One Less Car: Bicycling and the Politics of Automobility (Sporting)

Although millions of people in the United States love to ride bicycles for exercise or leisure, statistics show that only 1 per cent of the total U.S. population ride bicycles for transportation - and barely half as many use bikes to commute to work. In his original and exciting book, "One Less Car", Zack Furness examines what it means historically, culturally, socio economically, and politically to be a bicycle transportation advocate/activist. Presenting an underground subculture of bike enthusiasts who aggressively resist car culture, Furness maps out the cultural trajectories between mobility, technology, urban space and everyday life. He connects bicycling to radical politics, public demonstrations, alternative media production (e.g., 'zines), as well as to the development of community programs throughout the world. "One Less Car" also positions the bicycle as an object with which to analyze and critique some of the dominant cultural and political formations in the U.S. - and even breaks down barriers of race, class and gender privilege that are interconnected to mobility. For Furness, bicycles not only liberate people from technology, they also support social and environmental justice. So, he asks, why aren't more Americans adopting them for their transportation needs? « Although millions of people in the United States love to ride bicycles for exercise or leisure, statistics show that only 1% of the total U.S. population ride bicycles for transportation—and barely half as many use bikes to commute to work. In his original and exciting book, One Less Car, Zack Furness examines what it means historically, culturally, socioeconomically, and politically to be a bicycle transportation advocate/activist. Presenting an underground subculture of bike enthusiasts who aggressively resist car culture, Furness maps out the cultural trajectories between mobility, technology, urban space and everyday life. He connects bicycling to radical politics, public demonstrations, alternative media production (e.g., ‘zines), as well as to the development of community programs throughout the world. One Less Car also positions the bicycle as an object with which to analyze and critique some of the dominant cultural and political formations in the U.S.—and even breaks down barriers of race, class and gender privilege that are interconnected to mobility. For Furness, bicycling can be a form of liberation and a way to support social and environmental justice. So, he asks, Why aren't more Americans adopting bikes for their transportation needs? »-- Résumé de l'éditeur Although millions of people in the United States love to ride bicycles for exercise or leisure, statistics show that only 1 percent of the total U.S. population uses bicycles for transportationand barely half as many people bike to work. In his original and exciting book, One Less Car, Zack Furness examines what it means historically, culturally, socioeconomically, and politically to be a bicycle transportation advocate/activist. Presenting an underground subculture of bike enthusiasts who aggressively resist car culture, Furness maps out the cultural trajectories between mobility, technology, urban space and everyday life. He connects bicycling to radical politics, public demonstrations, alternative media production (e.g., zines), as well as to the development of community programs throughout the world. One Less Car also positions the bicycle as an object with which to analyze and critique some of the dominant cultural and political formations in the U.S.and even breaks down barriers of race, class and gender privilege that are interconnected to mobility. For Furness, bicycling can be a form of liberation and a way to support social and environmental justice. So, he asks, Why aren't more Americans adopting bikes for their transportation needs? Zack Furness Examines What It Means Historically, Culturally, Socioeconomically, And Politically To Be A Bicycle Transportation Advocate/activist. --from Publisher Description. Introductions And Intersections -- Becoming Auto-mobile -- Velorutionaries And The Right To The (bikeable) City -- Critical Mass And The Functions Of Bicycle Protest -- Two-wheeled Terrors And Forty-year-old Virgins : Mass Media And The Representation Of Bicycling -- Diy Bike Culture -- Handouts, Hand Ups, Or Just Lending A Hand? : Community Bike Projects, Bicycle Aid, And Competing Visions Of Development Under Globalization -- Conclusion, Or We Have Nothing To Lose But Our (bike) Chains. Zack Furness. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1. Introductions and Intersections......Page 14 2. Becoming Auto-Mobile......Page 27 3. Vélorutionaries and the Right to the (Bikeable) City......Page 60 4. Critical Mass and the Functions of Bicycle Protest......Page 91 5. Two-Wheeled Terrors and Forty-Year-Old Virgins: Mass Media and the Representation of Bicycling......Page 121 6. DIY Bike Culture......Page 153 7. Handouts, Hand Ups, or Just Lending a Hand? Community Bike Projects, Bicycle Aid, and Competing Visions of Development under Globalization......Page 183 8. Conclusion, or “We Have Nothing to Lose but Our (Bike) Chains”......Page 216 Notes......Page 232 Bibliography......Page 308 Index......Page 350 Examines what it means historically, culturally, socioeconomically, and politically to be a bicycle transportation advocate/activist. Presenting an underground subculture of bike enthusiasts who aggressively resist car culture, this book maps out the cultural trajectories between mobility, technology, urban space and everyday life.