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October 29, 2006

Halloween Alleycat

This would be my third halloween race. I am, apparently, getting old. This was going to be an actual night race, which I always enjoy, so I was looking forward to it. The weather looked like it might not cooperate, with high winds and scattered rain, but in the end, it was OK. We got sprinkled on a bit at the start, but otherwise we only had to deal with the winds. But we'll save that for later.

The race would be pickup-delivery style, with three pickups and three deliveries, with a two more pickups to be given en-route. Pickups were in Bloomfield, the North Side (by PNC Park), and the City-County Building, with deliveries in Lawrenceville, the Strip District (21st and Smallman), and a cemetery of our choice (we had to do a headstone rubbing). We could do the tasks in any order, so right from the start, under the Bloomfield Bridge, I was faced a choice--do I start with Bloomfield or the downtown pickups? I decided on Bloomfield, since the delivery for the Bloomfield pickup was in Lawrenceville. I could avoid climbing out of the valley more than once that way. Turns out I (finally) made a good navigational decision.

At the Lawrenceville delivery, I received a second manifest, which required two additional pickups--a branded bit of McDonald's stuff and a copy of the Pitt newspaper. These would have to be delivered to the final stop. Heading into town on Penn Avenue, I caught the full force of the wind in my face. Another fixed rider passed me, and quickly put several blocks on me. I was spinning a small gear (39x16) and not really pedaling hard. Oh well, I thought. I'm just out for a ride. I stopped at the McDonald's on Penn and picked up a straw, then headed for PNC Park.

Traffic in the Cultural District was terrible, so I found myself stuck in traffic. It was thick enough that I couldn't make much progress around the cars. Oh well,I thought again. Finally through the worst of it, I went across the 6th Street Bridge and got my next pickup. Back across the bridge and through town, I took a chance that there would be a cemetery next to the churches on Fifth Avenue. Oddly, it paid off, and I had a rubbing of headstone that was likely 150 years old. I continued across town to the City-County Building, and then circled back to head through the Strip to the "delivery" at 21st and Smallman (we had to sketch the profile of St. Stan's church).

Decision time. I had to go to Oakland. It would take too much time to cut back across town to get to Forbes, and heading up Liberty or Penn would leave pretty far away as well. That left one option--Herron Avenue. Though shorter than Liberty or Penn, it is a bit steeper, but by cutting across Melwood Avenue, I could be in Oakland quickly. Once through North Oakland, I locked my bike to the railing outside the tower dorms, and went into lobby for a copy of the paper. This was one of the few points in the race that I saw other racers--a group was leaving just as I pulled up. There were a couple of fast folks among them, so I actually felt OK about my progress, despite the fact I had not been riding quickly or efficiently.

Paper in hand, I headed to South Aiken Avenue in Friendship to drop off the pickups on the second manifest. There I would be given the key for access to the final drop off before the finish. Once that was hand, I cut back across Center to Liberty, to a house in Bloomfield. Memory failed me here, and I actually had to stop and look at the manifest (my headlight had died by this point so I couldn't look at it while riding)--and this likely cost me a place or two. Soon enough, I was in the house, though, singing a Misfits tune. Yes, that's right--the final stop required a little hardcore. Fortunately it was in a dark basement.

Once through that ordeal, I followed Brad, the organizer, to the finish at Belvedere's in Lawrenceville. He said I'd finish in the top five. A few folks showed up at the house faster, but they did not have the proper key since they ignored the instructions on the second manifest. Once at Belvedere's, I emptied my pockets of the stuff I had collected, and there I was, sitting in fifth place. I was pleasantly surprised, given that I had not ridden quickly or aggressively. I suppose the course awarded savvy navigation over pure speed.

A few equipment notes: yes, my headlight is terrible. The battery weighs too much, and it didn't last more than 90 minutes. Not good. I also managed to lose another tail light. I've got to attach it directly to the frame, as they tend to fall off my bag. The Steamroller performed admirably, as usual, and the new mudguards kept me nice and dry.

