Cold War and Cycling--Together Again

It has been a long time since I've had anything to report about my own riding, and the kind of riding I've done is partly to blame. Yet, every time I begin to tell someone that this year I've just not done the kind of rides one would like to do (hilly rides, century rides, all-day-there's-nothing-else-that-really-matters-rides--no Sardinia!), I realize that, of course, I did do the Grandfondo Val di Cecina last March. Come to think of it, I had two weeks, in two different regions, in France with my bike in the summer. Furthermore, just this month, thanks to a nuclear history workshop held in nearby Prato, I did two very nice loops south of Florence (that would be Florence, Italy, not Florence, Kansas--although I would not mind at all doing a Flint Hills ride again). So what's my problem? I don't know either. The Granfondo was spring training (although, with a good friend of mine, one might rightly ask: training what for, mr. "I-don't-race-anymore"?), France was summer vacation (but with beautiful roads in the Tarn region, and this, this, and this climb, among others, in the Alps), and this month, Cold War (the workshop) and cycling (the couple of extra days we took in Florence) came back together again. Why not take a few extra days if you have to travel to a place like Tuscany? Especially if there's an institution such as Florence By Bike? I was able to rent a full carbon Bianchi from them for two days, and not only that, they also went out of their way to help me find my way around. How many kilometers was I thinking of? Did I like to climb? And so they mapped out a 105 km loop with lots of up-and-down on quiet little roads. Given that all this was south of Florence (in the direction of Siena), there's no need to dwell on the fact that it was also a beautiful loop. I was surprised, however, how quickly after leaving town the roads already got quiet (almost the whole way to Impruneta, with its metally-tasting water). After Impruneta, I had the roads almost to myself (or so it felt): Strada in Chianti, Dudda to Radda in Chianti, and back up via Lucarelli, Panzana, Mercatale, to San Casciano. The last twenty kilometers back into the city (by way of Galluzzo) were a little busier, but it was still rolling, it was still Tuscany, so nobody heard me complain. The loop was so nice, I did it twice, also because the second time around I would not have to stop so often to double-check my map. I'd certainly recommend it, but not to a beginner. On the way out, there are some nice, longer, steady climbs, maxing out around 6%; between Panzana and Mercatale you get treated to steeper up-and-down stuff, where on the short 10-12% uphill sections it's hard to find a rhythm. On the whole, an excellent loop if you'd like to get a real ride that still leaves you with a little energy for strolling around Florence later in the day. About that nuclear history business, I'll write something later.

America, the Economizing Power

My friend and colleague Jeremi Suri, he of the new Liberty's Surest Guardian, has an op-ed in the New York Times today in which he argues that the United States rigorously should set priorities--and shed responsibilities and ambitions--in foreign policy. This goes beyond the Obama administration's national security strategy of last year (although it echoes it), and it also goes beyond the Libya "leading from behind" mantra. I like the article but wonder whether it doesn't expect too much of the president, who, of course, should still lead, and too little of others, especially the Republican opposition. Suri's first national priority, after all, is to preserve the dollar's global reserve currency status, and if there's anything we've learned this year is that getting America's financial house in order requires bi-partisan decisions. There's more to be said about this piece, which does get us into the specifics of how a declining hegemon like the U.S. ought to reorder its priorities, but I have to go read about the Cold War now.