by the numbers of course

Number One

We want to thank our Tenspeed Hero Club Kit Sponsors because without their support making this jersey would have been difficult to say the least. We called The Rhona Hoffman Gallery-Chicago, The Marc Selwyn Gallery-LA, The Friedrich Petzel Gallery-NYC (their name will soon be revealed on some caps and water Bottles) and told them that we wanted to make a beautiful jersey and some extras for this fanzine called Tenspeed Hero. All three of these galleries are renown for their impact in the international art world. Walk through their doors and experience artists like Gordon Matta-Clark, Lee Mullican, and the wonderful Dana Schutz. You will not be disappointed.

Number two

Their participation is not solely based on their considerable love of the Heroes but they are joining us in our support of two charities. First off is the Boise Bike Project which services the southern Idaho cycling community in a million ways but the one that the Heroes love the most is their donation program that has seen 1300 bicycles donated to at risk youth! Jonathan Hero will be coordinating our efforts under the banner the Club Jersey so expect to see some posts about this in the future. In Chicago we are hatching similar plans but here our endeavors here will go to Chicago Arts Education. As many of you know, many of the Heroes make their wages teaching and making art and we are inspired by the kids that come from this city of Big Shoulders. We are going to try to create some noise and help out some of the city’s art programs. The Tenspeed Hero Club Jersey is the vehicle under which these efforts will be made.

Number Three (Visualizations)

This one has been helped out by all of you that per-ordered the jersey. Thank you so much. Ordering 50 Jerseys is a scary thing! Based on our email conversations with many of you we are expecting some cool shots from Brazil, England, Oregon, France and Belgium. We also have a couple teenage friends, named Dean and Jelle who we met last year in Flanders who we also expect to help us illustrate this jersey with Heroic suffering. If you go deep in the inventory of our fanzine you can find a story and photo essay on these guys. Let’s just say one Eddy Merckx bike was having some issues and TSH helped them get back on the road. They are Heroes without question and we cannot wait to see them in Flanders this year. Dean and Jelle, if Nalini gets the order back early enough we will have your jerseys with us in April!

Heroes in the Alps

Heroes Contemplating the Large and the Small

“WE DON’T DECIDE WHAT MEN SHOULD DO WITH THEIR TORSO, WHY THEN DO WOMEN HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE MEN. MOREOVER, MANY MEN HAVE LARGER BREASTS THAN WOMEN”

This remark came from the leader of a Malmö feminist group regarding women’s right to go topless at public swimming pools if they so chose. It is no wonder we love this town where political statements about personal freedom are stealthily ensconced in humorous reproach.

Malmö served as our headquarters during this year’s pilgrimage to watch the World Championships in Rudersal and Rådhuspladsen. It is also a good place for a Hero to get some downtime when visiting Scandia in general. When we are visiting, we often choose to cover our breasts (which are hopefully not larger than women’s). Our preferred method of doing so is with clothing from Très Bien Shop.

In order to best understand what makes Très Bien le meilleur, it helps to know a bit of the history of its hometown. Founded in 1275, the city was originally named “Malmhaug,” which translates to “gravel pile.” Such a name proved prophetically poetic. Malmö was long known as a rather bleak place, home to industry, a vast shipyard, and high unemployment rates. Despite this economic dreariness the city was never lacking in cultural capital. Malmö boasts a rich theater culture (of which Ingmar Bergman was central to) as well as Moderna Museet, which holds works by Duchamp, Picasso, Schneeman, and Rauschenberg, among many others. Recently the city has experienced a major upswing, partially due to the construction of the Øresund Bridge, which connects Malmö to Copenhagen.

Of any institution, it is perhaps Très Bien Shop which best evokes the sprit of Malmö, past, present, and future. Très Bien is known as a superlative in men’s fashion retailers. As many Malmö residents commute to Copenhagen via the Øresund Bridge for work, most Très Bien merchandise is sold via the Internet for international customers. The shop carries an impeccable selection that is avant-garde but always focused on quality and craftsmanship, perfectly aligned with Malmö’s amalgamation of blue collar and highbrow.

As for what we Heroes hope to cover our breasts with as we watch the Spring Classics in April? A Junya Watanabe coated nylon jacket and Adam Kimmel X Carhartt plaid shirt should serve us well.

If we ever make a Tenspeed Hero movie we want it to start with a young aspiring cyclist receiving the Palo Alto Catalog in the mail. Then he or she will be seen under the covers looking at the catalog with a flashlight as if it were a Playboy magazine. Better stop there lest someone steals this brilliant film idea. 