October 24, 2006

Bill Kauffman, Localism

The folks at 2Blowhards spent last week interviewing Bill Kauffman. The series finished up last Friday, and Kauffman offers up the perfect outline for a localist, reactionary radical perspective:

Anarchy is the absence of government coercion. It implies nothing about one's religious or social views; indeed, the most convincing anarchists have been Christians: Dorothy Day, Tolstoy. I prefer to let people, working voluntarily and in small groups with their neighbors, tend to their own affairs, without the state and its credentialed experts bossing 'em around.

Bring all our troops home from everywhere. Reunite them with their families. Devolve political power to the most local level possible: the town, the neighborhood, the family, the individual. Slash the defense budget, repeal all corporate subsidies, abolish the many direct and indirect subsidies (interstate highways, federal aid to colleges, a standing army) of rootlessness. Eliminate the national government's role in education; break up soulless consolidated superschools; restore local districts and small, human-scale schools. Revoke TV and radio licenses from absentee owners.

Well, it's a source of great hope. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) provides a local source of fresh food, a way to support farm families and agrarian communities.

We have it in our power to restore parts of the good America. We vote not only in booths every November but every day in so many ways: with our time, our money, our hearts, our love. What kind of an America do we want? A Wal-Martized land at perpetual war with the world, a nation of TV watchers mesmerized by CNN and MTV, or a place with vibrant local cultures, flavorful regions, variety and life? I want the latter. So buy local. Live local. Local food. Local music. Local baseball.

The entire series is worth reading.

October 21, 2006

Eastern PA Populaire

First, let's see how I fared in the results table:

Brian Janaszek : DNS

Did not start? Yup. Oh, I tried. But I failed. Miserably. Thanks to some horrific directions from Google and a lack of a local map, I could not find the start. And when I finally got the directions sorted out, the road I needed to take was closed. Perhaps it was just a sign, that I wasn't meant to do the ride. Such is life, I suppose. Given the stress of the run-up to this weekend, with the various bike-related issues, it was hugely disappointing to not start.

I could have simply sulked all day, but the weather was fine and the skies were clear, so I took a three and half hour spin through the northern Philadelphia suburbs. It's hard to stay disappointed when you've ridden miles on fine country roads, and you are sitting on the porch of a bakery, sipping coffee in the sunshine. All's well that ends well.

October 20, 2006

Well, That Takes Care of That

So I went to the local bike shop last night, rear wheel in hand, to drop it off to get the bearings. Thing is, the kindly mechanic there said "gimme 15 minutes" and sure enough, 15 minutes later, he had the bearings out. Best $12 I've spent. Apparently the process involved several screwdrivers, a hammer, and a torch. Yes, torch as in fire. Go figure. This means that I can no longer hide behind mechanical excuses and not ride the Surly this weekend. Oh well, I'll likely be a better person for it.

October 19, 2006

Decision, Decisions

Two days ago, it rained quite a bit. On the ride into work, I had to deal with several sections of deep puddles, which absolutely soaked my drivetrain. Now, the bearings in my rear hub were already on their last legs, and this ride did them in completely. I have a spare set of cartridges for the hub, but the current cartridges are absolutely welded into place (and given the construction of the hub--a Miche Primato--there is little room to manuever inside the hub body), and I have been unsuccessful in removing them. This hasn't been a problem for the commute, as I have a spare wheel, but it throws a wrench into the populaire, as the backup wheel isn't necessarily something I want to do 100km on. Jen has kindly offered her new rear wheel, but a different cog size means I would need to replace my chainring, and I wouldn't get the chance to shakedown the new gearing before the event.

Adding to the confusion, I purchased a used Cannondale mountain bike yesterday. With gears and those shifty things. Yes, gears. This has been the plan for some time, as the office will be moving further north and west, and in the interest of getting the commute done faster, I decided to go with some gears. I'll be putting slick tires on it, and swapping out the bars for something a bit different (likely the Marys from the Steamroller). But now, faced with a limping Steamroller, and a populaire course that is one half climbing and one half descending, I'm tempted to ride the Cannondale. There are, however, obstacles to this as well. First, I need to get the tires (and full fenders) for it. Second, I won't have the chance to give it a good shakedown before the ride.

