A night of (cycling) culture 14/12/2009
Posted by Patrick Carr in Darlington, Girls.Tags: Darlington, Girls
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I was delighted to attend the UK premiere of an award winning documentary about girls and cycling recently: Beauty and the Bike. Fantastically underdressed in my Bike Club T-shirt we waited outside the theatre as the stars of the film glided elegantly in on their stylish Dutch bikes. Yes, even a ballgown is practical on these clever machines. But though the film was visually and auditorily sumptuous, there was substance there too.
The role of infrastructure in shaping girls’ cycling habits was highlighted by comparison between Bremen in Germany and Darlington in England. But I left the auditorium with a sense of the freedom and independence offered to young women when cycling is brought to them in a way that’s convenient, affordable, safe and stylish.
The bike pool scheme that makes this possible, Darlovelo, is currently expanding. The members have started exploring how a Bike Club could encourage them to keep cycling, and bring the joy of this sort of riding to more people. Maybe I’ll ditch the Bike Club T-shirt in favour of something more fashionable next time I meet them!
Here’s the short version of Beauty and the Bike:
What a great YouTube clip of what looks to be a very interesting movie. Great idea! Good website here too. I’m thinking of living in England one day and will be sure to sign up if/when I get there.
Great film. Really positive. Where, when, how can I see the full thing?
You can email dmg@bikebeauty.org and ask for a copy of the DVD if you like. It’s £14 on its own and £24 (I think) with the accompanying book, which contains some great photography and the background story from the producers of the film- in English and German! If you have no joy, contact me on patrick.carr@bikeclub.org.uk and I’ll gently remind them.