Imagine the absurdity of somebody saying, “Detroit can’t handle 6,000 Tigers fans flooding downtown with their cars anymore, this has to be put to a stop!” You’d be laughed out of town. But say the same thing about people on bicycles and somehow many nod approval. That’s essentially the hack job Model D shat upon the… Continue reading In Defense of Detroit’s Slow Roll
Tag: bicycles
Bicycling, Brandalism, and Black Bloc at the Paris Climate Talks
It’s that time of year again, when world leaders and masses of activists convene to grapple with a dying Earth. Largely indifferent to the effects of climate change, overpopulation, and ecological collapse, this year we’ve seen a slight intensifying of rhetoric from Barack Obama and Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel. Even notorious climate denier Vladimir Putin made a… Continue reading Bicycling, Brandalism, and Black Bloc at the Paris Climate Talks
Slow Rolling In the Motor City: PHOTO ESSAY
On a recent visit to my home state of Michigan, I was lucky enough to be able to check out Detroit’s ‘Slow Roll‘ mass ride. Started five years ago by two friends, Slow Roll has turned into a thousands-strong spectacle that takes over Motown streets for 30 weeks out of the year, with the city’s blessing.… Continue reading Slow Rolling In the Motor City: PHOTO ESSAY
Scenes From the Cycling City
Depending on where you live, you’re either in the depths of winter’s maelstrom, or you’ve been enjoying a mild, temperate permanent fall with spring right around the corner. Few images inspire the urge to end hibernation like those of people on their bikes. Even for all-weather, year-round riders, spring is that magical time where ridership increases,… Continue reading Scenes From the Cycling City
July 4th and a Celebration of Cycling
“To the American slave, what is your 4th of July? A day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds… Continue reading July 4th and a Celebration of Cycling
Rebel Metropolis Bicycle Drunk-Cast: Round 2!
Post Superbowl, cycling comrade Meg Brennan sat down with me once again to record our second drunken bicycle pod-cast. Topics of discussion involved the diversity vs. normality of bike culture, donating to Planned Parenthood, issues of land use and gentrification, class structure, capitalism, blogging in general, Streetfilms, street art as community builder, riding a bike as… Continue reading Rebel Metropolis Bicycle Drunk-Cast: Round 2!
Bike Photography as Anecdotal Advocacy
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… Continue reading Bike Photography as Anecdotal Advocacy
Social Inertia and the Clitoral Mass Movement
A cycling renaissance is taking place throughout North America and across the globe. One need only do a search on Instagram for ‘bikes’ or ‘fixie’ to find limitless images of young urbanites the world over connecting with one another while utilizing cycles as part of their daily social routine. Automobiles are on the decline, as cars… Continue reading Social Inertia and the Clitoral Mass Movement
No More Excuses. You Are Traffic.
If you’re reading this, that means spring has sprung and bike-fests like Pedalpalooza are just weeks away. As a lover of the Earth and all things fun, it is your ecological duty to pull your bike out of storage and get it tuned up. It’s time to ride. But come next next fall, you’re not going to put… Continue reading No More Excuses. You Are Traffic.
Climate Unchanged
This article was originally published on Mismanaging Perception. Obama May Not Act On Global Warming, But We Sure Can. Climate hawks were shouting victory across the broad expanse of the Blog O’Shpere this week after president Barack Obama used his second inauguration speech to address our growing global climate crisis, “Some may still deny the… Continue reading Climate Unchanged