What will I do? If it doesn't rain before my ride home, I may swap out the pedals and ride the Cannondale home, knobbies and all, to give it a test drive. Likely I'll dawdle on the decision until the moment I have to put a bike on the top of the car for the drive to Philly...

October 18, 2006

Two Items

First, a fine post by Daniel Larison on why it might time for conservative Christians to worry a little less about politics and a little more on the life of the Church. I will likely write more about this, but I just wanted to point it out.

Second, an old co-worker asked me yesterday what I thought about this situation. Well, honestly, my first reaction is that most celebrities are a few beans shy of a burrito, and that something like this is, at least in part, a grab at attention. That, however, does not get at the crux of the issue--intercultural adoption. First, I'll say I don't have any well-formulated (or even poorly-formulated) theories about this. But such activities worry me for several reason. There is a conceit among Westerners that our culture is the pinnacle of achievement, and therefore anyone living in a different culture is somehow "less fortunate." Now, I do not deny that in many African nations, the combination of the AIDS epidemic, famine, and unstable politics have put the populations in situations where their basic needs cannot be met. This does not, however, justify simply plucking children out of the situation, as it does little to get at the root causes of the problems. Yes, it is good that at least one child is rescued from a (potentially) hopeless situation, but what of the one hundred others who aren't? And, perhaps more importantly, what of the children in orphanages in your own town? Is there something about their plight that is somehow "better" than that of the children in Africa?

So am I ready to declare that anyone who has adopted a foreign-born child as Bad or Wrong? No. To each their own. I might ask them, however, why they didn't chose to adopt from the agency in their town. Of course, perhaps they did, and they were unsuccessful. That happens, I suppose. But the latest cause celebre among the beautiful people ("let's save Africa by adopting all the kids") is problematic, primarily because it does little the solve the real problems there (and it might be noted that perhaps westerners have little business mucking about in the problems of other nations--Ivan Illich was notoriously against such efforts).

October 17, 2006

The Ride Ahead

People often ask me if there are days that I wish I didn't have to ride my bike to work. A few, I say. Most of the questions begin in the Fall, when the temperatures begin to dip into the 30s at night. I don't mind the cold, I say. In fact, I'll take 30 degrees and sunny any day of the year. It's the rain that I don't enjoy. And this morning, as the drops hammer the windows (and green and yellow fill the regional radar), I'm less than motivated to hit the road. What's odd, however, is that I seem to ride better in this weather. Perhaps the rain takes my mind off the effort.

October 15, 2006

Populaire

The cuesheets and profile maps have been released for the populaire and brevet next weekend in Eastern Pennsylvania. I'm mildly relieved looking at the map for the 100km populaire, as there is really only one long climb roughly halfway through the ride. What's shocking, however, is a little stat at the bottom of the profile map. Total climbing mileage is 32. Total descending mileage is 31. Based on my calculations, that means in the course of a 64 mile route, there will be only a single mile of flat roads. At least my rolling commute has been good training.

October 12, 2006

Ellul and Neocalvinism, Redux

I have been working on a dialogue with Dr. Koyzis for an upcoming issue of Comment about our perspectives on Jacques Ellul. This is a re-write of my initial response to Koyzis' essay which will not appear in Comment. No need for it languish on my computer.

