All over America, people are rediscovering the bicycle, and thanks to city-wide bike sharing programs, they don’t have to buy a bike to join in the fun.

The United States is overweight, suffocating in pollution, and mired in traffic jams. Civic leaders struggle with high-tech solutions for these problems, all the while, a simple, cheap solution is right under their noses: the bicycle.

Bike sharing, a popular type of collaborative consumption, aims to reintroduce urban residents to the beauty and convenience of the bicycle. These programs allow anyone, tourist or native, to borrow a bike for temporary use. Most city bike sharing programs  encourage people to join for a monthly membership fee, and then pay a certain hourly fee for trips longer than 30 or 60 minutes. The idea is to keep people out of their cars and cabs for short-distance trips, and all over America, it’s working.

1. Washington D.C.

One of the first city-wide bike sharing programs in the nation, Washington D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare launched in 2010 with 1,100 bikes and 110 stations. In just a few short years, response has been so positive that the program has expanded rapidly. Capital Bikeshare now makes more than 1,800 bicycles available to commuters via 200+ stations across Washington, D.C., Arlington, VA, and Alexandria, VA. The program reports more than 300,000 members and at least 250,000 trips by bicycle each month.

2. Minneapolis

Formed through the Twin Cities Bike Share Project, Nice Ride Minnesota has been permanently changing the way people experience and perceive Minneapolis for nearly three years. A yearly membership only costs $65 and gives members access to 1,550 bikes located at 170 stations spread around Minneapolis and Saint Paul. According to Nice Ride, local commuters have taken more than 700,000 rides on Nice Ride bikes in 2013 alone.

3. Denver

Also founded in 2010, Denver B-cycle was the first large-scale municipal bike sharing system in the United States. All rides under 3o minutes long are free, so long as you’re a B-cycle member. The program started with 500 bikes and 50 stations, but just this year, 31 new stations were added, nearly doubling the number of bikes available to Denver residents and visitors.

4. Chicago

The Windy City is the latest American metropolis to launch a bike sharing program. In late June, just as Chicagoans were celebrating the Stanley Cup win, Divvy Bikes became available for the first time. With nearly with 4,000 bikes and 400 stations spread out across the city, Chicago’s program is definitely one of the most ambitious. Divvy is available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And by providing twice as many docking points as bicycles, the program ensures that an available dock is always available for returning bikes.

5. New York City

Also debuting in 2013 was the long-anticipated New York City bike sharing program. Called Citi Bike (thanks to corporate sponsor Citi Bank) the program boasts well over 4,000 bicycles and 300 stations, although plans call for a target number of 10,000 bikes across the city. The stations are solar-powered and modular to allow for easy installation. Each station consists of a variable number of docking ports for the bikes, plus a touchscreen kiosk for the purchase of Access Passes, and a map of local bike lanes, other Citi Bike stations, and places to buy a helmet.

Images: ejchang, Capital Bikeshare, Nice Ride Minnesota, denverjeffrey, Divvy Bikes, Citi Bike

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Does cycle chic help or hinder the movement?

I agree in many respects with the tenets of Copenhagen Cycle Chic, brainchild of marketing professional Mikael Colville-Andersen, which he promotes on his blog of the same name as well as in speaking tours around the world. A post from 2009 sums up his mission well: You don’t need special clothes to bicycle in, you just need to look in your own closet. Demonstrating that bicycling can suit your existing lifestyle and that there is no need to spend a lot of money or force yourself into some kind of athletic or rugged mold, is one of the goals of my forthcoming book, Everyday Bicycling.

Unfortunately, instead of sticking to this inclusive and welcoming message, Colville-Andersen takes every opportunity to instead police what people choose to wear, and in an alarmingly gendered manner. Dare to take issue, and he’ll draw the line even more starkly, dismissively accusing you of factionalism, in prose peppered with ad hominem attacks (try it, you’ll see). It’s a tone reminiscent of that of the hardcore proponents of vehicular cycling; good common sense ideas presented in an extreme and exclusionary manner.

Helmets and technical cycling clothes, are particular targets. In the annals of Cycle Chic, to wear these things is more than a fashion faux pas, it’s socially irresponsible; a tacit endorsement of “profiteering” and a “Culture of Fear” — two of the catch phrases of which Colville-Andersen’s writing almost entirely consists.

Much of this fashion policing is directed, explicitly or implicitly, at women. “Bike advocacy in high heels” is another frequently heard catch phrase, a term which can perhaps best be understood by reading the Cycle Chic Manifesto(which comes with the slippery disclaimer that it is only partly serious): “I embrace my responsibility to contribute visually to a more aesthetically pleasing urban landscape” is one pledge, followed by “I am aware that my mere prescence in said urban landscape will inspire others without me being labelled as a ‘bicycle activist’.” Obviously these pledges could be and surely are taken to heart by both men and women, but I will submit that according to the blog’s FAQ, females apparently make up the majority of its audience, and second, that there is not exactly a rich cultural tradition of men admonishing other men to shut up and look pretty, or be seen rather than heard, or to arrange their public lives so as to be aesthetically pleasing.

