The Biking Revolution
The Biking Revolution of Love & Freedom is filled with revolutionary people all over the world who are compassionately choosing to use a bike for transportation to help the planet and all the people on it, rather than relying on cars and other fossil fuel-burning personal vehicles.
The Biking Revolution is happening everywhere, as millions of people choose to ride bikes instead of getting in cars. Events such as Critical Mass, World Naked Bike Ride, and World Car Free Day draw attention to this growing trend. These events continue to gain more attention and to become more popular and well-known.
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Biking Revolution News Toolbar
For the most up-to-date news about the Biking Revolution, you can download the Biking Revolution News Toolbar.
Biking Revolution Bracelet 1.0 - A Symbol
The Biking Revolution Bracelet 1.0 is a simple piece of used bike inner tube, cut into a thin strip about 1/3rd of an inch wide, and tied around the wrist. It is an extremely effective organizing tool. The bracelets can be made very quickly and easily in mass from old bike inner tubes, and can then be passed out at Critical Mass rides, bike workshops, and other biking-related events. The bracelet is a public symbol that people can wear to show that they are part of The Biking Revolution.
The Biking Revolution symbol can also be included in promotional materials for biking related events and activities, which helps to significantly increase awareness and turn out for these events.
Successful use of The Biking Revolution Bracelet 1.0
In 2007 college students at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, along with people from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and The Sanctuary, two communities in Northeastern Missouri (NEMO), passed out Biking Revolution Bracelets, and promotional materials with the Biking Revolution symbol, in what seemed like a small and modest effort to help organize a Critical Mass ride in Kirksville, MO. The ride became a huge success for the little college town of only 18,000 people, and there are regular Critical Mass ride around 20-40 people in size, during which cyclists regularly pass out flowers to motorists and onlookers. This effort to generate good will between cyclists and motorists has helped to prevent confrontations between the two groups, which have sometimes characterized Critical Mass rides in other places.
After the success achieved in organizing Critical Mass, the Students at Truman State went on to use the Biking Revolution Bracelet 1.0 to promote a bike-in concert that raised funding for a budding student-organized bike co-op. This event was a hug success, and it provided an opportunity to pass out even more Biking Revolution Bracelets in order to build political support to elect a Biking Revolutionary to the head of the student senate. Eventually, this organizing culminated in the students convincing the administration of Truman University to open a student run bike shop on campus, which is still in operation today.
Newer versions of The Biking Revolution Bracelet
- The Biking Revolution Bracelet 2.0 is a more decorative version of the Biking Revolution Bracelet 1.0. It is made of the same material, used bike inner tube, but it is cut into strands and then woven together. This bracelet takes longer to make, but tends to be worn longer because of it's increased aesthetic value.
- The Biking Revolution Watch is an interesting innovation as well. When an old watch band breaks, you can easily replace it with your Biking Revolution Bracelet 1.0. This adaptation has been picked up independently by Biking Revolutionaries in different locations simply because of it's convenience over purchasing a new watch band or getting a whole new watch.
- The Biking Revolution Bracelet 3.0 is a made of a different material, a used spoke. It takes much longer to make, but initial testing indicates it is worn for much longer as well. It is best given as a gift to those who are strongly identified with the biking revolution, and who enjoy wearing jewelery. Women biking revolutionaries are often the best candidates for wearing these spoke bracelets.
