Bike culture

Cargo bikes as part of an urban cycling culture

The four dimensions of bicycle culture. They are linked to one another by a large number of complex mechanisms.

Bicycle culture (also known as cycling culture, culture of cycling ) is a term used to describe both socio-cultural and material aspects of cycling .

From a sociological perspective, cycling culture is part of everyday culture and mobility culture . It thus includes usages, habits and social developments with regard to cycling (riding).

From a material perspective, they are part of cycling culture

everyday objects that are perceived in connection with cycling,
the transport infrastructure and topography of a city, region or country as well as
the availability and access to goods and services. An example of this are bicycle stations .

History of cycling culture

Bicycle culture first flourished at the end of the 19th century. It helped the working class to become independent, and especially that of women. Cycling was seen as a fashion at the time and formed a subculture. Bicycle culture had a direct influence on fashion. The culottes were created as a compromise between the skirt as usual female leg clothing and the pants as practical clothing for cycling.

In the post-war period, the wheel was viewed more as a toy or sports equipment. For a long time, cycling as an expression of attitude to life and personality was not anchored in the consciousness of the population. This has changed, among other things due to the global cycle-chic movement. Active mobility became a trend.

Today, cycling culture has also become part of urban development and neighborhood initiatives. This includes the construction of freak bikes (e.g. tall bikes ), bike kitchens , the critical mass movement and the scene around bike couriers and hipsters. Bicycle culture has become part of the attitude to life, for example for alternative consumers or business people in suits. This makes cycling a political and social issue. Lifestyle magazines and daily newspapers feature cyclists on their covers, retailers use bicycles as decorative elements in shop windows. City administrations and politics are no longer only interested in bicycles as a means of transport, but also in people on bicycles and the various cultures associated with them.

Bicycle culture in science

Studies and scientific considerations on cycling culture consist of considerations about cycling as a cultural phenomenon as well as about specific usage behavior with regard to bicycles. There are also philosophical considerations. Based on the trend to rededicate cities into bicycle cities and to promote bicycle mobility, the question “How can everyday urban cycling be advertised and lead to a trend, or how can bicycle culture develop?” Is in focus.

For the traffic planning part, the engineering sciences, especially traffic construction, make their contribution. One of the best-known European traffic planners , representing the interests of pedestrians and cyclists, is Hermann Knoflacher , emeritus university professor at the Institute for Traffic Planning and Traffic Engineering at the Technical University of Vienna. Heiner Monheim is the best-known German transport scientist. He also developed concepts to promote pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Well-known urban planning consultants are the architect and town planner Jan Gehl (Gehl Architects), he oversees development projects to improve the quality of urban planning for pedestrians and cyclists around the world, e.g. B. New York's bicycle promotion program and Mikael Colville-Andersen (Copenhagenize Consulting). It was through him that the term copenhagenize (literally: copenhagenize, "do it like in Copenhagen") spread to English-speaking professional circles.

Influences and Promotion

Everyday cyclists, from recreational cyclists to commuters, have the greatest and most important influence on cycling culture. In terms of numbers, they are the largest group and are made up of 35 million cyclists, 5.6 million cyclists and 2 million commuters.

Cities with a high proportion of pedestrians and cyclists appear lively and inviting. Thus, the most frequently represented traffic groups determine on the one hand how the city is presented to the outside world, but on the other hand they also have a great influence on the city's identity and thus also contribute to the city's culture.

In second place is cycling in the sum of its disciplines. Some of the cyclists are organized in sports clubs. When it comes to trend sports , the independent scene predominates.

Cities, regions and their administrations also act at the regional level. With programs such as the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft fahrradfreundlichen Kommunen in Bayern e. V. (AGFK Bayern), the proportion of bicycle traffic is to be increased. Municipal bicycle officers should act as contact persons and problem solvers for citizens. Under the title "RadKULTUR in Baden-Württemberg", the state bicycle traffic plan of Baden-Württemberg promotes infrastructure projects in bicycle traffic and a bicycle-friendly mobility culture.