Historically, in fact, Cycle Chic was all about men leering at women. It’s described by its founder in an early interview as being literally about women as aesthetic objects:

“Danish and European women just happen to be stylish. It’s elegant, it’s classy. It’s Europe. And, I’m a man. I enjoy looking at aesthetically pleasing women. If I lived in a forest, I’d probably take pictures of the nicest trees.”

The inimitable Bikeyface has drawn the best response (used here with permission):

Colville-Andersen’s reply to this cartoon sadly illustrates some of the problems that arise in defining and critiquing his movement.

I think in part the divide between Cycle Chic’s purported message and its actual one is in the idea of what is, or should be “normal.” After all, it was perfectly normal for decades for women to value themselves and be valued for their appearance and to achieve social acceptance by catering to the aesthetic demands of male onlookers.

The world is a little more complicated now — at least it is in the United States. I recognize that gender politics in Denmark might vary, but here it is beyond tone deaf to assume that realizing you can bike without wearing Lycra is the only barrier to women embracing bicycling. In my observation, people do a pretty good job figuring that out on their own. We do, however, suffer some major economic and social barriers, from unequal division of paid and unpaid labor, to the consequences of antiquated maternity and paternity leave laws, to outright discrimination and double standards both socially and in the workplace. Barriers to bicycling are far more complicated than knowing you can bike in high heels; if that were all there was to it, we wouldn’t need a guy in Europe to come point out the solution.

Among the many who have embraced the idea (and name) of Cycle Chic for its basic tenets, not all have also taken on the tone and prejudices of its founder. It’s been a pleasure in the last few years to meet several devotees of the philosophy who have crafted it into something empowering, playful, and fun, rejecting some of the more extreme stances of the original. These folks hardly invented the practice of everyday bicycling, but they have injected a certain costumey flair into U.S. bike culture that strikes a chord with a range of people who might not otherwise get excited about cycling. This appeal is culturally specific, however, and that culture is difficult, in the U.S., to separate from the bummer stereotype of elitism. I don’t think that’s a reason not to dress chic on a bike; I do think it’s foolish to claim that it’s the highest form of advocacy in a cultural and economic situation where bicycling is falsely viewed, and subsequently de-funded, as an upper class leisure activity.

I hypothesize that Cycle Chic’s true message and appeal is at its base, at least in North America, that it seeks to normalize a gendered code of conduct that, sadly, still holds considerable appeal among both sexes. Its message is that bicycling can be a means of, rather than a barrier to, conforming to a certain set of standards of gender and class stereotypes. Access to these standards is far from universal.

In order to truly break down barriers to bicycling, it’s necessary to understand what those barriers are; which requires listening to people, rather than mocking them. It will also require, perhaps to the chagrin of Cycle Chic purists, a whole hell of a lot of activism. I don’t know about Denmark, but here in the US there’s a lot of work to be done on multiple fronts of gender parity and cycling policy, from the floors of community bike shops to the halls of Congress. Great things can certainly be achieved while wearing high heels, but never solely by doing so.

I began cycling over a decade ago wearing regular clothes and as an alternative to the bus; in more recent years, I was overjoyed to discover the wonders of the chamois and the technical cycling rain jacket. To get anthropological for a moment, here in the US, cycling for sport is one of the main avenues of entry into bicycling, and there is a vibrant, though hardly mandatory, cross-over between sports and transportation cycling. People who ride bikes in the US fall along a broad spectrum between the two, exploring and code-switching at will. Dressing up to the nines and riding fast across town on a sporty road bike are two of life’s pleasures that I find are best enjoyed jointly. Your experience may, and probably does, vary. To revert to the merely editorial: Anyone who claims that you have to choose sides, or define your style at all, is wrong, and isn’t having as much fun as you.

In summary, Cycle Chic has great potential as a movement, a potential which has been fully realized by many of its fans. It’s unfortunate, therefore, that its founder chooses instead to promote a vision of “normal, mainstream” bicycle transportation that is sexist, exclusive in many North American contexts, and unrealistic as an advocacy strategy.

I have gone to the trouble of making these points at this time, despite feeling that they are fairly obvious and an easy target, and also despite my dread of the dismissive lecturing that is sure to come my way as result, because Colville-Andersen will be headlining the fashion show component of the second National Women’s Bicycling Summit in Long Beach this September (he is also the lead keynote of Pro Walk / Pro Bike immediately prior, sharing the podium with six other men and one woman). It is an interesting time in the US, with bicycling becoming daily more mainstream, though hardly in a unitary or consistent manner, and these events are an opportunity to coordinate strategies for making the bike’s popularity stick. Fashion will surely play a part, among many other forces, and I’m looking forward to the proceedings as an opportunity for — hopefully — constructive dialogue. There’s no reason the conversation shouldn’t start now.

Originally published on Taking the Lane and reprinted with permission.

Image: futureshape

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Life on two wheels.

With 95 miles of bike lanes, Warsaw is full of life on two wheels. The wide Soviet-style streets make for plenty of room for cars and bicycles, and you don’t have to stand on a street corner long before seeing someone ride by. In 2011 the city even hosted the Cycle Messenger World Championships.

