Sunday, January 16, 2011
t.i.c.h. - Jan 16
First off a couple of Birthdays today:
Roger Lapebie was born on January 16, 1911. He died on October 21, 1996.
The French rider won the Tour de France once plus was on the podium another time. He also stood on the podium at the Paris-Roubaix Classic as well.
Lapebie won the 1937 Tour de France in front of Mario Vicini of Italy and Leo Amberg of Switzerland.
Lapebie was also 3rd in the 1934 Tour de France behind Antonin Magne of France and Giuseppe Martano of Italy.
In addition, Lapebie was 3rd in the 1939 Paris-Roubaix Classic behind Emile Masson Jr., and Marcel Kint, of Belgium.
And a big birthday shout for a man with one of the coolest names in cycling,
Dirk De Wolf was born on January 16, 1961.
The Belgian rider stood on the podium of the World Championship Road Race and the Paris-Roubaix Classic.
He also won one of the five monuments in cycling.
De Wolf was 2nd in the 1990 World Championship Road Race behind fellow Belgian Rudy Dhaenens.
De Wolf was also 2nd in the 1989 Paris-Roubaix Classic behind another fellow Belgian, Jean-Marie Wampers.
In addition, De Wolf won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Classic in 1992.
Enjoy your day today Dirk, it's almost a full moon!
Long before Roger and Dirk were even thought of, some dude named Joseph Pennell was lobbying for the fixed gear. Around this date in January of 1900, Mr. Pennell denounced the addition of brakes and freewheels in Contemporary Review magazine. Pennell and his purist homies prided themselves on their mad handling skills and insisted that freewheels were for sissy-ass-bitches who could not control their ride. As Pennell saw it, freewheels offered no advantage to recreational riders and served only those mundane cyclists "who wish to loiter about at the rate of six to seven miles an hour in the grease among traffic." Eeeww, how foul and disgusting a creature would have to be.
Our boy J.P. was out there in the trenches fighting for elitism far before it was even hip. He is also thought to be the father of skinny jeans. Can I get a WTF!!! for Mr. Pennell!
And on this date in 1919, Prohibition was ratified, and set into motion a year later on this same date. Yes, a major panic was stricken in the cycling scene of the U.S. when alcohol was made illegal. Many think this is how the "back" alleycats started. Cyclists would be riding home from the speak-easy totally hosed on bootleg PBR, speeding through the alleys and trying to avoid "the man". Thanks to Prohibition-which totally did not work by the way and was repealed in 1933-for the creation of AlleyCat races, West Virginia corn liquor, and Nascar.
Roger Lapebie was born on January 16, 1911. He died on October 21, 1996.
The French rider won the Tour de France once plus was on the podium another time. He also stood on the podium at the Paris-Roubaix Classic as well.
Lapebie won the 1937 Tour de France in front of Mario Vicini of Italy and Leo Amberg of Switzerland.
Lapebie was also 3rd in the 1934 Tour de France behind Antonin Magne of France and Giuseppe Martano of Italy.
And a big birthday shout for a man with one of the coolest names in cycling,
Dirk De Wolf was born on January 16, 1961.
The Belgian rider stood on the podium of the World Championship Road Race and the Paris-Roubaix Classic.
He also won one of the five monuments in cycling.
De Wolf was 2nd in the 1990 World Championship Road Race behind fellow Belgian Rudy Dhaenens.
De Wolf was also 2nd in the 1989 Paris-Roubaix Classic behind another fellow Belgian, Jean-Marie Wampers.
In addition, De Wolf won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Classic in 1992.
Enjoy your day today Dirk, it's almost a full moon!
Long before Roger and Dirk were even thought of, some dude named Joseph Pennell was lobbying for the fixed gear. Around this date in January of 1900, Mr. Pennell denounced the addition of brakes and freewheels in Contemporary Review magazine. Pennell and his purist homies prided themselves on their mad handling skills and insisted that freewheels were for sissy-ass-bitches who could not control their ride. As Pennell saw it, freewheels offered no advantage to recreational riders and served only those mundane cyclists "who wish to loiter about at the rate of six to seven miles an hour in the grease among traffic." Eeeww, how foul and disgusting a creature would have to be.
