Bicycle Culture Goes Mainstream in Canada

At least this is the premise of a recent column by Karen von Hahn in the Saturday, July 19, 2008 issue of the Globe and Mail (permanent link). As a driver, Hahn finds it hard to love her fellow cyclists who she finds, “empowered by their environmentally correctness that they have begun to proclaim their own (naturally superior and far more fashionable) bike ‘culture.’

The optimist would say, “Yipee! Bike culture has gone mainstream, we can now all relax as the bike lanes pave themselves and all people rejoice in human-powered joy!” But let’s get real. The only thing mainstream about bike culture is that it is summer. Just because gas prices are through the roof doesn’t mean we can cheer our unique brand of North American bike culture.

Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate Hahn’s bringing the bike culture idea to the attention of her and thousands of Canadian readers, but newspapers, and especially “style” critics have a tendency to write about what’s current as opposed to ongoing trends or lasting effects. What Hahn is listing with her references to Critical Mass, the Bicycle Film Festival, urbanvelo.com, “Ghost” bikes and the like a great primer for people to get involved in a growing bike culture.

I just find it hard to believe in the “mainstream” celebration of bike culture on Saturday, when on Tuesday the same newspaper’s editorial cartoon is making fun of the Leader of the Official Opposition for riding a bike, or the “Bat Cycle” and being “Cheep!”

but we must not forget that we are up against a much more dominant culture of automobiles, adds selling the sexy factor of cars and endless, traffic-free highways without sidewalks or bike lanes.

We have a long way to go.

Fixie Design in Seattle

This well-composed documentary by Kirk Mastin (and the book Rain City Fix that it is about) proves two things: 1. bicycles are beautiful and extensions of our creative self-expression, and 2. hipsters love fixies.

The photo artists, Brenton Salo, and designer/editor Aaron Edge proudly display Seattle’s fixie bike culture. They portray the bikes and their riders as “Beautiful.”

Find out for yourself. Preview and buy Rain City Fix.

The Social Experience of Bicycling Together

While commuting is not exactly the most cultural activity, a utilitarian use of bicycles can be used to bring people together and express their common — or newfound — love for cycling. One of the many ways to define culture is, “the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization.”

There is something beautiful in riding together: perhaps it is the shared sense of freedom and invigoration one receives from riding. Riding together, you are more likely to get noticed, and take up cultural space. And although neon yellow is not exactly a pinnacle of aesthetics, there is something remarkable about it, just as a neon fast-food sign lights up a grey street.

Bicycling together has a sense of common cultural experience like being at a concert, theatre or public demonstration. The beauty of riding together, however, has a more active quality to it. The rider is not just taking in the sights like on a guided tour of downtown, you are the driver and passenger all in one.

In places like Australia and Italy, a new social phenomenon has sprung up call Bike Bus. It looks and feels like club ride or a critical mass, but its for commuting purposes. Not only to people get to work or school invigorated, but they get the experience of riding together.

Check out their Website

The city of Reggio Emilia, in Tuscony, Italy, has begun a project to get people riding together early. Not only early in the day, but as young people. The innovative BiciBus program, started in 2007, now takes 380 children to and from 10 schools by riding in groups lead by a volunteer teacher, parent or grandparent. What better way to get kids into the bike culture than by starting them off early.

Check out BiciBus’ Italian Website