thewashingmachinepost




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it's language jim, but not as we know it

campagnolo t-shirt

i share the cupboard where much of my daily toil is carried out, with lord carlos of mercian and the nice lady who does the books (it's a numbers thing). lord carlos has an ageing steel bicycle which, for reasons best known to itself, has resisted every attempt so far to cure its overwhelming need to creak and groan. we believe this cacophony to be emanating from the region of the bottom bracket (aren't they all?), and even though the square taper encased within is of brand new and spotless repute, lovingly positioned with enough grease to launch the new islay ferry (due 2011), the art of noise(s) are still top of the charts.

consequently, while the lord and i discuss our next oblique strategy to silence the howling gael, the talk is inevitably of a technical nomenclature, even if only one of us appears to understand it properly. as you can perhaps understand, the hapless book-keeping lady sits caught in the crossfire, unable and generally uninterested in such arcane technological speak. and who can blame her? there are times when (surprisingly enough) i am less than absorbed with bottom bracket speak, particularly regarding recalcitrant ones that seem obsessed with hearing their own voice. most exclusive/inclusive clubs have a language of their own, the learning of which is regarded as a rite of passage; ask me about photoshop sometime, or, heaven forbid, cascading style sheets. i'm not sure that even i am interested in the latter.but it can be rather fun to use language as a weapon, even if it's a soft embroidered cushion of a weapon that hurts nobody and exudes an air of comfort to the protagonist, if not the protagonee (i don't think that word actually exists, but every word has to start life somewhere.) on the outer door to the aforesaid cupboard, we have rather whimsically placed a campagnolo spoken here sticker on the window (there's one in the window of debbie's too) which is a twofold statement: firstly i can fluently converse in campagnolo should any passing campyphile wish to drop by, and as you will have garnered from the above paragraphs, campagnolo is often the lingua franca du jour (yes, i know, i know).

but lest we, and others like us, figure that the daily conversations are inscrutable to passing or indigenous civilians, in 1987 campagnolo took it all one stage further beyond the pale. it invented its own alphabet of twenty characters - admittedly far more akin to hieroglyphics than the more acceptable latin characters that you may have found yourself reading right now. and of course, being campagnolo, the alphabet concerned itself exclusively with the componentry that the more astute amongst us take delight in fastening to our trusty steeds. 1987 is a whole number of years ago, and if you weren't around then you probably never quite had the need to speak this particular flavour of campagnolo. or were perhaps blissfully unaware.

but the finest educators uncannily appear in times of need, just when they're needed most, and that's just what's happened now. gage and desoto, a fine upstanding company in new york, dedicated to bringing joy, happiness and t-shirts to the enlightened, have had the great perspicacity to place eleven of the campagnolo hieroglyphics on a stylishly grey cotton. following in the footsteps of the iconic c-record shirt from the same repository, there is now yet a second way to advertise the cycling t-shirt equivalent of the masons' handshake. if you have to ask...

this garment has been thoughtfully brought to the british cycling masses by richard at urbanhunter, who has a celebratory knack of getting it right first time. available in small, medium, large and extra-large, the cotton campagnolo only t-shirt costs a respectable £21.95 plus worldwide shipping. if you're in the states, cost is $25 direct from gage and desoto.

start your own conversation now.

urbanhunter.biz | gage and desoto

twmp

posted on friday 20 february 2009

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resistance is futile

bb30

thewashingmachinepost is lovingly crafted each day of life in an entirely non-visual way, by typing words into a piece of software that controls how the finished work appears via strategically placed coding. while this description makes me sound a lot more clever than i actually am, basically the heading above sits between two tags that have it display in bold, while the bit that you're reading now, is deigned to appear as, well as the way it appears. however, in the context of what i am about to bore you to death with, it would be a great improvement to css tags (for such they are) if it were possible to indicate irony; because my heading today has major irony encapsulate within its three words.

