This time I do actually feel that I’ve got this sorted at last. It feels blindingly obvious now, and when reading back through notes and comments from myself and tutors, I’m seeing it’s been there waiting to be discovered for weeks now…

Let’s Recap…

Looking for a subject within the cycling theme has brought up lots of approaches, but none that I felt were different or strong. Some relied too heavily on a single audience whilst other depended solely on submissions coming from 3rd parties, and with how things are in the world at the moment there wasn’t going to be any of the events which I’d planned on for more content actually going ahead, at least in time for inclusion in my project.

So, I felt stumped, really stuck and needing to somehow start again without starting again. It’s week 14, how can I actually start again?

To present the opinions that these three groups hold for each other; pedestrians step out into cycle lanes; cyclists never stop at the red light, motorists don’t give us enough room.

Find opinions from each group, show where the crossovers lie – e.g., I’m a cyclist, a pedestrian and a motorist and whilst in the role of each, the other two usually cause frustration. I aim to present the findings in an unbiased way. There is no aim to steer people in a specific direction; the outcome will be impartial, and available for the viewer to make up their own minds about where any blame or prejudice might lie. It’s there to highlight problems from all sides.

The aim of the project is more precise to define. The application of research methods is more straightforward. The project will be under my control and not over-reliant on the participation of others.

Primary: Questionnaires, interviews, etc.

Secondary: Existing research, publicly available information

Ethnographic: Observation/interaction with study participants in their real-life environment.

Primary research can involve a broader range of subjects. It can be gained more easily; via social media, q&a, interviews and discussions.

Opinions on road users, mainly between cyclists and motorists, always trigger a lively debate, interviews, or discussions without seeking a specific group. Everyone falls into at least one of the categories. Unlike my first project ideas, there is no singular target for the research, and therefore a larger number of responses is more likely. I also have my own experiences to include in the study.

I can take notes to record incidents as I ride (tends to be the most likely to bring results), walk or drive.

Secondary research would consist of stories from the media; news reports, documentaries and existing data/statistics regarding accident hot-spots, causes and outcomes.

Examples: A cyclist was prosecuted (find the reference) for knocking down a pedestrian who stepped out into the cycle lane he was using. People blamed both sides; the cyclist was going too fast and so couldn’t react in time to avoid the pedestrian; the pedestrian (I think, so will check) was on their phone and stepped out without looking, so who was at fault?

Ethnographic can come from something as simple as watching and commenting as the world goes by.

Next Step:

A chat with Stuart to run things past him for advice. I think he saw the value in the new idea but was concerned that I shouldn’t just scrap all the work from the previous weeks – which I did feel like doing – but should try and find a way to join the two.

As we spoke further a way to fix the problem/s came through. Rather than focus in on one of the aspects of cycling, I’d looked for; the races or the memories or the sense of belonging as separate subjects, step back and take a wider approach this time.

Each aspect of the work so far has fallen short of being its own project so if they were to be all combined into one huge study of cycling – not just a specific genre or niche group – the whole amount gained so far as well as including the new theme of pedestrian/cyclist/motorist. Create a collection of contributions, data, images, articles and observations about everything.

The keywords now are CONTROL & FOCUS…

Spend time writing a sheet similar to the one page report in week 11 of our Studio and Entrepreneurship module back in August 2020 (this project also came through a bit of last-minute inspiration, cutting it very fine).

There are some good points from that module to revisit and apply here; find the right content, look for a prospective audience – test, gain feedback and respond, find the right avenues to promote the outcome.

Feedback from Craig Oldham brings up the most vital steps:

— Where is the content coming from? It always helps publishers to know that the legwork has been done. That you have permissions / access to the content all ready and good to go. Things like this just make it easier for them to find a way to say no.

— Be more serious on the content. Structure a proposal that leads you into it. … Show some more examples that you have. Talk about the audience. Talk about how it would be structured as a bit of content.

