly. New sights. Old haunts. Not training. Just riding. Here's to cruising and smelling the roses along the way.

preparing for another day in the mountains

barry

petro

Got to get your Petro designed 'Worms' t-shirt. Available here.

not minor but...

...Major. 

style and substance

After reading the Richard Williams piece in the Guardian this week about the Velodromo Vigorelli, I found these photos of Fausto Coppi on said track among my collection of cycling images. Seeing them again reminds me exactly of why I first became fascinated by a cyclist that I am too young to have ever seen race. In fact, it was the image that came first, a black and white photo of a man who encapsulated style, who had an effortless cool that was timeless and who had that something else too, that thing you can't quite put into words. Seeing a picture of Coppi before I knew it was him, what I did know was that he would always look 'right', on the bike and off, transcending time and trends and fashion in a way that very few can ever do. But icons need to be multidimensional and road racing is an unforgiving pursuit that never actually gave a flying fuck about style. It is us the cyclists who covet it. Obsess about it even. Pros too of course. "Who's got the best style?" is always a valid question. Just one that the record books, the top of the mountain pass and the finish line never bother with. So I was glad that when I began to find out all I could about Coppi, his palmares, the nature of many of his wins, his entire story more than matched the images that I couldn't get enough of. Style AND substance. A rare combination indeed.

embrocation props

I'm not sure if anyone, outside of a very small circle that comprises of my girlfriend, my brother and a couple of friends, reads my blog. But I'm guessing that if they (you?) do, then they (you?) are already well aware of embrocation cycling journal, in both its print and online form. I've been a fan for a while now but have stupidly yet to buy a copy, relying instead on embrocation's online presence, in the form of an always excellent website that recently went pro, a blog and plenty of twitter tweets. As a print obsessive, I need to get hold of the mag and cannot think of  a single reason why I haven't done this already. The point of this post however was to mention that there is a nice little interview with embrocation's creator Jeremy Dunn here. Lots of DPS teasers from the latest issue accompany the interview too, where I learned that both of Jeremy's parents were teachers, just as mine were. Nice.

velodromo vigorelli

There's a nice piece on the Guardian's sports blog today about Milan's legendary velodrome. Written by Richard Williams, it's well worth a read.  

six-day

off the beaten track

The freedom and adventure that a bicycle offers has always been, for me, one of its greatest attractions. While on a day-to-day basis my bike is first and foremost my mode of transport, it's the pull of the wild, with its rarified air, unrelenting gradients and lack of any safety net that really stokes the fire. In the same way that I'm drawn to legendary tales of alpinists, rock climbers and big-wave surfers, it's cycling sans normality that excites me the most. Harsh conditions. Big mountains. Grit, gravel, mud and dirt. Away from the streets and lanes and traffic that form the well-ridden map of my very normal cycling experience. I promise myself that I'm going to visit these places. Create a new map. Maybe I will. So I'm still constantly drawn to these tales, to these images, to these experiences. Like these photos here and here from Rapha's trip to Norway.  You may dislike the idea behind imagery that tries to sell you a £200 jacket. You may dislike the brand for their romanticism, for their perceived pretensions. But whatever your thoughts on Rapha, these images make me want to ride my bike. To ride a cross bike for the first time, in the mud and rain and wind.  And that can only be a good thing. For me. And, I guess, for the brand selling £200 jackets too.

ottavio bottecchia

bicycle diaries

I need to get a copy of David Byrne's latest book, it looks likes a great read. Here's a short Q&A with David, aptly describing why the bike is the best way to get around.

oregon manifest design challenge and race

The Constructor's Design Challenge and Race – Great looking bikes, with amazing solutions to everyday quandaries like having to carry stuff, seeing in the dark and how to lock your bike safely. And to prove that the bikes indeed work, they then raced them for 77 miles, up hill and down dale, picking up said stuff as they went. Looks like they had a ball...

