BIKEOLOGY 2010
This marvellous, month long, velo-love festival is the result of the hard work of many people both past and present. It was brought about because bicycle culture (aka “Bikeology”) is a global movement. The bicycle is an efficient, people-powered transportation technology, which enhances the physical and mental health of individuals who use it. When a society supports the widespread use of the bicycle for utilitarian cycling, the per capita impact on the environment is reduced (aka its citizens have a smaller ecological footprint).
Building communities around the bicycle provides positive social and economic spin-off effects in the development of diverse and accessible communities, with increased opportunities for human interactivity and therefore innovation. From a holistic perspective, the bicycle therefore has the capacity to increase the well-being of the entire planet.
The bicycle is a charismatic technology, which inspires creativity and personal self-expression, a sense of comradeship amongst its users and a desire to make bicycle transportation accessible to more people in both the developed and developing world. Because of these phenomena, there is an emerging global movement of people celebrating their use of the bicycle with special events including all forms imaginable of bicycle technologies, arts and athleticism.
The bicycle’s widespread use in a society reduces its ecological footprint, while encouraging the development of diverse and accessible communities with increased opportunities for human interactivity. From a holistic perspective, the bicycle therefore has the capacity to increase the well-being of the entire planet. The bicycle is a charismatic technology, which inspires both innovation and personal self-expression, both a sense of camaraderie amongst its users and a desire to make bicycle transportation accessible to more people in both the developed and developing world. Because of these phenomena, there is a groundswell of people celebrating their use of the bicycle with special events including all forms imaginable of bicycle technologies, arts and athleticism. And best of all, they are doing it out-of-doors, meeting their neighbours, shopping, traveling, and returning to a golden time of community.
With the increasing awareness of food shortages, transportation costs, increased scrutiny of personal choices has begun. No longer are people consuming randomly and frivolously. Instead considered choices are being made at every level. With June as Bike Month, we can encourage, assist and promote cycling at various levels, making the bicycle a vehicle that is accessible regardless of peak oil and world financial conditions. Our vision is to make every month bike month, where themes are not required, cycling is part of the mainstream infrastructure planning at a municipal level and funded accordingly, people’s first choice is to bicycle, and where only “June is Bike Month” is a thing of the past.
Concern over people’s disconnect to nature and the un-built or natural environment is also on the rise. The health of our planet demands that changes are made and are made quickly. Velofest Edmonton League and Organization (VELO) sees cycling as an urban entry activity to a more active lifestyle and a growing connection with one’s environment, local surroundings and the need for a sustainable life style. The bicycle is an efficient, people-powered transportation technology, therefore it enhances the physical and mental health of individuals who use it.
How did this all begin?
A Lunar Cycle Month was initiated by the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society (EBC), in the early 1980’s, and ran for approximately six (6) years The Lunar Cycle was a celebration of all things bikey and included events such as a bike to work breakfasts, participation in the silly summer parade with EBC’s lovely cow-on-a-bike mascot, advocacy outreach, a critical mass ride and many other events.
The next incarnation of a bike festival in Edmonton was envisioned and hosted by the Association of Cycle Messengers of Edmonton (ACME) member cycle courier Biker Bill, who worked diligently to bring together various and sundry folk in the cycling community. Bill’s efforts were rewarded when it was decided that Edmonton would be the host of the North American Cycle Courier Championships (NACCC).
In 2001, the NACCC touched the collective memory of the bicycle community and brought cyclists of all race and creed together to assist in this event. An added bonus to the event was the participation of Rainbow Bridge Communications Company, headed by the fabulous Ms. Barb Allard. Barb has arranged the ecology portion of each festival since then, ensuring that we have solar powered music, environmental activities for children and outstanding musicians. Barb also ensures we have a visual record of each Bikeology and has recently taken on developing “Barb’s Bike Shorts”, independent films created by local film makers. “Barb’s Bike Shorts” are viewed before each feature film at Metro Cinema and our Bikey Movie Mondays in June as well as at the ride-in outdoor movie.
Karly Coleman attended that first event, representing Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society (EBC) and through her efforts EBC became one of the pillars behind the festival we know and love today. Karly was involved with EBC since 1992 when she came on as office manager and stayed thirteen years to do a myriad of other things. Karly brought various others, including Molly Turnbull and Eric Filupla, to the planning table, ensuring a strong cross-pollination of cycling advocates and interested citizens.
Also 2001 the City of Edmonton hired the lovely Ms. Claire Stock to do bicycle transportation planning. Claire Stock is devoted to the bicycle and was instrumental in bringing all the various biking elements together. She was the liaison between all groups and types of cyclists, and did a bang-up job of bolstering our cycling community including acting as Edmonton’s only Bike Traffic Reporter for the duration of her stay in our fair city. Most interestingly, Claire brought another Claire to the table – Ms. Claire Ellick – and from 2005 onwards, the Claires work jointly on all manner of velo-tasique things in Edmonton. Claire Stock has since moved to Australia to run Everyday Cycling Solutions in Myrtleford, ruling the cycling world in that hemisphere and in 2009 Claire Ellick too left the fold for the City of Burnaby – closer to the ocean, the mountains and the opportunity to play in some other city’s cycling infrastructure. The Claires provided great support for the festival that the City has pledged to continue, including booking sites throughout the downtown core where all our bikey love happens.
So, with the festival spirit reawakened, a handful of people who are keen to share bicycle love, started plotting how to create and foster the cycling community in Edmonton. Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) came to the planning table in 2002, and since then, MEC has been an integral part of Bike Month. Karina Low, who was the MEC representative for years, moved on from that position to be replaced by none other than Karly. With Karly now wearing the MEC hat, the key representative for EBC became Molly Turnbull. Only Barb has not played musical bike seats – remaining the steadfast recorder of Bikeology and Bike Month since the first days.