Our boy J.P. was out there in the trenches fighting for elitism far before it was even hip. He is also thought to be the father of skinny jeans. Can I get a WTF!!! for Mr. Pennell!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
t.i.c.h. - Jan 15
Happy Birthday Lucien Pothier was born on January 15, 1883. He died on April 29, 1957.
The French rider stood on the podium of the Tour de France and the Paris-Roubaix Classic.
Pothier was 2nd in the 1903 Tour de France behind Maurice Garin of France.
Pothier was also 3rd in the 1904 Paris-Roubaix Classic behind Hippolyte Aucouturier of France and Cesar Garin of France.
You could say that our history started January 15, 2003 when the first Tour d'Afrique Race /Expedition departed from Cairo with 33 cyclists all ready to spend four months cycling through Africa.
This is the opening background history for a group that does tours across Africa and much more. Check 'em out.
www.tourdafrique.com/who-we-are/about/
And last, but definitely not the least - news of the weird from Jan 15, 1919.
On this date in 1919, a 2.3 million gallon holding tank full of molasses burst, casting a wave from 8-15ft high and traveling approximately 35 mph down the streets of Beantown. Several blocks were flooded to a depth of 2-3 feet. Twenty one people and several horses lost their lives and around 150 were injured. It took approximately 87,000 man hours to remove the molasses.
What a mess. I sure several bikes were injured and they just chose to leave that out. Heart-wrenching!
Boston baked beans anyone?
The French rider stood on the podium of the Tour de France and the Paris-Roubaix Classic.
Pothier was 2nd in the 1903 Tour de France behind Maurice Garin of France.
Pothier was also 3rd in the 1904 Paris-Roubaix Classic behind Hippolyte Aucouturier of France and Cesar Garin of France.
You could say that our history started January 15, 2003 when the first Tour d'Afrique Race /Expedition departed from Cairo with 33 cyclists all ready to spend four months cycling through Africa.
This is the opening background history for a group that does tours across Africa and much more. Check 'em out.
www.tourdafrique.com/who-we-are/about/
And last, but definitely not the least - news of the weird from Jan 15, 1919.
On this date in 1919, a 2.3 million gallon holding tank full of molasses burst, casting a wave from 8-15ft high and traveling approximately 35 mph down the streets of Beantown. Several blocks were flooded to a depth of 2-3 feet. Twenty one people and several horses lost their lives and around 150 were injured. It took approximately 87,000 man hours to remove the molasses.
What a mess. I sure several bikes were injured and they just chose to leave that out. Heart-wrenching!
Boston baked beans anyone?
Friday, January 14, 2011
watch this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eg6lGoRQQ8&feature=player_embedded
I just can't stop watching this video. Thanks to Momentum Planet magazine for posting it on their website and alerting the world to this video's awesomeness.
vimeo.com/16006269
Here's another fine video, this time on the subject of cross racin'. Burk Webb is the creator of this as well as several other nice videos documenting the Cross Crusade series(brought to you by River City Bicycles) located in the cycle-lovin' state of Oregon. I've watched them all and they are visually pleasing as well as entertaining. Some great music choices too, which is actually why I chose this particular video. Enjoy.
I just can't stop watching this video. Thanks to Momentum Planet magazine for posting it on their website and alerting the world to this video's awesomeness.
vimeo.com/16006269
Here's another fine video, this time on the subject of cross racin'. Burk Webb is the creator of this as well as several other nice videos documenting the Cross Crusade series(brought to you by River City Bicycles) located in the cycle-lovin' state of Oregon. I've watched them all and they are visually pleasing as well as entertaining. Some great music choices too, which is actually why I chose this particular video. Enjoy.
Jan 14th Cycling History
A couple of birthday birthdays to start us off.
Gert-Jan Theunisse is a Dutch rider born Jan. 14, 1963. In his most notable performance, he took the King of the Mountains jersey in the 1989 Tour de France. Nicely done GJ!
Next up is not a cyclist(that I know of), but deserves mad props for keeping our heads noddin' while riding. LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith on Jan. 14, 1968. After figuring out that all the ladies wanted to break themselves off some James, he came up with Ladies Love Cool James, or LL Cool J. Slick! I'm sure LL probably has some kind of bike in his garage, like maybe a sick lowrider!