• “show this freedom and escape”
• “The club history – the ride history”
• “look at terminology”
• “events the clubs put on each year”
• “historical value”
• “what a rich seam cycling and cycling clubs are in terms of current aesthetic, the history, the tribal thing, communities, friendships etc etc”
• “I would like to see the ‘real’ side of cycling, the good bits and the bad, and not just the stereotypical images you see of cyclists in lycra”

• “Perhaps partner with someone doing a journalist or creative writing course at Falmouth for a mutually beneficial project? A ‘live brief’. Share contacts. Reach out to others in the University. Some nice copy will take the project further.”
• “Make the outcome a story, could allow for more graphic styles; before, during and after. Build a framework to hang off.”
• “The gender gap in cycling, looking to find out what might cause this”

• “Reflect the before and after in a publication as chapters? Reflect this in the writing, people’s expectations, their tactics for a race, their training. Represent the race in a different way and then after, get soundbites or responses to the ‘before’ status; this/that went wrong, etc. Also the joy it brings, not just what went wrong. The feeling of being in a race, the achievement.”

Subjects; what do we show, what do we say?

• Artefacts, archives and personal stories
• Club culture
• Political messages
• Road safety
• Keypoints; changes in the law, government initiatives
• Mental & physical health benefits
• Developments for the future

People; who can we go to, what can they bring?

• Reach out to journalists/writers specialising in cycling. See who’s approachable. Ask for statements, interviews or even articles. A prologue to the content would be a good thing to get.
• Photographers; there are many photographers who specialise in photographing the Grand Tours, portraits of riders, things like that. However, one person springs to mind as a different approach, not a photographer at all. During the 2020 (check, may have been 2019) Tour de France there was a huge crash involving most of the main contenders. They were photographed by a spectator who happened to be in the right place at the right time, his image was used all over the press as was the story of him being the person who took it.
• Publishers; ask for advice on how to go about publishing a document such as this, what to avoid, what to look for. Advice on self-publishing.

Places; where’s the information we need?

(The rugby’s about to start, will be back later…)

Mediums; how do we show the results, what could be the final outcome?

• Books
• Illustrations
• Photography; documentary and studio settings – artefacts or portraits.
• Exhibition
• Website
• Film/voiceover
• Interviews
• Written articles
• Data visualisation

Cycling brings many different things to society; a sense of freedom and escape, belonging and associations. Can design tell the story of its diversity and cultural value beyond the stereotypes?

This report looks into the different facets of cycling; the clubs and the individuals, the serious and the fleeting. The aim is to show the ways cycling can benefit communities by bringing people together, building confidence and friendships or delivering a feeling of independence and release, a way to escape.

Ask anyone “what is a cyclist?” and if you do not get a cascade of expletives then it is likely you will get a reasonably prejudiced description of the Roadie, Mountain Biker and the Commuter all rolled into one, even perhaps the reasonably new addition to the cliche’s; the Hipster. Everyone knows that all cyclists jump red lights, ride too fast, never wear helmets and do not pay road tax – they are a menace to society.

The Stereotypes

In 2010, Eben Weiss, aka Bike Snob NYC, wrote an article in the Guardian (Weiss 2010) outlining “a merciless Velo-taxonomy of two-wheeled clans…”. In it, he describes a world “full of goofy-looking figures in different colours and shapes,” breaking them down into different characters which we can all relate to whether we are one of them or not. A vast array of cycling stereotypes often dissuades people from taking up the (sport/pastime/hobby which fits best?), but the middle-aged-man-in-lycra, the MAMIL (there, I said it), he is the one which puts most people off.

For anyone looking to ride with others; the thought of joining a cycling club to do so can also be offputting; the scrutiny, the prejudice towards the recruits—the fear of being left for dead, realising just how slow they are in comparison and expecting ridicule.

Thoughts of gender-bias and self-consciousness are also typical factors in deciding whether to take up cycling ‘seriously’ or stick to only riding with friends. With experience though, we can say that the stereotype of the club cyclist is an extremely accurate one; they shave their legs, they wear strange hats and follow strange rules, they need to belong – that tribal instinct takes over. The club kit; their uniform, worn with military pride, becomes more than just a matching jersey.

