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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781621069126 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Microcosm Publishing LLC |
| Publication date: | 04/12/2016 |
| Series: | Bicycle Revolution |
| Pages: | 192 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Pedaling Toward Equity
As I write this, there are signs that the only country remaining in the world where women are expressly prohibited from getting behind the wheel may soon ease its ban on women driving.
A Saudi Arabian advisory council has suggested to the country's leadership that certain women be allowed to drive themselves around, provided they are at least 30 years old, are not wearing makeup, drive during daylight hours, and have been granted permission by a male guardian. This follows on the heels of a surging resistance to the ban by gutsy Saudi Arabian women who have staged dramatic acts of civil disobedience simply by getting into the driver's seat and posting their flagrant disregard for the law, in the way of every modern protest movement, to YouTube and other social media outlets.
Thinking about the driving ban got me wondering about how else women in this notoriously oppressive society might be getting around. Because it is a country that is quite literally built upon abundant, cheap oil, public transportation isn't much of an option. Could it be then, I wondered, that Saudi Arabia was abuzz with women bicyclists? The answer, I quickly discovered, is a resounding no. It turns out the same conservative leaders who have barred women from obtaining drivers licenses have effectively banned women from bicycling too. As a result, women who want to legally move around their country are reliant almost exclusively on the willingness of a man to drive them around. Because women of means can afford to hire a driver, the restrictions on mobility most seriously affect the poor.
The ban on women bicyclists isn't unique to Saudi Arabia. Fundamentalists in North Korea and Iran have also imposed gender-specific restrictions on bicycling. ("It is not a sin for a woman to sit on a bicycle," Iranian Ayatollah Elm Alhuda purportedly reasoned, "provided she does so indoors or in her backyard.") In Egypt, as across much of the Arab world, social norms hold that bicycling is unwomanly. In Afghanistan, sports in general are taboo for women and bicycling is discouraged perhaps above all, based on the belief that the bicycle seat risks deflowering virginal young women. Simply for riding a bike, an Afghani woman faces death threats or worse.
The arguments used today to justify prohibitions on women bicyclists sound remarkably similar to those put forth in this country in the late 19th century, when the arrival of the "safety bicycle" was prompting women and men to take to two wheels in record numbers. A San Francisco newspaper columnist proffered in 1895: "What the interested public wishes to know is, Where are all the women on wheels going? Is there a grand rendezvous somewhere toward which they are all headed and where they will some time hold a meet that will cause this wobbly old world to wake up and readjust itself?" The practice was met with condemnation from some, who predicted giving women access to the bike would result in an unraveling of the very structure upon which society depended.
The conservatives were right to be worried. The bike would prove a game changer, helping to fuel revolutions in spheres from women's fashion to civil rights. It encouraged women to cast off restrictive Victorian corsets and long, heavy skirts that made bicycling difficult in favor of loose-fit bloomers and other selections more conducive to physical activity. Even more importantly, it afforded unprecedented mobility that made it possible for women to get educated, get a job, and be exposed to radical ideas and political organizing as the women's suffrage movement gathered steam.
"I am not an advocate of the use of the bicycle among women," a Chicago police captain named Luke Colleran told the New York Times in 1899, according to the rather hilariously-headlined article: "MORALS OF WHEELWOMEN; A Chicago Police Captain Thinks the Use of the Bicycle Dangerous — Mrs. Henrotin Disputes Him."
The policeman continued:
Women of refinement and exquisite moral training addicted to the use of the bicycle are not infrequently thrown among the uncultivated and degenerate elements of both sexes, whose course, boisterous and immoral gestures are heard and seen while speeding along our streets and boulevards. [Moreover], a large number of our female bicyclists wear shorter dresses than the laws of morality and decency permit, thereby inviting the improper conversations and remarks of the depraved and immoral. I most certainly consider the adoption of the bicycle by women as detrimental to the advancement of morality ...
Just as the bike stands in some places in the world today as an example of women's oppression, it is also being appropriated as an agent of insurrection among some working to advance women's rights.
