The bicycle: Technology and culture

Bicycle technology, except for its latest manifestations in “smart” bike sharing systems and in e-bikes, hardly attracts attention in analyses of contemporary bicycle use. If at all considered, the bicycle’s characteristics are seen from a car driver’s perspective, qualifying it as slow, physically demanding, vulnerable (“unsafe”) and exposed. Based on existing historical research, the present contribution broadens the scope by addressing a wide ranch of technical qualities of bicycles and the effects these qualities have on the practice and appreciation of cycling. The single-track design, the self-moving principle and the increased speed and range of travel without increased energy consumption,
are discussed as core characteristics leading on to a number of related characteristics, such as the bicycle’s space efficiency and agility, its minimalist and lightweight construction, and its “openness.” The contribution argues that the extent to which these qualities are appreciated or considered important for making modal choices depends on the various cultures of cycling, which can differ substantially from one temporal context to another, from one social group to another, and from one country to another.