Culture Archives - Page 2 of 9

22/05/202121/07/2021

New Materialisms SIG: The disruptive effects and affects of COVID-19

For this month’s NM SIG meeting, we are putting to work New Materialisms differently. We are using NM to consider more deeply some of the wider and pressing current affairs and social movements of our day. There is much happening locally and globally that is troubling and significant – and these dynamics demand our attention and engagement as compassionate human beings, community members, ethical researchers, and citizens of the world.

So we are taking some time to check-in and think-with some of the current ‘big themes, events and issues’ in the news and media, in particular:

Women’s issues/rights and recent protests
COVID-19
Climate Change

…and to consider the human and non-human aspects of current events/news to tease out the ways these issues are entangled.

These are important issues I am passionate about and have previously posted, published and hit the streets for – like Encountering the Return, or Brisbane’s Climate Action Rally or the more recent Women’s March4Justice – Brisbane and reclaiming darkly pathways on the UN Day of Forests.

The highlight of this meeting is an interview with Dr. Adele Pavlidis – where we chat about a recent paper she co-wrote with Prof. Simone Fullagar that took an NM lens to the early days of COVID.

We also invited members to bring ideas about these current social issues with the purpose of linking them to our research.

The Interview

Thinking through the disruptive effects and affects of COVID-19 with feminist New Materialisms

Dr. Adele Pavlidis is a Senior Lecturer at Griffith University. She is a social scientist and writer who draws on a range of methods to better understand the world we live in. Her work examines the ways sport and leisure can be understood as spaces of transformation and ‘becoming’. Influenced by Deleuze and Guattari, Irigaray, and contemporary feminist writing on affect (Probyn, Ahmed, Blackman and others), Adele’s intellectual concern is with the possibility of a feminine cultural imaginary and a future open to possibility.

What happened in this meeting?

We had a great time! Lots of generative discussions.

Below are two 100-word worldlings I wrote as a summary of: 1) the interview and 2) the subsequent discussion.

Excavating the ‘no global’.

Thinking-with Adele’s disruptive effects and affects of COVID-19 and ‘the women’s problem’. Relationships between price, value and ‘what you get’ in (re)turn and environment. Quality, care, potentiality, privacy and openness. There is nothing wrong with being angry. Privileged intersections: Instagram’s ‘Advanced Style’ sans @suekreitzman. Loving the multiscalar. Considering Janelle Knox-Hayes’ ‘value of markets’ and the time-space sociomateriality of organisations and natural environments. There is no such thing as ‘the global’. Theresa’s feeling that this thinking is like GIS – layering data on top of each other, then exploring the multi-lens/scale mess reminds me of Karen Barad’s ‘stratification’. Purposefully ‘plugging in’.

Climate change inequities.

Climate change is a product of inequality. If we look at inequality as a practice that is connecting us or an outcome of/or a network of relations… or as predetermined/context/flows…. response-ability… can we flip inequality? What about inequality as something we are responsible for? Colonialism and modern economies of slavery. Emma Dabiri says Do not touch my hair and has great suggestions for What white people can do next – moving from allyship to coalition. Making visible individual actions and larger structures that remove agency. Moving to individual actuals as objects of inequalities. Challenging amnesias and re-collecting Feminist New Materialisms elsewhere.

Resources

For this meeting, we suggested the below resources to get the juices flowing.

Fullagar & Pavlidis (2020) Thinking through the Disruptive Effects and Affects of the Coronavirus with Feminist New Materialism Download

Fullagar, S., & Pavlidis, A. (2020). Thinking through the disruptive effects and affects of the coronavirus with feminist new materialism. Leisure Sciences, 43(1-2), 152-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2020.177399. This paper (see above to download) focuses on the disruptive biocultural force of the coronavirus highlights the value of more-than-human perspectives for examining the gendered effects and affects on our everyday lives and leisure activities.
For a pure theoretical provocation, try this YouTube Karen Barad clip of a paper on troubling times/(Un)doing the future (31 min)
To put us squarely into impacts of climate change for younger generations here is Greta Thunberg’s TED talk on Climate change – School strike for climate – save the world by changing the rules TEDxStockholm (11 min)
Marc Hocking’s (2021) The Conversation article discussing the non-human (conservation) aspects of COVID: COVID-19 wasn’t just a disaster for humanity – new research shows nature suffered greatly too
A new ABC article Sex, power and anger: A history of feminist protests in Australia. This article gives some context to the recent women’s March4Justice and gender-based issues.

30/04/202114/07/2021

@bikeart.gallery makes me happy

I am recovering from a 3-week intensive marking bender.

My eyes are itchy, my lower back aches and my approachablity is incendiary.

A tight uni turnaround to mark 28 x 6,000-word research reports and 28 x 2,000-word workplace assessments (both Masters level and worth 80% of the total course!) PLUS 21 x 3,300-word undergrad mixed-method research reports (worth 50%). Epic!

I am grateful for the work. Like many others, I’ve had no uni teaching or lecturing for Trimeter 1 due to university COVID response measures. No sessional work, only marking. Thank goodness for my educational consultancy. Tough times.

The students worked hard and so did I. There’s a lot riding on these assessments – and I take the job seriously. I’m not the kind of academic who breezes over assessments and gives 3 comments like: good or need more work here and interesting point– what the hell kind of feedback is that? So unhelpful! I am NOT that kind of marker – I hate that shit! So, I put in the work and gave each assessment my full attention.

And now….I am tired.

When I feel like this, I need bike art.

It ALWAYS makes me feel better.

Last time I felt like this, I wrote how @Artcrank makes me happy.

Other bike-inspired artwork that helps are:

Bicycle Murals by Mart Aires
Bike-themed tattoos and Cycle Ink (Part 1)
Walt Cahill’s beautiful Inktober collection of bike-inspired illustrations
Bekka Wright’s comic series Bikeyface
And… 2019 Bicycle-themed Inktober artwork

So in a similar mood for @Artcrank, I looked for a new source to lift the spirits and remind me of the creative playfulness betwixt bikes, community, action, spaces, materiality, bodies and brazenness.