A group called Girls Revolution in Egypt encourages women to ignore custom and take to the bike as a way to promote broader social change. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghul, a secularist and feminist living in Gaza City, has used bicycle riding, among other tools, to protest the Hamas-controlled government and its restrictive treatment of women. The group Yalla Let's Bike formed in 2014 in Damascus, Syria to encourage residents of that country to take to the bike for transportation amid mounting economic stress, skyrocketing fuel prices, and crippling traffic congestion that are the yields of that country's civil war. Although its work aims to foster economic empowerment and environmental stewardship for the benefit of all Syrians, the group's work has as a key part of its agenda promoting gender equality in Syria. "We want to change the norms and social snobbery according to which bicycles are for the poor or male athletes," Sarah al Zein, a student of French literature and one of the organizers of Yalla Let's Bike, told me. Even in Afghanistan, where girls are subjected to acid attacks and other brutalities simply for trying to go to school, a group of valiant women has formed a national cycling team. They practice before dawn on highways to minimize public scrutiny, head scarfs tucked beneath their helmets, and are angling for a spot in the 2016 Olympics.
In the western world, we no longer prevent women from bicycling by rule or by custom, but public policies and infrastructure make it excessively dangerous to get around by bike in many places. As I witness the occasional cyclist pedaling unprotected along the 1960s-era highway near my office — possibly on the way to a low-wage job at one of the big-box outlets that line the commercial strip or to the store to buy clothes or groceries — I am reminded of the inequities that we have built into our cities by making drivers' needs paramount. As Eben Weiss, author of the blog Bike Snob NYC, wrote cogently on this topic recently: "Effectively, we've lost equal access to the public roadways unless we're willing and able to foot the hefty bill for a car." Our car-centric culture disproportionately affects the poor, for whom the costs of owning and operating an automobile are most burdensome. It also disproportionately affects women, who comprise the vast majority of people living in poverty in the U.S. and around the world.
Fortunately, with the proliferation across the country of new infrastructure, laws, and educational campaigns designed to promote bicycling and protect bicyclists, there are important signs of a paradigm shift underway. And it is in many cases women who are in the forefront of advancing this shift.
I am inspired by the likes of Philadelphia's Kristin Gavin, whose nonprofit Gearing Up encourages women to bike as a means of working through addiction, trauma, and transitioning back into society following incarceration. And also Janette Sadik-Khan, the hard-charging former commissioner of New York City's Department of Transportation, who in her tenure helped to implement the nation's largest bike share program, banished cars from Times Square, and oversaw construction of hundreds of miles of new bike facilities. And Veronica Davis, who with her Washington, D.C. based group Black Women Bike is helping to normalize bicycling among a demographic group that has been slow to take to the saddle.
In my own city, they are women like Jennifer Ruley, a civil engineer persistently pushing public works and transportation departments to make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists; Karen Parsons, a transportation planner whom I happen to work with who fights for consideration of all modes in every project that comes across her desk; and Tulane University's Liz Davey, who (along with Parsons) was one of the founding members of the New Orleans bicycle advocacy organization now known as Bike Easy back in 2003, a time when very few people here were thinking about the bike as a viable transportation mode. This band of pioneering women also includes Rox'E Homstad who works with the blind and deaf community, is blind and deaf herself, and is quite possibly the most articulate and compelling advocate for safe streets for all that I have ever encountered.
Susan B. Anthony observed during the heyday of the women's suffrage movement that the bicycle was a great emancipator for women. Today, constraints associated with the built environment notwithstanding, I think the bike can be seen as a great equalizer — a cheap, healthy, accessible mode available to virtually everyone regardless of income, age, race, or gender. I ride alongside janitors and lawyers, parents carting their children to school and college students on their way to class. They are women, men, young, old, black, white, Asian, and Hispanic.
No matter how much we've paid for our bicycles, what we do for a living or how educated we are, we are all susceptible to the same weather, potholes, and crazy drivers, just as we all know well the joys of navigating our city by bike. While I can't say that I've ever said hello to or smiled at another driver as I've whizzed down the street in my car, on a mission to get where I'm going as fast as possible, this type of exchange with fellow cyclists occurs every time I ride. From the saddle, one can't help but recognize our common humanity — that we truly are all in this together. It is my hope that this book, in some small way, can help to nudge our society a little bit closer toward that ideal, one pedal stroke at a time.
Getting Started
Choosing a Bike
Cruiser. Cargo. City. Comfort. Racing. Recumbent. Tandem. Touring. The sheer variety of bikes on the market is enough to leave one's head spinning. The good news is that pretty much any of them can get you where you need to go. I would suggest that the best bike to start with is the one that you already have, or the one your nice neighbor has but never uses. If you haven't touched your bike in years, it's not a bad idea to take it by a local bike mechanic to have it checked out first. Like any machine, bikes work best with regular use and maintenance.