And last we have an excerpt from a book I just stumbled across. Wheels within wheels: The Makings of a Traveller by Dervla Murphy seems like it has potential. From what I can gather it's the accounts of Dervla growing up and exploring on her bike at a very young age. I found many books authored by her about her travels, and several were about travel by bike. I think her work is worth a deeper look.
And now the excerpt.
Gert-Jan Theunisse is a Dutch rider born Jan. 14, 1963. In his most notable performance, he took the King of the Mountains jersey in the 1989 Tour de France. Nicely done GJ!
Next up is not a cyclist(that I know of), but deserves mad props for keeping our heads noddin' while riding. LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith on Jan. 14, 1968. After figuring out that all the ladies wanted to break themselves off some James, he came up with Ladies Love Cool James, or LL Cool J. Slick! I'm sure LL probably has some kind of bike in his garage, like maybe a sick lowrider!
And last we have an excerpt from a book I just stumbled across. Wheels within wheels: The Makings of a Traveller by Dervla Murphy seems like it has potential. From what I can gather it's the accounts of Dervla growing up and exploring on her bike at a very young age. I found many books authored by her about her travels, and several were about travel by bike. I think her work is worth a deeper look.
And now the excerpt.
| 1963 | Jan 14, 1963 - On her tenth birthday, Devla Murphy was presented with a bicycle and an atlas; she determined to cycle from Ireland to India. Twenty-one years later she found herself free to carry out her dream. Mounted upon an Armstrong Cadet man's bicycle named Rozinante, nicknamed Roz, she set out on January 14, 1963 to cross a wintry Europe. She recalls this part of her Journey in an introductory chapter , devotes the others to the diary of her odyssey in Persia, Afghanistan |
Thursday, January 13, 2011
book report
"He rides with a dash and daring that can almost be called recklessness." So marveled the Bulletin's sports columnist, describing Pittsburgh's newest wheelman, a nineteen-year-old prodigy named Frank George Lenz. Perched atop a massive, spidery wheel measuring fifty-six inches in diameter, the precocious Lenz, the reporter noted, "surmonts curbstones and dashes over objects with an ease and abandon that calls forth admiration from even old and experienced riders."
This is our introduction to Frank Lenz, paragraph one of The Lost Cyclist by David V. Herlihy.
For some reason this feels like I'm in grade school giving my book report.
Ohh, the pressure.
This little gem is about a cyclist that disappeared crossing into Turkey while trying to cycle around the world. IN THE 1890'S. BY HIMSELF.
Close your eyes and imagine this doing this. Most of the world population hadn't even seen a bicycle in person. Ya think it's going to be easy to bum a tube, or a couple of spokes! Yeah, good luck with that. And I'm pretty sure my man wasn't sponsored by Clif Bar.
Badass, crazy sombitch, adventurer, dumbshit--pick your label--but you have to admit this dude was the definition of burly. Most of his early years of riding was spent on hard rubber tires. Luckily pneumatic tires(the ones that take air) came into vogue before he left for his trip.
If you like bikes or just a good adventure read, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this book. There are points where I wish there was more of Lenz's adventure and a little less back-story on Sachtleben(the guy who was sent to search for Lenz). But I guess the premise was more about the mysterious disappearence.
Nevertheless, I dig this read! It kept me rapt for many an evening.
Thanks to my lovely other half for gifting me this book!
This is our introduction to Frank Lenz, paragraph one of The Lost Cyclist by David V. Herlihy.
For some reason this feels like I'm in grade school giving my book report.
Ohh, the pressure.
This little gem is about a cyclist that disappeared crossing into Turkey while trying to cycle around the world. IN THE 1890'S. BY HIMSELF.
Close your eyes and imagine this doing this. Most of the world population hadn't even seen a bicycle in person. Ya think it's going to be easy to bum a tube, or a couple of spokes! Yeah, good luck with that. And I'm pretty sure my man wasn't sponsored by Clif Bar.
If you like bikes or just a good adventure read, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this book. There are points where I wish there was more of Lenz's adventure and a little less back-story on Sachtleben(the guy who was sent to search for Lenz). But I guess the premise was more about the mysterious disappearence.
Nevertheless, I dig this read! It kept me rapt for many an evening.
Thanks to my lovely other half for gifting me this book!
today in cycling history
So today we remember 'Il Pirata'! A true champion who was pulled from the peleton too soon.
Viva Pantani!
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