Jacques Ellul has always been a difficult nut to crack. His vast body of work, which covers sociology, technology, theology, and philosophy, often seems at odds with itself, a product of the dialectical methods Ellul used. Add to this his on again, off again relationship with Calvinism (he was a member of the French reformed church, yet often critiqued Calvinism and embraced Barthian thought, all the while displaying a rather Calvinist sense of humanity and God's grace), and it is difficult to grasp the perspective from which Ellul writes. Often, one must take Ellul with a grain of salt, realizing the man was not always attempting to construct a framework of thought or theology, instead analyzing a given area of thought and critiquing particular aspects of it. David Koyzis, wearing his Dutch-tinted glasses, examines Ellul's "Technique and the Opening Chapters of Genesis," Ellul's essay on the place of Technique in the Created Order, and comes away unimpressed with Ellul's conclusions. Because Ellul rejects technology and institutions as part of the Created Order (they are, rather, methods with which we deal with the effects of the Fall), Koyzis sees no compelling reason for Ellul (or an Ellulian, if such a person exists) to embrace the Cultural Mandate or even seek to redirect activities in this world back toward God. Essentially, Ellul leaves us hopelessly adrift in this world, separated from God and unable to change things for the better.

Dr. Koyzis outlines three basic problems with Ellul's view of creation before and after the Fall. On one point, I am in agreement--that Ellul's vision of the Created Order is rather suspect (as any Calvinist should be). On his third point, however, I must disagree. Koyzis says:

Third, if Ellul is correct in his view of creation and sin, then it is not clear how we can go about living the Christian life, either as individuals or as communities. Given that the fall into sin introduced something ontic and unprecedented into creation—and not merely its misdirection in the Augustinian sense—redemption cannot be the restoration of that creation. It does not reorient the totality of our life in this world in an obedient direction, because, as Yoder puts it, "we have no access to the good creation of God" this side of the fall into sin. It is structurally impossible for us to live in accordance with the pristine wholeness of the original creation, because it no longer exists. All that remains for us is to fall back on the Bible as the sole source of direction for our "spiritual lives" while grudgingly accepting—what else can we do?—the imperatives of the larger world in so-called secular life...

Indeed, in this particular essay, Ellul gives little direction for a life of Christian action. But just as we do not dismiss Abraham Kuyper because of his racist remarks, nor should we dismiss Ellul because of his view of Eden. In fact, one does not need to look much further than Ellul's biography for a vision of the Christian life on Earth--his work spanned programs for "troubled" youth to ecological activism focused on the French seacoast. His theological insights hardly prevented him from a life of action focused on the redemptive work of Christ. A better outline of Ellul's "vision" for a life of Christian action can be found in his book Presence of the Kingdom, an examination of how a Christian should live in this present age. This vision is founded on the action of the Church (that is, the body of Christ), which Ellul says stands at the point where God and the world meet. God calls the Christian to stand ready, with a supple heart, listening always for the direction of Christ.

Koyzis continues this line of thought by questioning whether Ellul's influence would motivate Christians to engage in "cultural transformative" activities and seeking to restore institutions like the State, the educational system, and the family. This is a loaded question. First, it assumes that particular institutions were a part of the created order, and second, it assumes that Ellul believes that we have no hope of bringing Christ's redemptive work into this world. As for bringing Christ's redemptive work into the world, again, this is the point of the Presence of the Kingdom. Ellul is skeptical of many institutions (particularly the State), but he would not deny that those institutions could do the work of Christ. His desire is for a life of Christian action, always ready to listen to the guidance of our God. This means, of course, that one could be called to a life of service in the government, or a labor union. But what of the place of institutions in the created order? Koyzis assumes that governments, labor unions, and schools (for example) would have developed even without the Fall. If unions exist to protect the rights of workers, what would they do in a world without sin? And what of the government? Yes, the role of the State extends beyond simply the legislation and execution of law--it provides for the infrastructure of its citzens--and we can imagine the State still doing its work without the Fall. Yet we can also imagine the State being unnecessary without the effects of sin, as communities and individuals, unblemished as they would be, working together to provide for each other.