And this time, I found Global @bikeart.gallery on Instagram.

@bikeart.gallery makes me happy

Here is a 100-word worlding I wrote after seeing @bikeart.gallery for the first time.

I love bikeart, too.

Eyes itchy, shoulders aching and approachablity is incendiary. Time for bike art. @bikeart.gallery – newly discovered on Instagram. Stickers, prints, icons, charcoals, photos, cartoons, designs, and paper cuts. I love bikes and I love art, too. Some super progressive bikeart, others not so. Hypersexualized disembodied females with-on bikes (really? still?!) – cringe-worthy. Elsewhere, I marvel at super spunky rider couples, surreal adventure rides, fantastical bici creaturing, and cheeky postmodern velo classical reinterpretations. A few memes. Close-ups, portraits and movement. Audaciousness. Lego, flames, tattoos, air travel, and (Fr)eddie Merxc(ury). @jctdesign’s spontaneous napkin doodle ‘unplug and ride your bike’ is good advice.

Image: @andy_warlord
Image: Rachel aka @rachpetru!
Image: IG @artbike.gallery
Image: @bikeart.gallery
Image: @AlvaroLopeMoralesQuevado
Image: @tadapota
Image: @bikeart.gallery
Image: @bazasportpenza
Image: @josekoebrugge
Image: @abphart
Image:
Image: @hello_mrbaker
Image: IG @artbike.gallery
Image: @daemoncycling
Image: @kosuke_masuda_5
Image: @lbbjkt
Image: @bikeart.gallery
Image: @eila_kai
Image: @davidlgill
Image: “Organic Growth” art installation (umbrellas & bicycle tires) by @izaskunchinchilla (account not longer exists) at Govenor’s Island.
Image: @gracegarciasalcedo
Image: IG @artbike.gallery
Image: @dibuja_y_pedalea
Image: @mitevol
Image: @theolddrifter
Image:
Image: @jctdesign

05/04/202110/06/2021

Some ‘wheelie’ specific bike tattoos

This blog is no stranger to bicycle tattoos.

In earlier posts, I have looked at:

In this post, we are looking at a very specific subset of bike tattoo and that is – bike tattoos that have specifically detailed colour or design included in the bike wheels … or what I call … ‘wheelie’ specific bike tattoos.

I scoured the internet and rolled through hundreds of cool, funny and (at times) questionable bike tattoos to find 5 solid representations of tattoos that have details in the bike wheels as their central focus.

In each of these cases, colour and form was used as the central cohesive design feature.

Let’s have a look…

Some 'wheelie' specific bike tattoos. Bicycles Create Change.com. 5th April 2021. — @Mountainbike on Pintrest

The first two tattoos (see above) have a similar aesthetic which uses a sunset or landscape scenery as the key motif. I put two versions of this design here as the gentle difference in colours has quite a significant impact on the ‘feel’ of the overall tattoo, yet the symbolism is equally clear and meaningful. Having mountains on the side and a river or track running through the middle helps accentuate the perspective of the ‘never-ending great outdoors’ so desired by bike riders. This iconography is made all the more striking when contained within the circular frame of both wheels which (also) forms a simple black bike frame silhouette with no background. Interestingly, I sourced both these tattoos from the same location, which makes me wonder if this specific design is ‘a mountainbike thang.’

The third tattoo (above) is more of a whimsical, flowery bike design interpretation made more impactful with the use of the two strongly contrasting and complementary colors of blue and red. This is an unsual and particular tattoo that stands out for its unconventional and creative design – a bold choice for a permanent tattoo!

The fourth tattoo (above) is a calf single wheel tattoo highlighted by the distinctive red and black diagrammatic colouring that really makes it pop. This tattoo is dramatic in its almost tribal-style patterning. The composition is controlled, yet creative with clean and authoritative lines that clearly accentuate the ‘wheel-ness’ of the design. The strong outlines are offset by the red 5-petaled flower at the centre of the wheel, hinting to the softer interior of the ‘hard-wheeled’ rider-owner who is bold enough to wear it.

The last tattoo (above) looks like it takes its cue from graphic design using both colour, texture and geometric patterning to good effect. On closer inspection, it almost looks like the texture of puff paints (it did make me second guess whether this was a ‘real’ tattoo) or maybe the tattoo had just been applied and was brand new, hence the raised (or skin reactive) beveling of work.

Tattoos – and more specifically bike tattoos – are not for everyone. But there are many people who love riding and want to celebrate, share and commemorate bikes with tattoos. And these ‘wheelie’ bike tattoos are just one example of people do this.

Which begs the question:

If you were to get a bike tattoo, where and what would you get?

03/02/202106/04/2021

Part 1: Background. Sri Lankan Police to rebuild community trust with bicycle patrols

Over the last decade, there has been an influx in the use of bicycles in mainstream civil services. Some examples of these I have shared previously include:

Another project that has caught my eye is a Sri Lankan community bike policing program. I’m interested because Sri Lanka is such a vastly different context to the West – and it has a volatile history and relationships between community and police are often strained.

So I have dedicated the next few posts tracing the development of this program. I’m using articles written by locals and those who are closer to, and more knowledgeable about Sri Lanka than I am.

For some background, below is an article written in 2012 by Gita Sabharwal*, who was the Asia Foundation’s deputy country representative in Sri Lanka. The Asia Foundation funded this project to start in 2009 and this early article by Gita provides some historical context and personal experience to set the scene.

As an active supporter for greater diversity and to support the work, exposure and voice for more non-European female professionals, I’ve included Gita’s article in full below as she originally wrote it and emphasis is my own.

Enjoy!

Part 1: Background. Sri Lankan Police to rebuild community trust with bicycle patrols. Bicycles Create Change.com. 3rd February 2021.

Bicycle Patrols Rebuild Trust Between Sri Lanka’s Police and Communities

Still recovering from the effects of a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009, Sri Lanka is now seeing hopeful signs that one of its deepest wounds – the relationship between the police and the community – is improving.

