Cycling - Philosophy for Everyone (eBook)

Editors Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, and Allen and Pat Kelley Faculty Scholar at Linfield College, Oregon. He has published in the journals Sports, Ethics, and Philosophy and Proteus. He is a category 2 racer. Michael W. Austin is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University, where he works primarily in ethics. He has published Conceptions of Parenthood: Ethics and the Family (2007), Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), and Football and Philosophy: Going Deep (2008). Series Editor Fritz Allhoff is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe, Wiley-Blackwell, 2007).

Foreword x
Lennard Zinn

Acknowledgments xii
Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza and Michael W. Austin

Getting in Gear: An Introduction to Cycling - Philosophy for Everyone 1
Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza and Michael W. Austin

Stage 1 the Varieties of Cycling Experience 11

1 Warm Up: A Surreal Ride 13
Patrick Vala-Haynes

2 Learning to Ride a Bike 16
Peter M. Hopsicker

3 Becoming a Cyclist: Phenomenological Reflections on Cycling 27
Steen Nepper Larsen

4 Unleash the Beast: Technology and the Time Trial 39
Bryce T. J. Dyer

Stage 2 Velo Virtues 51

5 Warm Up: A Test of One's Mettle 53
Patrick Vala-Haynes

6 Lance Armstrong and True Success 56
Gregory Bassham and Chris Krall

7 LeMond, Armstrong, and the Never-Ending Wheel of Fortune 68
Scott Tinley

8 Riding Like a Girl 81
Catherine A. Womack and Pata Suyemoto

9 Bicycling and the Simple Life 94
Russell Arben Fox

Stage 3 Re-cycling 107

10 Warm Up: When Two Wheels Meet Four 109
Patrick Vala-Haynes

11 Philosophical Lessons from Cycling in Town and Country 112
Robert H. Haraldsson

12 The Commutist Manifesto 123
John Richard Harris

13 Critical Mass Rides Against Car Culture 134
Zack Furness

Stage 4 Spinning Wisdom 147

14 Warm Up: Are You Real? Tony Meets Bishop Berkeley 149
Patrick Vala-Haynes

15 My Life as a Two-Wheeled Philosopher 151
Heather L. Reid

16 Cycling and Philosophical Lessons Learned the Hard Way 162
Steven D. Hales

17 From Shoes to Saddle 173
Michael W. Austin

Stage 5 Fair Play on Two Wheels 183

18 Warm Up: Pushing the Envelope 185
Patrick Vala-Haynes

19 What To Do Once They're Caught 188
John Gleaves

20 Out of Control: The Pirate and Performance-Enhancing Drugs 200
Raymond Angelo Belliotti

21 Is the Cannibal a Good Sport? 214
Andreas de Block and Yannick Joye

Stage 6 Pedaling Circles 227

22 Warm Up: Riding into Awe 229
Patrick Vala-Haynes

23 Taking the Gita for an Awesome Spin 231
Seth Tichenor

24 Stretched Elastics, the Tour de France, and a Meaningful Life 241
Tim Elcombe and Jill Tracey

25 Life Cycles and the Stages of a Cycling Life 253
Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza and Mike McNamee

Notes on Contributors: The Cycling - Philosophy for Everyone Peloton 266

"There is a good deal stimulate the brain, should the brain require it." (Cycling World, January 2011)"Whether you use the bicycle to make your living, to take you to your living, or to take you on an escape from your living, there is a great deal in Cycling: Philosophy for Everyone". (Athelon, 1 January 2011)

"If you are interested in reading something that questions how you think about yourself and your cycling and its impact on the world, then have a read." (Cog and Coffee, December 2010)

"As the title suggests, there's something for everyone from the casual rider to the seasoned pro to take away from this attempt at applying the nuances of cycling culture to contemporary issues of camaraderie, health and the environment". (Bike Culture, 28 September 2010)

"If you are a fan of bicycles or bicycle racing and have ever had an interest in philosophy, the essays in Cycling: A Philosophical Tour de Force show that philosophy and cycling work well in tandem." (Bike World News, October 2010)

"Thanks to the new book Cycling-Philosophy for Everyone, I now have a term to describe the state of mind I achieve on my daily bicycle commute. Almost any type of literary-minded cyclist will find something to latch onto in the book-food for thought during your next Zwischenzeit." (UTNE Reader, September 02, 2010)

"OBRA's own Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza has co-authored a book about the philosophical territory of the cyclist lifestyle. Michael Weiss, Chair of the Tour of Missouri writes "This is a wonderful book that captures the breadth and depth of the sport and experience of cycling. A great tour of the mental, physical, cultural and historical paths a bicycle can travel." Tom Zoumaras, a former National Champion writes "Cycling - Philosophy for Everyone reminds its readers of the joy, freedom, and accomplishment one feels when riding a bicycle, whether that entails encountering Manhattan traffic on the way to the Central Park bandit race, cresting Mount Tamalpais to the unmatched views of redwoods and San Francisco, or punching through gale force winds on an isolated Midwest farm road far from everyone and everything." (Oregon Biccyle Racing Association newsletter, September 2010)

"Building off of the life stories and philosophies of notable figures in the cycling world such as Lance Armstrong, Lennard Zinn and former road racer Pedro Delgado, and philosophers like Aristotle, Aquinas and Socrates, "Cycling: A Philosophical Tour de Force" covers the philosophical territory of the cycling lifestyle." (Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, July 2010)"This is a wonderful book that captures the breadth and depth of the sport and experience of cycling. A great tour of the mental, physical, cultural and historical paths a bicycle can travel"
--Michael Weiss, Chair, Tour of Missouri Professional Bicycle Race; Owner, Big Shark Bicycle Company

"Cycling - Philosophy for Everyonereminds its readers of the joy, freedom, and accomplishment one feels when riding a bicycle, whether that entails encountering Manhattan traffic on the way to the Central Park bandit race, cresting Mount Tamalpais to the unmatched views of redwoods and San Francisco, or punching through gale force winds on an isolated Midwest farm road far from everyone and everything.

I found myself fondly recalling the new bike I received for Christmas that first provided freedom from my parents' oversight and produced a liberating sensation that I was the master of my domain as I explored Chicago as a 10-year-old.

You too will reconnect to bicycling in ways you never expected long before you reach the last page."
--Tom Zoumaras, Former Masters National Champion (1997 and 1998); Professor of History, Truman State University