Bike Movies = Bad for Bikers?
Am I the only one who finds the current stream of films about cycling and “bike culture” a little off-putting? I love a good round of bike-jousting as much as the next guy, but is this the best way to draw the public towards cycling? The more cycling gets tagged as an “alternative lifestyle” culture, the slimmer the chances of getting a majority of Americans on two wheels.
Here’s the question: is it better that we try to get people excited about cycling by creating a buzz about it, emphasizing the gear, and trying to make it cool? Or, is it better that cycling remain as boring as possible so that it’s seen as the humdrum, obvious way to go about your day-to-day errands? I tend to fall into the latter camp; we’re looking for complete bike saturation here, not just among the hip set. Naturally, there’s room for both, but maybe we should allow the notion of the bicycle as primary means of transit take hold before we push the former too hard.
This is why I couldn’t wipe the grimace off my face while that whole bike clown business was going down in Williamsburg. For those of you who missed it, there was some pretty serious ruckus raised when long-time community members tried to get a newly painted bicycle greenway removed due to the fact that it interfered with their businesses and schools. To protest, a number of young locals dressed up in some outlandish outfits and rode up and down giving out fake tickets in an attempt to bring attention to the situation (pictures here). It’s complicated story, and one I don’t really want to get into in too much detail here. But really, bike clowns: I want you all to take a good long look at yourselves in the mirror:
Waxed moustaches, crazy hats, outlandish flowerpants — and I want you to ask yourself, is this really helpful? Is this the best way to sway public support towards investment in cycling infrastructure? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, “No, no it’s not, you idiots.”
That being said, I’ll see you at the 2009 Bicycle Film Festival.
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Derek Galey on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 7:45pm
I wouldn’t normally resort to personal insult, but, since you started it, you’re the idiot here.
First of all, because you assume that everyone shares your agenda. Maybe they just felt like dressing up as clowns, and having fun. If you live your life out of fear of alienating people, you’re not going to have a very good time.
Secondly, I just disagree with your argument in general. By developing a culture around biking, it becomes more than just something for kids, that gets dropped as soon as you turn 16. The more attention that gets drawn to biking as a viable form of transportation, the better, in my opinion.
The best route to social change isn’t always by trying to pander to wherever the majority currently stands. You’ll often get further by providing a positive, alternative vision. Many people see commuting by bike as foolish and immature. Downplaying that perspective won’t make it go away, but by embracing it and making fun of it, you just might provoke more substantive long-term changes in people’s outlook.
Dave Steele on Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 10:51am
About 90% of my trips around town are on a bike. When I show up someplace on a bike the reaction varies widely. Some people think it’s the coolest thing in the world, some people think I’m insane for doing it, and a very small minority react quite negatively, almost angrily, as if my chosen mode of transport is such an aberration as to be an insult to “responsible, regular folks.” I have noticed through time, especially since the $4 gasoline shock of ‘08, that there are more people these days reacting postively to biking and less people reacting negatively.
I would love nothing more than for my biking to merit no mention at all from most people. When someone shows up someplace in a car no one feels it neccessary to comment on it. My hope is that one day biking will be as commonplace as driving. I like talking about biking, and encouraging people to do it, but it would be nice to not have to talk about it twelve times a day with nearly everyone I see in the elevator, at meetings, at get-togethers, etc.
Given that in even the most bike friendly American cities the percentage of people who get around mainly by bike is quite small, less than 5%, I don’t think this is going to happen anytime soon. In the meantime all I want is to be respected out on the street. Don’t honk at me, don’t deliberately cut me off or cut too close in my lane. Just let me follow the rules and I’ll expect you, the motorist, to do the same.
Thankfully, 95% of my interactions with cars are unremarkable. 4% are actually downright positive, with drivers going out of their way to be courteous (sometimes too much so). It’s the 1% of negative encounters that needs to stop. As long as there is this aggressive minority of drivers, utterly convinced through a lifetime of marketing that they “own the road” when driving, and that all other users (including other motorists) are mere obstacles to be conquered, biking will always be a “fringe” activity, no matter how many clown rides are put on.
Urban Sociologist on Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 1:21pm
I think people are just tired of themes. Meaning most of the time when a movie comes out there is several of the same movies to follow. People are not going to get excited about bicycling unless they want to. If a person wants exercise then they will get exercise. Personally the whole clown idea isn’t my thing but people are going to do what they want to do and there is no stopping them. So in the end I do not think bike movies are bad for bilers.
Jacob Larsen on Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 9:44pm
Your article presumes that people who might choose cycling need first to be exposed to some positive PR messages that “biking is good for your health/the environment/ect.” But this assumption is false: despite whatever campaigns cities might make, people choose to ride their bikes to get around for practical reasons.
They bike for the same reason they drive or take transit: to maximize their personal ‘utility’, as economists who put it.
The fear that we must make a ‘good image’ for cyclists is hogwash. When the infrastructure and safety measures are put it place, no one will care what some crazy freaks do on their bikes.
Tamra in DC-ish on Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 12:48am
While it’s true that there are many, MANY people could bike to at least some of their frequent destinations and don’t, I think that having “getting a majority of Americans on two wheels” is a pretty unrealistic goal. If the 5% figure you cited is accurate, you’re talking about an increase of more than 1000 percent. Maybe aiming for a “significant minority” would be quite a bit more achieveable - maybe 20 percent?
I know it’s annoying for people to make such a big deal about it when you ride your bike somewhere. I had people laugh right in my face, like it was SO hilarious when I rode about five miles to work a few times instead of taking MARTA. Like you said, in many people’s minds, only children ride bikes. Riding a bike is simply inappropriate behavior for someone who is old enough to drive and makes (or “should” be making) enough money to have a car. Driving is supposed to be one of the privileges of being an adult. Most American kids look forward to the freedom that they anticipate having when they finally get a driver’s license, so it seems strange to a lot of people to give that up. It also seems that some people think it’s somehow undignified to have to exert a lot of physical effort and be exposed to the weather to get where you’re going.
Remember when people first started getting iPods? Everyone wanted to see it, see how it worked, what it sounded like. Remember when people first started disconnecting their home phones and only having a cell phone? “What if the electricity goes out? What if your battery dies? What if you lose it?” Remember when people first started shopping online? (I don’t know how old you are. You might not remember a time when people didn’t do it.) “What?! You’re putting your credit card number on the INTERNET, where just ANYone can see it?”
The point is that nearly everything that’s now mundane started out as exotic/dangerous/transgressive. To the extent that you’d like to see this BIG change in the way people get around, bike riders are early adopters. Chances are that you’ll one day be talking about “way back then,” when people thought it was weird to ride a bike.
Kimberly in Michigan on Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 12:11pm
Biking is not going to be a main use of transit for a person, or for the majority of people, until it is most convenient for that person to use a bike. Attrition!
zack on Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 2:06pm
I did dig Breaking Away (granted it’s like 30 years old now). The Brazilian O Caminho das Nuvens / The Middle of the World was terrible/disappointing.