Bicycle culture
Encyclopedia
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
. Although "bike culture" is often used to refer to various forms of associated fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
, it is erroneous to call fashion in and of itself a culture.
Cycling culture in the first sense refers to cultural climates cities and countries which actively support a large percentage of utility cycling
Utility cycling
Utility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport...
. Examples include Denmark, the Netherlands
Cycling in the Netherlands
Cycling in the Netherlands is a common and popular method of both transport and also recreation. The country is well equipped with cycle-paths and other segregated cycle facilities. The network reaches all parts of the nation and into the bordering nations of Belgium and Germany...
, Germany, Sweden, China, Bangladesh and Japan. In Copenhagen
Cycling in Copenhagen
Cycling in Copenhagen is - as with most bicycling in Denmark - an important means of transportation and a dominating feature of the cityscape, often noticed by visitors. The city offers a variety of favorable cycling conditions — dense urban proximities, short distances and flat terrain...
and Amsterdam, in particular, 37% and 40% respectively of all citizens ride their bike on a daily basis . A city with a strong bicycle culture usually has a well-developed cycling infrastructure
Cycling infrastructure
The cycling infrastructure comprises all the public ways that are available to cyclists travelling from one destination to another. This includes the same network of public roads that is available for other road vehicle users, minus those roads from which cyclists have been banned , plus additional...
, including segregated bike lanes and extensive facilities catering to urban bicycles, such as bike rack
Bicycle stand
A bicycle stand,also called a bike rack, is a device to which bicycles may be securely attached. It may be free standing or securely attached to the ground or some stationary object such as a building. Indoor bike racks are commonly used for private bicycle parking, while outdoor bike racks are...
s.
Subculture
North American cities with bicycle cultures in the second sense include Portland Oregon, San Francisco, TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
.
In some cities and countries transportation infrastructure is focused on automobiles, and large portions of the population use cars as their only local mechanical transport. In these places interest in utility cycling
Utility cycling
Utility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport...
remains a subculture. Countries with regions where this is the case include parts of the USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
Within this subculture are bicycling advocates: those who advocate an increase in population-wide commuting, acceptance of cycling, and legislation and infrastructure to promote and protect the safety and rights of cyclists.
Advocacy within the cycling community may aim for improvements including requesting bike lanes, improved parking facilities, and access to public transportation.
Within the cycling community, activism may take may forms, creative and practical, such as the creation of bike related music, bike related films, organized bike rides, often noncompetitive in nature (such as Critical Mass
Critical Mass
Critical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...
and World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport , to "deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."The dress code motto is "Bare as you dare"...
), the building and showing of art bike
Art bike
An art bike is any bicycle modified for creative purposes while still being ridable. It is a type of kinetic sculpture. The degree of artistic creativity and originality or new functionality of art bikes varies greatly, depending on the artist or designer's intentions .-Examples:* The annual...
s, printed word advocacy such as blogs, zines and magazines, stickers, and spoke card
Spoke card
A spoke card is a card placed in the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Most spoke cards are laminated.One origin of the spoke card was laminated cards inserted in spokes with numbers used to identify competitors in Alleycat races held between bicycle messengers...
s, and the publication and distribution of books such as: Thomas Stevens
Thomas Stevens (cyclist)
Thomas Stevens was the first person to circle the globe by bicycle. He rode a large-wheeled Ordinary, also known as a penny-farthing, from April 1884 to December 1886...
's "Around the World on a Bicycle," Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's essay "Taming the Bicycle" and H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
's novel The Wheels of Chance
The Wheels of Chance
The Wheels of Chance is an early comic novel by H. G. Wells about a cycle holiday, somewhat in the style of Three Men in a Boat. In 1922 it was adapted into a silent film The Wheels of Chance directed by Harold M...
.
