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Rants Archive

The Rants category was added in the early days of Cyclocosm to differentiate opinion pieces from the daily news recaps.

Strava logo on an iphone on top of a keyboard

On Strava, or The Things You Love Should Love You Back

Posted on 19 May 20204 July 2021 by cosmo

[there is a much more concise version of this on Medium’s OneZero publication] Strava, the since-forever social fitness service, announced yesterday that a number of features previously available for free to any user were being transferred instead into the company’s paid offering. The Internet responded as you might expect, everyone seems to have a hot…

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a Simpsons screenshot with the punchline"there's no such team as the Spungos"

Cycling’s Sponsor-Branded Teams p/b Financial Instability

Posted on 11 May 20155 July 2021 by cosmo

I like a lot of what Vaughters says here, but the problem is that cycling can’t have a franchise system until it has actual franchises. I mean, Vaughters’ own squad—officially Slipstream Sports LLC—hasn’t ever been called by that name. Manchester United, in contrast, has remained Manchester United, whether Sharp, AIG, or Chevy is emblazoned across…

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Rantcast #14 – The Myth of The Infallible LBS

Posted on 15 August 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Well, had some people complain about censoring the profanity last time which is fine—since this edition of the Rantcast is probably going to piss the living shit out of everyone anyway it probably won’t matter. Last time around, my beef was what cycling commentators weren’t saying, this week it’s on what the industry won’t shut…

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Rantcast #13 – The Lance Problem

Posted on 2 August 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) Yeah, so breaking news last week—did you know cyclists were doping in the 1998 Tour de France? I know, right? Didn’t see that one coming, despite the fact that during that year a Team Festina car got caught at the French Boarder with 250 vials…

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Rantcast #12 – The Mini-Rant Disbursement

Posted on 29 June 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) I bet you’d thought I’d forgot, didn’t you? NO! I’m awesome and on it. I said I get it done in June, it’s still technically June, so…yeah. if you’re just joining us, perhaps as a new reader pulled in by the link bait on custom…

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Rantcast #11 – Peak Fondo

Posted on 17 June 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) Yeah, I’m back. needed a little post-Giro, post-How-the-Race-Was-Won vacation, to cool the engines, ride my bike to Montauk, not get fired from my day job, and—oh yeah, sleep, which is, for the record, what I am not doing now. Let’s start by going back, way…

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Rantcast #10: On Coverage and Contractors

Posted on 24 May 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) Yes, it’s another delayed Cyclocosm Rantcast—but I’m not sorry, because last weekend I was temporarily relocated to the redwoods and hoppy, delicious ales of Sonoma County to ride bikes with fun and interesting people, and watch a little event you might have heard of called…

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Rantcast #9 – Please, Don't Say "Mondialize"

Posted on 10 May 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) Yes, the Rancast is back this week, with more-or-less proper intro music—more on that later. But I’m going to surprise most you today by NOT ranting about BeINSport’s Giro coverage—or at least few miserable dribbles of it (dribbels of the not-on-nosebleed-cable or dish package variety)…

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Rantcast #8: For Sponsors, Winning Isn't Necessarily Everything

Posted on 3 May 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) Let’s talk for a moment about why anyone would sponsor a cycling team. It’s such a bizarre relationship—between 5 and 20 million Euros or the equivalent in dollars or bitcoins, and effectively get no tangible return. They don’t own the team, or the rider contracts,…

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Rantcast #7: The Perils of Over-Specialization

Posted on 26 April 20132 July 2021 by cosmo

Script (not verbatim, contains typos, and sometimes I go off-book) Today’s rant is abbreviated and delayed somewhat by time and circumstance. If you haven’t been following me on twitter, or haven’t seen the previous post at Cyclocosm.com, then you don’t know that I spent yesterday riding from my home base in Hartford CT, to New…

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About the Author

a headshot of Cosmo Catalano

Best known for his How The Race Was Won® video series, Cosmo Catalano began blogging about pro cycling from a bike shop in 2005. Between then and now, he's designed cycling infographics, built cycling web apps, and supplied cycling content to print and broadcast media, all in the name of backing up his near-endless criticism with proof that it can be done better. He complains about cycling on Twitter at @Cyclocosm.

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