Lexington, KY - With cyclists flooding the streets as the weather warms, you may have noticed that Lexington is one of many American metropolitan areas currently involved in the cycling resurgence. In fact, the League of American Bicyclists, a nationwide organization that promotes cycling advocacy, recognized Lexington as a "Bicycle Friendly Community" in 2007, making it one of approximately 100 American cities acknowledged by the league for their efforts in promoting and facilitating cycling. With cycling becoming increasingly visible in Lexington, I set out to explore the city's burgeoning cycling community. I interviewed 20 prominent and active local cyclists in order to better understand how cyclists feel about cycling and its role within the Lexington community.
What I found was surprising. I expected cyclists to talk about cohesion and unified efforts to promote cycling. However, respondents indicated that there is not a unified Lexington cycling culture. There are a variety of factors intertwined with the cycling revival, and this broad range of influences is indicated by the diversity among cyclists, including great variety in where, how and why different types of cyclists ride their bicycles. "The cycling culture is not really monolithic. There are a lot of different cycling cultures going on at the same time in town," said Dave Elbon, a member of the Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee and member of the Mayor's Bicycle Task Force. With all 20 respondents acknowledging at least some delineation among cycling groups and/or types of cyclists, several groups/types were noted throughout the interviews. The three most thoroughly discussed types of cyclists were recreational/fitness cyclists, commuters and underground/urban cyclists. This begs the question: What type of cyclist are you?
Commuters:
Respondents did not consistently identify any organized group with commuters. In fact, Shane Tedder, the Sustainability Coordinator for the University of Kentucky's Office of Residence Life and a member of the bike task force, observed that many commuters may not be interested in such cycling groups; they view the bicycle primarily as a vehicle. "There's also a growing group of people who want to use their bikes as a mode of transportation, but who aren't necessarily in to the culture of it; they just want to be cyclist-commuters," he observed.
Even without an organized group, commuters still have readily identifiable goals. Sam Dick, a member of the bike task force and a local news anchor, identified goals such as safety and infrastructure: "[Commuters are] very up on safety - the road conditions, how they're treated by drivers - so it's less the social thing and more of a 'this is how I get to work everyday' kind of thing." Fortune also noted this interest in infrastructure, with an emphasis on bike lanes. "I think the primary thing the commuting cyclists would like to have is designated bike lanes which are contiguous, so that you don't have bike lanes stopping and starting, so that you could go almost anywhere in Lexington on designated bike lanes," he said.
Underground/Urban Cyclists:
There are a few subgroups associated with the underground/urban cyclists: the Alleycats, who host races and other bike-oriented festivities; the LexRides forum, a popular online bulletin for local rider information, cycling discussion and bike advocacy; and the bike polo players. However, none of these subgroups is clearly defined or delineated, and respondents often used the subgroups interchangeably to refer to underground/urban cyclists. Moreover, despite such affiliated groups, there is no structure to the underground/urban cycling culture; instead, spontaneity and creativity are key.
"They're a terrific group of people who work hard to bring alternative styles of cycling to Lexington, whether it's racing at night or the bike prom, where they had people come out and dress up and ride their bike; but they're making cycling fun to the general person," said Melissa Bellew, a member of the bike task force and a racing/triathlon cyclist.
In addition to the simple enjoyment of cycling, a strong sense of advocacy and a commitment to an entire lifestyle intertwined with cycling are vital aspects of the underground/urban cycling culture. Brad Flowers, the president of the Mayor's Bike Task Force, noted these aspects of civic involvement and lifestyle commitment: "Bicycling is definitely for the LexRides folks still a form of recreation and a form of fitness, but I think it has a little bit more, maybe, of a political statement in some way - it just has more ideological significance, the bicycle."
Click to visit the LexRides forum.
Recreational/Fitness Cyclists:
Elbon described this group as "people who are mostly interested in recreational cycling, who probably drive a car during the week, and then on the weekends go ride out in the countryside." Additionally, when most respondents talked about recreational/fitness cyclists, they referred to the Bluegrass Cycling Club (BCC), a group of "road cyclists." This is likely because the BCC is the only officially organized local cycling club. Mike Galbraith, a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor, a member of the bike task force and a transportation and urban planner, explained, "There are many dedicated cyclists in the Bluegrass Cycling Club, but it is a club, and they are club riders - they're into fitness, health, a little competition, but it's group riding, and group riding is fun, group riding's a lot of fun."
