Wednesday, 2 February 2011

Velocio (Paul de Vivie)....Le Cycliste...zombies





Paul de Vivie, who wrote as Velocio  (April 29, 1853  February 27, 1930), was publisher of Le Cycliste, an early champion of derailleur gears, and father of French bicycle touring and randonneuring


.The man who inspired practically the whole of France to take up cycling, Paul de Vivie extolled the virtues of cycling by word, print and deed. His love of cycling and France’s desire for two wheeled freedom collided to create the sport of cyclo-touring with his publication Le Cycliste as his mouthpiece. Known for riding 40 hours at a stretch, he rode for the love of riding. 350 miles in 32 hours. 400 in 48.  He owned a bike shop, imported bikes, designed bikes, conceived the derailleur, and rode on into his 50′s, 60′s and 70′s stopped only by death itself, his life cut short by a streetcar accident. For all those who desire to ride far but race not, there is Velocio.






A functional derailleur was made by Paul de Vivie of France in 1905. It was sold under the Velocio mark, and shifted among four gears mounted on the crank.







His Magazine...






It was from experiences  Velocio formulated the seven commandments for the cyclist:
  1. Keep your rest short and infrequent to maintain your rhythm.
  2. Eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirst.
  3. Never ride to the point of exhaustion where you can't eat or sleep.
  4. Cover up before you are cold, peel off before you are hot.
  5. Don't drink, smoke, or eat meat on tour.
  6. Never force the pace, especially during the first hours.
  7. Never ride just for the sake of riding.




Memorial on the Col de La Republique (Col du Grand Bois).







bit more reading.......



La Flèche Velocio
The Flèche Vélocio, started in 1947 in homage to Paul de Vivie a pioneering touring cyclist and campaigner for derailleur gears. Teams of three to five leave the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris to ride to wherever in Provence the traditional Easter gathering, Pâques en Provence, is taking place. It involves riding at least 360km in 24 hours. Just one team took part in 1947: Paulette Gallet, Jean Dejeans, Charles Portuault and Alfred Gadeceau, who rode 461km to Grignon




After that sort of mileage  I'd be seeing these





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