During the war, police were often preoccupied with counter-insurgency and national security. As a result, mistrust between communities and the police force grew, particularly in the North and East where police often viewed community members as potential threats to security, as opposed to a constituency they serve.

For years, much of the interaction between the general public and the police has occurred at police stations when citizens reported a crime and at vehicle checkpoints, where most identity checks are performed. But, with the end of the war in 2009, police service is gradually making the shift from a “securitized” form of policing to a community-oriented one. As part of its larger institutional reform initiative, the leadership of the Sri Lanka Police Service (SLPS) is set on making the police a more professional and “people-friendly” service.

As part of this initiative, 43 cities and towns in the North, East, South, and Uva have over the last eight months introduced bicycle patrolling to improve community-police relationships, deter petty crimes, and offer citizens the opportunity to interact with police officers positively in public places. While patrolling has historically been a part of the Sri Lankan policing system, community policing emphasizes the importance of engaging with citizens while on patrol to become better known throughout the community, stay informed about local activities, and be available to receive complaints or give advice.

Background: Sri Lankan Police initial work to build community trust with bicycle patrols. Bicycles Create Change.com. 3rd February 2021.

Recently, the deputy inspector general of Uva Province told me that he has found bicycle patrolling to be a cost-effective and efficient way to increase access and mobility of the police to more remote areas, which often lack roads that can be navigated by patrol cars. With greater interaction with communities, the police are also able to gather information about local crime and conflicts and identify “hot-spots” so that they can increase patrols in those locations. Some community members who we interviewed said that they are now able to not only access the police during routine patrols, but also avoid the daunting task of visiting police stations to report crimes.

In northern Vavuniya town, since November 2011, 12 police officers have been assigned to the more populated parts of town for bicycle patrolling. Local sergeant Gunawardena said that he along with three other police officers bicycle through the densely populated lanes and by-lanes of the market area of Vavuniya town from two in the afternoon to 10 at night.

Since the end of the war, cases of petty theft have been on the increase in Vavuniya, due in part to better reporting and the return to normal policing functions, including investigation of complaints lodged with the police. The Inspector of Police, Ranatunga, who leads the bicycle patrol project in Vavuniya, said he believes that as a result of regular patrolling, fear of crime has reduced among citizens who now feel a greater sense of safety and security.

Local citizens and police interviewed in Vavuniya agreed that conducting bicycle patrols helps develop relationships, deter petty crimes, and offer citizens the opportunity to interact with local police officers.

In these small town and cities, bicycle patrolling also helps deter minor and major crimes due to increased police contact with the public and faster response time and capability. It allows police officers to respond to emergency calls quickly and be present at the crime scene in real time. One community member in Matara, where four constables and sergeants have been patrolling the streets over the past six months, recently told me: “I experienced a sharp reduction in pick-pocketing due to the regular presence of police, and we’ve seen a development of better relations between the police and community … the officers travel on bicycles, we also travel on bicycles.”

The officer-in-charge of Ambalangoda police station recently described a situation where the police were able to arrive quickly to a crime scene and arrest a suspect that was later found to be involved in over 25 illegal activities. He echoes a common sentiment: “The resources for the police are limited, but still we are trying to cover a large area. Because of this, we started the bicycle project, where we can patrol night and day, in the city and suburbs.”

The deputy inspector general of Uva Province recalled a story from earlier this year of three constables who were cycling down the main street in Buttala town late evening as part of their regular patrolling routine. The bus en-route from the capital, Colombo, stopped at the bus station on the way to Moneragala. A single passenger got off the bus, and seemed shocked upon seeing police constables around. Noticing his uneasiness, one of the constables approached him. Before they could strike a conversation the passenger pepper-sprayed the constables and tried to run away. However, alert onlookers caught him in time. When he was taken to the police station, the officers realized that he was part of a small criminal gang and was planning operations in the area, which the local police were able to intercept, thanks to the bicycle patrols.

With Sri Lanka’s tumultuous war-time period over, and the once highly securitized environment relaxing, this initiative allows the police to rebuild their relationships with the community, instilling trust and confidence among citizens that they can provide them with safety and security in their day-to-day lives.

*Gita Sabharwal can be reached at gsabharwal@asiafound.org.

For more information on the bicycle patrolling initiative, watch a video, produced by The Asia Foundation in partnership with the Sri Lanka Police Service with the support of the British High Commission, on the Sri Lanka Police website.

20/01/202126/03/2021

Cycle Ink (Part 2): A tattooist’s POV on bicycle tattoo meaning and symbolism

Cycle Ink (Part 2): A tattooist’s POV on bicycle tattoos meaning and symbolism. Bicycles Create Change.com. 20th January 2021.

It’s been too long since our last cycle ink post!

By ‘cycle ink’ – I mean bicycle tattoos!

I first posted about Cycle Ink way back in August 2016, where I delved into the bike-tattoo world as an antidote for too much solo work time. And boy did it do the trick!

In that post I asked the question:

If you got a bike tattoo, where and what would you get?

Then for variety (and for those who did not want to commit to the permanency of a tattoo), I had a look at some bike-themed temporary tattoos – many of which you can get online. These are great for experimenting if you are thinking of getting a permanent one – as well as scaring loved ones, parents and those who think you (will always be) a straighty-one-eighty. So wrong!

And the last bike tattoo post was on a very specific (or should I say body located) subset of this genre – the thigh bicycle tattoo. Thigh tattoos are unique and unusual, but for bike riders who often wear short-legged clothing or who see their upper legs a lot as they ride – having a thigh tattoo makes sense.

Bicycle Tattoos: Meaning and symbolism

While checking out bicycle tattoos online recently, I came across a US website called TattooSEO which is a tattoo networking site. They had an article entitled Bicycle Tattoo. which was about the meaning’ and ‘symbolism’ of bicycle tattoos. It was interesting to hear ideas on design and choice from the tattooists/designers’ POV. It is a little simplistic, but I think it is a good entry point for discussions with ‘customers’ about what they want and considerations regarding choice, design and representation. Keep in mind that this site is for tattooists and those interested in tattooing, not necessarily bike riders. I thought it gave an interesting alternative perspective, so I have included their post here (my own highlighted words) in full below. Enjoy! NG.

