Bicycology is a UK-based collective that was formed after the 2005 London to Scotland G8 Bike Ride. [1] It is a non-hierarchical non-profit organisation which aims to promote cycling as part of a wider focus on social and environmental sustainability. Bicycology has received funding from Artists Project Earth [2] [3] and is a member organisation of the World Carfree Network. [4]
Bicycology involves itself in what is referred to as "bicycle politics" and Aurora Trujillo (a member of Bicycology) co-organised [5] a two-day Bicycle Politics Symposium and Workshop in September 2010 at the Centre for Mobilities Research, Lancaster University. Aurora presented a paper titled "Cycling as an oppressed practice: towards a transformative 'promotion' of Cycling" whilst Matt Wilson (another member of Bicycology) presented a paper on "Cycling and the Law" which addressed the issue from an anarchist perspective.
The first major event organised by Bicycology was a tour from London to Lancaster in the summer of 2006. [6] [7] On arrival in Lancaster the group put on various events including a film night and a free bike repair session. The group was then joined by a number of Lancastrians for a ride to the first Camp for Climate Action in Megawatt Valley near Leeds.
In the summer of 2007 Bicycology organised another tour, this time from Aylesbury to Exeter [8] (two of the original Cycling towns chosen by Cycling England). About twenty people completed the tour, travelling solely by bike and carrying or towing all their equipment, which included a renewable energy trailer.
Rather than another long distance tour, in the summer of 2008 Bicycology organised a week-long festival of cycling and sustainability in Lancaster and Morecambe which they called "Routes to Solutions". [9] Events included workshops, film nights, rides and a Lancaster Critical Mass on the last Friday of August.
In May 2012 Bicycology toured the Midlands with events around the slogan "Parking the Car ... For Good!" On 12 May they bought up spaces at the car park in Coventry city centre and used them to set up a display promoting their message. [10]
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two-wheeled bicycles, "cycling" also includes the riding of unicycles, tricycles, quadricycles, recumbent and similar human-powered vehicles (HPVs).
Critical Mass is a form of direct action in which people meet at a set location and time and travel as a group through their neighbourhoods on bikes. The idea is for people to group together to make it safe for each other to ride bicycles through their streets, based on the old mantra: there's safety in numbers.
Bicycle touring is the taking of self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure or autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Touring can range from single-day trips, to multi-day trips, to years. Tours may be planned by the participant or organised by a holiday business, a club, or a charity as a fund-raising venture.
Cycling UK is a trading name of the Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), which is a charitable membership organisation supporting cyclists and promoting bicycle use. Cycling UK is registered at Companies House as "Cyclists’ Touring Club", and is covered by company law. It works at a national and local level to lobby for cyclists' needs and wants, provides services to members, and organises local groups for local activism and those interested in recreational cycling. The original Cyclists' Touring Club began in the nineteenth century with a focus on amateur road cycling but these days has a much broader sphere of interest encompassing everyday transport, commuting and many forms of recreational cycling. Prior to April 2016, the organisation operated under the brand "CTC, the national cycling charity". As of February 2020, the organisation's president is the newsreader Jon Snow.
Bicycle Network is a charity, one of the largest cycling membership organisations in the world, whose mission is to have More People Cycling More Often. It was, prior to 2011, known as Bicycle Victoria.
Cycling in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, Australia, is enhanced by the city's relatively flat topography and generally mild climate. The city has an active cycling culture for commuting, recreation, fitness and sport, and the metropolitan area has an extensive network of off-road bicycle paths, as well as designated bicycle lanes on many streets.
Since the advent of the bicycle in the 1860s, Chicago has been distinguished as one of the premier cycling locations in the United States, with such public cycling destinations as Grant Park, Burnham Park and the Chicago Park District's Lakefront Trail.
This is a glossary of terms and jargon used in cycling, mountain biking, and cycle sport.
Cycling advocacy consists of activities that call for, promote or enable increased adoption and support for cycling and improved safety and convenience for cyclists, usually within urbanized areas or semi-urban regions. Issues of concern typically include policy, administrative and legal changes ; advocating and establishing better cycling infrastructure ; public education regarding the health, transportational and environmental benefits of cycling for both individuals and communities, cycling and motoring skills; and increasing public and political support for bicycling.
Scottish Cycling, legally the Scottish Cyclists' Union (SCU), is the governing body for cycle sport in Scotland and is part of British Cycling, the national governing body in Britain.
Cycling in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia takes place for recreation, commuting and as a sport. Sydney has a hilly topography and so may require a slightly higher level of fitness from cyclists than flatter cities such as Melbourne and Canberra. Sydney depends heavily on motor vehicles where traffic and public transport operate at capacity. This means that cyclist are often competing with motorists for limited space on busier roads, and for limited government resources for expenditure on road infrastructure. In its favour, Sydney has a generally mild climate and there are active cycling groups.
McDonald's Cycle Center is an indoor bike station in the northeast corner of Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city of Chicago built the center at the intersection of East Randolph Street and Columbus Drive, and opened it July 2004. Since June 2006, it has been sponsored by McDonald's and several other partners, including city departments and bicycle advocacy organizations. The bike station, which serves bicycle commuters and utility cyclists, provides lockers, showers, a snack bar with outdoor summer seating, bike repair, bike rental and 300 bicycle parking spaces as of 2004. The Cycle Center is accessible by membership and day pass. It also accommodates runners and inline skaters, and provides space for a Chicago Police Department Bike Patrol Group.
Cycling in New Zealand, while relatively popular as a sport, is a very marginal commuting mode, with the share hovering around 1-3% in most major cities. This is due to a number of factors, principally safety fears.
Toronto, like many North American cities, has slowly been improving its cycling infrastructure. The number of cyclists has been increasing progressively, particularly in the city's downtown core. As cycling conditions improve, a cycling culture has grown and alternatives such as automobiles are seen as less attractive. The politics of providing resources for cyclists, particularly dedicated bike lanes, has been contentious, particularly since the 2010s.
Bamboo bicycles are pedal-and-chain-driven, human-powered, single-track vehicles that have two wheels attached to a bamboo frame. Because of its light weight, vibration damping, and sustainability, bamboo is slowly starting to be used in bicycle frame production, though the industry is still dominated by aluminium frames.
Detroit is a popular city for cycling. It is flat with an extensive road network with a number of recreational and competitive opportunities and is, according to cycling advocate David Byrne, one of the top eight biking cities in the world. The city has invested in greenways and bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly infrastructure. Bike rental is available from the riverfront and tours of the city's architecture can be booked.
Cycling in Australia is a common form of transport, recreation and sport.
The Otesha Project was a Canadian non-profit that promoted social and environmental sustainability among young people. Founded in 2002, the organization disbanded on December 31, 2015. At one point, the project had affiliates in the United Kingdom and Australia.
The Great Victorian Bike Ride, commonly known as The Great Vic, is a non-competitive fully supported eight- or nine-day annual bicycle touring event organised by Bicycle Network. The ride takes different routes around the countryside of the state of Victoria, Australia each year. The total ride distance is usually in the range of 550 kilometres (340 mi), averaging about 70 kilometres (43 mi) a day excluding the rest day. The ride first ran in 1984, attracting 2,100 riders in what was initially supposed to be a one-off event, but due to its unexpected popularity and success it subsequently became an annual event. The Great Vic typically draws several thousand participants each year, with a record of 8,100 riders in 2004, which makes it one of the world's largest supported bicycle rides.
