JCK-at-large SITE

When I heard that Milan was opening up 35 post-Covid kilometres of new bike routes, I thought it might be time to upgrade.  We’ve got a collection of four bikes, one from the pawn shop, at least one from behind Dominic’s garage.  I doubt that any would be welcome on the Strade Aperte— the “open streets of Milan!”  

Once a Coronavirus epicentre, the Italian city is now emerging from the lockdown with cleaner and greener transport options.  Expanding bike paths is part of the package —  “to protect commuters from infection risk and stop a spike in car use as lockdown is eased.” Hence 35 kms of city streets will be made more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, as city centre roads are transformed.  The ambitious plan aims to reallocate street space from cars to pedestrians and cyclists, making it safer and easier for people to leave their vehicles at home.  It will include temporary cycle lanes, new widened pavements, pedestrian and cyclist priority streets, and reduced speed limits in the city centre.  All of this to help prevent the virus being transmitted in crowded public transport as people get back to work.  

“What about a new bike for you?,” I suggested to the lady of the house.  “This could be the perfect time.”

“I love my bike,” she said.  “Maybe it just needs a tune up.”  I booked the tune up, and took some time to look around the shop.  Clearly this bike craze was picking up.

“We can hardly bring enough bikes in these days,” said Dave, the manager.  “I mean you can order them, but they come from abroad.  And with the virus, you’re not going to see them for two months.  I’ve sold every bike I had in stock… more bikes this spring than all of last year!”

When it came to upgrading my bike, I said, “I’d like to get into something with carbon forks.  I need something lighter and quicker.  My Yorkville is a comfortable hybrid, but pretty heavy.”

“That’s not the bike for you,” said Dave.  “Take a look at this discounted Salsa.”  I looked over a beautiful grey mid-sized unit, admired the disc brakes and Shimano gears.  He turned over the price tag and sounded surprised: “That’s a very good price for this bike… eleven hundred.”

“Is it lightweight?”

“Pick it up.”  I got it off the ground with one hand, but shook my head.  It didn’t seem to be nine-hundred dollars lighter than my Yorkville.

“Still pretty heavy…. What about 100% carbon fibre?”

“Now you’re talking.  Take a look over here. You can have this here Salsa Cutthroat for $2,300.  Pick it up.”  I got two fingers under the bar and up it came.

“Feather light!  Do you ever have a sale on these things… like maybe half the price?”

“Not on your life. The acrylic is cheap, but processing it is expensive. They have to heat this stuff forever in big machines.  And look at the hardware!  What about a test ride?”

Riding a carbon fibre hybrid is like biking on the wind.  This Cutthroat Salsa was so light, you didn’t even feel the unit beneath you. The gears shifted like butter on bread as I looped around some side streets.  I discovered again what every test ride proves: once you’ve ridden carbon fibre, you never want to come down to mere metals again.

“But they’re worth every penny,” said Dave.  “And in your case, it’s a bike for the rest of your life.”  Thanks, Dave.  I think he was wagering on my diminishing life span — especially at higher speeds!

“Maybe we should put our four bikes together,” I said to Ruth later, “and buy one good one?  It could be like the Pearl of Great Price!”  In that parable, of course, a man finds a priceless pearl on a piece of property and “sells all that he has” in order to buy it. She did the math and figured, at best, my four bikes would only give me 10% of what was needed.

Fortunately it worked out better for the man in the parable.  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44–46).  Ancient Palestine — a world of insurrection, instability and invasions. And no safety deposit boxes!   The Jews often buried their valuables for safe keeping. Sometimes these treasures were abandoned.  Finding one that had been left behind was like hitting a once-in-a-lifetime jack-pot.  

In short, Jesus and his kingdom are rare and precious, that’s what the parable teaches.  Like the perfect pearl, they were to be more highly valued than even diamonds in our culture.  Matthew Henry says, “Those who discern this treasure in the field, and value it aright, will never be at ease until they have made it their own on any terms.”  No price is too high to pay for that Pearl.  

As with the man in the field, some “stumble upon” Christ when they are not looking for Him. Others travel various spiritual paths for years before “finding Jesus,” like the merchant on his tireless search. However it happens, we cannot go wrong by trading in all our wonderful relics, and buying The Pearl.  It might seem painful at the moment, but it’s the deal of a lifetime!  As John Calvin put it, “we are so captivated by the allurements of the world, that eternal life fades from our view; and in consequence of our carnality, the spiritual graces of God are far from being held by us in the estimation which they deserve.” 

Coming out of a bike shop, things become clear.  The priceless pearl is a lot like carbon fibre. Once you get your hands on it, and feel the wind beneath your wings, you never want to pedal your old wheels again.