Report from L’Eroica, Italy 2018
The world's largest vintage bike event
Gaiole in Chiantini, a small town in a hilly area, is the venue for the world’s largest vintage bike event, the Eroica, which is located about an hour by car from Florence, the ancient capital of Italy. The Eroica, meaning ‘hero’ , started in 1997 with only 92 people. This year, it was attended by 7,500 people from 58 countries in the world. Its growth is fascinating because it has attracted many vintage bike enthusiasts.
One of the event’s attractions lies in the thoroughness of vintage. There are strictrules for participating in the Eroica. It is obligatory to participate on a bicycle manufactured before 1987.
Beyond that requirement, the bike must not only be made of steel, the brake lever must also be a W-level type, the pedals must be clipped onto flat pedals, and participants must be wearing a wool jersey, among other rules. Detailed rules are established for the event, which allows the charming world of the Eroica world to be created.
Also, although the Eroica is a bicycle event, it is not a race. A participant may choose his or her course according to his or her individual level of physical fitness, and options exist for a variety of participants, ranging from young ladies to the elderly; courses are available in distances of 32 Km, 46Km, 78Km, 130Km, or 209Km.
Although these courses can allow participants to enjoy the beautiful countryside scenery of Siena Country, most are unpaved roads and because of the hilly areas, there are many steep slopes; participants must push the limits of their physical strength. Only those who complete the battle against their own physical limits can be deemed a ‘Hero’ , that is, only in that manner can the title of the Eroica be obtained.
The charm of the Eroica lies not only in the characteristic vintage attire of the participants and the beautiful landscape but also in its philosophy. It is meaningful to participate on an old vintage bike which was not dressed like a dusty cabinet rather than a state-of- the-art or expensive bike.We can learn the importance of the long-term use of things rather than disposing of them from old bicycles. If a person who punctures a tire on a dirt road course goes in and others help repair it, the spirit of mutual beautiful will be born.Modern people, who are busy, also remind us of the importance of efficiency, which we have forgotten, but remains as the first principle.
In particular, the most impressive part of the event takes place when the heroes return to the finish line. Here, we see various moving scenes. Certain heroes come back singing together in groups. This is a sign of pride on the part of compatriots who did not lose even one person from their group. The figure of a father can be seen embracing his son, who finished the course, the eyes of a boy who proudly boasts of his father the hero can be seen, and so on. This has also become an opportunity to feel strong emotions about the love of family, which we have forgotten over time.
The universal values that are not directly related to these countries, generations, or genders may be the best attractions of the Eroica. We had no choice but to feel the depth of history, culture, and love for bicycles in Europe, specifically the country of Italy, which made it possible.
When leaving Gaiole in Chiantini I noticed the refreshing breeze blowing on the hill.
P.S. I got permission from the headquarters of the Eroica, trying the course with bike which is not the Eroica specification. Next time I wanted to formally participate in the Eroica specification. At Gaiole in Chiantini, many European vintage bike enthusiasts were interested in Maruya TAKERU, which I brought from Japan. Therefore, I will continue my efforts to promote Japanese hand-made bicycles to the World.
