Mar 20 '06 - 1431 W, 8 I - Vote Good + 11 :: Bad - 8 Recognize: Snapshots of Los Angeles Bike Riders
Published March 20, 2006 by C.I.C.L.E.
Contributed by
Edith Abeyta ::
Anita Martinez ::
EL CHAVO!
Los Angeles, California.
The name itself conjures up the automobile. Since the introduction of
that metal beast on our streets, the City has been defined and shaped
by the needs of the car. It has dictated our geography and has
imposed itself on our daily human interactions, effectively weaving
itself into the fabric of our relationships. The way we meet, the
manner in which we plan reunions, the unmentioned assumption of our
gatherings, the car is the common backdrop. The
unquenchable need of these machines for petrol, concrete, and asphalt
roads assures the continued separation of the human communities they
pretend to serve. The geographical isolation they create and the
Personal Armored Space they enclose are social designs that
discourage communication amongst neighbors and cultivates
alienation.
The endless roads
that are meant to forever constrain Los Angeles in the Car Culture
have also encouraged one tiny seed of their own destruction: the
lowly little bicycle. This human-scale contraption of metal, chains,
and rubber tubes is desperately trying to instill a new vision for
Los Angeles, one that questions the wasteful and unsustainable
consumption of Natures elements and encourages authentic
communication and interaction. Though these lands may be the birth
place of the SUV and the Hummer, they are as well the soil that
breeds their antagonism, the place where the viable alternative of
Biking may yet take root and show us a new way forward.
But just as the car sped in
imposing its drastic demands on our city, the emergence of the new
Bike Kulture in Los Angeles has also arrived with it's own
well-intentioned baggage. Heavily armed with a simplistic Good vs.
Bad moralism, a religious fervor that will only tolerate
Auto-abstinence, many potential allies have already been lost.
Angelenos have endless reasons for mounting a saddle, they include
ecological, health, empowerment, self-reliance, and political but
since these disparate bike riders have not formed an ideology to
cement their ties, they've been effectively overlooked as
participants of the emerging bike scene. The new biking Kulture also
packs a lifestyle, one to which many are not inclined to submit. Some
prefer regular clothes over a spandex getup, hair-in-the-wind instead
of a plastic helmet, biking for sheer joy rather than a political
philosophy. The bike Kulture instantly acknowledges its own but seems
hesitant to recognize the LA bikerider that has been here for years,
fighting against traffic and resiliently peddling on despite the
pollution. The riders that we see everyday going to work, taking a
cruise around the block, trying out new tricks, inventing the
lowrider, or just running errands, they've somehow become mere
background noise, or worse, invisible.
Before a great many Angelenos are written out of
this next chapter of our cities history, a few of the volunteers from
Flor y Canto thought it might be useful and interesting to contribute
this photo essay, to both encourage biking and to
hopefully expand the parameters of that world. The project was simple
enough: go to a street corner, wait for some bikers to pass and ask
if they'd like to be interviewed. Therefore, the participants are but
a random sliver of the real picture, a small sampling of the actual
biking public. The interviews were free-form with just a few general
questions to get people talking about their biking experience. This
project was born of a desire to spotlight those that are readily
visible, not because they need the social gaze for validation, but to
show the bike Kulture that it can learn something from what is
already here. You don't have to reinvent the, uh, wheel, just to try
something new! We hope to shine some light on the common bike rider,
to showcase those brave souls that continue to traverse our streets
on two wheels and make their own mark, consciously or not, in the
forming history of an alternative Los Angeles. They may not command
any attention, but history shows that change often comes from forces
seemingly unknown. The people we call neighbors and friends, we
Recognize as being a fundamental aspect of Los Angeles in transition.
Thus we give you Recognize: Snapshots of Los Angeles Bike Riders.
Felipe Alarcon
Specialized Rockhopper
"I married my wife because she doesn't like being in cars. She's getting a new bike soon so we can ride together"
It takes Felipe 15 minutes to get from his job in the Fashion District to his home near Pico & Vermont, and he enjoys the trip because it allows him to see many things. For $10 and some bartering he was able to buy his bike off the street, which is common for him as he's had 3 bikes stolen by people that cut his chain. He figures theres no point in buying an expensive u-lock as that'll probably cost more than what he can pay for a bike. Because he rides on the sidewalk for safety, sometime the pedestrians present a challenge because they often get in the way. He enjoys biking though and prefers it entirely over a car. He states that riding bikes is great and more people should do it.
Specialized, Primo, and Nyquist RI Hard Bike
"We don't like video games, we'd rather ride our bikes."
We spotted Mr. X, Chris, and BMX riding their bikes down the stairs at Los Angeles and Temple in Downtown. They were having a good time, bouncing down steps, hopping onto planters, and riding wheelies on the curb. These young teens from City Terrace use their bikes to get to school and as their principle means of transport. Mr. X got his Specialized as a birthday gift but stated sadly that he likes nothing about it, "it's too heavy to do tricks". Chris got his Primo from his brother, he likes that it's "light". BMX paid "3 bills" for his Nyquist and he likes that "it's manual". They all dislike that there are too many pedestrians on the sidewalk, where they are forced to ride. The cops harass them as well, especially the ones at East LA College, who chase them in golf carts, though they've yet to get caught. Their parents like that they ride because it makes them go out and get exercise. They wanted to be photographed doing "action shots" but when the pictures didn't come out right, they settled for posing in trick positions.
Green GT and Schwinn Powermatic
"I like my bike 'cause it's green"
"I like my bike 'cause it handles bumps and jumps"
Bothered by having to push their bikes up a steep hill in their neighborhood of Northeast LA, they quickly agreed that going up hills is the hardest part of biking. Both got their bikes from friends. They use them to get around on the weekends but not to get to school. Jesus likes his bike because "it's green and gets him around faster" while Jesus likes that his can handle "bumps and jumps". Jesus was adamant about not being photographed though proud to have his bike in the picture. Jerry happily posed with his bike.
Mutant bike
"Problems riding my bike? The xochitlquetazales, the beautiful women walking down the street, turn to look and then...crash"
Often spotted biking around Lincoln Heights or headed to his favorite eatery La Abeja, artist Leo Limon has equipped his "mutant bike" to fit his needs. His bike is a mixture of stock parts, some he bought from the sycamore park winos, and customized pieces, most notably a paint tray instead of a typical rack over the rear wheel, much more convenient for this mobile muralist. Though he's had his bike stolen 4 times, he still uses it as his primary means of transportation. Leo was the only rider we interviewed that used a bike helmet. His favorite aspect of riding is "the feel of the wind, the freedom, the feeling of flying". Leo encourages us to "save the future, ride a bike" and finishes with "pump your bike, not gas!
More Interviews >>>
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The bicycle commuter street interviews is a great feature! A lot of people commute by bicycle, but usually you only see the bike (locked to a bike rack, or to a tree behind a restaurant kitchen), not its rider.
I guess people lock their bikes behind their workplaces in order to avoid theft, but I wish that people would lock their bikes UP FRONT, such that the public is made aware of the large number of people who commute by bike.
David (Email) - March 23 '06 - 12:08