However, their attitude towards new riders joining their club is often quite surprising. There are exceptions, but most often they are happy when someone new appears at the start of the Sunday ride. They see ‘the fear’ in the eyes of the new rider staddling their new bike on the periphery, quietly trying to work out the correct protocol on what to do next and remember themselves when in the same position. So they call him, or occasionally her, over to join in the pre-ride chatter. “Nice bike” tends to be the first line offered from the group, and then after a few general enquiries about how far, how often and how fast, people start to introduce themselves and make the new member feel most welcome. The fear of the first ride still lingers.

Why do we feel the need to belong to a group?

Other groups exist, of course, and we all like to feel that we are part of something; a family, a cause, a group of mates. It is nice to feel included, feel welcome, add value to something, and get some value in return. There can be many reasons to join or form a group; an outlet for artistic expression – a band or a movement, a place to learn new skills or meet new people. The main reasons for being in any group could be to get a sense of belonging and a feeling of acceptance; something in common.

Feeling as though we belong can remove the self-consciousness which comes when trying something new. Reducing the risk of being judged for what we believe in or aspire to increases confidence or gives us a place to hide. A group is a place to reinforce beliefs – “it is not just me” who thinks/feels/wants whatever it is. It fits in with sports and protest—something to fight for, a belief in a team.

(Include some validation and statistics as well as POV)

Cycling on the increase

Cycling for leisure and fitness is at an all-time high (double-check); indeed, Lockdown 1.0 in 2020 caused a 300% increase in cyclists’ number.

The Government encouraged cycling as one of the best ways to get around during the lockdown. It was encouraged as a safer and healthier alternative to public transport, bolstered by wearing face masks and becoming mandatory on trains and buses and their ‘Fix Your Bike’ voucher worth £50 as an added incentive (I missed to take advantage of that one).

NOTES: Include –

• Example groups outside of the stereotypes, those using it as a political vehicle or response to something rather than as a pastime
• The increasing awareness of cycling as an aid to mental wellbeing and physical health
• How it benefits the environment
• Improvements made to infrastructure to accommodate and encourage more cycling – compare different countries?
• The social aspect – the characters, the stories.
• The aesthetics
• The achievement
• Introduce the positives which can be attributed to cycling; mental health, fitness, etc. write more about the ‘different things’ quoted in the question
• What is the individual’s self-esteem, their own’ theme value’, them being out in the world?
• Is it the positive image: it’s me, it’s a sunny day, I’m cycling down a country lane where its all quiet; the ‘wind’s in my hair’ I’m having a great time with friends, etc.
• Think about the individuals’ point of view, the sense of self; what’s attracting me?
• Social reasons
• Coming back from illness – advised as part of some therapy, mental or physical
• What do they see as themself on a bike?
• Is it from a self-critical, negative voice or is it from something positive; ‘I really love the idea of riding a bike. I want to do it because it’s something I love’; dance, ride, listen to music, I want to do all the good things which people do which lift them and makes them feel good. Or is it; ‘I feel like I SHOULD be doing these things’? What’s the motivation or the aversion to being seen as someone who rides a bike?
• What different things would but of different people; criticism, competitiveness, a sense of joining something where you don’t know the ‘rules’ – being in a situation where you don’t understand what the rules are. Or, they could be just more risk-averse than others.
• Stereotypes can act as either a barrier or a facilitator to potential riders.
• Talk about other government incentives – ride to work, etc.
• Road safety & personal safety
• Introduce the niche groups, those riding for a cause or a belief
• philosophy,
• psychology,
• the historical underpinning
• the contemporary- speculative into the future.
• Explore the weirder end of culture and clubs — e.g. lookup Max Leonards Rough Stuff Fellowship Archive
• Or the missing aspects? E.g. black cyclists, women cyclists, old cyclists, brixton nihilist
• Ride of Silence
• World Naked Bike Ride
• Art bike
• Bikes Not Bombs
• Ovarian Psycos
• Tweed Run