Gold sprint at the International Festival of Bicycle Film

Tourism associations are specifically trying to attract cyclists and cyclists to their region. Cycle tourism is a widespread way of spending your holidays on bicycles.

Free bicycle clubs and bicycle self-help workshops , e.g. B. Bikekitchens promote cycling culture, among other things, by building special bicycles (e.g. tall bikes) that attract special attention.

In urban cycling culture, the bike couriers provide most of the impetus:

Fixies (train bikes for the public road)
Clothing (messenger bags, cyclist hats)
Fashion (mustaches and beards, tattoos)
Events (Alleycat, Goldsprint)
Films, documentaries and books

The cargo bike segment is currently experiencing noticeable growth. In addition to private users, companies are also increasingly testing the use of transport bicycles for transporting goods over short distances.

Bicycle culture in the media

Bicycle culture is playing an increasing role in the media. Large online portals such as Spiegel Online and Zeit Online have their own categories for bicycle topics. Important supraregional topics such as the discussion about the introduction of mandatory helmets are dealt with in the ARD Tagesschau .

Over 100 German-speaking bloggers mainly deal with bicycle topics.

A new form of cycling promotion is emerging under the term cycle chic . The Danish blogger Mikael Colville-Andersen has expanded his blog Copenhagen Cycle Chic into a global brand. Each city can open a blog under its city name with the addition “Cycle Chic”. All articles are characterized by the combination of fashion and cycling. Without exception, photos of cyclists without helmets and functional clothing are published. By highlighting the modern urban style that cycling can convey, the aim is to encourage readers to cycle.

Excerpts from media reports dealing with bicycle culture:

"Ramsauer praises new bicycle culture" ( Die Welt , June 3, 2012)
"Bicycle Culture: Dreaming of Copenhagen" ( Der Standard , January 14, 2013)
“The walk through the bicycle blogs shows once again that Germany is a developing country when it comes to bicycle culture…” ( Rad-Spannerei Blog , January 14, 2010)
"Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer recently spoke of 'war-like conditions' on Germany's roads and a brutal bicycle culture." ( Berliner Morgenpost , July 19, 2012)

Trade shows, conferences and events

In many cities there are monthly, unorganized bicycle protest rides under the name Critical Mass . In some metropolises, bike rallies, “ bike nights”, naked bike rides or other major events are organized in which roads are partially closed to the rest of the traffic.

Stage of the 7th International Festival of Bicycle Film, 2012

Poster for the 8th International Festival of Bicycle Film in Częstochowa and Herne

Various film festivals on the subject of bicycles have established themselves in the German-speaking countries in the past. The oldest is the International Cycling Film Festival , which sees itself as a bridge between film art and cycling culture. It was founded in Bochum in 2006 and is now taking place at various locations in Poland, the Netherlands and Germany. The festival annually awards the Golden Crank as a film prize for the best bicycle film.

In Germany there are several trade fairs that are wholly or partially geared towards bicycles:

Eurobike in Friedrichshafen
Cycling fair in Fürth
f.re.e Travel and Leisure Fair Munich (formerly ISPO Bike)
Berlin bicycle show
VELOBerlin

The European Cyclists' Federation ECF has been holding Velo-city conferences since 1980 with the aim of promoting cycling as part of daily transportation and recreation. The motto of Velo-city 2013 in Vienna was “The Sound of Cycling - Urban Cycling Cultures”. The three main themes were cycling cultures, cycling cities, and the benefits and advantages of cycling.

Since 2011, the “Cyclocamp”, an international festival for bicycle culture, has been taking place every year in different locations ( Linz 2011 , Leipzig 2012 , Rome 2013 , Timișoara 2014 , Notre-Dame-des-Landes in 2015 ).

In Vienna since around 2006 years ago in early April found that of the Radlobby ARGUS initiated two-day ARGUS bike festival in front of the town hall instead. For a long time, the Vienna Air King dirt jump competition was central. In 2016 there was instead the Red Bull fuxjagd , a chase race with fixies on a track with chicanes and banked turns (first in 2014 as Red Bull Fix & Foxi ). With exhibition stands in tents; Earth hump track, pump track, test track, flea market.