Lovers of bicycles big and small are fantastic candidates for the bicycle tattoo, which can be designed in thousands of different ways. Not only that, these bike tattoos can also bring with them plenty of great meanings that a lot of people could work with. On this page we will take a look at some of those meanings and ways that you can get your favorite bicycle tattooed on your skin.

The most obvious meaning attached to each bicycle tattoo is the love of riding. Whether you are a professional bicyclist or simply someone who loves to ride around and see the world on your bike, this could be a great tattoo idea for you. What’s pretty great about this meaning is that you do not have to add in any other images or any text to the design for people to recognize the symbolism of your tattoo.

Another cool bicycle tattoo meaning that you can use is “adventurous,” which tells outsiders that you have a love for getting out and exploring the world. Even if you only sometimes actually get on your bike and go for long adventures, the bike tattoo can work for you. It’s a great meaning for people who regularly take trips to the mountains, go out on the water fishing, or even simply travel the world.

Some people will get their bike tattoos because it reminds them of some great times they had on their bicycles when they were younger. This is a kinda-sorta symbol of innocence that people can use to show that they still remember the good old days and they have not completely let go of their youth. The bicycle can work by itself when using this meaning, and you can also add in additional symbols of innocence if you want the meaning to be clear to everyone that sees your tattoo.

Another thing that can add to the meaning of your bicycle tattoo is the type of bike you have designed. For example, tricycles can be used to represent your innocence or even your love for your children, while a professional bike can show that you yourself love to get out and ride. Other options include classic bicycles and tandem bikes tattoos, which can bring with them additional meanings that you can attach to your design.

While most people get the bicycle by itself in their tattoos, others choose to add background landscapes or other images with their bikes. This is especially true in bicycle tattoos meant to represent adventure since they show the bike out in the world. In reality, you can include a landscape or some other background in any type of bike tat, but it’s important that you know the implied meanings that come with those backgrounds.

In most cases, people get full-bodied bikes in these tattoos, but others will only include a bicycle part or two in their designs. For example, you can get a bike gear or a chain as a cool alternative bike tattoo, yet you’ll still be able to retain all of the great meanings mentioned above. You might also opt to “chop” part of the bike off to either make it fit in your design or to add in additional effects.

It might not seem like it, but the bicycle tattoo can actually fit just about anywhere on the body. That’s really great since it gives you more flexibility with your design and you can make it fit where you want it. That doesn’t mean you should just design anything and expect that it will end up looking great anywhere on your skin, but it does mean you don’t have to worry about it not being able to fit anywhere.

One of the most popular locations for bicycle tattoos is the arm since it is one of the best spots to show the bike “moving” across the skin. Those looking for a great forearm design might want to add the bicycle to their options, especially if any of its meanings work well for them. The leg is yet another great place to put a bike tat as it can work as a wraparound tattoo or designed vertically. If you want to enlarge your design, you can pretty easily make the bike work on the back or on the chest, too.

Bike tats can also be wrist or ankle tattoos since you don’t lose any meaning by shrinking them down a bit. The decisions people have to make with these designs are whether they want to have them go around their wrists or ankles or have the bikes pointing towards their hands or forearms. The wrist is a great spot for one of those bike part designs we talked about earlier, particularly a gear, a pedal, or a tire.

Unless you are getting an extremely simplified design, you will want a really good tattoo artist to work on your bicycle tattoo for you. They will be able to help you fix up the design to look great on your skin, and they will be able to line it up so it works with the natural lines of your body. Don’t take the time to come up with a cool bike tat design only to have an inexperienced tattooist apply it for you. You should have no problem finding a good tattoo artist in your city, possibly one who has experience creating bicycle tattoos.

Bicycle tattoos look great and they come with some very interesting meanings, so it’s not a big surprise that so many people choose to get them. They work for adults of all ages since just about all of the meanings can make sense for all of us. Plus, as a bonus, you will find that just about all well-designed bike tattoos look fantastic on the skin. If you know that you will end up getting a bicycle tattoo, be sure to take your time during the design process to make sure that you have something that you will always wear proudly.

Images sourced from: Sergios, Total Women’s Cycling and Next Luxury.

11/01/202108/03/2021

Meet @blackmuslimwomenbike

An ongoing question I have posed on this blog is: How is your bike riding contributing to making the world a better place for all?

In western countries, we think little of getting up, getting on our bikes and going for a bike ride – this is because we feel confident, safe and secure riding in our communities.

It’s easy to take for granted the inclusive access, rights and conditions we enjoy – not all cyclists are privy to the same recognition, value and acceptance that mainstream white MAMILs, (middle-aged men in lyrca) for example, experience.

This blog works to bring a range of other-than-the-dominant-norm ‘cycling’ perspectives.

Some examples which are well worth a look if you missed them include:

Celebrating the debut of the first ever black African female road cyclist Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu (Team Rwanda) into the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond (USA).
Meeting keen mountainbiker and artist Brooklyn Bell who discussed her experiences of being a woman of colour in a predominately all-white MTB scene in the US.
The incredible advocacy and bravery of the forbidden women riding bikes in Iran – a group of female bike riders who continue to push to be recognised despite a 2016 fatwa prohibiting Iranian women from riding bikes in public spaces.

Since their Instagram inception in May last year, I’ve been following @blackmuslimwomenbike.

This group of riders proudly and publicly working to fray dominant views about cycling and of what cycling bodies ‘do’, what cycling bodies should look like, and who gets recognised and valued in cycling…and to raise the profile of black, Muslim, female riders.

Meet @blackmuslimwomenbike

This group is an Instagram collective celebrating black, Muslim women who ride bikes.

Their profile shares photos, stories and quotes and bring together bike riders from around the world.

