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 By going to the Tour de Fat Los Angeles, I told my compatriots that I wanted to go to the belly of the beast (when it comes to traffic congestion), and experience feet first what bicycle culture is up against. The Tour de Fat is a leading wedge in exploring how bicycle culture can bring positive change to our urban environments, but LA is the urban environment, and with so much traffic congestion, where does one begin?
Indeed, LA was flashy and sprawling and no one seemed to ride the subway. But LA was also people starting bicycle clubs, and digging illegal wells to capture and re-use precious water run-off, and people who were calling their grandmothers to get canning recipes, and numerous couples who talked excitedly of getting chickens. LA TDF was a close-knit group of about 1500 bicyclists, representing three different bike groups, and they were extraordinary. They dressed up in fabulous costumes, braved the harrowing downtown traffic, and were excited to be at a party for bicycles.
LA is a long ways off from being a sustainable city. Nonetheless, from the spirited showing at the TDF, I can see a world rebuilt from our mishaps and wrong turns. Bicyclists are stubborn and resourceful and very aware, and the LA crowd improved my outlook on where the world is headed. We can bicycle our way to a better world.
(Photo by Jordan Twiggs)
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