The old town criterion Graz was driven for 23 years, until 2007, as a road bike race with professionals through small streets. Around 2010, for fun, Bernhard Kober and young people in Graz started a skill race on a narrow circuit through an apartment in an old building. As of April 2015, 50 issues of the old building criterion have already taken place, consistently indoors, also in restaurants, offices and locations in other countries, in order to be able to evaluate a World Cup.

The Bicycle Film Festival takes place annually in several cities around the world and was in Vienna in 2010.

statistics

In 2012 there were around 71 million bicycles in Germany. 4 million bicycles were sold, including 380,000 bicycles with an auxiliary electric motor. There are around 1.3 million e-bikes in total.

The share of bicycle traffic in total traffic ( modal split ) averaged 13.4% in Germany in 2008.

Freiburg, Greifswald and Münster, which account for more than 30% of total traffic by bicycles, are considered “bicycle cities”. Other cities are on the way there, for example the self-proclaimed “Munich cycling capital” with 17% in 2011.

Thanks to its large fleet of delivery bicycles, Deutsche Post AG is the largest bicycle holder in Germany. The bicycle fleet is thus also one of the largest in Europe. In 2003, 25,700 Post bicycles were in daily use, 4,000 of which were e-bikes. In 2013, 18,000 postal bicycles were on the road, 6,000 of which were e-bikes (or pedelecs).

Aspects in the public discussion

Helmets are compulsory for cyclists
Obligation to use cycle paths or their abolition
Combat cyclists, as a name for cyclists, do not observe the traffic rules

Politics, associations and clubs

The Federal Ministry of Transport is responsible for bicycle traffic. The ADFC (Allgemeine Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V.) with regional and district associations, Verkehrsclub Deutschland e. V. (VCD) and the Association of German Cyclists . Rudolf Scharping (Association of German Cyclists), as the national representative of the Union Cycliste Internationale, is the supreme patron of organized cyclists .

In addition, local associations have been set up to promote cycling culture. Examples are the Bikekitchen Munich as a non-profit "Association for the Promotion of Bicycle Culture" (officially: "Promotion of environmentally friendly modes and means of transport") and Historische Fahrräder e. V. with the purpose of the association "Promotion and maintenance of bicycle culture". Or the “Room for Bicycle Culture” in Hamburg as a non-profit association i. G.

Bicycle culture as a counterculture

Cycling can be seen as a radical alternative to the capitalist system of redistribution of capital. It is based on the idea that using a bicycle instead of a car leads to a drastic reduction in the cost of living and thus to a reduction in one's own contribution to the capitalist monetary system. Cycling itself is interpreted as a critical act.

The consumer aspect of cycling is evident from the large number of products that are marketed for cyclists and the sponsorship of cycling sports such as cycling, mountain biking and BMX. Bicycle culture as a counterculture includes - as an alternative to consumption - the recycling of bicycle components, self-made bicycles, self-help with repairs and renouncing functional clothing. There are numerous parallels to the do-it-yourself movement.

Further activities are the rededication of bicycles (e.g. to drive machines) and the individual (re) design of bicycles. In addition, there are self-created alternative media, protest campaigns such as the Critical Mass , neighborhood offers and initiatives as well as community activities , e.g. B. in refugee work.

Bicycle subculture

Alleycats and gold sprints (stationary bicycle races in which the bicycles are mounted on rollers) are considered subcultures with regard to bicycles . They are common in the bicycle courier scene. The sport of bike polo is in an intermediate stage. Professional structures, clubs and competitions have been developing since around 2010, when the first German championship was held in Frankfurt.

Other activities include tall bike jousting (lancing on a bicycle) and indoor bicycle racing (bicycle races in homes, factories, shops).

For the old building criterion in Gleisdorf, a bicycle race in old apartments: It's not just speed that counts, feet and hands must not touch the floor or wall.

Upcycling , i.e. the production of high-quality goods from bicycle (old) parts, can also be viewed as a subculture . Examples include sewing bags from old bicycle tubes, making jewelry and accessories, or building pedal-operated machines.