Examples
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
s of bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
enthusiasts, including racers, bicycle messenger
Bicycle messenger
Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas...
s, bicycle transportation activists, mutant bicycle fabricators, bicycle mechanic
Bicycle mechanic
A bicycle mechanic is a mechanic who can perform a wide range of repairs on bicycles. Bike mechanics can be employed in various types of stores, ranging from large department stores to small local bike shops; cycling teams, or bicycle manufacturers....
s, and bicycle commuters. Some such groups are affiliated with activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
or counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
groups. These hybrid groups often organize activities such as competitive cycling, fun rides, protest, and civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
, such as Critical Mass
Critical Mass
Critical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...
. Some groups work to promote bicycle transportation (community bicycle program
Community bicycle program
A bicycle sharing system is a service in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals who do not own them. Bicycle sharing systems can be divided into two general categories: "Community Bike programs" organized mostly by local community groups or non-profit organizations; and...
); others fix bicycles to give to children or the homeless (Bikes Not Bombs
Bikes Not Bombs
Bikes Not Bombs is a Boston, Massachusetts based bicycle project which recycles donated bicycles, trains young people to fix their own bikes and become employable mechanics and sends thousands of refurbished bikes to communities in countries such as South Africa, Ghana, and Guatemala...
).
Bicycle magazines and organizations give awards to cities for being "bicycle friendly" (examples needed). US Cities known as such include Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, Minneapolis, Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Philadelphia, Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Seattle, and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
- all cities which promote "bicycle culture."
Midnight Ridazz
Midnight Ridazz
Midnight Ridazz is a late-night group bicycle ride that celebrates bicycle culture in Los Angeles, California. The ride takes place on city streets, has no sponsors, is not sanctioned by any government agency, and does not require registration or membership in a club. The ride follows different...
is a group of bicycle enthusiasts who ride every second Friday of the month in Los Angeles California. Riding in numbers exceeding 1000 cyclists, this ride's only political motive is to inspire more people to ride bicycles. Similar midnight rides such as the Midnight Mystery rides of Portland and Victoria, the bi-monthly Midnight Mass of Vancouver BC, and similar rides across the US and Europe have been growing in popularity.
See also
- Bicycle Film FestivalBicycle Film FestivalThe Bicycle Film Festival is an independent film festival that takes place annually in 20-30 cities around the world, headquartered in New York City. It was established in 2001 by Brendt Barbur, after he was hit by a bus whilst riding his bike in New York City...
- Bicycle-friendlyBicycle-friendlyThe term bicycle-friendly describes policies and practices which may help some people feel more comfortable about traveling by bicycle with other traffic...
- Car-free movementCar-free movementThe car-free movement is a broad, informal, emergent network of individuals and organizations including social activists, urban planners and others brought together by a shared belief that cars are too dominant in most modern cities...
- Critical MassCritical MassCritical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...
- International Cycling Film Festival
- List of films about bicycles and cycling
- Momentum (magazine)Momentum (magazine)Momentum is a magazine for cyclists. It is published in Vancouver, Canada, and distributed for free in 20 North American Cities. It is also available by subscription around the world. Momentum Magazine, originally founded in 2001, has been publishing in its current incarnation since June 2005.The...
- Segregated cycle facilitiesSegregated cycle facilitiesSegregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
- Utility cyclingUtility cyclingUtility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport...
Further reading
- Zack Furness, One Less Car: Bicycling and the Politics of Automobility, Temple University PressTemple University PressTemple University Press is a university press publishing house that is part of Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The press was founded in 1969....
(2010). - Bike Snob NYC, Bike Snob: Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling, Chronicle Books (2010).
- Jeff Mapes, Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities, Oregon State University (2009).
- David ByrneDavid ByrneDavid Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
, Bicycle Diaries, Viking (2009). - J. Harry Wray, Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life, Paradigm Publishers (2008).
- Chris Carlsson, "Outlaw Bicycling," in Nowtopia, San Francisco: AK PressAK PressAK Press is a worker-managed independent publisher and book distributor that specialises in radical left and anarchist literature. It is collectively owned and operated.-History:...
(2008). - Chris Carlsson (Ed.), Critical Mass: Bicycling's Defiant Celebration, San Francisco: AK Press (2002).