TdF 2010

A quick glance at the 2010 parcours is enough to get even the most apathetic of us excited.  A little flavour of the Classics to get things started and then some beautiful, brutal days in the Pyrenees, including two visits to the Col du Tourmalet, with the second visit a mountain top finish. One for the climbers for sure but mostly one for the fans. 

coppi e soldani

The 1950 edition of the Giro di Lombardia was the year that Renzo Soldani broke Coppi's stranglehold on the race, ending his run of four straight victories. Having to deal with a level crossing didn't seem to faze either rider; Coppi's style as perfect as ever. Soldani's career was a strange one. A rapid rise to prominence followed by an even quicker descent into obscurity, finally calling it quits in 1955, with his last victory the 1951 Sassari-Cagliari. He was 30 years old.

r.i.p fvb

Remember the great stuff...

saronnial elegance

No one wore - or wears - a biretta quite like Beppe Sarroni.

fair dinkum

A two-week jaunt to Spain meant I've been slack on the postings but I did manage to catch the Worlds on the BBC. Cadel Evans is another of those bike riders who seems to always divide opinion - wheelsucking whinger to some, a dogged fighter to others - but I was really glad to see him finally triumph in a race of significance. Certainly he can no longer be accused of lacking the cojones to go all out for victory. His attack was everything an attack should and needs to be. Well-timed. Sustained. And with an element of surprise. How else are you going to beat Cunego, Sanchez, Cancellara, Kolobnev, Rodriguez and Valverde? I should have listened to my girlfriend and put a few bob on him.

coppi

the boass

Seems like Columbia have this whole dominating sprint finishes thing pretty much down. Fourth ToB stage win for Edvald yesterday against the backdrop of serious crowds in Somerset and Devon. The South West always delivers!

cent cols steel

A bike worthy of the challenge indeed.

still a knobhead

This is the definition of half-assed. 

cent cols challenge

The Cent Cols Challenge is exactly the kind of riding that gets me excited - incredible scenery, historic climbs, plenty of suffering, glory too. It's far removed from my everyday cycling experience, which makes it all the more appealing. The inspiring event is the brainchild of Phil Deeker and is taking place right now. Rapha have a team riding in the Challenge, including Ira Ryan and Graeme Raeburn, with the latter keeping us up to date on their progress with these great blog posts. Follow and enjoy.

knobhead

He's writing for the Mail so I guess it shouldn't be much of a surprise but still, what a complete wanker! Attempting to imitate Jeremy Clarkson is neither big or clever.

how do you say chapeau in spanish?

For some, the Vuelta will always be a mere afterthought; the not quite as grand tour; the stepbrother with the less fanciful lineage. But while its current position in the racing calender may affect it adversely, the race itself continues to be, in my mind, great. And this year is no exception. I had grown a little bored of The Comeback and the Astana shenanigans and watching a race unfold without Armstrong or Contador has been refreshing. Not that I don't enjoy watching them both race, I do. Bring on next year and all that jazz but right now I'm enjoying the space they have vacated, the limelight briefly up for grabs before it's consumed again by those who crave it, demand it, (sometimes) earn it. Yesterday's stage was epic in the true sense of the word; the riders clinging to the mountain, covered in rain and dirt and pain. Switch to black and white and lose the the 21st century equipment and you had the kind of old-fashioned, sepia-toned suffering that makes those historical images of agony such an essential component of cycling history. Cunego's win was oh-so impressive and I hope hints beyond just a return to form for this year's World Championships. Valverde was equally gutsy, as were Mosquera, Sanchez, Gesink, Evans and Basso, all of who left everything they had on the slopes of the Pandera. 

over the mountains...mountains

The Vuelta gets tough today...Valverde? Evans? Gesink? Basso? 

hell yeah

we're almost somewhere

I posted a picture of one of David Byrne's great bike racks a while back. Here's a little film about his designs that are now dotted around New York City (see above).

missing ingredient

sky pie

Team Sky has just announced that it's signed these guys. Glad to see that they had the good sense to get Russell Downing's signature. But we all know that they really want...

clean as a whistle

always a winner

I think we've seen this outcome before... running out of fresh victory salutes so Cav now opting for the tried and tested 'point to the sky' celebration.

the prince and the vuelta

A great ride by Cunego today. Always a favourite rider of mine, I had in recent years resigned myself to the fact that his Grand Tour days were over. Maybe he won't ever repeat his Giro win of 2004 but for today, at least, he's back!

at the races