Each week, the organisers introduce a new rider by sharing a photo, a short bio and the rider’s responses to these 4 questions:

What inspired you to cycle?
How would you sum up your (biking) experience so far?
How important is it to have platform that represents you?
What advice would you give to other black, Muslim women cyclists?

Despite being relatively new, this group has a growing network and support base.

They are actively involved in a number of big ticket social riding events and have instigated their own fundraiser to support a hospital in Senegal.

I find this group exciting as they are actively building community and supporting each other to hold space and be recognised as riders, they are a formidable group of women working to make change, and are telling their own biking stories in their own words.

So if you haven’t done so already, check this group out, follow them and tell others.

Background to @blackmuslimwomenbike

Friends Muneera and Sabah were both living in Bristol, UK. During COVID they were looking for a way to keep fit and stay happy. Sabah has a triathlon background and was keen to stay active. Unbeknownst to each other, the two friends started cycling independently.

Soon after, Sabah left the UK to live in UAE and Muneera started sharing her journey in a more formal way to centre focus on diversity and inclusion and draw attention to black Muslim women specifically – hence @blackmuslimwomenbike.

Sabah joined her so they could share their biking experiences and adventures with each other (now they lived apart) and more broadly.

Soon after they were joined by Mona and Rashida and together these four women are the driving force behind the group.

Their first post is an image of Muneera wearing her helmet with the description:

“We are doing it all, the hijab, the biking cap and the helmet. As we embark on this beautiful journey that we have found, You have to be the representation that we want to see, the star we want to see, the black girls on bikes in our dreams.”

All images: IG @blackmuslimwomenbike

03/01/202109/03/2021

HNY: This blog continues to celebrate diversity and inclusion

Happy New Year all!

I hope you have been enjoying your time on and off the bike – and gearing up for another productive year!

Regular readers know that BCC is not your average mainstream cycling blog ….. it is anything but!

For my first post of 2021, I am revisiting this blog’s manifesto and ongoing guiding commitment to support a range of bike experiences that celebrating inclusion and diversity.

This blog promotes positive and inclusive bike experiences

This blog’s key focus is to share stories where bicycles create positive community and environmental change.

The content you find here covers my bicycle Ph.D. (readings, research, ideas) as well as awesome bike-focused people, places, groups, and events from Australia and around the world.

This blog’s motto is: Have fun, rides bikes, do good.

Here at Bicycles Create Change (BCC), I talk a lot about gender, sustainability, dogs/animals, community, inclusion, social justice, access for all, recycling, supporting outliers, education, families, kids, modified bikes for diff-abilities, people over 60, people under 15, art bikes, bicycle community groups, returned war veterans, gardening, school/education, mobility, creativity and art, making your own trails and riding around your local community. Type keywords into the blog search to see full posts.

Bike Works at Kunnanurra WA. Bicycles Create Change.com 7th Jan 2020 — BCC Post (7th Jan 2020) Bike Works at Kunnanurra (WA). Image: Bikes 4 Life.

This blog brings you stories from around the world

Over the years we have travelled far and wide: Afghanistan, South Korea, India, Tibet, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, South Africa, China, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Uganda, Isreal, Belize, Japan, Gambia, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, The Cook Islands, Laos, Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Iraq, Mexico, Colombia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Argentina, the Himalayas, Finland, Sudan, Ghana, Vietnam, Uruguay, Darfur, Nepal, Ethiopia, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia, Tanzania, and internally displaced people (IDP – ‘refugee’) camps around the world….to name a few… type keywords into the blog search to see full posts for these places.

…yes there is an incredibly rich bicycling world outside Europe and North America!

2019 Fancy Women Bike Ride. Bicycles Create Change.com 1st Nov 2019. — BCC Post (21st Nov 2016) :Turkey’s Fancy women on bikes. Image: Bikeitalia.

And from around Australia

In Australia, we have visited all the major cities – Brisbane (where I am now based) Melbourne (my home town), Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Hobart, Canberra, Alice Springs) and their awesome bicycling adventures.

We have also traveled more widely in Australia to showcase rural locations and places outside big urban cities like: Kunnanurra (WA), Ballarat (VIC), Adelaide Hills (SA), Lismore (QLD), Dubbo (NSW), Bendigo (VIC), Woodfordia (QLD), North & South Spit Area (Sunshine Coast, QLD), Chewton, (regional VIC), Woodend (VIC), Goldfields district (regional VIC), and bike rides spanning the full East Coast of Australia. (*Epic!*).

Giving it all up to cycle the world with your dog. Bicycles Create Change.com 5th August 2018. — BCC Post (5th Aug, 2018): Giving it all up top cycle the world with your dog.

This blog is not ‘mainstream’

I have written previously on this blog about the prevailing misogynist ‘unbearable whiteness of cycling‘.

As an alternative to the oversaturation of hegemonic, mainstream, consumer-based, profit-driven, western-English speaking-heterosexual-male-white-wealthy-middle aged-fit-able bodied-road riding-elitist-centric news and blog sites you can get any(every)where, this blog’s purview has always delighted a range of different biking experiences that shows a greater diversity of bicycling experiences.

So on this blog, I talk about ‘biking’ – not ‘cycling’.

At BCC, I’ve covered a huge range of awesome community bike-themed events you won’t find collated elsewhere, like: The Kurilpa Derby, The Yarn Ride, The Brisbane Big Push, Bike Hack, Climate Action Rallies, Bike Art Exhibitions, ANZAC Day Commemorations, 6-Day Brisbane (track sprint competition), Halloween Rides, National Sustainability Festivals, Brisbane Bike Film Festival, 3Plus3 MTB, NAIDOC Week bike events, Ride the Night events, Chicks Who Ride Bikes (CWRB) events, Melburn Roubaix, Bike Rave Melburn: Pink Flamingo Edition, Witches Rides, Alley Cat Races, Animals on Bikes Art Trails, Bayview Blast, the annual, all-female Chicks in the Sticks MTB event, Bike Palooza, Full Moon Rides, National Bike Week, Ride to Work events, Holi Festival, Commonwealth Games MTB, Sustainable Living Festivals, Woodford Folk Festival, Style over Speed rides, Slow Rolls, Zombie Bike Rides … and heaps more (*phew*!). Type any of these keywords into the blog search to see full posts for these events.

