New podcast links philosophy and cycling - and the philosophers are taking the lead

"Cycling reflects life, for better or worse. The balance between instinct and reason. Between love and boredom." 

These are some of the opening words of the new AU podcast ‘Tanker og Tandhjul’, produced by philosophy PhD student Sune With Christensen. Each episode attempts to uncover the link between a particular philosopher or philosophy and the world of cycling. And with the Tour de France currently in full swing, Sune With Christensen has seized the opportunity and so far pedalled his way to three episodes. 

He has experience with podcasts from his product thesis and is also very interested in cycling. And this interest is shared by both his colleagues at the department and large parts of the Danish population. 

But what exactly is the connection? Why is it even possible to make a podcast at the intersection of mind and bicycle saddle? 

“Cycling is a highly individual sport, unfolding over long distances and taking place out in nature. There is plenty of time to comment on the sport, and there is not constant action. That creates space for build-up, speculation and analysis before anything much happens on the road,” says Sune With Christensen. 

"All sports have an element of philosophy, because they contain a mini version of the world. There are conflicts, alliances, drama, victories and defeats. Cycling has a tradition of using vivid descriptions that sometimes let people's imaginations run away with them,” he says. 

Research communication in the lead

You don't have to be a philosophy or cycling expert to enjoy the podcast. According to its creator, it is an attempt to make research communication that is not overly broad.

"By tying it to something concrete (cycling, ed.), we hope to engage people better. Podcasts are also a popular medium, so it all comes together perfectly," says Sune With Christensen. 

"We try to pull the philosophy towards something that people can relate to. Abstract philosophy and the history of ideas can be difficult to understand if not illustrated by the right example," he continues. 

In each episode, Sune With Christensen has a guest in the studio. In the first episode, Professor of History of Ideas, Christian Olaf Christiansen, visits the podcast to talk about Nietzsche. Associate Professor of Philosophy, Morten Dige, and Christian Olaf Christiansen both visit the podcast's second episode, which is about the sociologist Hartmut Rosa. 

"We want to bring our professionalism into play and draw some parallels that are not often drawn. There are probably just as many listeners who are interested in philosophy as there are listeners who are interested in cycling,” says Sune With Christensen. 

"There are many weekly cycling podcasts that cover most aspects of the sport. We deliberately want to include more philosophy than bike racing, because we are not experts and we do not have the resources to read up on the cyclists and the races every week," he says and hopes that someone might become interested in Nietzsche by listening to the connections that are drawn. 

“We’re putting out a bit of bait and letting people decide for themselves whether to bite,” he says. 

In the episode on Nietzsche, special emphasis is placed on how moral concepts change. Our current understanding of what a good person is is that it is someone who helps others. And according to Sune With Christensen, that is not really compatible with being a cyclist. 

"Cyclists have to think in a morally different way when the race is on. You cannot be worrying about whether the other rider gets to come along too or wait around for someone who gets a puncture. It’s not going to work if you think like that," he says. 

The purpose of the podcast is also to add some nuance to some of the philosophical concepts that people are already familiar with. In the episode about Hartmut Rosa, Sune With Christensen, Morten Dige and Christian Olaf Christiansen delve into Rosa's concept of resonance. 

"Resonance is about an openness to the world that is less purpose-oriented. There are many Danes who know Hartmut Rosa. They might think that it is a form of resonance when everything is working out perfectly for a cyclist. But for those of us who know a little more about Rosa, it's clear that that's not what he means by resonance. It's quite purpose-oriented for a cyclist to win a stage," says Sune With Christensen. 

The tradition of vivid descriptions

Political editor of the media Altinget, Esben Schjørring, is a guest in the third and latest episode of the podcast. This one deals with the mythical stories that surround cycling. Esben Schjørring is a cand. mag. in philosophy and is also a passionate cycling enthusiast. 

"It was the French newspaper L'Équipe that invented the Tour de France, and back then you couldn't televise, so it was the newspapers' written race reports that carried the sport. This has led to these vivid descriptions, which are a characteristic of cycling," says Sune With Christensen.

“I’d been aware of parts of it, but I think the way Esben Schjørring ties it all together is brilliant,” he says, referring to Esben Schjørring’s description of the connection as an alliance between legs and ink. 

Esben Schjørring explains that Jørgen Leth picked up that tradition and incorporated it into his commentary of cycling. But the tradition is slowly disappearing, Sune With Christensen adds. 

"The new commentators talk a lot more about the equipment, and the old discourse is vanishing. Jørgen Leth refused to talk about diet, data and aerodynamics," he says. 

Looking for guests

Sune With Christensen is open to inquiries about topics or guests for the podcast. For instance, he mentions the Danish term lirens, which is used in cycling.

"It's about the aesthetics. It can be the perfect length of the socks or the colours of the cycling clothes," he says.

”If anyone from Aesthetics and Culture would like to come on and talk about it, do get in touch,” says Sune With Christensen. 

"I am looking for guests who can provide input and ideas," he says. 

If you are interested in cycling and/or philosophy, Sune With Christensen's inbox is open. Find his contact information here if you have an idea for a podcast episode. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Podland.  

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Mie Skov Jeppesen.