Cycling: A Sociology of Vélomobility

213 Pages·2019·2.408 MB·English

by  Peter Cox

Cycling
Cycling: A Sociology of Vélomobility explores cycling as a sociological p henomenon.
Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, it considers the interaction of ma-
terials, competencies and meanings that comprise a variety of cycling practices.
What might appear at first to be self-evident actions are shown to be constructed
through the interplay of numerous social and political forces. Using a theoretical
framework from mobilities studies, its central themes respond to the question of
what it is about cycling that provokes so much interest and passion, both positive
and negative.
Individual chapters consider how cycling has appeared as theme and illustration
in social theory, as well as the legacies of these theorizations. The book expands
on the image of cycling practices as the product of an assemblage of technology,
rider and environment. Riding spaces as material technologies are found to be as
important as the machinery of the cycle, and a distinction is made between routes
and rides to help interpret aspects of journey-making. Ideas of both affordance
and script are used to explore how elements interact in performance to create
sensory and experiential scapes. Consideration is also given to the changing iden-
tities of cycling practices in historical and geographical perspective.
The book adds to existing research by extending the theorization of cycling
mobilities. It engages with both current and past debates on the place of cycling in
mobility systems and the problems of researching, analyzing and communicating
ephemeral mobile experiences.
Peter Cox is Professor of Sociology at the University of Chester. He chairs the
international network Scientists for Cycling, which supports the work of the
European Cyclists’ Federation and was a founding member of the Cycling and
Society Research Group in 2004. Prior to academic life, he ran his own cycle
business and still enjoys riding and fixing a variety of cycles, old and new.
Changing Mobilities
Series Editors: Monika Büscher, Peter Adey
This series explores the transformations of society, politics and everyday expe-
riences wrought by changing mobilities, and the power of mobilities research
to inform constructive responses to these transformations. As a new mobile
century is taking shape, international scholars explore motivations, experiences,
insecurities, implications and limitations of mobile living, and opportunities and
challenges for design in the broadest sense, from policy to urban planning, new
media and technology design. With world citizens expected to travel 105 billion
kilometres per year in 2050, it is critical to make mobilities research and design
inform each other.
Mobilities Design
Urban Designs for Mobile Situations
Ole B. Jensen and Ditte Bendix Lanng
Dialogues on Mobile Communication
Adriana de Souza e Silva
Elite Mobilities
Edited by Thomas Birtchnell, Javier Caletrío
Bicycle Utopias
Imagining Fast and Slow Cycling Futures
Cosmin Popan
Cycling
A Sociology of Vélomobility
Peter Cox
For a full list of titles in this series, please visit www.routledge.com/Changing-
Mobilities/book-series/CHGMOB.
Cycling
A Sociology of Vélomobility
Peter Cox
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2019 Peter Cox
The right of Peter Cox to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-138-69187-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-53369-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Goudy
by codeMantra
Contents
List of boxes ix
List of figures xi
Introduction 1
Background 1
Themes 3
Structure 6
1 Towards a sociology of cycles and cycling 11
Introduction 11
Cycles, cyclists and cycling 14
Polanyi’s cyclist: a case study in tacit knowledge 16
Illich: the bicycle as a challenge to modernity 18
Augé and Fournel: cycling as transcendence 20
Bijker: social constructions, technologies and mobilities 22
Deleuze: mobilities and assemblages 23
Vélomobility 27
Conclusions: vélomobility and automobility 28
2 Researching cycling 36
Introduction 36
Cycling as mobilities research 36
What (or who) is cycling research for? 39
The politics of cycling research 41
Mobile methods: researching cycling 43
Problematizing mobile methods: a case study 45
Ethics and covert recording: reversing the gaze 47
Reflexivity and location 48
Sensory journeys 50
Communicating cycling research findings – “senses matter” 51
Conclusions 53
vi Contents
3 Materials: cycle technologies 59
Introduction 59
Cycle design: affordance and script 59
Learning to ride: the impact of cycle technologies 62
Technological affordances 65
Cycle design as a sociotechnical system 71
Users and technological reappropriation 73
Sport and cycle technologies 75
Conclusions 76
4 Environments: material spaces of cycling 81
Introduction 81
Routes and rides 83
Roads as routes 85
Routes and route books 89
Maps for cycle tourists 90
Cycling guidebooks 91
Cycle sport and its material environments 94
Conclusions: cycling spaces 96
5 Exploring (im)material space 100
Introduction 100
Sensuous journeying 101
Sensescapes 103
Analyzing the sensory experience 107
Spaces of regimentation and freedom 109
Dissonant discourses and symbolic orders 110
Rural- urban contrast? 111
Cycling virtual worlds 113
Conclusions: imaginary future spaces of vélomobility 115
6 Competencies: riding alone 120
Who is the self that rides? 120
Riding, emancipation and counter- hegemonic mobility 122
Learning from cycle trainers 123
Learning to ride and building capacity 125
The city as a competence 128
Commuting as environmental engagement 130
Rituals and rides 132
Rational technical and ritual behaviour in the journey to work 133
Conclusions: the mundane and the exceptional 136
Contents vii
7 Riding together 140
Introduction 140
“The fellowship of the wheel” 141
Fellowship in decline or in new forms? 144
The politics of collectivity 146
Spaces as shared stories 147
Monuments and shrines 149
Special rides as pilgrimages 151
Conclusions 152
8 Meanings, representations and identities 156
Introduction 156
Representing class, race, and gender 157
Fin de Siècle cycle posters 158
Advertising to cyclists in the 1930s 159
Cycles as an advertising meme today 165
Cycling image and imaginary 168
Conclusions 170
9 Riding the city: public meanings and cycling advocacy 174
Imagery 174
Public spaces and cycling cities 178
Advocacy arguments 182
Varieties of advocacy: social movement approaches 184
Models of change 186
Theory and activism 190
Conclusions: vélomobile futures 191
Index 195

List of boxes
1.1 What is it about the bike? 13
2.1 Digital recording and cycling 46
3.1 The relationship between rider and machine (1923) 63
3.2 Riding tricycles 67
4.1 Riding off-road in 1944 87
5.1 Fieldwork notes: reflections on commuting 104
9.1 The equilibrium manifesto 180