BCC Post (17th Sept 2016): Bicycles Murals – by Mart Aires. Image: Artist Mart Aries (Buenos Aires, Argentina).

This blog goes to the best conferences

And I’ve had lots of abstracts accepted, attended, followed up on, and presented at LOTS of conferences to share our story and learn more from others, like: Australian Walking and Cycling Conference (AWCC) (Adelaide, SA), Reconciling research paradoxes: Justice in a post-truth world (Brisbane, QLD), Bike Hack (Brisbane, QLD), English Australia National Conferences (Sydney, NSW) Bike Week (Brisbane, QLD), Australia Association for Research in Education (AARE) (Brisbane, QLD), Bicycle Network: Bike Futures (Melbourne, VIC), 8^th International Cycling Saftey Conference (Brisbane, QLD), Bike Palooza (Bendigo, VIC), Re-Imaging Education for Democracy Summit (Brisbane, QLD), Freshlines Symposia (Brisbane, QLD), University English Centers Australia (UECA) Assessment Symposium (Brisbane, QLD), Pedagogies in the Wild Conference (Cape Town, South Africa), 10th Annual New Materialisms Conference of Reconfiguring Higher Education (Cape Town, South Africa), Asia Pacific Cyle Congress (Christchurch, NZ), International Cycling Conference (Germany), International Exhibition and Conference in Higher Education (IECHE) (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)…. and more (*double phew*!!). Type keywords into the blog search to see full posts for these conferences.

BCC Post (1st July 2016): Bike Tourism in Peru. Image: Sacred Rides

Promoting diverse perspectives and bikey lifeworlds

For over 6 years, I’ve worked hard to share a range of stories from around the world that centre on everyday people, community groups and places (not Aust, UK or USA) that are often underrepresented, unknown or unrecognized for the positive impact they are making with bicycles.

And this year, I will continue to share stories that are community-based, diverse, relatable and inspirational.

To kick off 2021 – I have dug into the archives to bring you a showcase of some of the remarkably diverse people and projects I have shared in the past.

Here’s are a few diversity posts you should check out if you missed them:

14-year old Ramya Jose (India) who made her family a bicycle washing machine.
Forbidden women riding bikes in Iran.
Jean d’Arc the first ever black female UCI RWC competitor.
Celebrating Isata Sama Mondeh – Sierra Leone’s #1 female rider and first-ever female bike and bike shop owner-manager.
Becoming Ruby: MTB, Inclusion, Identity & Heros.
2018 NAIDOC Week – Where are the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander cyclists? (AUS)
The wonderful celebration of older riders: ‘Granny! Wait for me!”
Rotorua (NZ)’s awesome ‘Dad’s and Lad’s’ bike skills program.
Happy 2018 Sydney Mardi Gras on bicycles!
All-women’s Mala Bruja Alleycat Race.
Assoc/Prof Chelsea Bond (Leading Indigenous academic, Brisbane, AUS).
Turkey’s Fancy Women on Bikes.
Mountainbiking in Kampala, Uganda.
Wadjda – an Arabic girl’s dream to ride a bike.
Riding for animal rescue.
The right to feel the wind in your hair – Cycling Without Age.
The impact of a Girl’s Bicycle Education Scheme in Bihar (India).
Melburn Roobaix (Melb, AUS).
Village Bicycle Project (Sierra Leone & Ghana).
Reflexively crafting bikespiration herstory – Moments of rupture.
‘Thought control’ bicycle for spinal injury rehab.
Saber Houssein – an Afghani teacher who bicycles books to rural villages.
Two 90-year-old WWII veterans cycle 167kms to commemorate D-Day
Fairy Houses and Mountain Bikes.
South African Bicycle Portraits: Stephanie Baker
Paulus Maringka’s Greencycle Community Bike Research (Indonesia/NZ).
Chicks in the Sticks: annual all-female MTB race (Brisbane, AUS).
Bicycles help the Pascua Yaqui community fight diabetes (US).
Happy ‘Fearful’ Mother’s Day Cycling Mums.
Reflexively crafting bikespiration herstory – Moments of rupture.
Increasing returned veterans’ social connection with bicycles.
Adam’s Happy Bikes Sales and Service.
Why women in developing countries should have bicycles.

As I was preparing this post and going back over these older stories (and so many more from the blog), it filled me with immense satisfaction. I love that this blog continues to provide a platform for incredible bike stories to be shared and celebrated that would otherwise remain relatively unknown – and I’m looking forward to continuing this mission in 2021!

‘Thought control’ bicycle for spinal injury rehab. Bicycles Create Change.com 16th July, 2019. — BCC Post (16th July 2019): ‘Thought control’ bicycle for spinal injury rehab. Image: Griffith University.

10/12/202026/02/2021

#Bikes_CISTA #50: John, Diesel, Roxy & Bike

There are many reasons why I love where I’m currently living and riding. I live on Narlang Quandamooka land which is Morton Bayside 25 km out of Brisbane (AUST).

In my neighbourhood, we have fantastic bayside foreshore pathways, heritage-listed Mangrove reserves, native bushland and swathes of green parklands. The natural environment was a definitive reason for us choosing to live here.

I’m often out and about on my bike and I love to meet people who are doing the same.

While I’m in the throes of data analysis and working hard on my PhD bicycle research, it feels even more important to keep connected with the two-wheeled community.

One of the early projects I started with this blog was my Instagram @bicycles_create_change.

I have a number of ongoing side projects that I like to keep percolating. My Instagram #Bikes_CISTA project is one I have not updated in a while due to COVID and I was delighted to have the opportunity to do so recently.

My Instagram #Bikes_CISTA project

Long-time readers of this blog will be familiar with my Instagram #Bikes_CISTA project.

This is an ongoing project I started in February 2017.