Bicycle culture in other countries

In North America, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Peoria, and Minneapolis – Saint Paul are all bicycle cities.

In the UK, Bristol is known for a vibrant cycling culture scene and is known as the cycling capital.

In Denmark, Copenhagen in particular is seen as a cycling metropolis. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam and Groningen are the most important cycling cities, where cycling is very common throughout the country and there is almost always a good cycling infrastructure. In no industrialized country in the world is there more per capita cycling than in the Netherlands.

India and China are known to us for the high number of cycle rickshaws and cargo bikes. They are part of everyday culture in these countries.

Picturesque Ciclopista del Garda along Lake Garda near Riva del Garda (2019)

Italy is one of the first European countries where the number of bicycles sold exceeded the number of cars sold per year. This ratio now applies to almost all European countries.

In East Africa, the bodabodas are particularly common. These bicycles are used to transport several people as well as to transport goods and loads of all kinds.

criticism

Criticism of the representation of cycling culture in the media is directed against the stereotypical, one-sided portrayal of cyclists. A special type is brought to the fore or the bicycle culture is reduced to it. Its features are:

Very noticeable.
The bicycle is the main mode of transport.
From the middle class.
No migration background.
The use of the bicycle is seen as political.
The bicycle is not chosen as a means of transport out of financial need.
Not having a car is an environmental act.
Precise knowledge of the rights of cyclists and enforcement against motorized traffic.
Expectation of urban planners to take the bicycle infrastructure into account when renovating and building new ones.
Association with other "noticeable" cyclists and participation in community activities such as Critical Mass or Alleycats.
Buying and wearing special clothing for cyclists as well as special bags and backpacks.
Owned more than one bike, use dependent on purpose and weather conditions.
Great pride in riding a bike, high will to convince other people.
Failure to understand excuses from drivers and traffic jams.

The criticism is directed against this one-sidedness, which is classified as a racist tendency, classism and exclusion. Bicycle culture is not limited to this type. Opposite him is the “invisible” cyclist. It is characterized by inconspicuous clothing and below-average, sometimes inadequate technical (bicycle) equipment. For him, using a bicycle instead of a car or public transport has mainly financial reasons.

Web links

Danish cycling culture at denmark.dk
Spoke Magazine , the magazine for urban bike culture
Space for bicycle culture in Hamburg
The bicycle in Sweden

Individual evidence

↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 136 kB) Peter Pelzer: Bicycling as a Way of Life: A Comparative Case Study of Bicycle Culture in Portland, OR and Amsterdam , p. 2 ff. @1@ 2

↑ Peter Pelzer: Bicycling as a Way of Life: A Comparative Case Study of Bicycle Culture in Portland, OR and Amsterdam . ( Memento of the original from June 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. P. 2 ff. (PDF; 136 kB). @1@ 2

^ [1] H. Müller-Baur: Workers' Movement and Bicycle Culture. On the history of the workers' cycling and driving association "Wanderlust" in Kirchheim / Teck , edition vulpes, 2002

↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from November 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ [2] (PDF; 1.4 MB) Barbara Possert CYCLE CHIC GRAZ - active mobility as a trend , 2011.
↑ http://a2011.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/ca-cycle-chic/
↑ [3] (PDF; 415 kB) Andrea Weninger and Ulla Thamm: Cycling is changing the cities: a review of urban bicycle cultures
↑ http://www.dlr.de/vf/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-958/4508_read-35940/
↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated November 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.9 MB) Franziska Neyer: Bicycle culture in Graz - student attitudes towards bicycles as an everyday means of urban transport , 2013 @1@ 2

↑ [4] (PDF; 1.4 MB) Barbara Possert CYCLE CHIC GRAZ - active mobility as a trend , 2011.

^ Hermann Knoflacher: Pedestrian and bicycle traffic . Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 1995, ISBN 3-205-98308-4

↑ Monheim, Heiner, Glodzinski, Alexander: “Radlust. Information on bicycle communication “, Univ. Trier, Department VI - Spatial Development and Regional Planning Department (editor), 2007.