Often it feels like talking about why bikes are good and why people should ride them more is either choiring to the preacher or having an argument with a fictional cycle-hater that lives in the back of your head. You know they’re there. We’re all evangelicals knocking on doors asking if our neighbors have found our Lord and Savior, Bicycle Christ. We’ve amassed an arsenal of talking points designed to work on each other that confound and infuriate real life bike haters when fired on social media. Failing there, we retreat, scratching our heads wondering how to better tweek our language to convert the unfaithful, or worse – we ponder whether to stop using the word ‘bicycle’ at all.
If bikes are a social movement, and they are, there’s going to be infighting, difference of opinions, diversity of tactics. That’s fine. That’s normal. That’s necessary. As it’s often been said, strength lies in this diversity. Beyond talking points and facts and charts and diagrams, we need true visual evidence. Charts don’t mean zip to most. People can’t emotionally bond with a chart. They crave stirring, anecdotal evidence. They need to see somebody who looks like them riding a bike that looks fun while wearing clothes that look comfortable. The technology of photography fulfills this craving.
Here on Rebel Metropolis, I’ve assembled several collections of portraits in the 7 months since this blog got up and running. There’s nothing particularly unique about this round. It still largely represents urban cycling youth, despite my attempts to be as anti-ageist as possible. One of the drawbacks of Tumblr, perhaps.
So here again, please enjoy the below image spread of bicyclists and their beloved rides. In an attempt to outreach, if you have any favorite photo blogs of bike loving humans, please post links in the comments section. Next time we assembles a posse of pictures maybe we’ll toss in a few of yours.
See you in the streets.
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“Once you start cycling, the city opens up for you. No longer are you fighting it, hot and frustrated; no longer are you at the mercy of bus drivers, roadworks, decisions made by others and over which you have no control. Believe me, once you’ve tasted this freedom, you’re hooked.”
~ Deborah Moggach
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