A Case Study of American Bicycle Culture: How Cycling to Work Works in a Small Town in Kansas

Abstract

Small communities, like big cities, are trying to figure out what to do about bicycling. Especially when used for transportation, bicycling offers benefits to individuals such as increased physical activity and decreased costs associated with motorized travel. For small and big cities, alike, bicycling produces zero carbon emissions, causes less wear and tear on already strained road systems, and promotes a tightening up of sprawling landscapes. So far, what we know about bicycling comes principally from statistical surveys and quantitative research of large sample studies conducted in cities with existing bicycle infrastructure. But what we need to know about bicycling goes beyond the numbers to explore how cyclists interact with their communities. Learning how cyclists make it work can help communities design environments and policies to encourage more bicycling. And not just in places with bicycle friendly amenities but also in places that might be called bicycle "unfriendly". This thesis reports on the results of a case study aimed at understanding how a small group of bicyclists make it work in a small military town in Kansas. The cyclists interviewed make it work by committing to biking to work, planning their lives around cycling, and overcoming obstacles. A major obstacle to bicycling is the sense that cyclists do not feel supported by the community. Feedback from this study can lead to a greater sensitivity to everyday dilemmas encountered by cyclists. Leaders and decision makers in places that do not actively encourage cycling can better understand how cyclists fit into their town's sense of community.