@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite A2. Caveat that I've been a bit of an outcast most of my life, so even in counter-culture I'm an outlier. I have not yet crowdfunded a recumbent replacement so I do not yet directly participate in cycle culture in Albania. In Davis, I tried to participate but the local community had a veneer progressivism that underneath was still gleefully ableist. So after a while I dropped out of their BS. (1/5)
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite A2. Reading Marty’s comments in setting up this question, I know that I’m also not into the culture as much as others might be. On the other hand, I ride as a way of getting around to run errands, and I encourage others to do the same. I’m a member of @CycleWR, our local cycling advocacy organization, and try to engage in conversations about cycling and active transportation in general here in my community. And @CyclingGuide is an initiative that I’m passionate about. As with most things in life, there are different cultures with different norms. And I feel like I’m into cycling culture in a way that makes sense for me, and that is adjacent to the way that others are into cycling culture!
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite A2. Caveat that I've been a bit of an outcast most of my life, so even in counter-culture I'm an outlier. I have not yet crowdfunded a recumbent replacement so I do not yet directly participate in cycle culture in Albania. In Davis, I tried to participate but the local community had a veneer progressivism that underneath was still gleefully ableist. So after a while I dropped out of their BS. (1/5)
Accessible cycle advocacy was a big chunk of my work founding and leading UC Access Now. I've spoken at CalBike Summit, Complete Streets Coalition, and on podcasts about accessibility and ableism within cycling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fV-3d-J7pw&t=99s%E2%80%A6 #BikeNite #Ableism #Accessibility #BikeTooter @bikenite A 2. (2/5)
YouTube
My participation while in Davis was riding, interaction with LBSes, membership in cycle coalitions, participation in fighting for safe and accessible cycle infrastructure on the local, state, and national levels, and then online participation in cycle community such as #BikeNite I used to be a bit more active when there were email lists for IHPVA, Bridgestone owners, and folding bike folks, and when a recumbent forum I was a member of was more active. #BikeNite @bikenite A2. (3/5)
When I lived in LA, I was there almost at the beginning of what is now Active SGV when the men at the center of it pushed me and another woman out by holding secret meetings without us and made sure the only women in the group at that time were their girlfriends.
I attended as many open streets events in LA as I could get to.
Because my disability affects my hands, I can't do wrenching on my own cycle so I haven't gotten very technically geeked out. #BikeNite @bikenite A2. (4/5)
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite A2 it’s probably my core identity (there are some other bits) and its emphasis shifts with opprtunity. Right now I quax, (distance)commute and audax as much as I can (on tandem, Brompton and various sporty bikes) and do most of my own repairs. Because I am a bit neurodivergent I do most of my riding alone or with close family. Tomorrow I will be attempting to repair a friend’s Dutch roadster. #bikenite
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite
Bicycle culture is the social culture I have voluntarily entered, from an early age, and within which I've found home.
A2: I was a bike commuter for most of my adult life, before WFH became the norm in 2020. I've shared my passion for bicycles as a kid working in a bike shop, as host of a decades-long weekly ride, as coach of youth bike programs in my city, as volunteer for the local youth bike and trail maintenance programs. I've raced, as a young man, and later in life. I watch most forms of professional bike racing. Now I find bikepacking the most pleasurable way to spend my free time. I ride for mental and physical health. I ride with family. My wife works at a bike non-profit, and has been on the board of a few others. I have antique bikes and modern bikes in my garage. I research the history of bikes in my region. I post about them on my blog and wiki. I'm a bike nut.
https://fastestslowguy.blogspot.com
https://www.wooljersey.com
Read this: https://bikecult.com/bikecultbook/book.html
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite #BikeNite A2: Similar level of involvement here as Marty's: Multiple cycles, nearly daily riding, commuting solely by bicycle, post on social media about it, advocating (utility and recreational) cycling, participating in bicycle events, critical mass rides and bicycle demos, do bike touring, but no cycling sport, bike building or refurbishing myself, just mods to extend usability, i.e. mounting more stuff on handlebar, saddle post/rails and the luggage rack.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite #BikeNite A2. I am really not at all into the competitive or performance parts of cycling culture. I am really into cargo bikes and ebikes and folding bikes and ways bikes improve cities. Most of this takes the form of infodumping and receiving infodumps, because I'm such a homebody. I will talk about it with anyone (friends, coworkers, strangers) if they ask, too. I'm also super interested in bike repairs, bikepacking, and randonneuring, although I'm only qualified to receive infodumps on those. I enjoy [#] HaulShitOlympics and do post to that when I have an entry to submit. But the TL;DR is my relationship with my bike is as a commuter, and just really enjoy the kinds of freedom a cargo-e-bike gives me.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite I try to be part of the local tallbike group, where we build our own tall & freak bikes and take them on occasional (group-)rides around town. That makes me one of the most visible and therefore maybe also the best known cyclist around here.
