Culture vs Community
10-26-14, 09:09 PM
#1
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Culture vs Community
I signed up for BikeFo 6 or more years ago but rarely visited until lately. As I poke through the fourums, I find things I get, and some I don't. One thing that makes me scratch my head is the Bike 'Culture' group which seems dedicated to talk of bikes of varying stripes of the 'freak' set.
Which is not bike 'culture' by my definition. But my views as to semantics are not that important.
I witnessed the creation of a strong bike culture when BikeSummer was held in Portland in 2002. It wasn't DEAD here... we had the rise and demise of Yellow Bikes, the Community Cycling Center ( still growing stronger every day, thank you..) and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance which is the policy arm of cycling in Portland and Oregon. But BikeSummer helped develop a DIY bike community, not sponsored by Trek and Volkswagen. A month of 3 or more bike events daily, everything from a Critical Mass to a bike camping trip, jousting and polo, to a wide variety of rides and events put on by individuals on a very small budget was the spark to much of the Portland bike scene. Once BikeSummer was over, a group called Shift carried on the community building started by BS. That was over a decade ago. And i certainly don't suggest Portland serve as a model for anywhere but Portland. Yet it is obvious to me that the imagination and power of an individual in developing a strong bike scene is limited to the power of one. Strength increases exponentially in numbers.
The secret for Portland was FUN. Making riding your bike so fun, you want to keep doing it, with more and more people, having more and more fun. Yeah, theres serious stuff too. But bike FUN makes more possible.
Which is not bike 'culture' by my definition. But my views as to semantics are not that important.
I witnessed the creation of a strong bike culture when BikeSummer was held in Portland in 2002. It wasn't DEAD here... we had the rise and demise of Yellow Bikes, the Community Cycling Center ( still growing stronger every day, thank you..) and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance which is the policy arm of cycling in Portland and Oregon. But BikeSummer helped develop a DIY bike community, not sponsored by Trek and Volkswagen. A month of 3 or more bike events daily, everything from a Critical Mass to a bike camping trip, jousting and polo, to a wide variety of rides and events put on by individuals on a very small budget was the spark to much of the Portland bike scene. Once BikeSummer was over, a group called Shift carried on the community building started by BS. That was over a decade ago. And i certainly don't suggest Portland serve as a model for anywhere but Portland. Yet it is obvious to me that the imagination and power of an individual in developing a strong bike scene is limited to the power of one. Strength increases exponentially in numbers.
The secret for Portland was FUN. Making riding your bike so fun, you want to keep doing it, with more and more people, having more and more fun. Yeah, theres serious stuff too. But bike FUN makes more possible.
10-27-14, 06:34 AM
#3
Senior Member
Honestly, each subforum has its own culture to it. What you're talking about may be best in the Advocacy and Safety forum.
10-27-14, 08:44 AM
#4
Banned
Nation or region Vs Neighborhood. you and your friends..
Last edited by fietsbob; 10-29-14 at 09:19 AM.
10-29-14, 08:41 AM
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I worry about promoting bike 'culture' as opposed to 'community', as a 'community' has a more inclusive feel to it, while 'culture' could be interpreted as a set of disqualifying guidelines. Think 'roadie culture' vs 'cycling community'. People on recumbents and wearing Velcro pant leg straps are not welcome in the former, but people on 14 lb carbon bikes and wearing Festina garb are welcome in the latter.
United we stand, divided we fall - holds true for the cycling community and for headtube welds.
United we stand, divided we fall - holds true for the cycling community and for headtube welds.
