We live in an era that is ethically moved by new and profound social and moral values: sustainability, carbon footprint, recycling and reuse above all.
Combining L'Eroica with these values is simple: to see the connection, just think of the essence of our beloved event, based, as it is, mainly on old bikes and clothes. As if by magic, what until a few years ago was destined to decompose or be crushed in a junkyard, comes back to life and may even increase in value. I like to think of it as the revenge of the forgotten things, ugly duckling stories to use a metaphor: from rubbish to rubies, from rejects to relics. Just like my dad used to do, even though he was unaware of the passion that he would later generate. He gave new life to dozens and dozens of bikes, he wore jerseys that were almost falling apart, with the sole purpose of demonstrating that they had not lost their usefulness, on the contrary: the wear and tear was an added value to show off and be proud of. Not to mention his care in salvaging old things, fixing every single thing with dedication. I like to remember how he was never surprised by certain stories of past cycling, involving bold men who did not know the meaning of the word surrender. At the time, reliability, solidity and sturdiness were sought in every area. When I think about it, I smile at the idea of the notorious "planned obsolescence" that we deal with in our times: how would say Giovanni Gerbi have reacted to such a crazy strategy, if applied to his world? And are we certain that an adverse, or worse, reaction from him would not have been appropriate? We have so much to learn from our elders; this world is missing an Eroica philosophy. Of course, we can recover it, but we need to roll up our sleeves and think differently. At our museum there is a bike whose inner tube has been patched seventeen times. Seventeen! When I ask you to think differently, I would like you to think of that inner tube, that patchwork mosaic, because that is how I would like the world to be. Spoiler: in case you were in any doubt, the bike with those tyres works perfectly!
Jacek Berruti