One final note: Koyzis is troubled by the "discontinuity" of the created order and its post-fall manifestation. The analogy often used is this: for the Calvinist (often Neo- or not) creation can be seen has a mirror of God. The Fall, however, has titled the mirror away from God and focused it on something else. This leaves us with the ability to slowly tilted the mirror back to God and reflect His full glory. For Ellul, the Fall has cracked the mirror, and only God can repair it. Therefore, we must attempt to work around the damage to see God for who He is. As a result, Technique and the various institutions we have created are necessarily sinful, but they are our response to the Fallen world, and therefore those efforts may often fall short of what God truly desires for us. This warning is worth considering. Technique, as much as it has bettered our lives, may not be what God has intended for us. Yes, the Cultural Mandate has commanded us to draw potentialities out of Creation, but not every development is necessarily one that draws us closer to our Creator.

October 11, 2006

Tradition, Choice

Rod Dreher examines how his "Crunchy Con" neo-traditionalism may in fact be just another consumer choice in this modern world. Dreher shares two critiques of his sensibility, one from a theologian and another from Maggie Gallagher, both of whom are unconvinced that buying into a tradition that is not your own is a solution to the problems of modernity.

There is some merit to the critiques, and, in a sense, I agree with them. Dreher wonders what other solution there might be, and for that question I offer this bit of advice from Fr. Jape:

This is nothing less than the key to the pursuit of Christian holiness, which is the whole of the Christian adventure: live in love with the frailty and limits of one’s existence, suffering the places, customs, rites, joys, and sorrows of the people who are in close relation to you by family, friendship, and community–all in service of the truth, goodness, and beauty that is best experienced directly. The discipline of place teaches that it is more than enough to care skillfully and lovingly for one’s own little circle, and this is the model for the good life, not the limitless jurisdiction of the ego, granted by a doctrine of choice, that is ever seeking its own fulfillment, pleasure, and satiation. The Puritan heritage of America has long chafed against this discipline as it necessarily limits one to a small field of action in a world with seemingly little hope for eschatological fulfillment. Thus have American Evangelicals historically pined after their great mission of “giftedness” and “calling,” forsaking that foolishness of the Gospel of our Lord which has ever lain at their doorstep, in need of nurturing care.

One need not be a part of a tradition to follow this advice. In fact, I think we are moving toward a time when our culture will be rootless, as a generation of children who came of age in the flight to the suburbs raise their own children. It can simply to be enough to settle somewhere, care for one's family and that place, and pass that life on to one's children.

October 10, 2006

Rando-Roller Shakedown #2

I tried out a few of the Carradice mounting hacks last night and rode to work with the saddlebag this morning. Full pictures will be forthcoming, but I used a longer toe strap and a section of PVC pipe mounted to the seat tube to push the bag back a bit, away from my thighs, and I affixed a short piece of dowel into the rails of my saddle to take the place of proper saddlebag loops. I also jammed two sections of dowel inside the bag to support the PVC pipe and keep the rear of bag off the tire.

So how did work? Well, I didn't clamp the dowel to the saddle rails, so as you might expect, it slid a bit. Not enough for the saddlebag loops to slip off, but this was annoying nonetheless. Tape or a small clamp should fix that. The PVC pipe worked well and didn't slip at all. I still had to attach the rear fender to keep the bottom of the bag off the tire, however, though I couldn't find a piece of plastic sheeting to lay inside the bag to give it shape when it carried my tool kit and pump. I will probably attempt to tweak the setup a bit tonight, but I sense I may punt before the populaire and purchase a cheap seatpost-mounted rack to support the bag.

October 09, 2006

Evolution of a Steamroller

Keith asked for it, so here it is: the evolution of the Steamroller.

The bike started as a stripped down hipster track bike. This is right after the initial build:

It stayed this way for roughly a year or so, with a few slight variations. I rode bullhorns periodically, got a new wheelset (Miche Primato hubs with Mavic MA-3 rims), put keirin grips on the bars, and rode with clips and straps rather than the clipless pedals. Then a new job and hilly commute to the suburbs meant the bike needed to change a bit to better suit the terrain. So, a bar and stem swap got it here:

This lasted for nearly a year, until I decided I could quite tweak the fit of the Midge bars properly thanks to a too-short steerer tube. So, thanks to the magic of the interweb, I promptly found someone willing to trade for a set of Marys:

My growing interest in randonneuring has lead to another tweak or two, namely the addition of a Carradice saddlebag:

With a full rando/touring bike on my horizon, I doubt I'll make many more changes to the Steamroller. In fact, once I get a new bike, the Carradice will probably move there. I've considered re-kitting the Steamroller as an urban track bike again, but the current setup is, frankly, just too comfy.