We had such a wonderful time at the first Bikeology that we decided to do it again and again and again. Each year we add to it as well. Karly traveled to Portland and appropriated their Mocktails on the Bridge Event as well as many other ideas from that fair city – be sure and check out what may have immigrated from there this year. EBC Volunteer Coordinator aMy Leigh found signage in Vancouver that we adapted to our needs. Molly brought information and ideas from the Hamilton bike festivities in which she participated. Every year Barb found astounding footage for her bikeshorts and the Claires worked diligently both in front of and behind the scenes to ensure the Bike Community comes out and their offerings are recognized. And Bikeology has grown.
2009 was a banner year for Bikeology. Previously the festival was a mish-mash of names, events and groups, whereas since April 2009 we clarified our mission in life, or at least in Edmonton. It was the year that we determined who did what, what we were called by whom – including ourselves, and for good measure, how it was going to be done. What’s changed you ask? We moved off of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society roster. We’ve formed our own group. We have welcomed to the fold Keegan McEvoy who designs our lovely posters, Daryl Richel who was Edmonton’s first Bike Traffic Reporter and lives car-free, Shawn Bravender, whom we’ve rarely seen off his bike, and both the Alberta Bicycle Association and the Edmonton Art’s Council who took a chance on a crazy idea, and now support and nurture our efforts. We’ve tightened up our branding, we’ve developed stronger messaging, we’ve identified who our audience is and we’ve decided that Bikeology is a festival by cyclists, for cyclists. That means you.
Bikeology is a festival that is run by Velofest Edmonton League and Organization or VELO for short, which is French for bicycle and, is conveniently, an anagram of LOVE and we love bikes – all shapes and sizes. What does a velofest entail? A velofest is intended to convey the idea of both a festival devoted to bicycles and a group that is equally devoted to celebrating the bicycle, primarily by hosting and managing bicycle festivals.
Bike Month is June as declared by the City of Edmonton and many other communities around North America. Bikeology occurs in June, as do many other bicycle events, and VELO acts as the umbrella organization that provides all these various bike events with a forum or a venue to advise the cycling public about what is going on, all around our fair city.
Organizationally, Velofest Edmonton League and Organization is a non-profit society made up of volunteers representing Edmonton and area cycling organizations and agencies. We want to encourage more Edmontonians to try out cycling every year, help cyclists find the tools and resources they need, and strengthen Edmonton’s cycling community and cycling culture.
Bikeology and Bike Month activities foster good will, provide knowledge and understanding of what can be done in Alberta, indeed in Canada, with respect to environmental issues and engender a greater, common understand of humanities concern for our precious world. Although Bike Month is fundamentally transportation and utilitarian cycling focused, it brings so many other environmental elements together and it does so seamlessly. There are activities around transit, ride-in outdoor movies evocative of a simpler time, consistent adherence to local artists, participation by environmental groups – all of which grow our community in a positive way the people are able to sense at a instinctual level.
Currently Bike Month and the Bikeology: Festival build a vibrant community that encourages active transportation, alternative energy strategies, provides information about community groups, and is accompanied by activities for children and local musicians and other forms of art. It is located in the heart of Edmonton, which allows for easy access, uses City park space and emboldens passers-by to join in. The cross-over of all the various activities, however centred around cycling they might be, melds easily and is very enjoyable.
Each year Bike Month and the Bikeology festival increase the outreach to Edmontonians, providing them with options for transportation beyond the status quo. In turn, their choice for more active transportation encourages them to become more active people, participating in their community, growing our local economy and augmenting their personal goals for sustainability.
Participation from Edmonton and it’s bicycle community has grown slowly but steadily as more and more people begin using their bicycles for transportation, recreation and exercise. Conversely in our broader society concern about the environmental, social and economic costs of car-dependency has ballooned.
We feel that the Bikeology: Festival and Bike Month are both a celebration and an invitation to join with growing numbers of Edmontonians who are turning to the bicycle as a realistic form of transportation, recreation, environmental commitment, or exercise. As the City of Edmonton moves forward in a new direction, its Transportation Master Plan outlines the need to use existing road space more efficiently — to look at more effective ways of moving Edmontonians than through the use of the single occupant vehicle and to provide appropriate recreational sites.
Small steps like the Bikeology: Festival and Bike Month in cities like Edmonton are a piece of the larger global puzzle on how citizens become active in reducing their own carbon footprint, and educating each other about how they can take the necessary steps to reduce the growing environmental impact of industrialized nations.
In response to our growth, we’re changing the face of Bike Month and Bikeology: Festival’s organization in order to be of greater service to those who love the bicycle in which every way they use it. To that end, we have developed many free events, geared for any and all types of cyclist – from the novice just learning to ride to the spandex clad racer. Bikeology events are chiefly driven by bicycle – from the mechanic wranglers, the coffee providers, the trailer haulers, the smoothie makers – from the Bikey Movies, the Bike Dialogues, the Bikey Breakfasts – all of these events – including the main event – the Bikeology: Festival Day is done by bicycle wherever we can manage.
To that end, we welcome you to the most current incarnation of Bikeology, where we celebrate the vehicle of our future in Edmonton.
Come celebrate the 9th annual Bikeology and the 6th annual Bike Month – a festival of bikes and ecology, of velo-love, a month long festival that carries our bike festival tradition of times past into the future! We’ll see YOU there!