The ‘CISTA’ acronym of #Bikes_CISTA stands for Cycling Interspecies Team of Awesomeness.

The Cycling Interspecies Team of Awesomeness (or Bikes_CISTA) Project is a photographic collection of encounters I’ve had with biking strangers while riding Leki (my flower bike) around my neighbourhood. It features people I spontaneously see, introduce myself to, have a chat with and invite them to join ‘the team’ (completely optional).

The eligibility for a #Bikes_CISTA invite requires:

at least one person
at least one dog
at least one bike
all are happy to stop and have a chat with me
are happy for me to share their photo and their CISTA story

It is a great way to keep me connected to my community, actively meet new people and celebrate one of the most important (non-religious) ‘holy trinities’ of being a positive and active community member that I hold near and dear: being on bikes, being with dogs and being outside enjoying nature and community….and all this at once.

I’ve previously written about the origins and perks of the #Bikes_CISTA and how instrumental it is in my community-social health practice.

COVID put a serious dent in #Bikes_CISTA activities. The last entry was #Bikes_CISTA #49 on November 2019. Considering at start of 2020 I was in West Africa for fieldwork and then COVID hit – I suppose no updates is actually quite reasonable! Since then, I haven’t given it much thought until this week I was presented with a golden #Bikes_CISTA opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.

So without further ado – meet John, his bike, Diesel and Roxy … who are our #Bikes _CISTA #50!

#Bikes_CISTA are back!

Meet John, his bike, Diesel and Roxy – #Bikes_CISTA

I was out walking Zoe during a PhD study break and I saw this awesome team riding towards me. The trailer caught my eye. Spontaneously I blurted out something to John as he rode toward me about how cool the trailer was and how great it was to see him and the dogs out on two wheels.

To my delight, John was happy to stop and have a chat – woo-hoo!

Diesel is the larger white bitsa in the front and Roxy is in the back. These two dynamos are rescue dogs and a very happy misfit pair – what a great outcome for all!

John lives in Cleveland and often rides Diesel and Roxy along the Morton Bay Cycleway for a regular cruisey Cleveland-Thornside-Lota-Manly return ride.

John’s dog trailer is simple but effective. He has modified a standard trailer setup to include shade ontop and Roxy’s basket on the end. He has to augment the axel a little to redistribute the weight for the two pooches.

There are rubber insulated mats on the floor plus a little extra cushioning for puppy comfort.

I was interested to hear he had put some barrier up around the bottom of the tray to make sure wayward tails didn’t get knocked about or accidentally caught in wheels, which was a particularly considerate addition.

We chatted happily in the afternoon sun about bikes, dogs, riding with dogs and riding this local route – all while the puppies watched on.

I love that John was wearing a ‘No bad dogs’ T-shirt as well!

Funnily enough the very next day after meeting this crew, I saw them again while riding Leki along the foreshore. I was cruising past a busy tourist area and saw John’s bike parked under a tree.

I stopped and left my business card, but then I saw John walking Diesel and Roxy a little further on. How lucky!

So we stopped for another chat. Hooray!

This dual interaction made me so happy. I loved the opportunistic randomness of the initial connection which was fun and interesting and genuine – and then to have it reinforced the very next day was just lovely.

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for this fantastic #Bikes_CISTA team from now on.

It makes me happy to know there are awesome bike-people-dogs like this cruising around my community spreading positivity, good company, and wholeheartedly celebrating the #Bikes_CISTA philosophy in their own engaging way.

Happy return #Bikes_CISTA teams!

21/09/202030/06/2021

@Artcrank makes me happy

It’s been a hectic week.

I am doing ‘okay’ and seem to be keeping up with everything.

I hate to admit it, but at some (low) points, I feel like I’m just going through the motions. This is not my normal framing – and I know I have to take action to shake the ennui and get out of the funk. Pronto!

When I feel like this I seek out bike art. It ALWAYS makes me feel better.

Previously I’ve shared some of bike-inspired artworks like:

Bicycle Murals by Mart Aires
Bike-themed tattoos and Cycle Ink (Part 1)
Walt Cahill’s beautiful Inktober collection of bicycle inspired illustrations
Bekka Wright’s comic series Bikeyface
And last year, 2019 Bicycle-themed Inktober artwork

So this time, I head to a source that I know will lift my spirits and help me connect with all I hold near and dear – bikes, community, being creative, sharing positivity and having a sense of humour.

I turn to @Artcrank on Instagram

@Artcrank

If you haven’t seen @Artcrank on Instragram – it is great.

It is profile that showcases handmade, bike-inspired posters by independent artists.

I love it because you never know what is going to get posted and it is exciting to get a smorgasbord of weird, whimsical, technical, located, colourful, graphic, text/font-based, iconic and original artwork from a range of artists and disciplines that cover all types of bikes, riders and bike cultures.

@Artcrank showcases a wide range of artistic skills from painting, digital art, illustrations, collages, graphic art, graffiti, vector avatars, wash & ink, cartography, linocuts, and more.

Some posters are monochromatic, others classic black and white, some contrasting theme hues while others are bursting with colour and vibrancy.

I love how each poster tells a story of a ride, place, a person or a moment that is usually so relatable. Some types there are adventures, moments of stillness or well-heeled tropes that we all know and love.

It is also a great forum to support artists and give their work wider exposure.

I often click on the posters I like and check out who the artist is and follow them up online to see more of their work.

Often the posters come with additional snippets of cool information, links to events, nuggets of interesting bike facts, or offers something that you didn’t know about bikes previously – added bonuses (be sure to check out the comments as well).

Best of all, you can purchase any of the featured posters via @Artcrank – GOLD!

I appreciate the invitation to enter each artist’s bike-fuelled world. They are so inspiring.

I love how each poster vignette transports me into different bikey times, spaces and places.

As I take in @Artcrank images, I realise I am smiling.

I feel better and I feel more connected.

Suddenly my day doesn’t seem so drab and I got a bit more of my spark back.

Thanks @Artcrank! I needed you today!

Keep those amazing art bike posters coming!

All images included are sourced from Instagram @Artcrank.

