Biking as Political Statement

Biking is a fun, healthy, and sustainable hobby that anybody in suburban, urban, or rural areas can enjoy. Perhaps more importantly, though, biking is a political act. Biking to go to a friend's house speaks to people in your neighborhood; biking to go to work speaks to people at your work site; biking to go to the grocery store sends a message to your community at large.

Biking is a political act in the US, and especially in suburbia, because of America's historical love-affair with the single-user, gas-based vehicle. Treating your bike as a means of transportation, not just a child's toy, provides lookers-on with an alternative to the system that brought us a system of sprawl, pollution, and loss of community. To many riders, bikes carry symbolism of the economic and lifestyle system we must create in the face of "peak everything."

You're right: riding your bike is not as fast or easy as driving your car on errands or to work. But try biking to the grocery store just once a month and see how it goes. Then bike to work with a friend once a week. You'll steadily get more in shape and gain confidence in your lifestyle choices. Biking will STILL not be as fast or as easy as driving, but it will be more satisfying than driving ever was. I promise you that.

Once you are more comfortable biking, you may wonder how you can make the transition to biking as transportation easier and more fun for those around you. Simple: ride more often, and ride with friends! Doing these simple things raises community awareness of alternatives to a system that doesn't really make anyone happy. If you live in or near a larger metropolitan area, consider joining a "Critical Mass" ride. These once a month group rides on major roads work to assert bikers' rights to the roadway. Remember, you have all the same rights to use the road as a car driver does. (Of course, all the same traffic laws apply to you, too.)

In fact, riding more often and with more people also helps in a very concrete and measurable manner. The more bicyclists on the road, the fewer injuries bikers incur. It's all a matter of raising awareness and teaching your community to watch for bicycles on the road, not just other cars. [Just for fun, check out these videos put out by Transport for London that illustrate this point about not noticing what you're not looking for.]

Remember, your personal lifestyle decisions effect much more than just your life. In transportation, as in so many arenas, "The personal is political."

Image from http://opensource.boxwith.com/archives/old%20bike.jpg