those three words have been unceremoniously and unapologetically lifted from cannondale's latest advert, something i have done because i figure that either cannondale, their marketing department, or both, are somewhat guilty of wishing things to be other than they really are. don't get me wrong: i have the greatest admiration for the chaps at cannondale - were it not for their pioneering with aluminium and drainpipe like downtubes, the modern bicycle may not have acquired the appearance we all know and love (sorry, irony again). however, over the past three or four months, i have received four bicycles for review/road test on the post, and you will hopefully have read the articles that resulted from those tests. aside from the regular features, something they have all had in common has been the bottom bracket shell; all four have displayed an aluminium or carbon shell capable of accepting either an external bearing bottom bracket, or one of those cartridge thingies that have become so en vogue of late.

what none of them have featured is a bb30 - the now open bottom bracket standard pioneered by cannondale from the early noughties, and adopted by one or two others. so far so ho-hum, but what has given cause for washingmachinepost annoyance, is the wording that accompanies that cannondale slogan: 'nearly a decade after we invented it, the bb30 is now recognised as the industry standard'. ahem, no it isn't. it may have become recognised as an industry standard, but i could pretty much guarantee that if you take a walk into any bike shop in any country in the world, those sporting a bb30 in their nether regions will be in the minority, unless said shop is a specialized or cannondale dealer.

so is this advertisement from cannondale an attempt to bolster the profile of their admittedly increasingly prevalent invention by acting as if it is the industry standard, or do cannondale have access to statistics relating to bottom bracket adoption that the rest of us would love to see? or is it just a typo; the word an being replaced by the freudian slip of the word the?

or is it just that i have my head in the sand (don't answer that)?

subsequent to posting this article, it has been pointed out to me on twitter, that fsa have secured at least ten of the majors, including trek, specialized, bianchi and others for their bb30 cranks and bottom brackets. sadly the the claimed benefits for this system over the existing standard seem akin to the emperor's new clothes, and while this is a substantial number of the world's largest manufacturers signing up, i still maintain that it doesn't make it the standard. but i seem to be on the losing side. thanks to douglas shearer for putting me right.

twmp

posted on thursday 19 february 2009

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sven thiele: hotchillee

sven thiele

with the rise and rise of the sportive ride, there are more and more of us eager to train, ride and even read about the growing panoply of these events. but someone has to provide for us all; someone has to work out the route, book the hotels, organise the travel, the feedstops, the food, the motorcycle escorts, the closing of the champs elysees - you get the idea. one of the finest examples of the sportive, listed as one of the top twenty-five sporting events in the world is the londres-paris. i've ridden the last two editions of the london-paris bike ride, and the post is featuring the u2needyourheadsfixed blog from david harmon and jez hastings as they prepare to ride the 2009 edition on fixed gear (it's their own fault - save your sympathy). of course, none of this would exist were it not for the fortitude of one man's vision of professional level cycling for those existing at amateur status: sven thiele.

sven is one of those easily gregarious, irrepressible chaps who makes you feel as if you've known him for years, and has enough enthusiasm for several people. this personality has now received its more public airing by the formation of a new company, hotchillee, to organise and run the icing on the cake - london-paris - as well as take on other cycling and sporting activities as the future years hove into view.

lots of you won't know the man, or of his new company, so this washingmachinepost interview should remedy at least a portion of that gap in your education.

read the interview here

twmp

posted on wednesday 18 february 2009

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great things come in small packages

le petit velos

in the early nineties, when i sold bicycles as well as repaired them, the first account was with giant bicycles which, at that time, did not have the considerable profile they have since garnered through professional racing. since sales is not quite my forte, some of the rudimentary techniques employed to shift as many bicycles as possible are certainly laughable to me, and would likely be to those who earn their living on a grander scale even today. however, i digress slightly: most of the sales came around christmas, a bizarre time of year to purchase a bicycle in my opinion, but a welcome addition to the income during the expensive month of december. many of you will have seen the punchline coming several sentences past, but whenever anyone inquired as to the type of bicycle we would be providing their offspring on 25th december, the answer would, of course, be a giant. and without a trace of irony in the majority of cases, their riposte would involve a gesture depicting the actual size of the child(ren) involved.