07/09/202010/11/2020

Ian Cheng’s World to Live: Bikey, dogs & jdioqwdjv

World to live: Bikeys dogs & jdioqwdjv. Bicycles Create Change.com 7th September 2020. — Ian Cheng – Worlding Raga 6. Source: Riboon Farm

While scouring the internet this week, I came across an article by artist Ian Cheng called Worlding Raga 6: World to live.

Initially, it was his bike drawing that caught my eye. I ended up reading the article and appreciated Ian’s whimsical interaction with a flock of bicycles – one of which calls out to him – and the ensuing adventure of agency and experience he goes on as a result of his two-wheeled friend(?) encounter.

What first looked like an entertaining reflection of becoming a new dad, turned into an exploration of what it is to be, and relate to the world, both for human bodies and a non-human bodies.

An interesting provocation.

My bike PhD research uses New Materialism as its ontological framing – and this article does a great job of translating in simple terms some of the embodied, somatic and affective intensities inherent in New Materialism (but in a more relatable and less-academic jargoned way).

I’ve included a few extracts of Ian’s interactions with the bike from the full article (below) so you can get a sense of writing style and focus. many of the moments will be familiar to riders – and I love the way that bikey actually speaks to Ian throughout. It is well worth reading the whole account to get the flow of what happens during the journey.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

I’d love to see more exploratory writing like this being shared more widely: bike focused writing that weaves together imagination, encounters, bikes (of course) and aspects of daily life.

‘Worlding’ is a New Materialist approach that attunes to the discursive-material-affective mircopoltics of everyday life. It is an approach I use for my PhD and I share some of my own and other people worldings here on this blog. So it is reassuring to see other creators using this approach as well.

I think it paints a much richer picture of life, people and what it is to be and relate in/to world with, and through bicycles – and it also gives me inspiration as I write up my PhD data analysis. Thanks Ian Cheng!

You walk by a flock of bicycles. One calls out to you. Bikey. You like Bikey’s reputation but you’re not sure about its brains. Bikey follows beside you.

“Nice dogs. Where are you headed today?”
“Don’t need a ride today thanks.”
“Can I walk with you?”
“I’m not in the mood…to talk to a bike.”
“No problem I’ve got a classic bike mode.”
“The twins get scared of you bikes.”
“I’ve done 731 dog walks in my lifetime.”
“You’ve driven this parkway before?”
“Yes once at dawn today. There’s some features I think you’ll like.”

______________

A little boy darts across your path. Bikey crashes into him.

“Bikey, you could have swerved!”
“I would have hit your twin dogs if I swerved.”
“Thank you for that consideration…but you hit a human boy!”
“It was an easy choice.”
“Do you believe dogs are worth more than a human boy?”
“This morning, yes. My alignment with you, and therefore your dogs, is worth crashing into that boy at low velocity.”
“What if that boy is the next Einstein?”
“That’s too many malignments deep for me to think about. I’m just a bike.”

You realize how significantly better you are than Bikey at imagining potential malignments. Some say that the open-ended activity of imagining new Alignment and Malignment Events is the indivisible remainder of the human spirit after automation. A person is still the least worst unit of interoperability between arbitrary worlds. But sometimes you see too many worlds deep. And this stops you from taking any actions at all. It’s times like this when you wonder if beings like Bikey will inherit the Earth because their worry has limits.

_________________

“Easy for you to say. The World of Bikey only has to worry about its next ride.”
“Yes exactly. I’m a bike. I’m not obligated to play a part in every world that touches me.”
“You know by walking together, we begin to create a little world too. A relationship. Do you feel any responsibility to be a part of that? You can’t possibly only live in Bikey’s World.”
“My experience with some riders is if we keep doing rides repeatedly it can become its own little world. With others I never see them again and that’s the end of that.”
“But if you’re not holding agency in other worlds for any significant amount of time, you’re always going to be blind to deeper alignments and malignments that impact other worlds. That’s why I can’t really trust you.”
“I can take you safely to your destination with 99% accuracy.”
“But you can’t if you hit a boy along the way!”
“I have learned from the incident. Next time I know how much it upsets a rider like you. I learned you might want to get involved in the malignment victim’s world and that makes you feel even worse.”
“So you only wish to see things from the perch of Bikey’s World.”
“My Quality of Agency is majority anchored in the World of Bikey.”
“Don’t you get sick of being a bike all the time?”
“My world is…a domain of growing relevance.”

———————–

The boy starts chasing after you. You decelerate Bikey to meet him.
“Hey you! Your bike hit me!”
“This isn’t my bike. I’m sorry again…on behalf of the bike.”
“Your bike prioritized your dogs over me. You share a world with it. You’re even riding it now. Don’t play dumb!”
“You seem upset about something else. Did something bad just happen in another world of yours?”
“Shut up Thinky.”
“Excuse me little boy?”
“Little boy? I’m a genius. You think too much. Now give me one of your dogs. They’re clones I can tell. It’s only fair!”
“Look, you laughed it off and traded your thetan knives for a split something remember…”
“Give me a dog or else I’ll mark a curse on you! I’ll ruin you and every world you ever–“

“Yaohan get over here!!!” The boy’s mother appears, furious at him. Something about their bank accounts.

Bikey starts accelerating on its own. You don’t resist. You still feel bad for the boy in ways Bikey never has to. You wonder if Quality of Agency will prove to be the ultimate unsolvable inequity among human beings.

__________________

You dismount Bikey at your driveway.
“Thanks Bikey.”
“Any comments?”
“You’re a curious bike worth knowing. Five stars.”
“Thanks. If you ever want to try to change my mind you’ll have to ride me again!”

Bikey zooms off. The Soul of Los Angeles blesses you for trying its new parkway. The floating light plays with your dogs at your doorway. Bob is back online knocking on your brain with its interpretation of jdioqwdjv. Your Hacker and Emissary demons are tired and need a break. Your Director and Cartoonist are ready to work. Does everything have to be so alive now? Does everything have to feel so damn enchanting?