One Less Car: Bicycling and the Politics of Automobility

Sporting

by Zack Furness

Although millions of people in the United States love to ride bicycles for exercise or leisure, statistics show that only 1 percent of the total U.S. population uses bicycles for transportation—and barely half as many people bike to work. In his original and exciting book, One Less Car, Zack Furness examines what it means historically, culturally, socioeconomically, and politically to be a bicycle transportation advocate/activist.

Presenting an underground subculture of bike enthusiasts who aggressively resist car culture, Furness maps out the cultural trajectories between mobility, technology, urban space and everyday life. He connects bicycling to radical politics, public demonstrations, alternative media production (e.g., ‘zines), as well as to the development of community programs throughout the world.

One Less Car also positions the bicycle as an object with which to analyze and critique some of the dominant cultural and political formations in the U.S.—and even breaks down barriers of race, class and gender privilege that are interconnected to mobility. For Furness, bicycling can be a form of liberation and a way to support social and environmental justice. So, he asks, Why aren't more Americans adopting bikes for their transportation needs?

Genres: Nonfiction, Cycling, Urbanism, Transport, Urban Planning, History, Urban

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Audrey]

first book I’ve ever read that provides a critical analysis of truck nuts

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book from the recommendation of my brother-in-law, who also happens to be friends with the author. I have also become more engaged in the world of cycling over the past couple of years, so the premise behind this book was engaging as well. I tend to ride (road and mountain) for sport and a quick commute to work and the grocery store, and had never given much thought to the politics behind cycling, nor the historical facts that show what a privilege it is to be able to be a female cyclist. I kinda liked reading that my cycling was once considered to be rebellious, reckless, and leads me to be an improperly behaved woman. The book also validated some of the experiences I've had as a girl in boy-bikeland, the culture that questions my legitimacy to ride -- do I ride hard enough? do I know how to handle basic bike repairs? or am I just doing this because my boyfriend is? I ride because I love it, with or without their approval, and love encouraging other women to ride as well.

The more I ride, and the more I read through this book, I started to realize how my riding still is an act of defiance in the automotized world. I hadn't considered using my bike to take a stand politically, nor in a manner of protest, but now, I see how important that is in the world we are living in. Our roads are often created without any consideration to create a bike lane. Many drivers think cyclists are an inconvenience, an irritant, something to hit (without any repercussions where I live), since waiting for a bike to cross your path adds mere seconds to their driving time. This has inspired me to join the local cycling club, one that is active in the community politically. Bikes belong too.

In addition to the incredible history Furness brings to this book. his writing style was one that was quite engaging, and enabled me to be excited about reading an academic book in a matter of days. Well done, Zack!

[Andy Dorsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the introduction and conclusion, Zack Furness makes some hard-hitting arguments for rethinking America's car-centric culture, and if the rest of the book were like those chapters, I would have given it 5 stars. Unfortunately, Furness tries to remain objective in the body of the text (despite having a clear standpoint), and takes a sometimes extremely academic tone that renders the book boring and more difficult to understand than it needs to be. I'm interested in bicycle mobility, but this book was a slog and I'm not sure exactly what I learned from it.

The focus also seemed a bit random. Furness treats bicycles as a global phenomenon (at least in the industrialized world) in the 1890s, then we get a brief bit of Dutch activism in the 1960s and later some English punk bands, but otherwise the default setting is implicitly the United States. Since his area of expertise and interest is, justifiably, the US, it might have been better either to explicitly restrict the book to American developments, or to make a more convincing case for the inclusion of foreign developments (particularly if these had a direct impact on events in the US). I still don't get what English punks have to do with car dependency in America.

Nonetheless, I found the chapter on "Mass Media and the Representation of Bicycling" quite interesting. I had never really thought about the fact that adult bicycle riding serves as a shorthand for failure in movies. And I will be forever grateful for being pointed to "I Like Bikes" (1978), an 'educational' film about bicycle mobility made by General Motors(!). "I like bikes," it tells its viewers, "but they basically suck." The scene where she barely misses killing a Black cyclist with her car will haunt me for a long time to come...

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this book is dense with valuable information it's hard to know where to start. So dense it was hard to read at some points, but I'm very glad I muscled through. Furness challenges capitalistic norms we've been programmed to accept uncritically in the U.S. and, more generally, in dominant Western societies. Grappling with issues of mobility and climate change involve not just sustainable transportation planning, but a cultural shift away from globalization and unfettered free market capitalism in service of a more equitable society.

[Ygor Noblott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish everyone would read this book. I love cycling, and this book presents it in such a memorable and precise way. I think it has some very important things people should consider when they think of the perception people have about cyclists, commuting, and society.

[Luke Van Santen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a slog. Numerous totally correct examples, exhaustively footnoted.

[DW Rowlands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely interesting, if a bit further in a cultural-studies direction than really was what I wanted. Apparently cycling, like everything else in 1920's America, was contaminated with eugenics.

[Bitsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Victorian history of the bicycle was very cool, I want to read a book on that!

[Carlosfelipe Pardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book truly explains why the bicycle id such a wonderful and versatile object and provides a critical account of how it evolved, what opportunities arose and, finally, what can be done.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciate a lot of what he says about the disproportionate police and media treatment of people who ride bikes vs. drivers. The historical background to bicycle movements here in the U.S. and around the world is great. Not the most engaging book about bikes/advocacy/etc. that I've ever read, but still filled with useful info.

[Stantontas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite occasional slips into ugly cultural studies academic language and US-centrism, this book is very good. It covers the history and sociology of cycling in a balanced way, redressing the dominant car-narrative without getting carried away with overstating bikes' liberating potential. For example, ZF points out the class, gender and racial limits of the bicycle's freedom of movement, always acknowledging contradictory features.
Plus there's stuff on media representation, Critical Mass, DIY bike projects. If you can stomach the problems noted in the 1st sentence and like this kind of stuff, probably you'll like this book.

[Tinaruch]

Cycle is the best option for to travel to the short distance or across the city of personal work. It is beneficial in two ways that it is very is useful to keep our health up to date as well participate in minimizing the pollution generated in various vehicle.
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[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting history of the politics of biking written by a professor i had for cultural studies. i had to put it on the shelf because i am back in school and it is sometimes slow reading. has given me a new respect for the bicycle movements. i read through the chapter on critical mass. it got me on a bike.

[Eric Trull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing look into the history of biking and the associated politics of the past 120+ years.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mostly biased look at cycle culture/history and the socioeconomic implications in urban settings. Also, the only book that quotes the band Fifteen. Not that bad of a read.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for environmental and bicycle activists.