Pedalling from past to present: Richmond bike culture on display
The approaching bike race is bringing to light the Richmond community’s growing bike culture, which is rooted in the city’s history.
The approaching bike race is bringing to light the Richmond community’s growing bike culture, which is rooted in the city’s history.
Art exhibits, concerts, fundraisers and government support are all reinforcing the city’s longstanding and growing cycling culture, which has pervaded all aspects of Richmond in light of the approaching Road World Championship.
Cycling has been an integral part of Richmond since the late 1800s. Police officers patrolled on bicycles as early as 1880, and 15,000 fans stood to watch a cycling race in 1892 on the land where the Science Museum of Virginia now stands.
Over a century later, commuters and enthusiasts now use bicycles for sport, utility and leisure in the city. The cycles themselves have been the subject of a lot of local art, and the city continues to increase cyclists’ accessibility on the roads.
Spectrum Editor, Austin Walker
Austin is a sophomore print journalism major. He started at the CT as a contributing writer, and frequently covers work done by artists and performers both on and off campus. He hopes to one day be a columnist writing about art that impacts culture, politics and documenting the lives of extraordinary and everyday people. // Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
walkeraw@commonwealthtimes.org
