ARTICLE FROM THE BOOK:
Cyclists & Cycling Around the World – Creating Liveable
andBikeable
CitiesCyclists& Cycling
Aroundthe World
Edited by Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech
Published by Fondo Editorial, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2013
ISBN: 978-612-4146-55-8

7. Cycle Advocacy and EducationT

his chapter contains six articles about promoting cycle culture and includes
experiences from cycle advocacy groups about organising citizens’ movements
and building up a large cycling organisation. The spotlight is also turned on thesignificance of civil partnerships and on marketing cycling as mainstream. The last twoarticles describe various ways of motivating children to cycle through games and training
so that they end up as competent cyclists of the future.
In her article Cyclists’ grass roots democracy, Lake Sagaris emphasise the importance ofstrategic participation in cycle advocacy. Lake goes for a long-term, strategic approachand discusses how cycling inclusivity can be kept on the public agenda long enough forsubstantial change to occur. Lake emphasises the importance of mobilising what shecalls ”ecologies of actors”, for example, interested politicians, committed technical people
and many other groups. She emphasises the importance of these groups of actors, all ofwhom must be mobilised to achieve not only tactical successes but above all long-term
strategic goals. She cites the eight-year long struggle in the Santiago arts district of Bella
Vista to exemplify the application of the approach she advocates to cycling inclusivity toreclaim the streets of a neighbourhood for its citizens. She emphasises the importance ofa cycling master plan, stating that even though the toolbox is similar, every city must findits own solution according to local needs and conditions.
In their article Cycling organisation, the authors Burkhard Stork and Kolja Oppel write
about lobbying for cyclists in Germany. They highlight the difficult position of the bicycle
in relation to the large automotive manufacturing industry and its powerful lobby. The
need for a counterbalance to the ADAC automobile club in the form of a bicycle lobby
led to the founding of The German Cyclists’ Federation, ADFC, in 1979. The goal was toattract 10,000 members. Today, there are 135,000 members and it is the biggest cyclingorganisation in Europe. ADFC’s goal is to promote public interest in cycling with a focus
on lobbying activity. The authors emphasise that the basis for the power and influence of
the ADFC is a large membership, which they gain by offering many different services fortheir members, including for example certification of Bed+Bike to establish a network ofcycle-friendly accommodation for bicycle tourists. ADFC is however, facing some major
challenges such as lack of young adult members and volunteers.

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In his article Cycle promotion campaigns, Carlos Romero Sánchez tells his readers about
getting people to pedal in Guadalajara. He paints a picture of many groups coming
together to develop a city which will be sustainable, accessible, fair and democratic.
Since 2004, when “Vía RecreActiva” Sunday was introduced, there has been a before
and after in the world of urban mobility in Guadalajara. This event has developed to theextent that every Sunday 60 km of streets are closed to car traffic and are given overto pedestrians and cyclists with 200,000 users. Carlos describes how a wide range ofactivities have contributed to the further development of cycling in Guadalajara. Theseinclude a Master Plan on Urban Non-Motorised Mobility, a City Council for non-motorised
mobility and the Bkt bicipública, a private initiative for city bikes for loan. Carlos gives adetailed explanation as to how the various civil society organisations work together andin partnerships towards their common goal of promoting the urban use of bicycles aseveryday transportation.
In his article Branding cycling, Mikael Colville-Andersen describes marketing of cycling
as mainstreaming - a good thing. Mikael outlines one of the great needs of our times – tomarket cycling energetically and so gain acceptance for it in the public’s mind as a naturalform of transport for modern urbanites. He sees the bike as key to solving the liveability
equation in our cities. Mikael warns against branding which uses the 1970s mindset
with its focus on the environment, and advises us to focus on the bike as an effective
transport tool. He sets four goals for promoting urban cycling: ”A2Bism”, lowering thespeed limit for cars to save lives and redemocratising urban cycling as a transport form forall. The last goal is marketing and branding urban cycling using mainstream marketing
techniques in order to sell cycling like any other product. In addition, he points out thatthe shaping of our streets and public spaces in the future needs proper design not justtraffic engineering. Infrastructure is important but marketing the bike is as important as
inventing and developing it – if not more so.
In her article Cycle events, Jessica Tantaleán recounts her experience with teachingchildren for a bikeable Lima. Working in the City of Lima, Jessica Tantaleán sees theeducation of children in cycling as key to developing this form of transport in the future.
The special programme for Non-Motorised Transport, CICLOLIMA has been developed
to strengthen sustainable mobility. Jessica describes how various programmes havebeen introduced and coordinated in Lima, starting often on the streets and in theparks – a real hands-on approach – to educate both the children and the parents
in learning a different attitude to cycling. Lima carried out the pioneering project“Humanising Transport”, known as “ZOOM” funded by the World Bank from 20052008. This programme was continued in the School Education Programme “BiciCole”
focusing on children between 9 and 12. The children have the opportunity to use theirbike with their parents on CICLODIA, every Sunday, when the main avenue is turned
into a recreational bikeway closed for cars. As the programmes have developed, more244

Cyclists & Cycling Around the Worldand more people have become interested and now the Ministry of Education is keen tospread the programmes out on a nationwide basis.
In their article Cycle training for Children, Mai-Britt Kristensen and Loa Bendix encourage
readers to take a child’s perspective and make it fun. Working with children in the Danish
Cyclists’ Federation, their motto could be “Catch them young.” If effort is not put into
producing a new generation of (very) young cyclists, the number of adult cyclists could
drop sharply within a generation. The approach to teaching young children is throughplay. If it is fun, they will learn. The Danish Cyclists’ Federation has developed a concept
known as “Cycling games” for children from 2-12 years, which started with a booklet “20Cycling Games.” Then a mobile bicycle playground was developed consisting of various
challenges such as bumps, seesaw, and others. There are also campaigns to encouragechildren to bike to school as well as training in traffic safety. Mai-Britt and Loa state thekey to a strong, blossoming cycle culture is to start early, take the kid’s perspective, focus
on team spirit, and make cycle training fun.

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