Hacks

I'm not sure why I didn't think to look before, but I found a bag dedicated to Carradice mounting hacks.

October 08, 2006

Riding

Today was supposed to a long ride north, in preparation for the populaire in a few weeks. I hoped to do 30 or 40 miles, testing out the new rando setup and feeling out the hill climbing abilities of the Steamroller's new gearing. This was not, hoever, to be. About two miles out, cresting a short rise out of Sharpsburg, my tough-as-iron Bontrager Hard Case rear tire got a flat. Now, after nearly 4000 miles without a flat, this was to be expected, I supposed. The rear tire was riddled with cuts, and even though these days I rarely skid or skip-stop, the rubber was running thin. I pulled off the road and promptly changed the tube. Then I considered my options. I didn't have another tube or a patch kit, so I was facing another 30 miles without a safety. I turned around and grudgingly rode home.

Several hours later, and I've attached my head light, and I'm heading out in the dying evening night for a short ride before the kids go to bed. I decided the forgo the (dark) ride out into the suburbs, instead enjoying mostly empty roads by heading downtown through the Strip District. I rode up the Jail Trail, enjoying the relatively still air and pushing a decent pace, crossed the Hot Metal Bridge, then looped through the South Side and back up through Oakland, and home.

Yes, it wasn't the length I expected, but it did give me a good chance to feel out the setup for the new (used) Carradice saddlebag. I do need to fiddle with the mounting system a bit, as it hangs a bit low and a bit too far forward. It was a bit odd at first climbing out of the saddle with bag on, especially with my headlight battery back there too. But, it was good to ride with my full repair kit, a pump, a shell, wallet, phone, and a bit of food without everything on my back in the messenger bag.

Related--this bike is quite nice.

October 05, 2006

Ellul

From chapter four of Presence of the Kingdom:

It is only in Jesus Christ that we have any possibility of understanding this wild adventure on which we have started, for in the midst of these shadows He is there, the Person, the Event, in the midst of these whirlwinds of facts, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

October 02, 2006

An Evolution, of Sorts

I was talking to David today via email about commuting bicycles. He had just returned from Italy, and noted that the typical bicycle there was kitted for practical commuting--comfy saddles and handlebars, upright riding positions, panniers, etc. And he said he was thinking about following suit. I couldn't agree more. The commute over the past year has forced to re-think what makes a good (read: useful) commuting bicycle. When I started, the Steamroller was equipped with track drops and clips and straps, and was brakeless. Quickly, I added clipless pedals (for the hills) and flared drops for easier climbing. While the flared drops were fantastic bars, due to a too-short steerer on the fork, I couldn't find a stem with enough rise to make the bars comfortable for extended rides. So off they went, and in came the Marys, which I'm still very happily running. The gearing has crept down again, back to 39x16, a happy medium between the easier spinning/get nowhere fast 42x18 and the nice city gear of 45x18.

And now, with a potentially longer commute and a blossoming interested in randonneuring, I'm considering a geared bike. At first, I thought I'd go with either what I could find used (likely a mountain bike converted for road use) or an inexpensive hybrid (like the Kona Dew). And of course, there is the dream bike, the Kogswell P/R. But I've settled on finding something a bit more unique, in the character of the Bridgestone bikes of the late 80s and early 90s--incredibly goofy, practical, comfortable machines, built for practicality rather than speed (for what it's worth, this design mentality came to its pinnacle in the 1993 XO-1). Will I manage to find a Bridgestone? Not likely. But the early 90s Panasonic road frame in our basement might make for a good clone.