7 Commandments For The Wise Cyclist

Paul de Vivie (1853- 1930), the father of French cycle touring devoted a lifetime to the perfection of the bicycle and the art of riding it. He inspired countless others by great riding feats, even in his old age. An ardent bicycle inventor and an early proponent of the derailleur, for decades he wrote under the name Velocio for the magazine Le Cycliste. He wrote at length about the glories of all forms of cycling, especially long-distance bicycle rides that were several days in length with little or no sleep - rather like a brevet. In fact the Audax Club Parisien's Easter weekend "Flèche Vélocio" 24-hour team rides are named in his honour. He could well be called the patron saint of cyclists. Over the years his wise words of advice have been proven true time and time again. Here are his seven commandments for the cyclist.

Velocio

Velocio's Seven Commandments

1. Make your stops short and infrequent so as not to lose your drive.

2. Eat lightly and often. Eat before getting hungry, drink before you are thirsty. 

3. Never ride until you are so tired that you cannot eat or sleep.

4. Put on extra clothing before you're cold, and take it off before you're hot.
Don't be afraid of exposing your skin to the sun, air, and rain.

5. Don't drink wine, eat meat, or smoke---at least during the ride. 

6. Never rush things. Ride within yourself, particularly during the first few hours of a ride when you feel strong and are tempted to force the pace. 

7. Never pedal out of vanity, don't be a show-off.