Despite a sometimes complicated system of lanes and rough terrain, bicycles are just as much a part of everyday life here as they are in other European cities.

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures tocontact@ecosalon.com.

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A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Keeping a journal is the cheapest, easiest form of professional development out there. [Via The Daily Muse]

Soy latte? Double espresso? Iced Vanilla Mint Frappuccino, heavy on the whipped? See what your coffee order reveals to a potential lover. [Via HowAboutWe]

A round-up of the best international design hotels from the land down under. [Via Casa Sugar]

What most people fail to mention about training for a triathlon. [Via Shape] 

A list of bicycle don’ts published in 1895 includes such classics as, “Don’t be a fright,” and “Don’t wear laced boots. They are tiresome.” [Via Brainpickings] 

What do marshmallows, pie crust, and Caesar salad dressing have in common? They’re all off-limits for strict vegetarians. [Via Small Kitchen College]

Imagine a hotel floor where all the rooms came with bath salts, skirt hangers, and fresh flowers. Ahh. [Via Learnvest]

Eat your way to sunburn-resistance. [Via Organic Authority]

Does being unique make you an elitist? [Via New York Times]

Image: Sean McGrath

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Life on two wheels. 

Who says you can’t pair a Surly with heels? Even in small town Colorado you have to spice up your ride.

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures tocontact@ecosalon.com.

The post On the Move: Salida, Colorado appeared first on EcoSalon.

10 bike-friendly infographics.

More and more, conscious women are embracing bikes as an energizing, empowering, and environmentally-friendly mode of transport. These ten infographics make even more of a case for the two-wheeler, providing statistics, routes, tools, and tips for life on the open road. Just don’t forget your helmet.

How Bikes Can Save Us: According to this infographic, cars are killing us, so we should all move to Portland and ride bikes.

Benefits of a Bicycle: In case you needed a visualization of how awesome bikes are, this cute graphic from C.I.C.L.E. provides one.

Biking + Walking in the Twin Cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul is doing an awesome job at encouraging biking and walking, even in the winter.

Which City Is Best for Biking?: A look at which cities have the highest percentage of bike commuters… and hey, there’s Portland again.

Biking By The Numbers: A quick round-up of biking statistics from the folks at Nau Clothing.

Mountain Biking in America: An overview of America’s best off-road trails.

Biking Safety & Courtesy Tips: A road map for cyclists, drivers, and walkers on ways to safely co-exist, from Bike Arlington.

Biking in San Francisco: A case for cycling in San Francisco, in animated graphics.

Bike Commuter Map: This infographic maps out the state of biking in the U.S., incorporating statistics on bike safety, bike spending, and urban commuters in major cities.

America Bikes: More than 80 percent of Americans want to either maintain or increase funding for sidewalks and bike lanes, says this survey.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

10 Earth Day Infographics

10 Food Infographics That Have Us Consciously Consuming

10 Travel Infographics To Spark Your Wanderlust

Check out more infographics here.

Image: Steve McDonald

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A test for your bike IQ.

You know it. You love it. The bicycle is a clean machine in a carbon-fueled world. Here is a quiz to test your transportation IQ.

Q: On average, the annual operating cost of a car is $8,220. How much does it cost per year to maintain a bike?

A) $308

B) $3,020

C) $20

Answer: According to a 2009 report published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the annual maintenance cost of a bike is $308. Cyclists can lower that amount by joining a bike co-op and learning to repair their own machines.

Test more of your bike IQ:

Pedals vs. Pumps

Bikeways vs. Highways

Federal Transportation Funding

Read more: Japhy Dhungana rode his bike from Los Angeles to the tip of South America. Can you guess why he named his bicycle Bucephalus?

Sierra is the magazine of the Sierra Club. Our motto: Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet. Follow Sierra magazine on Twitter.

Image: moriza

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VideoAround the world on two wheels.

Be they humorous or touching, all of these videos are about celebrating life on two wheels, for work, for pleasure, for simplicity, proving that no matter where we are in the world, the bicycle is a beautiful thing.

USA with Euro flare: Le Velo

India + Zambia + Ghana + Guatemala + USA: With My Own Two Wheels

USA: Scrapertown

Ghana: Bikelordz

Scotland: Way Back Home

USA: If I Ride

Canada: Lifecycles

USA: Holstee LIFEcycle

Gambia: Freestyle Cycling

USA: LIFECYCLE: 365 Days in the Life of a Bike in NYC

Slovenia: Making of Orto Bikes

Sweden: Robo-Rainbow

China/USA: The Flying Pigeon

Denmark: Copenhagen: City of Cyclists

South Africa: South African Bicycle Portraits

Australia: Marry Me

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Life on two wheels. 

What’s better than sharing a spin around town? Eva and Mela from Allthatiwant take part in ride-sharing in Cologne, Germany.

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures to contact@ecosalon.com.

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Life on two wheels.

A bike and shoe combination spotted in Portland, Oregon reminded us of this quote:

“The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community.” –Ann Strong, quoted in the Minneapolis Tribune in 1895.

On the Move documents our life on two wheels. Have your own On the Move worthy photo? Send it our way! Email pictures to contact@ecosalon.com.

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