The Periodic Table of Professional Cycling from Cyclocosm appeals on two levels. First, there’s the appreciation of the wonkish fascination with the accomplishments of men in tight shorts–and if you think that’s a diss, you should know that stage 12 of the Tour de France is playing live in another Firefox tab at I write this. It’s like that beer commercial where men with ridiculously narrow focus share their obsessions: “It has frequencies only a dog can hear.” Who would think to annoint professional bike races as universal elements and then organize them by location, style, and importance? Only a true bike racing nerd, and god love ‘em.

Second, the table catches your eye cause it’s purty, combining the aesthetic of good design with an organizational structure that resonates with your inner mechanical engineer. It makes me wonder what other categories of sport and play lend themselves to this application? Snowfall at ski resorts? Surf breaks? Kayaking rivers? It seems endless–we just need more nerds to make it happen.

See it big.

Tagged as: cycling