The Tenspeed Hero Club Jersey is a new way to introduce ourselves and steer this online-fanzine to new horizons. Economies of scale are a harsh reality within the world of t-shirt and sock blogdom so having your own thematic jersey is the next big step.

After quietly launching last May, this website grew quickly and soon began to feel like driving a hot rod in high school — at first you’re proud of the way it garners looks and stares, then you realize you need a killer sound system so people can hear you coming before you even turn the corner. A jersey does all of this in the world of bikes, blogging, and twittering. A splash of color, screen-printed by Nalini, screams your visual philosophy. Yes, this jersey is for all the people we have met along the way, in Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, England, Portland (we know Portland is not officially a country) and ye olde USA. It is for Heroes plain and simple.

Plus we must say the peer pressure was becoming enormous. Where is your jersey? Do you have a team? (btw, team announcement coming and another team kit!) Now we can hold our heads up high around El Cyclista, Wooly Mammoth, Gage and Desoto, Cycle Boredom, Headset Press and Embrocation!

So for this post we will just give you the particulars on the design. Next week we will outline the reasons behind the beauty of what we plan to do with this thing. First off, Neil Donnelly out of Brooklyn NY designed it. He is our go to guy and the first one that admonishes us when we poorly lay out a post on this hand crafted website he built for us. We were inspired by the artwork of Ellsworth Kelly, not to mention Donald Judd, of course Mondrian, and cosmically Agnes Martin.

Meensel-Kiezegem and Castellania

On the side panels we placed Belgian and Italian locales that serve as romantic outposts for our imagination. Meensel-Kiezegem and Castellania: from these places came the likes of Eddy Merckx and Fausto Coppi. Heroes around the world can imagine that somewhere in Meensel-Kiezegem and Castellania, proud city fathers built plaques or placed statues that proclaim that these men came from the soil underfoot, from mothers that loved them, and that Eddy and Fausto called these towns home. We place them with honor, in homage and hope they provide inspiration when we run out of gas on our local rides.

Later this week we will give a shout-out to the sponsors that made this jersey possible. If you are so inclined to wear one, send us an email and we will reserve one for you, as it is limited to 50 jerseys. Price will be $90 + shipping. We will be receiving men’s sizes x-small, small, medium, large, XXL, and 3XL. (Update: Thanks for all the pre orders, no more reservations. There will be a few extra in the store come April.)

Tommeke “Tornado” Tom Boonen: 2012 Tour of Qatar Winner and Best quote on all things Doping for 2012 (so far).

1981: Ronald Reagan was president. Naked Raygun was a band from Chicago. Devo had a song in the top 100 (#94). M*A*S*H was still on TV. So was Diff’rent Strokes. Bernard Hinault won the Tour De France. Joop Zoetemelk was 4th. Cars looked like this. Bikes looked like this. And Demi Moore was on the cover of a french magazine. Ok. Enough about 1981.

Back then there were two cycling catalogs for that those of us living on the West Coast and old enough to be swayed by the power of fancy bike parts: Bike Nashbar and Palo Alto. Palo Alto was better for pure browsing. In those days a teenager dreaming of building the lightest bike possible would underline, circle or otherwise mark the Avocet Racing III Saddle (270 g. $33.98), Campy Super Record Seat Post (205 g. $49.98) Avocet Racing Cranks w/BB (870 g. $113.96) Campy Super Record Pedals (259 g. $159.98). The one weight sacrifice we were all willing to make in favor of pure beauty was Phil Wood Hubs. The heaviest option but clearly the best.

Please return for part II of Yesterday’s Palo Alto Catalog, Today’s Money

We have been listening to those voices that come from the mouths of Thor Hushovd and Philippe Gilbert lately. The man from Norway and the man from Belgium have been letting their teammates understand in various ways, mostly in interviews with the press, that while they don the red and black of Team BMC as new teammates, they still want their rightful place on the team bus. One scenario is to imagine them as two lonely wolves that have come upon a weakened pack or one that begs for leadership. Once the big races start in earnest, Thor and Philippe’s desire is to be on the leeward side of Team BMC teammates as their domestiques suffer the injustice of riding tempo and blocking the cold spring wind. Most are happy to oblige as they have seen Thor pound his chest in Australia during the world championships and Philippe ride away from them in the Ardennes classics. If your name is Cadel or Van Avermaet or Hincapie you may have to bite your lip as you may believe that you have earned due fealty in specific situations and by past accomplishments.