In New Orleans, I see 20-somethings pumping along city streets on tricycles. I see a guy who commutes to work solo on a tandem bike, its back seat unoccupied and swaying conspicuously, and I see more than a few adults pedaling around town on children's bikes. For more than a year, I commuted on a beat-up, rusting mountain bike that looked as though it had been salvaged from the junkyard. It made so much noise that people would often turn to look at me as I squeaked down the street, but its clunkiness meant it handled New Orleans' infamous potholes like a champ. Riding that bike also revealed to me exactly what I wanted in a commuter bike; namely, a rack that allowed me to leave behind the heavy bag that was the source of persistent neck pain and back sweat, a frame that allowed me to sit more upright, and fenders to make riding after a rainstorm imminently more feasible.
BIKE BREEDS
Before you head out to the nearest bike store, think about why and where you want to ride. If you're exclusively interested in getting short distances around town, a cruiser, city bike, or hybrid might be just what you need. On the other hand, if you're looking for a speedier model that you can ride to work during the week and also use on weekends to train for that charity ride you've been contemplating, a touring bike may be more up your alley. If you'll be routinely toting larger loads, you might consider a cargo bike or investing in a bike trailer. Alternatively, those with little to cart around may prefer a simple basket that can be readily installed on the front handlebars of most bikes to accommodate a small bag or purse and carry the added advantage of looking quite adorable.
SOME OF THE BIKES COMMONLY USED FOR COMMUTING
Road bike Anyone who has ever watched the Tour de France or witnessed bands of spandex-clad riders whizzing around the park on a Saturday morning is familiar with this bike type. Your standard road bike is built for speed with a super-light frame and skinny tires. Although it can certainly be used for commuting, this bike type requires a bent-over posture that not all transportation bicyclists will find comfortable or appealing. Moreover, because road bikes are designed with minimal weight in mind, they don't typically accommodate fenders or panniers and their whisper-thin, high-pressure tires tend to be prone to flats.
Cruiser or comfort bike This bike is as at home rolling leisurely along a beach boardwalk as it is well suited for a trip to the grocery store. It features wider tires than so-called road bikes, and also tends to have a broad, comfortable seat and upright sitting position for relaxed riding. Some cruisers are built with gears, but many models are single-speed. Incidentally, this is my mother's favorite bike type.
Mountain bike Specifically designed for rough terrain, a mountain bike has a thick frame and tires and heavy-duty wheels. Its stout physique makes it great for handling off road trails, not to mention gravel-strewn and potholed streets.
Touring bike This road bike variant is a little tougher than most other models used exclusively for fitness or recreational cycling. It provides a more upright sitting posture, and tends to include rack, fender mounts, and handlebars that allow you to rest your hands in a variety of positions to prevent hand, neck, or shoulder discomfort. This can be a good choice for someone interested in commuting to work and logging some serious miles on weekends.
Hybrid bike The geometry of this bike resembles that of a mountain bike, but with thinner tires, you'll be able to move along at a faster clip. Like comfort bikes, hybrids feature an upright sitting position and comfortable seat.
City or commuter bike This bike type is built for and marketed to the commuter cyclist. It tends to feature a sturdy frame and wheels for riding along uneven city streets and a more upright seating position than found on most road bikes to promote comfort and visibility in traffic. It's not meant to be the swiftest in the pack; rather, it is designed as a utilitarian tool for getting you where you need to go. Often, this bike comes equipped with racks and fenders or can be easily outfitted with them.
Cargo bike Only now catching on in New Orleans, cargo bikes are a fairly common sight on the east and west coasts, and a well-established staple in countries where transportation bicycling is more deeply entrenched. There are numerous variations on the cargo bike. Some are marked by a long tail or front platform to which bulky items may be strapped, and others are characterized by a large bucket into which various items (including kids, pets, groceries, and furniture) may be placed.
SOME OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT IN SELECTING THE RIGHT BIKE
Where You'll Ride
In my flat-as-a-pancake hometown, a single-speed cruiser would probably serve me just fine. Even so, I appreciate the advantage afforded by the three gears on my city bike when I'm climbing the occasional overpass. If you call San Francisco home, you'll definitely want to invest in a bike with more expansive gear capacity to help you push up steep inclines. If the hills where you'll ride are especially onerous, you might even consider a bike equipped with electric-assist.
The topography of New Orleans is defined less by hills than by potholes. A sturdy bike with wider tires comes in handy here in helping to ward off deflated tires caused by crashing into one of the ubiquitous craters that line our streets, though there are other steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of flats, such as installing Kevlarre-inforced tires to guard against puncture or high-grade rim strip (the lining that sits between the wheel and tube). No matter what bike type or tires you choose, it's always good to make sure your tires are properly inflated before you ride.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Urban Revolutions"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Microcosm Publishing.
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