While attending an advocacy seminar at the 2011 National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, in March, I was reminded of one message in particular: we need champions of the cause.
Movements, whether for civil rights, women’s rights, democratic freedom, etc., have all had figureheads – individuals who, by way of their charisma, public speaking ability and dedication, attract the eyes and ears of a lot of people and bring them together under one banner. Added to that, if the examples of the Libyan and Egyptian democratic uprisings have taught us anything, the willingness of the masses to get behind a cause has much to do with the success of a movement – that’s where you come in.
David Byrne, on the cover of this issue, can certainly be counted among the notable individuals getting behind the cycling banner in North America. His work in New York City – including designing several themed bike racks – and speaking tours have done much to change perceptions about what it means to ride a bike, i.e., it’s fun and cool to bike in the city, and you don’t have to be an athlete to do it.
People like Byrne and the many other dedicated advocates of cycling in North America make our job here at Momentum easier. They present shining examples of how mainstream, popular and natural it is to choose to include biking in your transportation mix. And the more people recognize the utility and attractiveness of biking, the more policy-makers will take notice and the safer and more convenient city cycling will be.
Safety is a key issue that is causing some tensions in the bicycling community. The whole discussion surrounding helmet use often seems to come down to a “you’re either with us or you’re against us” mentality, leaving “us” without a clear resolution (or message for that matter) in sight. Reporter Elly Blue does a great job of exploring both sides of the argument, and the gray areas in between, in our feature story about helmets, p. 36.
We also have some fantastic Arts and Culture content in this issue, p. 16, along with our feature chat with David Byrne, which was covered by Arts and Culture editor Bryna Hallam, p. 34. And don’t miss our look at cycling in Minneapolis, p. 40, our MOHow about getting your bike on a plane, p. 50, Mia Birk’s load-bearing experience at a garage sale, p. 54, bikes we love, p. 46, kids’ helmets, p. 27, and much, much more!
It has been six years since Momentum Magazine re-launched as a business designed to get more people on bikes. I hope you enjoy our six-year anniversary edition.
Keep it wheel,
Sarah Ripplinger
Editor, Momentum Magazine
Originally published in the May/ June 2011 issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.
Sarah Ripplinger Marketing Communication 