first few times it was funny, but same question, same answer lost its allure after a while. i'm sure it still happens in some bike shop, sometown, anywhere. but with the recent surfacing of janol apin's les p'tits velo the question is now, if you can survive the horrible mixing of metaphors, completely on the other foot. miniature bicycles carrying miniature cyclists, either fashioned from plastic or, more desirably, die-cast metal. however, unlike giant bicycles, it is less than possible to trudge manfully or womanfully into your local bike shop and purchase a mini-peloton, however much lower the price is likely to be.

roger fonderie started making die-cast zinc miniature cyclists in the 1950s, and still occupies the same premises in egreville just south of paris. the originals were intended as toys for children, but the current market is rather heavily skewed towards the adult market; nothing wrong with that. it is possible to acquire models that are painted when they arrive, or plain zinc for painting by the new owner. fonderie are also able to supply miniature, realistic transfers to add that air of authenticity to any handpainted models. three versions are available: a plastic cyclist with separate metal cycle positioned as either a sprinter, champion, rider or drinker; a single position all metal rider; and a thin, all zinc sprinter or climber. the decals/transfers are from old stock from the seventies all the way through to the nineties.

le petit velo

in the mid-seventies, henri roger fondrie produced between ten and fifteen thousand of the wee blighters, an output that has grown to 20,000 today. changes in european regulations regarding the make-up of the paints used in the process has meant life has not been without its problems, but they also now make models for the tour de france caravan, waterman and le chat renault, but the miniature cyclists are a perennial favourite, still produced with care and passion.

roger fonderie will charge an exceptionally reasonable 16 euros (£14.50) for a parcel of roughly 25 cyclists - 1kg; and carriage works out at around the same per 1kg pack, so you can have a couple of dozen cyclists for 32 euros ($20). a lot less than bob stapleton paid for team high road.

as doctor who has been quoted as saying 'what's the point of being a grown-up if you can't behave like a kid now and again?. hear, hear.

fonderieroger.fr

twmp

posted on tuesday 17 february 2009

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what's a foot?

polka dot socks

every year, one or two retailers advertise before, during and after the tour de france, the leaders' jerseys as worn by the more active members of july's peloton. and i have often wondered who exactly buys such garments. because surely it is number one in the unwritten byelaws of cycling that you don't nip out on the sunday ride wearing the yellow jersey? and whether you can ride to the top of the nearest hill with surprising alacrity or not, it is surely considered very poor form, not to mention egotistical, to don a polka dot jersey. perhaps these are merely purchased to hang on a wall somewhere, but one day, i will pluck up the courage to phone up and ask how many of these jerseys are really sold, because pictures in the comic never seem to be photos, always drawings. maybe they don't really exist.

however, there are other ways to advertise your considered affiliation with the winner of the red dots, or perhaps one or two of the french mountains that may appeal to your sensibilities:

i would guess it's stretching credibility somewhat to surmise that these socks keeping my tootsies cosy, are the start of celebration in this, the 25th anniversary of robert millar's king of the mountains win in the tour of 1984. i doubt if anyone would seriously take issue with me if that's what i prefer to think (and i do) but unfortunately their inclusion in a new collection of socks that has arrived at urbanhunter would rather seem to take issue on everyone's behalf. however, i'll arbitrarily ignore that for the time being and celebrate these for just what they are to me.

made by a company called save our soles in colorado, the mandatory (not that i like to dictate) choice from the selection is this kom pair with polka dots on the short bit that shows above your shoes. should you be incredibly unfortunate to find them out of stock, or not available in your size, you could always settle for one of the others in the series: alpe d'huez, col du tourmalet or word championship hoops (for sir chris aficionados) the socks are made from a lycra/coolmax mix to allow your toes the luxury of temperature regulation. in use, you'd really not be aware that you're wearing any socks at all, not a compliment that can be levelled at certain other non-cotton, non-merino socks on the market. and there's a rather self-satisfying feeling to be had wearing even a very subtle hint of polka dots, which more than makes up for the disapproval that would follow the wearing of a full kom jersey.

the above range of socks is available in sizes small through to extra-large from urban hunter for only £8.95 plus postage. you may not yet be out of winter socks and overshoes, but everyone needs something to look forward to, and there's no shame in starting to plan for summer now.