But that's it - nothing else (anymore).
https://tallbike-stuttgart.de
#BikeNite #tallbike
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite
A2:
There isn't one cycling culture! I am deep in to bike touring and utility cycling. When I was working elsewhere I cycled every day to work, shop... Now with public transport it doesn't make much sense so I don't cycle that much, I don't get the people that have insane bikestreek just for the sake of it.
I don't care about pro cycling, it just doesn't reflect my needs - I just don't want or need super fast carbon bikes, I want reliable bike that I can have nice time on.
Most of my friends have similar view on the cycling, only some that wear the lycra everywhere. My friend that used to race and didn't get me at first tried my bike and flipped his view a bit, now he gets me and I was with him on few bikepacking trips already.
As for bike repair and tinkering - I do it only on my bikes. I like to explore the options what I can use, one of my bikes I used for trip through Europe has lots of replaced parts (there is few things that survived the trip).
@MartyCormack @bikenite A2. I guess I am pretty in it - we do #BikeNite every week, right? I'm less into the racing side of things, and I do not ride recreationally nearly as much as I'd like to or as I used to. But I still ride to work/school/errands nearly every day. I work for a bicycle advocacy non-profit, so I guess that's pretty deep.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite #bikenite #biketooter A2 My first reaction is “not really, I just like riding” But I Might have to admit I’m pretty far gone. Most of my time and distance is my daily bike commute but I do occasional gravel and mtb races, charity events, recreational and training rides with friends and our local no drop group ride. I started playing bike polo this year. I’m a gearhead and like working on bikes. I love the adventures of bike commuting. In it up to my ears.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite A2. I very much believe in the "people riding" over "cyclist" identity. That said, I've had an almost life long interest in riding, cycles, and advocacy/policy for safe streets. I ride frequently for utility, recreational, and fitness reasons and am involved with advocacy groups and recreational groups which feel like community. I also enjoy doing my own maintenance. I don't really think of it as cultural or lifestyle, but perhaps there is some. #bikenite
@dgodon @ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite My partner, without any prompting from me, has learned to distinguish "cyclist" from "just some guy on a bike."
Lots of people on bikes in Japan.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite A2: I vary a lot, ASD means my community stuff is pretty shallow. I submit on legislation and generally write to representatives asking for stuff.
I'm car-free, bike dependent and have done most bike-ish stuff, from building frames to riding Broome-Perth (and a lot of 'etc'). Nothing officially competitive though, or watching it.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite
A2. Really slow and stop a lot to take photos. Just *that* cuts me out of a lot bicycling communities. I'm a transportation and utlitarian bicylist. Retired from being a bicycle educator with the League of American Bicyclists and didn't renew my Adventure Cycling Association membership either. Mainly financial reasons. Live in a rural area now, but with a bicycle tourist season.
Also a very introverted introvert so online works ok for me.
@cainmark @ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite #bikenite yes, I was thinking "there's a whole introverted bike culture" and one of the nifty things about cycling is even in a group on a slow beginner no drop ride you don't have to talk to anybody and it's not obvious.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite #BikeNite A2. I've been car-free for over 4 years, now in my 5th car-free Winter in ski country. I'm an elected member to our Town Meeting, on my town's Planning Commission, and we just completed recommendations for installing 25 new bicycle racks in the downtown area on town land, with the next phase being outreach to local private property owners to encourage installation of bicycle racks for their businesses. I'm a former BMX racer and bike shop mechanic.
@ascentale @MartyCormack @bikenite
A2: Culture? Hardly even know 'er. Lifestyle? Probably pretty heavy I guess? I mean, main form of transport for me and Anna both, I make my own cargo trailers, I'm (very slowly, when I can) working on getting an abandoned rustbike back together, I maintain the Greater Northshore and MEGAMAP Seattle-area bike maps. Community? I've been on a couple of group rides and want to do more but timing is difficult.
I need one of those radar graphs to chart it I guess 😁
