The Bike: Why Kościuszko?

Those who know me well tend to think of me as an historian. And, among all things having to do with history, military history has occupied a central part of my reading and research. There is not an era that has not seized my interest at one time or another, but the European period beginning with the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and extending through La Belle Époque (1871-1914) has held a particular fascination.

It is easy, of course, to think about history in the broad brushstrokes of epoques, eras and big events such as wars. We are often taught to think of history this way in school (much to my dismay). I, myself, am more interested in getting a sense of history through the study of perhaps not-so-well-known and unknown individuals whose lives were affected by and contributed to the flow of history.

Kościuszko, the man. Source.

One relative unknown (to Americans) during this period, was a man by the name of Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (1746-1817).  Sparing you the engaging but lengthy details of his life, Kościuszko was a well-traveled Polish-Lithuanian military engineer who made important contributions to the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He then went on to achieve great notoriety in the defense of his native Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, ultimately leading a national uprising against the Russians and Prussians in 1794. This uprising failed and the sovereign Polish state ceased to exist for the next 123 years. During the Napoleonic era, Kościuszko worked for the restoration of an independent Poland, but failed with Napoleon and then again with Alexander I of Russia. He died in 1817 after complications from a fall from his horse.

Because of his devotion to the idea of and work towards an independent Poland, Kościuszko has become something of a national hero to Poles, Lithuanians and Belorussians alike.

Kościuszko traveled widely and his views were oriented towards what we would now call "social justice". This made him enemies of tsars, emperors, and all those who had dictatorial desires or for whom social justice was nothing more than a nuisance. To me, his life was extremely interesting and his devotion to Poland was remarkable. His legacy is to be found in the form of place names, in the names of military units, and in literature, all around the world.


It should come as no surprise, given his beliefs and travels, that Kościuszko should come to my mind as a fitting name for my new bicycle, purchased specifically to accompany me on my Polish adventure.

Kościuszko (the bike) is a Parlee Altum, originally made in Boston, Massachusetts. Due to my own peculiar body measurements, Kościuszko has a modified geometry to make it a perfect fit for riding. This customization was expertly measured at Cascade Bicycle Studio in Seattle, Washington by Zac Daab (founder and co-owner) and faithfully implemented by Andrew Jorgenson (manager). I'm grateful to both of them for making my European rides with Kościuszko possible!

Kościuszko, the Bike.

In addition to the custom geometry, Kościuszko's disc brakes were replaced with calipers and we swapped the stock Ultegra group set to a Shimano 105. The cassette is an 11 speed, 11-32 so I can better manage the mountainous south. These changes decreased the overall cost of the bike, allowing me to add Garmin Vector 3.0 pedals, so I can (in Garmin's words) "up my game" and "ride stronger, smarter." We'll see.

Stay tuned for our adventures in Poland.