In addition to fitness and recreational riding, these cyclists are also interested in safety. Bill Fortune, a member of the bike task force, vice president of the BCC, a cross-country cyclist and a professor in the University of Kentucky's College of Law, noted, "The primary concern of the Bluegrass Cycling Club and the road riders is really bike safety, the way cyclists ride on the rural roads and the way in which cars react to cyclists on the rural roads."
Bill Gorton, president of the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeways Commission, a member of the bike task force and an environmental lawyer, observed that one of the primary advocacy efforts related to the BCC is the 'Share the Road' campaign to raise motorists' awareness of cyclists. "We have signage on the beautiful Bluegrass bikeways and roads throughout the community to let automobile drivers know that this is an area that's frequented by our road riders, and, as we try to expand the reputation of the community as a safe cycling destination, we hope to increase cycling tourism here, and we want people that are coming to visit us to feel safe on our roads," he said.
Cycling Unity
While the appearance, equipment and intent are greatly varied among the groups, and even for the individual members, it is safe to say that all parties and riders concerned with putting a bike on the road share a common goal of enjoying cycling and promoting a general cycling culture. As Melissa Bellew, a member of the bike task force and a racing/triathalon cyclist, noted: "All those people together I think have a common thread in that they all enjoy cycling and want to see it grow in Lexington. Ö So all those folks have different individual goals with different groups but overall, even despite the differences, I think all the groups want to work together to make it better in Lexington for the cycling culture."
Mitch Schwartz is a student at University of Kentucky, currently seeking his Master of Arts in Communication. The Lexington cycling community is the subject of his thesis research. For questions or suggestions regarding his research or cycling in Lexington, feel free to e-mail mitchael.Schwartz@gmail.com.
Bike Lexington
Bike Lexington is a city-wide, month-long event to get people out on the roads and to increase awareness about road safety. We've provided a sampling of a few planned programs; for a complete list of events planned (and extended information on each event), visit www.bikelexington.com.
Cycling events
Velo Swap. May 3. Bring your goods to this bike swap to see what you can get for them (or what you can score for your own bike); open to anyone who would like to participate. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Void Skate Shop.
Community Bike Forum. May 5. Various cycling groups will be represented and Mayor Newberry will be on hand to receive feedback about cycling in Lexington. 6:30 p.m. Downtown Public Library (basement).
Commuting 101. May 6, 13 and 27. Learn what you need to know to bike safely, including bike choice, route selection, cargo, clothing and foul-weather riding. A short ride of 20 minutes will be included for the commuting curious. 6 - 8 p.m. Courthouse Plaza.
Progressive Dinner. May 7. Join fellow cyclists on a pedal-powered tour of Lexington restaurants. The event will begin with a tour of the KY Ale Brewery and an appetizer featuring their delicious beer cheese. From there we will head to Mia's for dinner and finally to Natasha's for dessert and coffee. $24. 6 p.m.
Ride with the Red. May 9. Charity cycling ride to benefit American Red Cross Bluegrass Area Chapter. Three rides to choose from. Registration at 8:30 a.m., Equus Run Vineyards.
"Drag" Races - LexRides Fun Race. May 16. Scavenger-style bike race. 6 p.m. Visit www.lexrides.com for more information.
Bike Bash 2009. May 23. Enjoy an unusual night of celebrating bicycling in Lexington. Music, food, drinks, head-to-head bike roller races, short bike films and more. 5 p.m. Cheapside Park.
Horsey Hundred 2009. May 23 - 24. Presented by Bluegrass Cycling Club. There are several routes to choose from on Saturday and Sunday from 25, 35, 55 and 75 miles; or challenge yourself to the full Horsey Hundred. Registration required, visit www.bgcycling.org.
Bike Lexington Rally & Car Free Downtown. May 25. Over 1,000 cyclists will reclaim the streets to celebrate bicycling. You bring your bike, we'll provide the food, drink, live music and more. The 10-mile family fun ride starts at 11 a.m. (registration at 9 a.m.). You can also bike, walk, run, skate or stroller at your own pace through the car-free downtown from 1 to 3 pm. Courthouse Plaza. (859) 258-3605.
Share the Road. May 29. This ride will begin with a discussion of local bicycling ordinances and will be a great opportunity to gain confidence riding your bicycle on the street. 5 p.m. Woodland Park.