urbanhunter.biz

twmp

posted on monday 16 february 2009

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oh good grief, not again!

yes, i really, really am sorry to bore you to tears with this, and i know that, yet again i have added an external video when i keep saying i'm not going to, but i'm afraid you'll have to love me for my weaknesses. heck knows how i missed this the first time round, but reading the piece on the oregonian about those continental chaps who rode the tour of california last month before the chaps who get paid to do it had their shot, i did not notice this rather fine set of interviews with those who turned the pedals and ran support duties. and since i have my doubts as to how many of you actively check the oregonian's web pages, i feel it only fair that i share this with you.of course, if you really are completely fed up with it all (and i do sympathise), then there is no need whatsoever to press the play button.



Rapha riders reflect on the Tour of California


twmp

posted on sunday 15 february 2009

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culture shift

california prologue

it's early days yet - we're only just leaving the middle of february and there's a lot of racing to arrive between now and july, but i must hold my hand up and say that the tour of california has taken me by surprise. not in the sense that i didn't know it was there and it snuck up on me (i've always wanted to use the word snuck), but principally in the amount of column inches devoted to its existence, and where those inches have appeared. granted, the comic is a sure-fire thing, particularly since mark cavendish is racing (they do love young mark, and in fact he did rather well in a particularly short prologue on st valentine's day), and one would also expect cyclingnews to be in there too. however, the latter has tinged its background of californian results with yellow, giving the race a prominence i didn't detect at qatar, despite the latter's imposed status as an aso organised event.

michael robertson, he of velodramatic fame has managed to join the league of accredited photographers for the race, something that wasn't a feature of 2008, and will be posting galleries of some of the finest photography you are likely to encounter from the race. of course the two american biggies, velonews and bicycling have given over a substantial number of pixels to the event in far greater quantity than is likely to be seen during our own national tour of britain. and while cycling.tv are covering the race live with martin mccrossan and magnus backstedt in the commentary cupboard, their words and pictures are barred from the uk; barred because british eurosport are showing each stage live (something they have never done before) and have recruited twice british road race champion, brian smith to sit alongside eurosport regular, david harmon.

as if this were not enough to sate the appetite of cycling fans worldwide, a sizeable number of pixels and inches have been recorded by and about the rapha continental's riding of the course last month in a more realistic manner than that experienced by the pros.
from oregonlive.com:These guys were riding the Tour of California a month before the real deal. This week, pros take on America's eight-stage, 780-mile answer to the Tour de France. But, for one week in January, the course belonged to a half-dozen speedy amateurs testing their limits. Cameras recorded the whole crazy ordeal, from the ride itself to the small towns and larger-than-life characters.

now the cynic in me would perhaps be happy to think that all this attention is being lavished because lance is involved in the race, aided and abetted in the publicity stakes by the return of phloyd and even ivan basso, but i'm not absolutely sure that this is the case. of course this is here, and that is there, and i've no real way of telling just how many folks came out to play because big tex got a new bike from trek, but there does seem to be a genuine buzz about the tour of california that either hasn't been there before, or has completely passed me by. it's february and maybe last year i was still hibernating.

but if i accept what i'm seeing and reading at face value, the united states is beginning to develop its own rich cycling heritage in the noughties, a heritage that europe has taken for granted since the early part of last century, and that really has to be applauded. no longer can those of us on this side of the pond pedal with an air of superiority; america has already adopted cyclocross and made it a bigger sport than britain has ever achieved, while the escalating credibility of the univest grand prix in september means there may well soon be alternatives to the big three european tours that currently fascinate and enthuse.

if they could just move a tad closer to cut down on air miles.

david harmon and brian smith present the tour of california live each evening this coming week on british eurosport. if you don't have a sky subscription, you can now watch both eurosport channels online for a modest fee. cycling.tv coverage can only be viewed in the united states, canada, australia and south africa. i'm afraid i am insufficiently versed in the intracacies of american television to tell you where you can watch it if you live across the pond. if you know, and would like to tell me, feel free so to do.

photo courtesy daniel wakefield pasley

twmp

posted on sunday 15 february 2009

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