My New Biking Companion
My biking days will never be the same again. I have a new biking companion. She was introduced to me by fellow biker friends. Meet Madonna Del Ghisallo. She will be my constant companion whenever I go places with my old reliable bike.
For those unfamiliar with her, she is the patron saint of cycling. According to the legend, Colle Del Ghisallo is a mountain pass in the region of Lombardia in Italy. In medieval times, the count Ghisallo saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary at a shrine when he was attacked by bandits. He defended the shrine and saved it from the robbers. The apparition later became known as the Madonna del Ghisallo. She became patroness of local travelers then. A little later, the hill climb of Ghisallo was regularly included in the route of Giro di Lombardia (Tour of Lombardy). And then in 1949, a local priest managed to persuade Pope Pius XII to proclaim her as patroness of cyclists.
Special thanks to Mr. Balete of Sampaloc who sent the sticker through snail mail. Even if it took two weeks because the mailman distributes mail here once every month, it was worth the wait. I requested for a copy of the sticker when he posted at the PMTB forum that he is giving away stickers free of charge.
I received the sticker a few days ago. Placed it in front of the head tube and sprayed with some clear gloss spray paint. She will be my regular Sunday companion from now on, aside from Lady Gaga and her emotionally captivating music about a relationship gone bad and some face lacking any interpretable expression. She will be my protector every time I ride my bike, whether it’s my typical Sunday stroll inside Clark or one of those epic rides I will join in the future. And I guess it’s time to map out some long rides soon!