We Heroes bring you a couple of gems from Thor, Philippe and the occasional surrogate as they navigate the press and communicate to their new teammates. Consider them gentle growls around the quarry they have previously slain:

“I saw he signed for two more years, it’s nice, I’m sure we will have a good team with him in the classics, and I think everybody also knows his job in the team.”

Phillipe Gilbert on Greg Van Avermaet’s place on the team

“He knows this race inside and out. He knows the game, makes the right choices along the way and is always where he should sit in the main field. Besides, Hincapie enjoys great respect, which makes it difficult to push away a rider. In Paris-Roubaix, it is he who controls the team on the road, while Thor can use his energy in the crucial places.”

Atle Kvålsvoll, Thor’s personal trainer, on George Hincapie’s role on the team

“With the riders I think it’s a stronger team and it’s a bigger team with more people and staff, really professional and well-organized, they have a plan about every person – not only the leaders on the team, but every rider, every staff member. Whether it’s the mechanic or the bus driver, everybody knows what to do, everybody is relaxed and I think that’s an important thing.”

Thor Hushovd remarks on Team BMC

To achieve such fealty when you walk into wolf pack is no easy task, so the Heroes applaud both men. Speak softly and pound your chest later. Nevertheless, there are a couple of style points of note we must address. While Philippe mostly talks about the future, Thor talks about the past and the future simultaneously. His communication is of course motivated toward his new teammates but it does not end there. No, Thor is loudly and repeatedly talking about and to his former team boss, Jonathan Vaughters, and issues related to letting a super-domestique, Johan Van Summeren, go for the win at the 2011 Paris-Roubaix. To sum up an autumn and winter of messages: Thor does not think that Vaughters understands the world we live in. In Thor’s world, hierarchical status points are earned and should be respected as it makes the “wolf pack” function with limited distraction. Besides, can you imagine how beautiful and tranquil it would have been to see the Arc-en-Ciel enter the Roubaix velodrome? Thor does!

To put it another way, Thor is libertarian in his view. He does not castigate the 1% for the gold they have paid for in blood and talent. Vaughters, we can only assume, has another view, holistic in vision, and of course we know that he is the leader of the Occupy the Peloton Movement for riding clean but he is also the former domestique that is now the boss and this fact colors his views in almost every direction. He is the Beta wolf who desperately believes that every member can succeed and attain victory for the betterment of the entire pack. He despises legacies dominated by the establishment of vertical power structures, namely those created by lengthy palmares. It is safe to say his life as a professional at US Postal saw the dark side of such hierarchical thinking.

The Heroes being Heroes want to throw one more wrinkle into this mix. Back to the wolf pack. We may have made an error in this popular analogy.

A wolf pack is basically a nuclear family and wolves will rarely adopt new wolves into the pack. When they do it is a lengthy process that includes weeks of exploratory, non-fatal attacks or training camps. Wolves howl to rally the pack or peloton. Wolves rarely remain with a pack for more than two years. Triggers for dispersal include sexual maturity, competition for food and sex, and disappointing results. But sometimes a wolf wants to be the boss. In Idaho we deal with wolves all the time. Daily. Recently a pack that was together for quite a long time – for a wolf pack – ran into some trouble. Many of the pack’s members could be race leaders pack leaders in their own right. One day, a young, decidedly tough wolf named Tyler decided that he had had enough. He was tired of playing second fiddle to the so called patron or alpha. Now, this patron had won a lot of prey over the years (7 years I think it was) for his pack. He had overcome a major illness before becoming the patron, so naturally he was the darling of this particular wolf pack. Tyler could see the writing on the den wall. But he couldn’t read it because he was a wolf. Nevertheless, he knew he was never going to get a chance to win races prey and mate with the pretty podium girls wolves. He left US Postal his pack in search of a pack he could call his own. We never heard what happened to the young wolf — just whispers, or howls rather, that he headed to Switzerland.

Paintings by the Great Frans Snyders and Fantastic Potters Palmer

Part l

Part ll

It is true, in Argentina, American Levi Leipheimer has notched his first win and Master Boonen made it to the front of the line of the Tour de San Luis, but most clubs and teams in America are still putting on base miles for their emergence in March and April. We Heroes thought it best to give you Heroes a little gallery on this fine Monday on the lean side of January. Call it what you wish, we refer to it as Choppers and Curls, over morning espresso and toast.